The Monster seeks human connection but is met with violence and rejection. He eventually finds refuge with the blind Agathe and her brother Felix.
Philip Pullman's Frankenstein play script is far more than a simple summary of Mary Shelley's novel. It is a dynamic, powerful, and profoundly thoughtful piece of theatre in its own right. Whether you are a teacher looking for a way to engage a KS3 class with gothic literature, a drama director in search of a challenging school production, or a fan of Pullman's work wanting to explore a lesser-known facet of his career, this adaptation is an invaluable resource.
When looking to study or perform the piece, sourcing an authorized copy ensures you receive the complete text, stage directions, and official licensing information required for public performance.
Philip Pullman
Pullman’s Frankenstein — originally titled Frankenstein: A Play (published by Heinemann / Nick Hern Books in 1990) — is still in copyright. The only legal ways to obtain the script are:
Philip Pullman, the celebrated author of His Dark Materials , has often tackled complex narratives, but his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein into a play script stands out as a triumph of dramatic storytelling for young people. Published as part of the Oxford Playscripts series, this version makes the intense ethical dilemmas and atmospheric horror of the 1818 novel accessible, engaging, and highly performable.
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Many schools own copies of this Oxford Playscript.
Educators frequently use Pullman’s script to introduce students to gothic literature and ethics. The play highlights several core themes: 1. The Burden of Creation and Responsibility
Philip Pullman is a name synonymous with modern fantasy literature, primarily for his groundbreaking His Dark Materials trilogy. However, long before he introduced the world to Lyra Belacqua and the mysteries of Dust, Pullman was already making significant contributions to literature for young people, including a lesser-known but highly respected body of work for the stage. The Monster seeks human connection but is met
The Creature’s descent into villainy is framed as a direct result of extreme isolation and systemic prejudice.
| Theme | Mary Shelley (1818) | Pullman (2017‑2024) | How Pullman Expands It | |-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------------| | | Moral responsibility, the “God‑complex”. | Mirrors modern genetic engineering , AI , and synthetic biology . | Pullman inserts a short dialogue where Victor references “CRISPR” as a metaphor, connecting the 19th‑century quest for life to 21st‑century biotech. | | Isolation | Both Victor and the Creature suffer loneliness. | Emphasises social media alienation : the Creature watches a distant “broadcast” of human life on a flickering screen. | Highlights how even in a hyper‑connected world, true empathy remains elusive. | | Nature vs. Science | Romantic idealisation of nature as a moral compass. | Uses environmental collapse imagery (e.g., smog over the laboratory). | Draws parallels between the Arctic chase and today’s climate crisis. | | Identity & Otherness | The Creature as the “Other”. | Introduces a gender‑fluid casting of the Creature, challenging binary notions of “monster”. | Encourages audiences to think of “otherness” as fluid, not just physical. | | Narrative Reliability | Multiple first‑person accounts (Victor, the Creature). | Adds a Storyteller who explicitly comments on the unreliability of both. | Creates a meta‑theatrical lens, inviting the audience to question whose version of truth they trust. |
The play would open on a dark and stormy night, with Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant and obsessive scientist, standing at the precipice of a groundbreaking discovery. As he works tirelessly in his laboratory, he is driven by a burning desire to unlock the secrets of life and death. It is a dynamic, powerful, and profoundly thoughtful
While many academic and drama resources offer the physical copy, finding a legal and complete often requires visiting educational publishers or reputable script libraries.