A young woman who has drowned herself in Victorian London is brought back to life as Bella Baxter by an unorthodox scientist.
In a fusion of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bella (played with terrific energy and verve by Emma Stone) embarks on a wild, accelerated ride through time and space. While her language grows exponentially from toddler to adulthood, her comprehension lags a little behind. But, as she elopes to Lisbon, Alexandria, Paris with a deliciously hammy seducer, it’s the naivety of her world view that is telling. The incredible Oscar-winning production design by Festival guest James Price and his colleague Shona Heath plays a huge part in bringing Bella’s inner and outer worlds to life.
