Concrete Playground

Between his turn as that delightfully arrogant savant Sherlock, his somehow 19th-century visage and his whimsical name befitting a penitent clerk at the Ministry of Magic, Benedict Cumberbatch has us all infatuated. He's the stuff Tumblrs are made of.

But as well as his roles in Sherlock and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mr Cumberbatch recently starred in a production of Frankenstein that blew minds when it went on stage in London and has been talked about with gleeful conjecture the world over. And now we can see it, courtesy of National Theatre Live, which captures British stage shows for the screen.

The new adaptation, directed by Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting; perhaps you've heard of them), is known for night after night switching the casting of its fatefully intertwined two leads, Frankenstein and his monster, between Cumberbatch and co-star Jonny Lee Miller (Boyle's Trainspotting alumnus). It's also known for its explosive opening scene, in which the creature experiences his birth on stage — naked, alone and having pushed through a membrane — and it continues to follow the tale from his isolated, rejected point-of-view.

Both versions of Frankenstein will show on Sydney screens in June — with Benedict as the creature on Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10, and Jonny in the role on Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24. Participating cinemas include the Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays, Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, Chauvel and Riverside Theatres. There's been unprecedented demand, so book ahead.