Reviewed by Zara Branigan, Christopher Donovan and Isobel Smith, Year 13 pupils from King Edward’s School, Bath
We were kindly invited to visit the House of Frankenstein to witness the thrilling attraction on the Eve of Halloween. We were led by costume-clad, blood-splattered actors to enter (if you dare) and were immediately transported with soundscapes and visual effects. The House of Frankenstein has distinguished itself as an exhibition-turned-horror experience that celebrates not only the life of a prominent novelist but the monster that brought her literary acclaim.
As you navigate the maze of interconnected rooms and travel up through this haunted house, you learn the story of Mary Shelley’s thrilling and tragic life—but not only do you learn about her story, you experience it first-hand. From the 8-foot-tall animatronic monster to a themed escape room, there is no doubt that this is the world’s most immersive Frankenstein experience. There are eerie lifelike props everywhere you look, along with a cinema and a haunted basement. We were especially impressed by the dual effect of the soundscape and macabre artwork which captures a gruesome depiction of the doctor’s laboratory.
Your journey through the attraction follows the life of Mary Shelley as you uncover a story as captivating as Shelley’s works of fiction. The story of her life sets the scene for the creation of Frankenstein, and you gain a deeper understanding of the inspirations that made the novel the fascinating work that it is. You learn about Shelley’s soon-deceased mother, enlightenment feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, and her father, the loving-yet-absent author William Godwin. The attraction takes its viewers as far as Villa Diodati, Switzerland, where Shelley joined an outrageous gaggle of romantic poets and started the legendary storytelling contest that birthed iconic tales such as Vampyre (John Polidori), Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (Lord Byron) and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
On the fourth floor, guests are treated to an exclusive viewing of Frankenstein (1910), in the attraction’s miniature cinema. This heart-tugging interpretation of the story left us firmly glued to our old-fashioned movie house seats. After, it leads to a room filled to the brim with an amalgamation of Frankenstein memorabilia. Equipped with a retro pinball machine and an electric sheet, you can feel the forces that brought the monster to life. On the walls, poster-after-poster of different Frankenstein adaptions explore our progression from an 8-foot creature with a ‘shrivelled complexion and straight black lips’ to the friendly green cartoon we know today. This is one of many times the attraction explores the nuances within the novel but refuses to compromise on the fun and fear factor.
As we explored the revamped Georgian house turned spectacular attraction, little did we know that it was Jonathan Willis’ lockdown project. For most of us, our projects consisted of banana bread and step counts, but his was the ‘House of Frankenstein’. Standing next to a portrait of Mary Shelley, he explained that despite Shelley’s impact through Frankenstein, there is no recognition for the mother of science fiction. He added that this is especially surprising for Bath, as parts of Frankenstein were written here.
Thankfully, Jonathan’s imaginative team have made Mary Shelley’s first venture into the literary city a success. Yet, Jonathan isn’t stopping at his attraction at 37 Gay Street. Perhaps your cup of tea is a Creepy Café or a Scare B&B. In fact, his plans aren’t just limited to the physical world. The House of Frankenstein will be releasing a series of themed non-fungible tokens and his own cryptocurrency, which Jonathan outlined as his most ambitious venture yet.
The House of Frankenstein has something to offer for all Frankenstein fans. The hardcore Shelley fans will find excitement with the biography of Mary Shelley: her early life as the daughter of two prolific thinkers; her relationship with vivid characters; and her determination to continue to write after the death of her husband and children. Those looking for fun will be scared senseless by the horror maze – escape Victor’s Lair and live to tell the tale.