Performers from a Norwich-based theatre company are putting their own unique twist on Mary Shelley's classic story of Frankenstein, and they are also giving audience members the chance to help shape the show.

MoCo Theatre Company - which last year presented an immersive production of A Clockwork Orange at The Shoe Factory Social Club - will be presenting a workshop and open rehearsal of Frankenstein at Norwich Theatre Royal's Stage Two on Wednesday.

The event is part of the venue's Creative Matters Season which is focussing on men's mental health.

While many versions of Frankenstein focus on the fear factor of the monster created by Victor Frankenstein, this new show plans to tackle mental health issues by delving deeper into the backgrounds of the characters in the story.

About the open rehearsal, Joe Darbyshire, who will play Victor Frankenstein, said: 'We will talk a bit about what we intend to do with the play, give an insight into the set as the production will be an installation as that is what we normally do, and the director Miche Montague will also talk about her vision for it. More than anything, it will be a way of raising mental health issues as that will be a key theme of the piece.'

He added: 'When you read the book, you can see the characters are often quite reclusive and there is a lot of anxiety there. The creature itself is a perfect metaphor for those feeling that people want to hide and what can happen to a person when their mental health and situation is turned against them.

'We will be looking intently at Victor's mental health after what he does and how he emotionally responds to creating new life. We are also looking at how his emotions can be violent and extreme. We hope the open rehearsal will give the audience the opportunity to tell us how far we can push this.'

Fellow cast member Rohan Gotobed added: 'We want people to give us their own ideas and views. We will perform a couple of scenes that we have already started work on. It is really useful at the start of the creative process to show people what we can do but it is also really important to us to get advice, feedback and ideas.'

The Frankenstein workshop and open rehearsal is at Stage Two on Wednesday, January 31 at 7.30pm. Tickets £5 (concessions £2.50). To book, visit www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk or call 01603 630000.