It has been said that life imitates art; well, sometimes art imitates life, and Monster may imitate it a little too closely for some.
A dark and unforgiving tale, Monster follows the life of Kayleigh Grey (played by Abigail Hood herself) from the age of 16. Born very firmly without a silver spoon in her mouth, Kayleigh's home life is troubled to say the least. Her mother Hazel (Sarah Waddell), wouldn't be entirely out of place in a De Sade storyline, and her father is nowhere to be seen. Kayleigh's tough upbringing has put her firmly on the wrong path, and the best intentions of her closest friend Zoe (Lauren Downie) and teacher Rebecca (Lisa Ellis), against the wishes of her husband Steve (Steve Hay), can't stop her downward spiral.
As the play progresses, we see the characters later in life and are introduced to Kevin (John Parker), who is his own brand of unusual as a character, and we see something many stories don't show – the remnants of life after tragedy. The play raises some interesting questions around the butterfly effect and how great the impact of an event can be. What if the butterfly was in fact a giant red dragon burning everything it sees?
Monster hits hard and pulls no punches in what is arguably a very brave move. It's the sort of production where feeling uncomfortable is part of the experience, but in a mesmeric edge-of-your-seat kind of way.
The thing is, a few people (myself included) will know someone worryingly similar to one or all of the characters. The events of the play are naturally pushed to an extreme level, but as the audience is taken from bad to worse to worst, a lot of familiar faces can appear along the way.
That's not to say our suspension of belief is not sought. We're greeted by two adult actors portraying school children of 16, and while it takes some settling into, it's done well – a testament to the quality of the acting that is found throughout, with the standout performance being that of Lisa Ellis, whose delivery is excellent throughout and really pulls the heartstrings.
While not detracting from the overall experience too greatly, the set design and costumes are functional and low-risk; the lighting is definitely lacking, although the main breaks and changes are indicated, and there are sections where the dialogues hit an emotive high note and, with nowhere else to go, lacking some dynamic.
The ending is also an unexpected dynamic and tonal choice. Don't worry, there are no spoilers here, but while it does end in a kind of bookend, the scene before the ending would potentially have made a better ending and the two scenes could be swapped in order.
This play has room to grow while still offering a lot in its current form. It also has room for a sequel – something I would definitely be interested in if it were ever to come to being.
Monster is probably not an ideal choice for a first date or a romantic evening. It lays bare the truth of real-world actions and experiences that some people have to live through and while it may not be a fairytale with a ‘Happily Ever After', it shows what should be seen and is often forgotten or ignored.
Monster is bold and unflinching. See it now at the Seven Dials Playhouse, running until the 18th of October.
Review: Damien Russell Photo: Benkin Photography