The publication of the novel “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness in 2011 was followed by a film version starring Felicity Jones and Lewis McDougall in 2012; the stage version, the vision of ambitious director Sally Cookson first appeared at the Old Vic in 2018. Tonight’s production at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry was the opening night of a three-month tour.
We first meet Conor as an infant in the arms of his mother, Maxine (Maria Omakinwa), as she rocks him to sleep telling him stories about the ancient yew tree which has stood on the hill near their home since time immemorial. In a flash – literally – Conor (Ammar Duffus) is 13: the age at which a boy, faced with the simultaneously exciting and scary prospect of becoming a man, and believing himself to be in control of everything, is actually at his most emotionally vulnerable. Long since abandoned by his father (Ewan Wardrop), he is now the principal caregiver for his mother who has terminal cancer. This makes him a target for the school bullies, led by the loutish but superficially charming Harry (Greg Bernstein). His “otherness” is underlined by the fact that even his formidable Grandma (Kaye Brown) remarks that normally “thirteen year-old boys never do the washing-up unless they’re told”. The prospect of having to go to live with Grandma once the unspeakable inevitable happens is utterly unpalatable to Conor who feels that the older woman treats him as her employee. It is in the family’s interactions with Grandma, however, that some of the most poignantly humorous moments occur. When Grandma brings some moth-eaten old wigs for Maxine to try on, one makes her look, she says, like Martha (Reeves) and another like Diana (Ross). These musical references go straight over teenaged Conor’s head, as I suspect they did for the half of the audience which was drawn from local schools.
Conor is troubled by nightmares, and this is when Michael Vale’s minimalist set really comes to life as, with the aid of Dick Straker’s projections, we are drawn into the dark recesses of his mind. One particularly awful nightmare turns out to be real: the terrifying appearance of the Monster (Keith Gilmore). This is a moment that will stay with you for a long time: the innocuous-looking ropes are ingeniously transformed into a living, breathing and walking (yes, walking) yew tree. A few times during its 2,000 year life, the tree has walked the earth in order to resolve life-or-death situations. The Monster describes how he is to visit Conor three times and tell him three stories, after which Conor will have to tell his own story. The lad is having none of it; full of teenage bravado he responds with disdain and sarcasm: what’s the point of stories? “When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”, responds the Monster. And havoc, indeed, is the result as Conor’s torments grow worse. The first half finishes with Grandma’s scream of despair as she surveys her destroyed belongings in the aftermath of his destructive rampage. After the interval we see Conor, finally broken by the endless taunts, hospitalise his arch-enemy Harry. Throughout all this turbulence though, there is in fact healing and reconstruction going on in Conor’s life and Duffus’ moving portrayal of the swirling mix of emotions keeps us rooting for him.
Sadly during the last half-hour of the second half I noticed a few people with younger children leaving early. The performance carries a suggested minimum age of ten, and it’s there for a good reason. Those of us who stayed witnessed the final extraordinarily moving scenes in absolute silence broken only by sobs from throughout the audience. We see a side to the Monster which makes us question whether he really is a monster after all as he urges Conor to tell the fourth story: his own story. The poor boy has no idea what to say. “THE TRUTH” booms the Yew Tree, the implication being that he needs to acknowledge and name his feelings and in owning them find liberation, or else spend the rest of his days regretting a lie. There’s a clear parallel here with Christ’s promise in St. John’s Gospel, “the truth will set you free”, and it is a timely reminder to all of us of the value of truth in these days of fake news.
Enhanced throughout by Benji Bower’s tense and unsettling soundtrack, “A Monster Calls” is a breathtaking spectacle, a very clever piece of theatre and a profoundly moving experience. Do go and see it if you can, but take a tissue or two!
A Monster Calls is adapted from the novel by Patrick Ness, based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd. The show is an Old Vic production in association with Bristol Old Vic, produced by Global Church Productions, Jonathan Church Productions and Chichester Festival Theatre. At the Belgrade Theatre till March 7th then on tour till May 31st.
Reviewer - Ian Simpson
on - 3/2/20
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