With the mainstream success of Adolescence (Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne) on Netflix, viewers could see how young boys, introduced to and influenced by alt-right content either in person or on the internet, start to become radicalised in both their ideas and actions. Monster (written earlier, in 2007), directed by Kim Hardwick, at first glance, appears to be strikingly similar in both its tone and message. However, while Adolescence dives into more of the “manosphere” and online incel culture, Monster focuses instead on what causes a child to become violent.

The entire play, from character dialogue to exposition, feels like a back and forth argument on whether Darryl’s (Campbell Parsons) inherent lack of empathy and violent tendencies are a product of his environment (how he was raised and the trauma he went through), or if he was simply born that way. The production does not shove this in your face, however. The conversations between Tom (Tony J. Black), his girlfriend Jodi(Romney Hamilton), and Darryl’s grandmother Rita(Linda Nicholls-Gidley) sprinkle these ideas naturally, and, without a solid answer provided, leave the audience to reflect on their own preconceived notions towards Darryl and children like him.

KXT on Broadway's intimate theatre space and stripped-down set benefited Monster immensely, as every expression and gesture was visible to all of the audience. For a play that, in between incredibly realistic and fast-paced dialogue, had intense moments of silence, having the audience in close physical proximity to the actors is essential. This proximity, and the lack of an intermission, helped with the cognitive and emotive flow of the play as well. Even with black-outs used in transitions, a practice normally frowned upon for their impediment of the natural movement of a piece of theatre, still managed to carry the performance forward, as a soft spotlight on one of the actors gave the audience a focal point while the set and props were changed, and tense, atmospheric music masked the sounds made by crew and cast on stage.

105 minutes is a long time to sit in your seat in one go, but for the most part, Monster didn’t feel like it dragged on. The phenomenally realistic acting from the cast and quick but intense transitions kept audiences captivated and reflective throughout the duration of the play. There is a drop off in tension and captivation towards the end of the play, after the climax, where the long pauses between lines, likely meant to show the characters contemplating the events of the play, can disengage an audience that has already sat through an hour and a half of high energy/pressure moments.

The tension felt and the conflict towards how one is meant to feel about Darryl is in no small part due to the superb acting of the cast. Campbell Parsons gives a very dynamic performance as Darryl, switching quickly between a high-energy mask and more malicious/muted when called out for his actions. Every switch feels distinct and immediate, marked through gesture and expression, and he feels, rightly so, very unpredictable. Tony J. Black, for a new cast member(only getting the script and beginning rehearsals the Sunday before opening night) embodies Tom impeccably; contemplative and calm, with a very volatile centre, which you can see so clearly through his strained speech and anxious body language. Linda Nicholls-Gidley’s Rita and Romney Hamilton’s Jodi both offer so much nuance to their parts as well. Nicholls-Gidley manages to distinctly display Rita’s contradiction in thought, a want to protect her grandson, and a deeper understanding that he needs help she can’t provide. Hamilton’s performance as Jodi holds so many subtleties that make her character all the more interesting to watch, and her outsider perspective on Darryl’s situation, and frustration on it affecting her life unfairly, feels so authentic, audiences can’t help but feel sorry for her. A show set in the UK, with Australian and American actors, will have slip ups in accents, which sometimes can take one out of the performance ever so slightly, but the incredible acting from the small cast is easily able to bring one back into the fold.

The quote "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable" by Cesar A. Cruz feels especially applicable to this piece. Watching Monster will leave you reckoning with your own beliefs about who exactly is responsible when a child grows up violent or disturbed.

Monster is a very thought-provoking, gripping piece of theatre, running at KXT on Broadway until the 21st of March.