Don’t forget your tissues.
The Old Vic stage production is a heart wrenching translation of Patrick Ness’ children’s novel.
The story follows 13-year-old Conor O’Malley as he struggles with his mum’s illness and the nightmares -literal and figurative- it causes. Conor unintentionally summons a monster for assistance, whose idea of help differs wildly from Conor’s as he tells stories and demands one in return in an entrancing performance of love, loss, and a few life lessons for good measure.
The entire cast parades onto the bare stage and take a seat along the side, initially appearing to be passive observers – and occasional helpers as they hand him his school uniform – but soon becomes evident they’re all key players in Conor’s life.
Ammar Duffus is wonderful as Conor, exuding a raw pain and devastating determination as he clings to hope of his mum’s recovery till the end. His fury at how unfair the world is tugs at all the heartstrings.
Music and lighting work cohesively to illustrate the trauma of Conor’s intense nightmares with pulsing music coming from the band who are situated above the stage, another set of observers.
Not overdoing the props side, the stage is kept minimal throughout. A projected background and some ingenious use of rope transforms the setting.
This gives the actors plenty of space to take advantage of, both horizontally and vertically which is much needed for this immensely physical performance. The audience are immersed in Conor’s nightmares and stories through the range of movement from sharp to graceful, but always perfectly in sync.
Very little detracts from the performance. Grandma’s accent oddly veers between Scottish, to English, and American which is distracting, but still offers a convincing performance as the loving but distant grandmother.
When it comes to the monster, some of the creative choices are odd. We’re introduced to the monster through a bizarre birthing scene and although the practical use of stilts is understandable, the design neither makes him more monstrous or draw upon his nature as a yew tree. However, Keith Gilmore’s broad shouldered stature and powerful portrayal of the character redeems those oddities for the most part.
He guides Conor to his truth, the stage fades to black and the audience reaches for tissues in unison.
****
Katie Reviews 