MONSTER (2nd Prize 2005)
- Produced in The Studio at the Royal Exchange in July 2007 as part of the first Manchester International Festival. Directed by Jacob Murray.
TOM: What I’m saying is, I don’t think his behavioural problems are entirely his fault. I think he may have certain – I think we could be doing more to help him.
Biography
Duncan Macmillan is a writer and director. Plays include Platform (Old Vic Tunnels), Monster (Manchester Royal Exchange), The Most Humane Way to Kill A Lobster (Theatre 503), Sleeve Notes (various), I Wish To Apologise For My Part In The Apocalypse (BBC Radio 4). Formerly Writer-in-Residence at Paines Plough and the Royal Exchange. Currently writing plays for the Old Vic, Royal Exchange, National Theatre Studio and BBC Radio, and developing a new series for Hat Trick TV.
“Duncan Macmillan’s cracking play is a timely and gripping dissection of parenting and responsibility and that moment where teenagers stop being seen as young people” THE GUARDIAN
To read Duncan’s online tutorial about ‘Story on Stage’, click here.
Synopsis
In an attempt to save their relationship, Tom and Jodi have left the city and begun again in a small town. Soon, Jodi is pregnant and Tom has started a new job in the local school. But their new life is turned upside down by Darryl, a disruptive student with an obsession with violence. As Tom’s struggle to get Darryl into a special unit increasingly becomes an obsession, his relationship with Jodi moves from neglect towards more tragic consequences.
Interview
What did winning a prize in the Bruntwood mean to you as a writer?
I’d had one play on before, ‘The Most Humane Way To Kill A Lobster’ at Theatre 503, but this was the first time I’d actually made some money from writing. It meant I could spend a year working on plays full time instead of treating it like a hobby. Crucially, it also meant the play went on.
What was the process of writing MONSTER like and what did you learn from it?
Like most things I’ve written there was a long period of procrastination, planning and research, followed by a sudden rush of writing, then dissecting and rewriting, which meant taking it apart and putting it back together again. I realised I was writing a thriller so the tricky thing was creating a sense of momentum and danger without making it obvious where we were headed.
What have you done since winning the prize and what are your plans for the future?
I’ve written a few radio plays and lots of short plays. I’ve also directed a few productions and earlier this year won the Runner-Up Prize in the JMK Directing Award. Most recently I co-wrote Platform for the Old Vic Community Company, which took place in the tunnels underneath Waterloo Station. At the moment I’m developing a TV series, working on some ideas for musical theatre and trying to find a home for two new plays.
Gallery
Images from the Royal Exchange production of MONSTER:
