Forgiveness of the Monster Review – psychodrama plays and stand in foggy autofiction | Theater

CHonor Allen’s autobiographical presentation contains a lot of smoke and mirrors, both literal and figurative. Smoke rises from a hole in a dark place, jagged glass stands like rocks. It is a heart-wrenching drama with a mixed race protagonist (played by Allen) who is abandoned by his Jamaican father and raised by his Welsh mother. His inability to forgive his father brings him back to Jamaica where he encounters magical water.

The play changes willingly in style and tone, sliding between gothic thriller, family psychodrama and direct address of the past as Allen engages the audience with tipples of gin in warm comedy.

He has inner demons, which are discussed in chair sessions by a therapist who appears as a muffled voice. But there’s also a real, singing, demonic figure (Mya Fox-Scott) who, we’re told, has made a deal with her father.

It’s very original in handling things with fun rap, spoken word, music and songs, all that get to the gut. And there are great performances from Allen and Fox-Scott (good vocals) as well as Oraine Johnson, who plays drums and adds to the dialogue. But it is difficult to know the meaning, or to follow as a story. It becomes ambiguous with mysteries including a singer (also played by Fox-Scott) who may be his mother – she talks about a lost child and her brother.

The production seems a bit clumsy because it wants to do and say too much and Tonia Daley-Campbell’s direction doesn’t quite make sense in many parts of the script. The result is like several plays strung together.

The last conversation with his father means that everything is clear to the protagonist, but not to us, mainly because this conversation is not played. As a story it is promising but confusing. Clearly there is talent here. If built properly, it can fly.