The Monster in the Hall - Festival 2011
Duck Macatarsney cares for her biker dad whose MS is getting increasingly bad. Her Dad - Duke - is a spliff smoking (for medicinal reasons you understand), bike riding, heavy metal loving, horror movie loving, pizza eating widower who's brought up Duck since the death of her Mother in a crash. The two of them are just about surviving when one morning the Duke wakes up blind and the Duck hears that the Social Services are coming to take her away.The Monster in the Hall follows Duck as she tries to protect her world from the terrifying prospect of change.A low budget indie comedy musical about a girl on the verge of a nervous breakdown played out by four actors and a big fat motorbike which goes vrrooommm.WINNER of the BEST ENSEMBLE at The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence 2011.ALSO AT THE FRINGE 2011: ONE MILLION TINY PLAYS ABOUT BRITAIN by Craig Taylor
BOOKING
TRAVERSE BOX OFFICE
0131 228 1404 | traverse.co.uk
EDINBURGH FRINGE BOX OFFICE
0131 226 0000 | edfringe.com
RESOURCES
You can now download the Educational Teachers’ Resource Pack here, in the Secondary Resources section.
Part of Made In Scotland
Part of the British Council Showcase
In association with Arts and Theatres Trust Fife
Supported by NTS
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN ARCHIVE ENTRY. THIS SHOW IS NO LONGER ON SALE.
PRESS
“David Greig’s fizzing urban fairy tale of a teenage girl, her sick Hell’s Angel father, his metaphorical motorbike in the hall…and big Agnetha from Trondheim is an imaginative synthesis of Beauty and the Beast, pop songs, heavy metal, and rapid-fire acting.”
The Independent ★★★★
“Guy Hollands’s brilliant and energetic production…is galvanised by Gemma McElhinney as 16 year-old Duck Macatarsney, a genuine princess with the appeal of a new Romola Garai, and who sings beautifully, too… Delightful.”
The Independent ★★★★
“The Monster in the Hall brings a jolt of upbeat feeling to a potentially grim subject…Sweet, without rotting your teeth or your brain.”
The Sunday Times ★★★★
“it pushes even harder at the boundaries of theatrical possibility. Yes, it’s a piece for young people but anyone could – and should – crash the party.”
Daily Telegraph ★★★★
“If, theatrically speaking, it’s anyone’s Festival, it’s surely David Greig’s…two of his plays presented under the Traverse umbrella…are two of the most accomplished and enjoyable shows this Edinburgh August.”
London Evening Standard ★★★★
“a charming musical comedy…Playful ensemble storytelling, stylishly directed by Guy Hollands.”
London Evening Standard ★★★★
“A thoroughly delightful and constantly surprising quasi-musical”
theatreguidelondon.co.uk ★★★★★
“a fizzing, genre-subverting comedy musical”
festmag.co.uk ★★★★
“an effortlessly charming cast…gently lead us home with a tapping toe and a laugh on our lips…thrillingly beautiful”
festmag.co.uk ★★★★
“Greig’s script crackles with humour…The four actors are wonderful and this heart-warming, though never sentimental, stripped-back storytelling is a joy to watch.”
theartsdesk.com ★★★★
“David Greig’s delightful fairy tale uses just four actors, four microphones and a host of sound effects, but takes us from the mean streets of Kirkcaldy to the mythical world of computer-animated cinema and motorbike racing.”
whatsonstage.com ★★★★
“A brilliant ensemble…warm and touching”
The Times ★★★★
“a huge theatrical energy that fairly captures the heart”
The Scotsman ★★★★
“It took about 4 minutes to win over the audience of young teenagers”
The Times ★★★★
“Performed at breath-taking speed and simply fizzing with energy”
The Times ★★★★
“no ordinary 75 minutes…David Greig’s latest play for young people is a wildly imaginative, multi-dimensional musical farce combining motorbikes and multiple sclerosis, sixties girl groups and social services, fairy tales and fantasy roleplay.”
OnStageScotland.com
“beautifully observed, cleverly constructed and very enjoyable.”
OnStageScotland.com
“Guy Hollands’ TAG theatre production, is brilliantly realised in bare-bones narrative style by Gemma McElhinney, David Carlyle, Beth Marshall and Keith Macpherson, working at high velocity and accompanying each other with amplified sound effects. They are a tightly drilled ensemble, passionate, playful and yet serious, gripping us one minute, cracking us up the next, before melting our hearts”
The Guardian ★★★★
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Cast & Creative Team
WRITER David Greig DIRECTOR Guy Hollands MUSIC BY Nigel Dunn & Stephen Wright CHOREOGRAPHY Andrew PantonCAST David Carlyle Beth Marshall Keith Macpherson Gemma McElhinney
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