Review: Dear Young Monster, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – ‘A truly important piece of theatre’

It was a dark and stormy night as I approached Doctor Frankenstein’s laboratory…

Actually, it was a fairly mild evening as I made myself comfortable in Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio to watch Dear Young Monster. The semi-autobiographical play is the debut from Bristol trans writer and actor Pete MacHale (recently appearing in Doctor Who), who also stars.

The overarching plot involves a young trans man struggling at the beginning of his medical transition, who starts to identify with the characters he sees in horror films, particularly Frankenstein’s monster.

Such an affinity may be relatable for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong, whether this be through sexuality, gender, outward appearance, inward character or another worry.

Not feeling like yourself in your skin is a hard sentiment to pin down, so relating to extreme examples of this is common.

And the connection between horror movies and being trans is definitely not a new idea. As an English graduate studying gothic literature, I encountered countless essays and pieces of critical gender theory connecting the two, especially around ideas of The Other.

However, while I’ve read plenty of long essays about the topic, it was refreshing here to see it portrayed in a play both written and performed by a trans man.

Dear Young Monster also explores ideas of The Other using the body horror of The Thing and the transformative metaphors of The Wolf Man. Clearly, no two experiences of gender dysphoria and euphoria are the same, but MacHale’s performance manages to capture the emotional truth of this turbulent time in a young trans person’s life.

As a one-person show, the impact of Dear Young Monster hinges entirely on MacHale. And he does not disappoint. Characterised by his frantic movements, he throws himself around the stage at times, but is equally able to slow down when the performance requires it, hitting the emotional marks perfectly.

Adding to the emotional weight of the production, the design features frequent projections of scenes from vintage horror films. Being able to see what MacHale is referring to when describing how he relates to the films deepens our overall understanding of the play.

Beyond his own experience, MacHale takes on the challenge of portraying other characters – including his best friend Mia, managing always to clearly distinguish them from his own performance.

Dear Young Monster is a truly important piece of theatre about exploring those feelings of being The Other, and whether you should feed into the idea of what others think of you or forge your own path.

As well as being incredibly helpful for trans youth, MacHale’s writing and performance is deeply impactful for all audiences, no matter their age, sex or gender.

Photo: Robert Gershinson

Dear Young Monster is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on February 22-March 9 at 8pm. Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.

All photos (unless stated): Alex Brenner

Read more: ‘Dear Young Monster’: The debut show from Bristol trans writer and actor Pete MacHale

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