In this week's Backstage Blog, we get to chat with writer Amy May Nunn about her upcoming horror play, Our Monster's Name is Jerry, opening at Theatre Works on February 14!
Q. What should audiences expect when they come to see 'Our Monster's Name is Jerry'?
A. Audiences can expect to go on a ride! They can expect some wild thrills and chills, as well as a really tenderly told human story.
As a trans non-binary writer I feel like there’s a scarcity of theatre that represents us and also immerses us in an exciting narrative.
Growing up a huge horror and fantasy fan, those genres are still very dear to my heart and I feel they can provide us with catharsis through escapism in a really unique way. I hope this production gives that gift to audiences.
Q. What inspired you to write this play?
A. I’m at an age where making choices about whether or not to have kids is just kind of in the air. For many AFAB folks suddenly there’s a big obnoxious ticking clock, and if you’re queer, trans, disabled, not partnered, or simply not in a partnership that allows you to have a baby on your own, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are big questions around how you will practically set about creating and defining that family, which have a huge emotional and financial impact.
I quickly found myself knee deep in these conversations with my partner, as well as broader conversations around privilege and what it means to bring a child into the world today.
Consciously choosing to have a child is an inherently optimistic act, and yet there’s so damn much to be afraid of. I find the tension between those two things fascinating. I was seeking out stories about queer parenthood and coming up short, so I had this idea about a couple who are working all this stuff out whilst living with a monster in their home. I pitched it to Geelong Arts Centre for a residency and the rest is history.
Q. As a horror play, are there any books or movies that you took inspiration from?
A. Growing up a dyslexic queer who couldn’t read, I spent a lot of my childhood listening to horror and fantasy audio books or watching films, so I have a really formative relationship with those genres and the escapism they provided. I think a lot of what I aspire to write is trying to get back to how those stories made me feel.
Films like Edward Scissor Hands (and Tim Burton in general), and 80’s horrors like Poltergeist, IT and Pet Cemetery are really sown into the landscape of the play. As it’s evolved it’s taken on other, more theatrical and literary inspirations, like Carol Churchill’s ‘The Skriker’, Jane Eyre, and The Turn of the Screw. A lot of folk lore around shape-shifters and changelings, and fairytales like Rumpelstiltskin.
Q. What has been the most memorable moment in writing and putting on your play?
A. My favourite part of the play is the monster. We rarely see magical or supernatural creatures on stage. And there’s a reason for that- it’s really hard! I wanted to create a monster that was expressed in a uniquely theatrical way, and being a very language focused writer, I loved finding my own way into that through words.
There was a lot of joy in giving myself permission to tell the kind of story I love, with all the trimmings. There’s probably a more stripped back, high-brow version of this play, but what felt audacious about writing it in this heightened genre is that it refuses to be quiet. In my experience the fears and anxieties we’re dealing with as queer people in the world are not subtle, they’re palpable. It was enormously satisfying to tell a story that reflects that.
Then seeing those big offers come to life through our incredible actors and creative team… dreamy to say the least.
Q. What do you want audiences to take away from 'Our Monster's Name is Jerry'?
A. I hope they enjoy spending time with these characters in this weird and wonderful world we’ve created. I hope they see some of their own fears and anxieties reflected in a cathartic way. Mostly I hope they have a really fun night out at the theatre.
Don't miss out on this thought-provoking horror and get down to Theatre Works this February! Click the link below to grab those tickets before the monster takes them away...
Content warnings: pregnancy and body horror, fertility struggles, IVF, dead pets, jump scares, loud sudden sounds, horror/supernatural visuals, medical trauma, homophobia.
Please note, this play is within the horror genre and we will be creating an in-depth guide for those who love the genre but not the scares.
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