Monstersaurus sets foot in Malaysia to delight kids of all ages, writes Syahirah Mokhtazar
NOT all monsters are scary. Some are fun and friendly, like those in the Monstersaurus story book, written by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Ben Cort.
The duo also created the Aliens Love Underpants, Dinosaurs Love Underpants, Pirates Love Underpants book series.
Kids will love the stage adaptation of Monstersaurus, produced by UK’s Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company. After a successful one-year run in the UK, the show travels overseas for the first time, with Malaysia as its first destination. It’s currently running at the PJ Live Arts Centre (PJLA) till Nov 20.
The story follows the misadventures of Monty, an ambitious young scientist who loves to invent weird and crazy things. One day he finds an old manual on creating a monster. Unable to resist the temptation, he gives it a go. Using ingredients like mouldy cheese, stinky socks, slime and more, he creates a monster named Blogablog.
Being the curious boy that he is, he then creates another, the Dust Monster.
When both monsters become immensely problematic, he decides to invent a mega-monster (Monstersaurus) to frighten away the other monsters. He’s secretly doing this behind his mother’s back. Will he succeed or will it all get out of hand?
INFECTIOUS VIBE
Monty is played by 24-year-old Harrison Spiers, with Sophie Steel, 36, as Monty’s mother and Mark Collier, 32, as Bogablog, Dust Monster and Monstersaurus.
At their first show in PJLA, the three British actors successfully commandeered the stage with their vibrant energy and enthusiasm. Their infectious vibe had the young crowd clapping and dancing along. Even though it was a three-member show, the show was filled with high spirited musical numbers and had lots of audience interaction.
Also, the monster puppets bore an uncanny resemblance to Cort’s illustrations. That ensemble, coupled with their hilarious accents, the trio practically stole the show.
GREAT REACTION
They spared a few minutes after the show for a chat. Looking calm and happy to be in Malaysia, Spiers said Malaysian kids were one of the most enthusiastic bunch they’ve performed for so far. But he admitted that it was indeed a challenge, nonetheless, to keep the energy going for a solid hour with only three actors onstage.
In most scenes, Spiers danced and sang alone with the monster puppets controlled by Collier behind a table. Steel’s character popped in and out, to interact with Monty. “What’s great about performing for kids is that their reactions are always genuine, so if they hate it or love it, they’ll show it. You never know what will happen,” smiled Spiers.
Spiers said the stage version of Monstersaurus is kept close to the original storyline, with a few jokes and catchy phrases tweaked in to keep the older folk entertained as well. “Of course the main objective is to entertain the children but it’s also important to make the show enjoyable for the adults.
“I think this show is a great excuse for the older ones to let loose and be silly. Monstersaurus gives them the permission to be kids again, at least for a good hour,” laughed Spiers.
GOOD INTERACTION
“My favourite part is always getting the children involved in the monster-making process. Before the show starts, we would give out jars of ingredients to the children. When a certain ingredient is needed, Monty would call out to the audience to bring the ingredients up on stage,” said Spiers.
In addition to promoting a sense of adventure, the interactive part of the show helps to build the confidence in children.
“Even if they’re shy, we encourage them beforehand and get to know them a bit. That way, by the time Monty calls for the ingredients, they’re ready to go on stage,” said Spiers.
But what makes stories with monsters so appealing to the younger crowd?
“With monsters, their imagination runs wild. Monsters are typically scary, but once they get to know Blogablog, Dust Monster and Monstersaurus, they’ll find that there’s nothing scary about them.
“It’s good to let kids explore this crazy magical world where you can invent things. Allowing them to help Monty create the monsters makes it less scary for them,” said Collier.