‘Our Monster’s Name is Jerry’ // Theatre Works

‘Our Monster Name is Jerry’ was monstrous.

What is a monster? Is it some creepy creature that lives in your house with you? Or is it something you create for yourself?

As children, we believed that monsters were real and lived under our beds. As adults, we create them by allowing our fears and anxieties to control us. Jerry, the namesake of Amy May Nunn’s masterpiece of a script titled ‘Our Monster’s Name is Jerry’ explores the monster we both feed and fear, ours is carried around and unnamed, controlling us from being liberated from the confines of our mind.

‘Our Monster’s Name is Jerry’ opens with a couple, Lou (Em Jevons) and Maude (Laura Jade Turner) who are desperately trying for pregnancy through IVF. They inherit the house of their late great aunt Mary, built by their landowner grandfather. A financial windfall for them is paved with resentment and fear of Maude returning to their conservative hometown of childhood difference they ran away from. Neither fit into society, both being free queer spirits. The inherited family estate looks creepy and run-down and appears haunted. As they move in, strange happenings eventuate, though they both cannot comprehend each other’s nerves.

The archetype of a single female recluse or cat lady has been seen as a stigmatised undesirable. Today, we understand that many in this category were neurodivergent, queer or career-focused. The ostracisation that comes from being different has loomed over me. question begs; Do we treat Mary as a feared witch or bohemian eccentric? My housing situation is not unlike this. I live in an inherited property a Victorian villa, unsold and unrenovated since the early 1950s. There are times when footsteps can be heard. My nepotistic solution to the housing crisis is imperfect, with the feeling that I am not alone in this house. I am transported to my happiest times, but also the sinking feeling that I was a different child. Eerie at first, but over time a growing sense of comfort came from the knowledge I am not alone, and I am united in weirdness with my grandma once again. It’s become an extension of me, a celebration of all things me. Maybe Mary was too scared to leave with Jerry dragging her to the comfort of her home. Or was she also unable to be her authentic self in a society not built for her? Nunn is a fantastical writer in this regard, and Mary captivated me as a character.

Nunn takes a suspenseful approach to horror in their writing, evoking a sense of eerie unbeknownst. Director Alanah Guiry captures the unease of the two protagonists. Rather than scare us with jumps and frights, the creeping fear of the unknown is brilliantly employed. Creating horror on the stage is challenging, as there is not a plethora of resources film has available. Directors can reduce horror to the most simplistic elements, creating a very childish farce, or they must draw on and appropriate the very facets of human emotion and their own creativity to evoke true fear in their audience. Our Monster’s Name Is Jerry is a very multifaceted approach to horror showing a robust understanding of the genre.

This is a controversial script, particularly in its discussion on the topic of pregnancy and IVF. Mentions of these topics stir discussion on their own, though the discussion goes further into birthing body horror, including one point where intestines, umbilical cords and other bloody internal organs are ripped from Maude (Laura Jane Turner). Nunn goes beyond to ensure that discussion covers all bounds, though people sensitive to this topic should be aware.

Em Jevons and Laura Jane Turner effectively play a charismatic couple, though I found their excessive grumpy chemistry frustrating. A common trope in many scripted couples is tension, with many shows I have reviewed depicting argumentative lovers, and it can become too much at times. Nunn uses this chemistry effectively to show Maude’s frustrations toward Lou’s absence at critical times in her IVF journey. Tension in this script does become challenging when Maude and Lou do not believe each other regarding happenings in the house.

Much praise must be given to Tomas Parrish who portrayed the namesake, Jerry. There is no doubt Jerry was not human, though was both terrifying and playful, personifying the fears and imaginations of the two protagonists. Parrish keeps a terrifying facial expression and physicality, particularly jerky movements throughout and articulates pronunciation perfectly for this character. I also had a lot of fun with the character of Barb (Amanda LaBonté, a comedic touch to the performance.

The set, by Savannah Wegman, is nothing short of brilliant. We were welcomed by two Basquiat-inspired dichotomous curtains and experienced the performance in a cold, and unchanging living room filled with dusty furniture and ripped wallpaper. The set was brilliantly used to express the physicality of Jerry (Tomas Parrish) who climbed upon mismatched cabinets attached to the wall.

The soundscape by Robbie Divine and the lighting by Thomas Roach completed the creepy vibe of the space.

‘Our Monster’s Name is Jerry’ is a humorous and creative performance deserving of a sellout opening night. This is a proper horror play, a delightful introduction to the genre on stage. It is cleverly executed for a contemporary audience by a theatre company that continues to deliver.

‘Our Monster’s Name is Jerry’ until Saturday 22 February 2025 at Theatre Works St Kilda. Tickets are available at Theatre Work’s website.