What happens when there are no monsters left to fight? The Year There Were No Monsters takes that question in a wonderfully strange direction, bringing together a collection of colourful characters to share their experiences. There’s music, clowning, mime and plenty of silliness, but beneath the absurdity is an attempt to explore what it means to be a hero when there’s no obvious villain to defeat.
It’s the reopening of a local open mic night after the building was destroyed by a monster, and a number of residents have come along to tell their stories. Writer and performer Shane Adamczak does an excellent job of giving each character a distinct voice and personality, using impressive vocal work and physicality to convincingly transform from a young schoolboy to an older man to a mime artist.
Each account refers to the various monster attacks that have occurred over the years, but the characters have very different responses to what they have witnessed. Young Dayson speaks with an infectious enthusiasm, even making up a song about the A-Z of monsters, seemingly unable to comprehend the full horror of what has happened. In contrast, the older man is more scarred and traumatised by what he has endured, carrying the weight of what he has seen.
And while the characterisation is brilliant, some of the material itself doesn’t have the same impact. A few of the speakers' anecdotes veer off topic in favour of a fun diversion, losing sight of the central theme in the process. The mime portion, for example, is given too much time to talk about his passion for the craft and the science behind it, with the actual monster encounter feeling more like an afterthought.
And while the characterisation is brilliant, some of the material itself doesn’t have the same impact. A few of the speakers' anecdotes veer off topic in favour of a fun diversion, losing sight of the central theme in the process. The mime portion, for example, is given too much time to talk about his passion for the craft and the science behind it, with the actual monster encounter feeling more like an afterthought.
But when Adamczak gets the balance right, the result can be quite affecting. This is particularly evident when we hear what it is like to be in love with the World’s Greatest Champion from the perspective of a “normal” citizen, offering a more personal insight into the figure who has spent years protecting society.
Adamczak uses The Year There Were No Monsters to consider how whenever we think we’ve defeated one threat, we seem to create another. These threats take on varied forms, from our Gina Rineharts and Mark Zuckerbergs to data centres and our growing reliance on AI. Running through the show is the idea that eventually, we have to stop relying on saviours to protect us and start taking responsibility ourselves, although at times the messaging can feel a little too on the nose. But perhaps we’ve reached a point where subtlety is no longer sufficient, and we need to be louder and clearer about the people and systems that are creating these new monsters.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton
Season: until 18 October | Wed - Sat 8:45pm, Sun 7:45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $25 Full | $22 Conc | $19 Hump Day Wednesday
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival
Image credit: Shane Adamczak
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