On Wednesday night I attended the world premiere of Monstrous at KXT on Broadway, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
This is only my second visit to KXT, but it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite Sydney venues. The traverse stage is such a gift for directors and designers, it transforms every seat into a front-row experience and immediately pulls you into the action. In a show like this, where horror, humour, and intimacy collide, that closeness is electrifying.
Monstrous is written and directed by Lu Bradshaw in collaboration with Zev Aviv and Byron Davis, with dramaturgical support from Kerith Manderson-Galvin and Alex Tutton. What they’ve created together is bold, clever, and utterly fearless, a hybrid of sitcom-style awkwardness and spooky horror spoof vibes. It’s the kind of show that makes you laugh nervously one moment and gasp the next.
John, the Director of Wellbeing and Inclusion at RISE Community Services, takes his job (and himself) very seriously. When Chris, a visiting IT technician flown in from Perth, lands in his office to fix the servers, John’s carefully curated sense of professional purpose begins to unravel. Their connection starts as a silly flirtation but quickly morphs into something strange and transformative. What begins as a workplace fling becomes an exploration of desire, control, and the monstrous side of self-discovery.
The show opens with an homage to the classic horror-film, with black-and-white credits and an eerie score that instantly sets the tone. From there, we’re pulled into John’s meticulously inclusive office space, and into his brittle need to prove he’s one of the “good guys.” The humour lands sharply; it’s the kind that makes you wince at the same time you’re laughing. When things tip over into the supernatural, the direction and design work in perfect sync to heighten the tension. Theodore Carroll and Anwyn Brook-Evans’ lighting takes on a creature-like life of its own, cleverly signalling the shift from awkward workplace comedy to full-blown horror.
Both Zev Aviv and Byron Davis are magnetic. Their performances balance the absurd and the intimate with total commitment, and the chemistry between them keeps the audience guessing right to the end.
It’s a quirky unpacking of power, control and parental responsibility, with a flipped lens and symbolism to soften some of the blows.
Monstrous is funny, daring, and just a little disgusting, in the best possible way. Beneath its bloody surface beats a strangely tender heart.
To book tickets to Monstrous, please visit https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/monstrous.
Photographer: Valerie Joy
