Monster

An unflinching and thought-provoking drama, Monster examines the ripple effects of crimes committed in childhood and whether forgiveness or redemption is possible. Set across two decades, the play follows Kayleigh, a troubled teenager in Glasgow whose close friendship with Zoe provides a temporary escape from abuse at home. Their dreams of running away unravel in tragedy when 15-year-old Kayleigh takes the life of her teacher’s baby daughter. As the story shifts between Kayleigh’s youth and adult life, it interrogates culpability, rehabilitation, and whether cycles of violence can ever be broken.

Though not based on a single case, the play draws from extensive research into child-perpetrated crimes, including the cases of Mary Bell and the murder of James Bulger. Hood’s script asks whether those raised in violence are doomed to repeat it, what redemption might look like, and how survivors and victims’ families can grapple with forgiveness.