November Spawned a Monster

Image: www.sitco.net.au

Stephen Patrick Morrissey is a polarising character. The muse for Alex Broun’s new one-man musical, November Spawned A Monster, is regarded as both a controversial, outspoken figure and (as former frontman of the Smiths, as well as a solo artist) a singer with some of the most dedicated fans in the world. Will, the main protagonist in this Robert Chuter-directed musical is no exception.

November Spawned a Monster opens with Will lying on a table, belting out one of the many Morrissey tunes which he sings in their entirety throughout. When he finishes each, he addresses the audience in his matter-of-fact tone and through this, we learn his story.

Having recently moved back to Melbourne from Sydney, it becomes clear that Will has suffered the loss of his only friend, Rick. After going on several massive drug-fuelled benders with his Dutch friend, Marcus, Will decides that the only thing that will fix his inner numbness is a pilgrimage to Morrissey’s birthplace in Manchester.

Attempting to earn money for his trip, he finds himself working for Felice, a young woman with cerebral palsy who turns out to be an even bigger fan of Morrissey. As time passes, Will and Felice grow closer and he confides in her. Yet in his usual, selfish fashion, he mucks it up so many times that there can be no going back.

There lies the main issue with Will’s character: he has absolutely no redeeming features. Couple this with his repulsive behaviour on drug binges and the tedium elicited by hearing him deliver another Morrissey song ‘matched’ to his situation and this all becomes somewhat self indulgent.

It’s hard to heap blame for this solely on one or other of the director, writer or actor. Certainly James Wright starts off a little tentatively, growing into his role as the evening progresses. His singing voice should be commended also. The idea behind the musical is solid and represents something of a sequel to Broun’s Half A Person – My Life as Told by The Smiths, yet that doesn’t compensate for Will’s almost invisible character arc. Finally Robert and Christopher Chuter’s videos are decent on their own, yet together with the music, they imply a pacing that is completely out of sync with the play itself. A number of metaphorical interpretations are implied by the bitumen like substance which Will sinks into as he paces around the stage, not least of which the audience’s feeling as he sinks into yet another selfish act.

Being a Morrissey lover is a must for attending this performance and perhaps a small subset of his die-hard fans will identify somewhat with Will. For those with an interest in the music but not the myth, it will simply seem tragically fitting that the self-obsessed main character is so inspired by a musician who many feel has the same flaw.

Rating; 2 out of 5 stars