ED2015 1/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

The Worry Monster (Aireborne Theatre Leeds)

By Gemma Scott | Published on Saturday 15 August 2015

Raymond is worried. Very worried. So worried, in fact, that his worries have manifested themselves into the “worry monster” of the title – an obnoxious character who follows him around, questioning and antagonising him as his life falls apart. Leeds University’s drama society try their best with this illogical, confusing and unresolved plot, but the equally unlikeable characters, such as the anxious divorcee and his elderly mother, are beyond them. The cardboard props may be an attempt at a quirky, cartoonish aesthetic, but they just seem cheap and poorly thought out. The show also perpetuates the unpleasant myth that mentally ill people are likely to be violent, aggressive and unpredictable. I’m worried, very worried, about the message this sends out.

Paradise in Augustines, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 1/5 | [Gemma Scott]