A Monster Calls: Real life meets magical fantasy

With less than two weeks until the opening night of A Monster Calls in the Vanbrugh Theatre, we caught up with Hector Walsh (5FOX), who plays Conor, the main protagonist of the story. 

Hector spoke to us about Conor, the emotional story, and what he thinks the audience will take away from this year’s Senior School production. 

“Conor is a 13-year-old boy who is bullied at school and whose mother is seriously ill. He has to grow up fast; he is angry, feels guilt and feels that he is treated differently to everyone else. 

“It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to play a troubled character with so many emotions and I have enjoyed the challenge.”

This isn’t Hector’s first time on the Vanbrugh stage, having appeared in Alice in Wonderland as the March Hare, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as the Faun, but he explained how A Monster Calls is different to the other plays.

He said: “In A Monster Calls, fantasy and realism come together; it is a creative mix of Conor’s difficult, real life, and imaginative nightmares. 

“The puppets help to portray this really well and I have enjoyed the working with them and learning more about puppetry. The Monster puppet particularly is very effective and powerful, whilst the bird and bat puppets create a magical fantasy.”

Director Clare Howdon has been impressed with how the actors have tackled the difficult subject matter of the play. 

She told us: “I did grapple with whether the hard-hitting issues in the play are appropriate for a school production but concluded that difficult stories are precisely the ones that need to be told.

“I am so proud of the whole cast for the mature, sensitive and compassionate way they have approached rehearsals and I am confident that they will do Conor’s story justice.”

In conclusion, we asked Hector what he thinks the audience will get from the play. He said: “The main takeaway for me is that it is important to face your fears and deal with them. Ignoring the truth can cause much anger and pain.”

A Monster Calls will run in the Vanbrugh Theatre from Tuesday, 30 January – Friday, 2 February. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online now – https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-kings-school-chester/a-monster-calls/e-raqrda