In Conversation with Phil Stewart

1. MOREAU explores the intersection of trauma and therapy through a reimagining of H.G. Wells’ classic. How does this adaptation resonate with contemporary issues, particularly neurodiversity and identity?

The answer to this question is the reason why I wrote MOREAU in the first place. When I read The Island of Doctor Moreau – some years ago now, as part of my degree in Film and Television Studies – I was expecting to discover a story about a crazy mad scientist creating monsters, attempting to ‘play God’. But when I read it, I found instead a story about how a minority community – the animals that become the Beast Folk – are forced without consent to conform to a set of behaviours by those in power. At least that’s how I read it. As a neurodivergent person, I instantly saw clear parallels with masking, where individuals are socially conditioned to suppress or alter their natural behaviours to fit fixed social expectations – a struggle I am very familiar with! This inspired me to write this new version, reimagining it for a modern audience, using the classic text as a framework, to highlight the difficulties that neurodivergent people face on a daily basis, navigating a world not made for them which demands conformity at the cost of personal identity.

2. Your production company, Exciting Stories, champions neurodivergent voices. Can you share how this focus on neuro-inclusivity influenced the casting and creative process behind MOREAU?

Although there is some progress being made, I do believe that we are a long way from universal neuro-inclusivity, as a society. It doesn’t help that we’re still portrayed as funny-peculiar outsiders, tragic misfits, or nerds with super-maths skills, by the mainstream media. I set up Exciting Stories to counter that, by creating a safe space for neuro-divergent creatives, built to be neuro-inclusive from the ground up, to show everyone that it’s not us holding us back; it’s the systems we are forced to operate in.

For me, neuro-inclusivity starts with accepting neurodiversity as a strength. Then it’s about discovering everyone’s skills, weaknesses, and ways of working that fits them best. I come from working in TV, and my dedication to championing neurodivergent voices was partly inspired by the TV Access Project (TAP) and the work of Jack Thorne. So when I set up the company, I incorporated some of TAP’s processes, along with my own ideas, to ensure the cast and creative team feel supported at all times.

It’s about communication: offering a range of common solutions, having an open mind to new ideas, and making people feel comfortable enough so there can be open and honest conversations about finding ways to get the best work out of everyone. The vast majority of the team working on MOREAU are neurodivergent – pretty much all of us have ADHD, autism and/or dyslexia – it encourages everyone to talk about their needs. Because it’s so common, everyone knows they aren’t the only ones who might be struggling at times. They know they won’t be rejected or ridiculed because of their requirements, because we all know what it’s like. And it appears to be working. It’s certainly not got in the way of creating some amazing theatre.

3. MOREAU features only four actors performing sixteen roles. What were the challenges and advantages of using such a minimalist, Grotowski-inspired approach to storytelling in this ambitious production?

Unlike in mainstream film and television, where there is an expectation – and ability – to show everything exactly as it is in the world of the story, theatre offers an incredible opportunity for unfettered access to the audience’s imagination. This is absolutely an advantage. To take a counter-example: the 1996 movie version of The Island of Doctor Moreau, starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. It’s famously awful! There’s a brilliant documentary about the making of it, and it’s utter chaos! Anyway, in typical Hollywood fashion, the film focuses on entirely the wrong things, at least in my opinion. Rather than being about a character’s journey, or any level of emotional depth, it’s more interested in being a showcase for special effects and visual spectacle, particularly with regards to the Beast Folk. As a result, it’s simply tedious. As an audience, we don’t care. Despite the immense increase of CGI in movies, I don’t believe audiences are particularly interested in special effects and spectacle, not really. Audiences want emotion over everything else. They want to feel – to feel connected with the characters presented in front of them. That’s the most important thing. Take the Tony-award-winning stage version of The Elephant Man, for example, where the likes of Bradley Cooper, Mark Hamill and David Bowie all played the lead without any prosthetics of any kind. This is exactly what we’re doing for MOREAU. The audience has to imagine the extreme deformities of the Beast Folk. Having no special effects – in fact no ‘real’ set or props, pretty much everything is transformed in the minds of the audience at some point – forces the audience to imagine, and this personal investment in the drama makes them feel the emotions more intensely. The best special effects are always the ones inside your head. Of course, the challenge is simply to find an amazingly talented quartet of actors who can transform themselves and their surroundings for an audience. With Jimmy, Jack, Liv and Natassha, I have exactly that.

4. In MOREAU, the protagonist faces a life-or-death choice between therapy and being written off as ‘broken and dangerous.’ How do you hope this dilemma will speak to audiences, particularly those who’ve felt marginalised or misunderstood?

In my version of the story – this is not in the original book – Prendick is struggling to process the traumatic events of the island, and those around him reject him because of it. Maybe it’s just me, but I think we’ve all felt rejected by those around us at some point in our lives – particularly neurodivergent people, but not exclusively. This story is about acceptance of those who are different, but also of yourself. As much as others need to accept him, he has to come to terms with his past and himself, before he can recover and move on. 

5. Collaborating with CHUDATSI highlights your commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices. How does this partnership align with the themes of rebellion and hope that are central to the story of MOREAU?

Exciting Stories partnered with CHUDATSI because we are both on the same page regarding giving underrepresented people an opportunity to be heard. They have been doing great work, particularly in championing LGBTQ voices in both theatre and film. While MOREAU focuses more on neurodiversity, its themes could easily be applied to any perceived ‘othering’ that constantly happens in society. The theme of rebellion that is central to MOREAU is about standing up for an individual’s right to exist freely in the same space as everyone else – no matter their neurotype, their sexuality, gender or any other difference – without being forced to conform to socially accepted ‘norms’. I firmly believe that although we are all different – and that difference is a good thing and should be celebrated – ultimately, we are all the same. We are people. MOREAU is a celebration of that philosophy. Our partnership with CHUDATSI is way to amplify that message.