We sat down for a quick chat with the writer Abigail Hood about her latest London project, Monster.
1.What first drew you to the subject of children who kill, and how did your research into cases like Mary Bell or Venables and Thompson shape the story you wanted to tell in Monster?
I first became interested in the subject of children who kill after reading about Maxine Carr—the woman who, as an adult, gave Ian Huntley a false alibi after the Soham murders—and learning that she had gone on to build a new life. I found myself asking: how does someone continue living after being part of something so awful?
That thought turned my mind to childhood crimes, and I kept asking myself how a person carries such a burden into adulthood if they committed something so awful as a child. Is it fair—or even right—that they should be able to build another life? And just as importantly, how does a bereaved parent come to terms with losing a child at the hands of another child? Could they ever forgive? Those questions became the starting point for Monster, and the play grew from my attempt to grapple with the contradiction: how one child can be both a perpetrator of profound harm and, at the same time, a fragile victim of circumstance.
2. Although the play isn’t based on a single case, it clearly resonates with real events. How did you navigate the line between artistic storytelling and the responsibility of representing such traumatic subject matter?
I was very conscious of the pain caused by the actions of individuals like Venables and Thompson, and I made a point of reading widely about the families of victims. While I wanted the audience to reflect on the reasons behind Kayleigh’s crime, I never intended to suggest that it was excusable or justifiable, as that would have been disrespectful to those affected by such horrific circumstances. I do believe, however, that by exploring possible triggers for such acts, we can open up the conversation around prevention. Once I had carried out my research, I used what I had learned to create a fully fictional narrative—one that draws on insights from real life but does not attempt to recreate anyone’s actual experience.
3.One of the central questions the play raises is whether a child who commits a terrible crime can ever be rehabilitated. Has your own perspective on rehabilitation or forgiveness shifted through the process of writing and staging Monster?
Before writing Monster I probably would have thought that anyone capable of murdering a child must be irredeemable and should be kept away from society. But through my research I’ve come to see that a monstrous act isn’t always committed by a monster. If there is genuine repentance and a deep awareness of the harm caused, rehabilitation can be possible—though it must be judged on a case-by-case basis.
As for forgiveness, I think it is always personal. From my research I’ve learned that some victims’ families find forgiveness healing, while for others it feels impossible. If someone murdered the person I love most, would I forgive them? The honest answer is probably not. But should society give them the opportunity to become a better version of themselves? I think yes.
4.Audiences often bring their own moral and emotional baggage to stories like this. What reactions have surprised you the most, and what conversations do you hope the play will spark after people leave the theatre?
Audiences always bring their own experiences and emotions into the theatre, and that makes reactions unpredictable. What struck me most in the last run was just how divided people were — especially on questions of rehabilitation, forgiveness, and what justice should look like. Some felt enormous empathy for Kayleigh, others couldn’t get past the harm she caused.
I hope this run sparks deeper conversations about the impact of childhood trauma, the role society plays in safeguarding children, and whether we can ever truly understand — or forgive — those who commit such acts.
I also hope audiences think about how society treats vulnerable young people, and in particular young women, which I believe is an incredibly important issue. This is why the production is supporting and supported by Advance, a charity that helps women and girls who experience violence and abuse, which can in some cases lead to their being trapped in a cycle of abuse and criminality. Advance helps them break this cycle and regain control of their lives. As part of our work with this charity a number of young women will participate in workshops led by workshop leaders from Advance before watching the play. There will also be post-show Q&A sessions with representatives from Advance on Thursday 2nd and Thursday 9th October – so please come along and join the discussion.
5. Do you see theatre as uniquely placed to confront society with unsettling questions like culpability, redemption, and the cycle of abuse? What do you hope Monster contributes to the wider cultural debate right now, especially with the renewed public focus on these themes?
Absolutely. Theatre has a unique power because it puts audiences in the room with human stories — you can’t scroll past, you can’t click away. You experience the characters’ choices, fears, and consequences in real time, and that immediacy makes questions about culpability, redemption, and the cycle of abuse hit differently than they do in a news article or documentary.
With Monster, I wanted to explore these questions in a way that’s both intimate and unsettling. It’s not about giving answers, but about holding up a mirror to society: asking how trauma shapes people, how responsibility is distributed, and what systems fail or succeed in protecting the most vulnerable. In the current climate, with renewed public focus on these issues, I hope the play contributes to thoughtful conversation — to reflection on how we respond to young people in crisis, how we understand the consequences of violence, and how we balance justice, compassion, and prevention.
Monster is at the Seven Dials Playhouse until 18th October. For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/monster