Manchester-based director James Blakey, who has entertained audiences in Birmingham and Edinburgh with his plays, is turning his attention to north London.
His latest creation, Men of Monsters, is showing at the The Hen & Chickens Theatre. The comedy drama is about the makers of King Kong vs Godzilla, a film made in the early 1960s when the Americans and Soviets were on the brink of war. Mr Blakey, 23, says: “The play is also based on the actors in costumes, who share worrying personality traits with the monsters. Cultures and monsters clash as the egos of the men inside prove to be just as destructive as the Cuban Missile Crisis nearly was.”
The play tackles a variety of themes: destruction, war, pride, principles and monsters among them. It has been staged by Goblin Productions, the company that Mr Blakey co-founded while at Birmingham University.
He says: “This is our first dabble with the London fringe and hopefully it will be a good platform for us, giving increased exposure.”
Previous works include The Government Inspector (Birmingham 2007), Oleanna (Birmingham 2008), The Light at the End (New Writing, Birmingham 2008) and The Florists (Birmingham and Edinburgh 2007).
Men of Monsters is showing at The Hen & Chickens Theatre until April 11