When Ben's father goes off on a tour of duty, he gives his son a pair of binoculars, telling him he can see anything he wants through them. But when Ben's friend Vince "borrows" them, Ben's anxiety about his dad and fury at Vince combine to make his worst day ever at school.
Drawing with delicacy and wit upon the childhood fantasy of the monster under the bed, writer Kevin Dyer proves why that endangered species, the original play for children, is worth saving. This is a terrifically entertaining story about fathers and sons and the monster inside all of us. What's more, it is positively postmodern in its literary references, with shades of The Borrowers, and a Father Underbed Monster who bears more than a passing resemblance to Roald Dahl's BFG. There's plenty of fun as the Little Underbed Monster takes Ben's place at school for the day, causing havoc in the classroom; and a lovely moment that is like a shadow-puppet version of King Kong, in Jonathan Lloyd's jolly, inventive production.
The show takes a while to fulfil its comic and emotional potential, and it could happily lose 15 minutes – but the over-sixes will just enjoy the romp. It's a joyful examination of the benefits and snares of believing the ridiculous.
