Company Member, Performer (1979 – 82):
‘An overview? I can’t think of one.
Best thing: the company’s ability to contain difference; the sort of rows and conflicts they had, in previous companies of my experience there’d have been sackings, scapegoatings, all right-on justified of course…..but not the Monsters. They went through it and survived, and I believe that is profoundly about them being women – mostly. I’d never experienced meetings with so much sub-text, so much going on under the surface. But somehow it was all contained, and decisions were arrived at. Was this way to our advantage? Not always, for sure, but that was the way of it and the chemistry of it, and I came to love them for it.
Another best thing – the policy; ‘We are a collective; we do plays; women’s experience centre stage; never more men than women in the company.’ Great. Easy to remember.
Favourite show I was in: Dialogue Between a Prostitute and One of Her Clients. Favourite show I wasn’t in? Vinegar Tom.’
Taken from Gillian Hanna’s book Monstrous Regiment (Nick Hern Books 1991) and is reproduced here courtesy of Nick Hern Books, Chris Bowler, Gillain Hanna and Mary McCusker.