Mary Shelley: Muthamonster

A fiercely rebellious one-woman punk-rock comedy show…

★★★★

‘Genuine, funny, and delightfully vulgar’

-The Reviews Hub

Mary is pissed. She lives in the shadow of the monster she created. Grappling with fame, scandal, sex, opium and motherhood – it’s time to set the record straight. 

Many people know the tale of Dr Frankenstein and his monster, but the story of Mary Shelley is often overlooked. Throughout her life, Mary was haunted by the legacy of her feminist icon mother and the anarchic writings of her father. She became an infamous ‘other woman’ due to her scandalous affair with the married poet Percy Shelley. There is evidence to suggest she explored her bisexuality and became a queer ally, and one of her other novels may just have predicted the future. 

Rebellious and unconventional, the Romantic writers were often called the rockstars of their era, and in this show Nic Lamont presents Mary as a modern-day punk celebrity – sweary, irreverent and ready to rock. Her life story is punctuated by iconic female rock anthems including those by Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette. 

This is a show about being a rebel. It’s about what it means to become a mother of a genre, but also what it means to become a mother. It’s also about monsters; the reanimated corpse kind but also the kind that live inside us all… 

★★★★

‘Lamont´s smokin´ performance as Shelley is utterly compelling’

-London Pub Theatres

The show

First performed at The Pleasance Theatre as part of the London Horror Festival in October 2021.

Written and Performed by Nic Lamont

Directed by Adam Rhys-Davies

Produced by Ellie Wood 

Script Editor Grace Davis

Original Set and Lighting Design by Benjy Adams