As part of our work with young people, we create educational resources. Here's what we're offering schools alongside Feral Monster, a new musical celebrating teenagers.

About the show

Feral Monster is the story of unremarkable teen, Jax, as she/they/whatever navigates love, sexuality, identity, family and the many parts of her loud, opinionated brain.

Expelled from school and not even able to get a job at the chippy, Jax is a ‘cheeky, loveable teenage street rat’ living with her Nan in a ‘tiny, boring village’. When Jax spots Ffion coming out of the chippy, with their unapologetically loud hair and clothes, sparks fly and queer teenage lust brings together this unlikely match in all its messy, clumsy and awesome glory.

Feral Monster celebrates all teenagers by choosing to spotlight the most mundane teenager in Jax. Alongside identity, sexuality and family, Feral Monster explores friendship, mental health, living in rural Wales, middle-class queerness versus working-class queerness, the impact of being abandoned by parents, and second chances.

Mashing up grime, R&B, soul, pop and rap, the musical’s soundtrack brings Bethan's lyrics and characters to life. The music was collaboratively composed by Nicola T. Chang with director Izzy Rabey and actors across Wales.

About the writer Bethan Marlow

Bethan is a Welsh theatre-maker and screenwriter focused on telling queer and female stories. Her play Nyrsys features on the WJEC Drama A-Level syllabus and her past theatre credits include Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Theatr Clwyd, Royal Shakespeare Company and Sherman Theatre.

Bethan has developed Feral Monster in close collaboration with teenagers across Wales – from students at Pupil Referral Units in Pembrokeshire to the LGBTQIA+ youth club of GISDA, a young people's support charity working in Gwynedd.

Tickets & grant up to £1,000 to cover trip costs

• Tickets for under 25s start from just £5.50 for previews.
• You can apply for Arts Council Wales’ Go and See Fund. If you submit 5 weeks before the show then you can apply for up to £1,000 of funding to cover tickets and travel costs.

Education resources to accompany the show

• We’ve created a 6-lesson scheme of work around the theme of ‘cynefin’ and focusing on key subject specialisms within the “Expressive Arts” area of learning and experience, featuring videos by Feral Monster's lead creatives:
  • Director Izzy Rabey
  • Writer Bethan Marlow
  • Composer Nicola T. Chang
  • Movement Director Osian Meilir

• Some lessons are bilingual.

Content information

Feral Monster is recommended for 14+. It contains strong language as well as:

References to: exploration of gender identity and sexuality, pornography, sex, death, self harm, childhood trauma, mental ill health, poverty and drugs.

Depictions of: alcoholism, violence, knife crime, sexual activity.

Theatrical representation of: suicide

With thanks to Ayesha Rees Khan, a counsellor who read through the script and gave advice on the content information.

Performance times and dates

Thursday 15 February - Saturday 24 February
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Thursday 29 February - Friday 1 March
Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Wednesday 6 March - Thursday 7 March
Pontio, Bangor

Wednesday 13 March
Ffwrnes, Llanelli (Theatrau Sir Gȃr)

Thursday 21 March - Friday 22 March
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon

Contact us

You can book group tickets via each venue's website.

For information about the resources, please contact Naomi, Director of Collection, at naomichiffi@nationaltheatrewales.org.

Feral Monster is sponsored by the Principality Building Society and supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund, John Ellerman Foundation, as part of NTWs’ Dramaturg programme, Jack Arts and by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is being administered by Cardiff Council.