Bogdan is a relatable everyman and a hard worker involved in a mysterious construction project. Following a typical migrant path he’s focused on earning money and imagining the future ahead. So far it’s not looking great. Bogdan is desperately looking for real love and connection. Caught in a work-sleep routine, he fills his loneliness and lack of life purpose with dating apps and doom scrolling on social media, interrupted by a barrage of news from the wider world. Bogdan begins to question the aim of his hard work and wants to find out what he’s building. Bogdan’s life is juxtaposed with the tragi-comic true story of Otakar Švec - a sculptor behind the largest monument of Stalin in Czechoslovakia. Positioned side by side, two stories of Bogdan & Otakar create a dialogue between two individuals, two societies and two moments in history, which encourage audiences to think about the individual & collective power in shaping the world around us.
The Monument is a one-woman performance with audience participation using drag, spoken word and comedy.
Tobi King Bakare and this theatre deserve a shout-out for such a young, diverse audience. There is so much talk about audiences being full of over 60s and why, why can’t theatres get the crowds in to reflect society in general? Well, I’m happy to say that on a rainy Thursday evening, the theatre was completely full.
Caiti Grove on Before I Go in CPT's Spring 2023 season London Theatre Reviews
