Monsoon season has arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, and things are about to get sinister. All For One and Thieriot Productions present a chilling comedy about a failed marriage, where we follow Danny and Julia as they try to overcome their inner demons – or will they succumb to the pressures? Monsoon Season is a dark show, and as we delve deeper into the lives of Danny and Julia it becomes clear things won’t get any better.

At first, we see just Danny. He’s recently moved out, and apart from the neon lights of the strip club next door, his biggest worry is not spending enough time with his kid. But things are far from perfect in Julia’s life too – much to the Danny’s disbelief – as she struggles with an ongoing Adderall addiction.

The show is split into two parts, which not only emphasises the actors’ talents but also brings a sense of mystery. As it centres around both Danny and Julia’s lives after divorce, they each appear on stage alone during their telling of the story – with the script structured a little like a phone call, where you’re left to infer what the other person is saying. What makes it special is that the gaps in dialogue slowly fill in towards the end of the performance, wonderfully rounding up the story and giving the audience a sense of closure.

Thee monologues feature short, comic scenes which illustrate their struggles as time goes on; Danny wants his family back, and Julia is craving Adderall. Yet this is also a tense thriller, with Richard Thieriot and Therese Plaehn’s depictions of Danny and Julia perfectly displaying the downward spiral in their lives.

Through the sleep deprivation and hallucinations, the pair are able to bring a performance that draws in the audience during a display of grief and hardship. It is ultimately a shocking story, and when their true motives come to light, Monsoon Season certainly proposes a brutal take on romance.