Cardboard, Paint, and Punk
She Kills Monsters is Leeds Arts Centre’s first production of its new 2026/27 season .
It is set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), a fantasy table-top role-playing game. D&D requires A LOT of monsters. These can take many forms, and come in all manner of shapes and sizes. Dragons, demons, mythical creatures, elves, orcs – you name it, D&D has it. The show's main characters, Agnes and Chuck, play through the D&D campaign of Agnes’ late sister, Tilly. Everything present on stage is a large-scale version of miniature figures from the game or Tilly’s drawings. Building large-scale monsters is hard enough. Combine it with our snug 6x3m performance space, and the production team had a unique challenge to realise their monster vision.
But adversity breeds innovation and the LAC team were not perturbed. Over three days, 10 different monsters were brought to life using several dozen sheets of A1 cardboard, and an unholy amount of paint. The array of designs was incredible, ranging from a small 3ft Kobold Jester to a giant 6x12ft dragon – made entirely of cardboard and topped off with a fully practical head.This remarkable feat wouldn’t have been achieved without the help of the ‘Monster Squad’ a dozen members of Leeds Arts Centre with various levels of artistic
acumen. Heading up the Monster Squad is Jack Pickup, our incredible Monster Design lead.
With the exception of a handful of monsters essential to the story – the multi-headed Tiamat, aka our dragon, and the Goblinoid Bugbears – Jack had total creative freedom and free rein to design the weird and wonderful.
With approximately 600 monsters to choose from, Jack wanted to select monsters recognisable to fans with a baseline knowledge of the D&D canon. Jack opted for a sketchy and punky look for his designs. He was adamant about making each monster unique, with their silhouettes readable and distinct. Even though most monsters will only be on stage for a matter of minutes, Jack wanted to ensure they left a lasting impression on the audience.
He oversaw the building team, offering guidance and direction, and witnessed his sketches come to life. Pencils, acrylics, and black markers were the tools of the trade for the Monster Squad, and designs were friendly to those not familiar with painting.
Jack only had three weeks to conceive his monsters, ultimately producing 10 designs from many more sketches. He described this time constraint as the most challenging part of the process. However, Jack still had time to leave his own personal easter eggs and jokes within the designs. These include references to the album covers of Iron Maiden, maps, and anime. Jack believes a good monster comes down to a good silhouette. He says you have to know what you’re looking at, and see a display of strong colours and identifying features. This is absolutely true of his designs.
You can see the outstanding work of Jack and the Monster Squad for yourself. She Kills Monsters is being performed at the Carriageworks Theatre, Millennium Square, on 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th October 2026.
Tickets start at £15 and can be purchased here.