Slay review

Devised by Sarah Iman, Steph Lee, Raven Rogers-Wright, Jackie van Lierop, Anita Mei La Terra, and Louisa Cusumano, Slay is a sharp-witted, politically charged horror comedy. When a young woman is brutally murdered, four lesbians become prime suspects. As they race to uncover the killer, they must also contend with the growing chaos of radical group SLAM (Society of Lesbians Against Men) and its dangerous manifesto, which is spreading like wildfire.

Many of the creatives take on multiple roles on and off stage, creating a strong awareness of cohesion as they work seamlessly toward a shared vision. While some characters, as individuals, lean into stereotypes or are not as compelling as others, the group scene dynamics keep the energy fresh. The natural dialogue allows pop culture references, like lesbian icon Sue Sylvester from Glee, Julia Gillard's misogyny speech, and Marty Sheargold’s recent AFLW comments, to drop in effortlessly. The humour is well-balanced within the show’s absurd world, where SLAM’s ultimate goal is to cap the cis male population at 10%.

As the body count rises, so does the suspense, enhanced by excellent contributions from Tom Vulcan’s set and lighting, Alyssa Jayde Clay’s AV, and Jack Burmeister’s sound design. While the stage is minimally dressed, Vulcan makes clever use of a semi-transparent shower curtain to shock and delight the audience. Likewise, the use of varied lighting colours creates moments of unease and effectively shifts the sense of time and place.

Clay’s AV design brings a cinematic aesthetic to Slay, allowing for creative interplay with the horror elements of the show as well as subtly highlighting the role of social media in disseminating dangerous rhetoric. Meanwhile, Burmeister’s sound and composition add urgency to the onstage conversations, particularly as members of the public share their thoughts on SLAM and its manifesto.

As director, Lee demonstrates impressive skill in making the most of limited resources to deliver a captivating and cohesive production. From the opening Smash, Marry, Kill game to the fabulously killer dance number set to Nelly Furtado’s "Maneater", the audience is invested in these characters. However, the climax could do with some finessing, as the performances lack the intensity needed when the glitter Ghostface mask finally comes off.

Despite this quibble, Slay remains a thrilling camp horror comedy, with the existence of SLAM providing plenty of reasons to laugh and revel in the absurdity. From a political and real-world perspective (looking at you, America), the rise of extremist views and increasing polarisation is becoming more and more frightening, especially for queer people, so while it may be undeniably fun and entertaining, Slay challenges us to not only question what we see and hear, but to speak up before the horror becomes far too real.

Show Details

Venue: Explosive Factory, Theatre Works, Rear Laneway, 67 Inkerman St, St. Kilda
Season: until 29 March | Tues - Sat, 7:30pm, Sat 2pm
Duration: 70 minutes
Tickets: $38 Full | $33 Concession
Bookings: Theatre Works

Image credit: Isabella 'Iz' Zettl