1999. A time of George Clooney on ER. Twin Peaks. Quantum Leap. I'm Just A Girl style 90s pop. And internet speeds of 56 kb/s. Before social media apps, the smartphone, influencers, and 24/7 connectivity.
How did people who were a little different - dare I say it, nerds - express themselves in such a nascent internet era?
Well, one way was to immerse yourself in a world of fantasy and magic via games such as Dungeons & Dragons which had been around since the 70s. I played a similar game in high school back in the early [redacted]. We were too contrarian for D&D. Ah, the misplaced arrogance of youth.
You could tell a lot about someone from the character they chose to inhabit. It was a serious representation of an inner world of imagination and creativity where you came to genuinely care about your fantasy self, your companions, and the quest you were on.
This is where I probably shouldn't reveal I used to play a particularly nasty Vampire called Lord Sisyphus in Runequest. Yep. Take from that what you will.
Ahem. Moving on...
She Kills Monsters is a love letter to the nerd in all of us and a celebration of the game that liberated people from the average and mundane, at least in their imaginations during game sessions.
It's also about cherishing loved ones for who they really are even when they're no longer around.
Yes, the superstructure may encompass nerddom but there are much deeper themes at work here. The context of the world of the quest is critical.
Let's back up. I'm being a bad DM. I need to set the scene better…
Thoroughly average Agnes (Candice Preston) loses her parents and younger sister Tilly (Sophie Boyland) in a car crash. She finds a journal of Tilly’s D&D quest and seeks help in trying to understand a sister she never really knew through the game world she created. Enter Chuck (Luca Daniel) who becomes her Dungeon Master and guides Agnes through this strange new world while boyfriend Myles (Andre Victor) is more concerned about moving in together.
Agnes fights monsters real and imagined as she navigates Tilly's carefully constructed realm to discover aspects of her sister she never expected. Crucially, Tilly’s sexuality and someone she loved who may not have felt the same way.
There are real threshold guardians other than the ones encountered in the game here. For Tilly, being a closeted gay student in small town Athens, Ohio in 1999 was not an easy thing.
D&D is an escape and a tool of empowerment. Tilly becomes Tillius the level 20 Paladin who fights dragons and leads a company of hardy warriors - Lilith Morningstar (Verity Lux), Kaliope Darkwater (Mary Carter), and Orcus (Sean Wcislo) in a land where everyone is gay.
The show is incredibly funny. First time director Connie Wetherilt leans into the 90s of it all and the joy of game play with a fast paced and, at times, goofy execution which is fun to watch. You ain't ever seen a game map introduced like this one, for example!
Production values are high with an impressive set from Gary Wetherilt who also does monster design and construction. There are a range of creatures that are simply a sight to behold. Or flee. Or stand and fight.
House Wetherilt is also represented by Yvette's signature array of wigs and suitably striking make-up while costume designer Merri Ford adds colourful flourishes to these fantastical characters contrasted by geek chic in the real world.
There is a clever sound design (Guy Jackson) in both music cues and effects that summon peak 90s memories for those of us who recall such a time. With atmospheric lighting design by Shelly Miller as we plunge into the depths of Newlandia in search of a lost soul and five headed dragon. All of this is a nice mixture of parody and affection.
As are the performances.
Candice Preston anchors the craziness that swirls all around her as a stoic and determined Agnes. She brings emotional heft to genuinely dramatic moments and relatable disbelief as the outsider. It's an excellent turn.
She's well matched with Sophie Boyland who gets to play a duality and does so in style - the vulnerable Tilly who hesitantly explores her sexuality in life; and the courageous Tillius who fights Tilly's demons in the game.
Andre Victor brings a quiet naturalism to Miles and is used as a foil for a strand of comedy dealing in wordplay and double entendre as the real and imagined clash.
Helen Kerr plays high school counsellor Vera with typical poise, not quite crossing the line into the outright bizarre... until she portrays a series of fever dream entities in the game world with more than a little razzle dazzle.
Okay, there's a LOT of craziness and the following embrace their roles with total commitment:
Luca Daniel goes BIG as the pre-eminent nerd, Chuck, who lays down the lore and injects more than a little male adolescent fantasy to proceedings.
Verity Lux vamps it up as the spawn of Satan himself as a demon who enjoys feasting on entrails; while also playing the sweet natured and shy girl of Tilly's dreams in the real world.
Mary Carter threatens to steal every scene she's in as a Dark Elf with a speech pattern that is hilarious. Think an emotionless Spock but at a third. of. the. verbal... speed.
Sean Wcislo plays a demon overlord as a slacker who'd make The Dude blush. Instead of bowling he records 90s television shows on a set with *gasp* a built-in VCR player! Clap when appropriate ;-)
Kailem Mollard brings Penn Jillette style theatrics to the Narrator, only shorter; while Adam 'AJ' Giltrow's fate as Steve is one that I'm still quite emotional over... and over... and over. Steve, when will you learn?!
Which brings us to the tandem of Sophie David and Ebony Uetake as Evil Gabbi and Evil Tina, two succubi who just might be the most dangerous creatures in this made up world. They play their roles well but there's a clear tonal shift here with an inherent nastiness that is a little uncomfortable. But then real monsters say and do things that cut the more sensitive of us to the bone.
This is an entertaining show with surprising emotional depth underneath all the fantastical elements. It looks and sounds great with a frenetic energy that captures a certain niche culture with respect, affection, and loving mockery. I had a fun time with it. She Kills Monsters is on at the Marloo Theatre in Greenmount until 22 February.
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