Alice In Slasherland

Judging by American writer Oui Nguyen, millennial audiences go for teen college shlock  mixed with slasher horror movies, zombies and other demons from the netherworld.  It certainly makes for graphic comic book theatre. And presumably it’s a spoof.

Bardiya McKinnon, who’s also the producer, brings some truth and self-deprecating wit to Lewis, a gangly teen turned hero, and the show starts stylishly with projections of his under-watched blog pining for an unrequited love. The horror starts with young Alice back from Hades with murderous intent, and in her wake a masked thing slashing his way through the schoolyard.

Lauren Peters’ set of shifting walls, entrances and a stairway to hell aids this blood-splattering rush of horror, but Rachel Kerry soon loses control of her enthusiastic shouting cast, who trample Nguyen’s already slim satire into the ground.

Singer Laura Murphy as Lucifer, posing initially as the college nympho, is a standout exception, and so too the performer masterfully manipulating a foul-mouthed blokey bear along for the ride.

Julian Starr’s sound and pop house music helps drive over the bumps and Nigel Poulton is busiest of all, choregraphing the show’s excess of Wham! Bam! fights. There were laughs, yes, the crude sex banter was naughty, but all this show’s creative expertise was misdirected away from getting best timing from the performers and, ultimately, to staging a play best left on Off Off Broadway. It ends with the adolescent truth, “If you really dig him – tell him.”

The cast also includes Mia Morrissey, Justin Amankwah, Jack Angwin, Josh McElroy and Stella Ye.

Martin Portus

Photographer: Robert Catto