SLAY

New theatre work ‘SLAY’, devised by a group of young queer women will be presented at Theatre Works Explosives Factory in March 2025.

‘SLAY’ follows four lesbian friends who are made suspects of their neighbour Courtney Fairfield’s disappearance and dragged into the middle of the political firing line made by extremist group SLAM (Society of Lesbians Against Men). It is a modern-day horror-comedy taking inspiration from films like ‘Bodies, Bodies, Bodies’, ‘BOTTOMS’, ‘Jennifer’s Body’ and ‘But, I’m a Cheerleader’.

Through the lens of horror, the story explores the now very real danger of online extremism and polarisation specially to women and minority groups. ‘SLAY’ directly responds to the rise of figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, the recent re-appointment of Trump as president in the States, and the all-time high of femicide Australia is facing. Director Steph Lee explains that ‘the work flips the language we see used against women and queer people to try to expose the statements that are held up as ‘truths’ by extreme right-wing influencers’.

‘SLAY’ is directed by Steph Lee with costume design by Louisa Fitzgerald, and set and lighting design by Tom Vulcan, the trio behind the ‘vigorous indie revival’ (The Age) of Declan Greene’s ‘HOME ECONOMICS’ for Midsumma 2024. Pushing their aesthetic further, this work will also play with a horror-inspired sound design by Jack Burmeister and media inspired AV elements design by Alyssa Jayde Clay to capture the bombarding nature of the online. Devising the piece is a group of talented young queer females: Sarah Iman, Jackie van Lierop, Raven Rogers-Wright, and Anita Mei La Terra.

While the show covers some quite intense topics, it also leans into the camp of old-school horror and the juxtaposition of humour and darkness. This group of emerging theatre-markers will not be holding back as they make a modern horror aimed to haunt long after the curtain falls, and the audience resumes their doom scrolling.

*Photo credit: Steven Mitchell Wright*