She Kills Monsters is one of those productions I find quite intriguing as a youth theatre director. It’s a tough piece to work with, but it’s quite beloved, and I was excited to see how Epiphany Arts would handle its complexity.
There was a warm welcome as we entered Eternity Playhouse, with its old school cinema vibes. The atmosphere is already set from that first entry, building with 90s bangers before you look around the room and notice cloaked figures either side that seem to have appeared out of nowhere. The D&D setup is on the stage, and we move into ominous music as the ensemble slowly fill the space, engaging us from the start. Then the rock cranks and the chaos begins.
We meet Agnes, played by Holly Gallagher, and her boyfriend and best friend who are trying to connect with her in the wake of losing her sister. Agnes needs to understand who Tilly actually was, beyond the sibling rivalry that kept them apart. She follows Tilly’s diary trail, which leads her to Dungeon Master Chuck, brought to roaring life by Caspian Macarthur Mitchell, who hits every comic beat with a natural ease and is endearing enough of a douche that it’s genuinely hilarious. As the youngest cast member, it’s quite a feat.
From there, Agnes must take on the Quest for the Lost Soul of Athens, and along the way we meet some very colourful characters indeed. Jake Nelson as Narrator/Orcus is a real asset; professional dungeon master in real life, his command of the storyteller role grounds the whole adventure with warmth and wit. Martha Tidyman as Lilith alongside evil duo Ivy Wilkes as Evil Gabbi and Astrid Macarthur Mitchell as Evil Tina are fully committed and entertaining, with Astrid clearly relishing her role as the iconic antagonist for the third time. The ensemble, including Maisie Goldfinch, Ella Roseman, Jamie Callum, Luna Austin, Stephanie Calia and Autumn Orwell, bring high energy and great commitment to character throughout.
Holly is an engaging Agnes, with lovely light and shade and a beautiful voice. Ruby Elane’s Tilly is the emotional core of the piece; a lost soul who didn’t get to realise her dreams but created a vivid and fulfilling dream world. It’s a deep, layered performance. The choreography by Anna Jaques, who co-directs alongside director Annie Macarthur, does a great job of creating that connected ensemble energy, keeping the 90s dance numbers tight and the fight sequences genuinely thrilling. Stage combat advisor Vincent Chung’s influence is felt too.
The use of screen helps with some of the more complicated elements of the piece, and the props and costume department absolutely slayed (see what I did there?). There were a couple of technical hiccups, which I have noticed before in this space, and I hope that’s an opening night snafu they iron out, because this show really is very well done.
The highlight was a powerful, transcendent performance of Uninvited with incredible harmonies that got me right in my 90s inner teen.
It’s campy, chaotic, and everything you want from this show. Epiphany Arts have nailed it again. To quote She Kills Monsters “They did indeed kicketh much ass!”
To book tickets to She Kills Monsters, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/she-kills-monsters/.
