Welcome to Slaughter

Image: Cybele Malinowski 

Welcome to Slaughter is impossible to review without spoiling the impact of the twists of this performance; if you are planning on seeing this show then please wait until afterwards to read anything about it.

Ushered into the theatre in small groups, the atmosphere hits before entry, the anteroom transformed into a dim, overgrown path through hanging tree branches and surrounded by sounds of the bush at night. A high screen is lit up by a bright full moon, shining out over a bush scene with a fascinating battered old ‘car’, a cunningly evocative collection of parts and seats.  The opening transition to full blackout is broken by blinding headlights and deafening, simultaneous screams from the car’s now occupied front seats.

The video image displays the discomforting sight of headlights following bush tracks and country roads… going backwards. The car’s occupants proceed through various high emotions and then settle into the minor irritations, squabbles and boredom of a long road trip, never mentioning a destination. The tension rises, curiosity builds as to where they are going, and then, from nowhere, a disembodied hand strokes the passenger’s neck…  

The acting is compelling, keeping audience members intrigued and on the edge of their seats, open to the shock and fright reactions of thrillingly good horror. Jo Morris keeps a steady hand on the steering wheel, but her still posture allows her accomplished facial control to hold attention with her changes, whether gradual or abrupt, between strongly different emotional states. Michelle Robin Anderson also demonstrates impressive emotional range, taking a tour through the various stages of boredom as well as more volatile moods, and displays an amusing irritation and forbearance of her girlfriend’s inability to recall any lyrics when singing along with the radio. Emily Rose Brennan delivers an impressively eerie performance, never helping us decide what she is or what her ultimate motives are, keeping us guessing the whole way through.

The intriguing twists in narrative hint at a thorough development process, one that has moved from its initial comedic horror concept to a profound, thought-provoking piece that has many audience members grinning in rueful recognition. Nothing gives away the ending right until the climax, when the various surprises resolve into a whole new way of perceiving the performance and its themes, a fresh, intelligent approach to relationships.

The technical aspects are given their rightful dues here, as the timing and positioning has to be impeccable to deliver the creepy sensations of Welcome to Slaughter. Joe Lui’s lighting design does not so much illuminate as develop an intricate system of shadows, combining with Brett Smith’s deliberately-paced sound design to trigger fight or flight responses even in the middle of the audience.

A horror story for anyone who has ever been in a relationship, holding up a mirror to common human experience and casting new light, or shadows, upon familiar situations, Welcome to Slaughter brings the best of live theatre’s experience to The Blue Room, engaging attention every moment of the performance and lingering in the memory long after.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5