Remember those books of short stories you’d pull off a library shelf as a kid, filled with scary tales of beating hearts under floors, loves that never grew old, and murder weapons that got baked in the oven and eaten by the police? What if those scary stories happened right now – in the era of smartphones, Airbnbs and gay clubs – and splattered at your feet?
Presented by essential workers, Shitty is an anthology of three tales that nail that particular gothic niche. A collection of increasingly eerie tales for those of us who are nearing 20-(plus ten)-years-old, reminding us that there are, in fact, things much more terrifying than turning 30. Directed by Zoë Hollyoak (Collapsible) and written by Chris Edwards, and staged with an expert layering of tension and a twisted sense of humour, this is theatre for the sicko in all of us.
...this is theatre for the sicko in all of us.
Hailley Hunt’s set is a mostly bare, black stage with a looming metal staircase leading up to nowhere, backed by a black brick wall. Making the most of Belvoir’s small downstairs theatre, it’s something like a basement out of a horror movie, where no surface is perfectly flat and there is just enough evidence of someone or something, but not their whereabouts. Hunt also designs the litany of props hidden in this seemingly bare stage, which make their dramatic entrances to delighted and terrified squeals from the audience. Morgan Moroney lights the stage with three fluorescent strips that change colours during the different stories, and some other clever lighting sources that direct our attention simply and quickly. Madeleine Picard’s sound design and composition – as well as Claudia Kryszkiewicz’s costumes – build on this minimalism, bringing just enough detail to suggest the terror that each story holds.
The cast – made up of Meg Hyeronimus, Roy Joseph, Levi Kenway, Mark Paguio and Ariadne Sgouros – takes turns to bring the three vignettes to life. Their comedic timing is impeccable, and their warm, inviting performances make you feel like you might have accidentally stepped through the fourth wall with them, instead of having them break it for you – which makes the scary parts even more bone-chilling. Sgouros’s final performance is a gruesome delight, and she gives it everything she has – leaving you jumping out of your seat and clutching your pearls in turn.
Sick, twisted, hilarious, and cunning – Shitty drags the gothic anthology onto the stage of 2024,and then smashes it apart with an axe. Beware the splash zone in the first row.
Shitty is playing until February 24, downstairs at Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills. The show is 80-minutes long with no interval. Tickets are $25 and you can snap them up over here.