She Kills Monsters – Pitt St Theatre: Stray Theatre Company (13th Floor Theatre Review)
She Kills Monsters tells a tale of young Agnes and her sister’s colourful party, embarking on their campaign into a fantasy-realm adventure created by the Dungeon Master.
I went into this show knowing slim to none about Dungeons & Dragons (D & D). A typical D & D game revolves around an adventure, which functions as a self-contained story or quest. These adventures often span multiple sessions and can be connected into a broader series of related stories known as a campaign.
As players explore and overcome challenges, they often earn treasure, typically including gold, jewels, and magic items—powerful artifacts that can aid them in future encounters and quests.
Set in the mid-nineties, this is a game of storytelling, solely based on community. Written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Thomas Julyan and Felix Thomas, this play rolled a highball in charm and charisma.
Agnes is your classic popular girl, whose sudden and tragic loss of her geeky little sister Tilly, has left Agnes stricken with grief. To better connect with who Tilly really was, she joins her D & D quest to uncover more about her sibling.
This is a tale of emotional understanding and risk, where secrets are kept deep in the dungeon.
Though the stage and costumes were simple, this small cast delivered a wonderfully entertaining performance. One of the loveliest plays I’ve seen in a long time. Bravo to Violet Castle and Nat Churches, who gave my favourite performances of the night. Maui Hitchens brought the hunky, clichéd football boyfriend to life with fantastic comedic flair. The evil cheerleaders and sirens were both scary and powerful—an impressive combination that really stood out.
Once again, I am not a player of D & D but have many friends who do. The underlying theme I took away is: you can’t figure out the adventure if you don’t explore. Equally important: if you’re ever surrounded by demons, it’s always a good idea to bring a baseball bat.
I highly recommend giving this play a try for an enjoyable night out. This is running for a short time, May 15-17th so get your tickets fast. It’s always refreshing to see such a young audience pack into a theatre. The energy in the room was contagious.
I give this a 17 out of a D20 rate.
Xoxo Miss. Peach
She Kills Monsters by Stray Theatre Company is on at Pitt St Theatre
Tickets and details here.
