Review: Slugs at Red Lecture Theatre Summerhall - Ed Fringe

Review by Kate Gaul

“Slugs” created by Canadians Sam Kruger and S E Grummett is billed as a “techno colour acid trip where you’ll meet puppet Joni Mitchell, a two-person horse and all body parts we have. A techno-punk concert, a play, a clown show, a basement puppet nightmare all rolled into one, “Slugs” is about trying to have a good time while the world burns.”

Readers will recall my love of the previous “Creepy Boys”, so late-night “Slugs” was a no brainer as an early  in the season late-night Ed Fringe treat. You will only see this show at Fringe and it’s easy to understand the cult-like following these artists have. “Slugs” is existentialism and absurdity. Imagine Sartre masticating his essay, spitting it out and then rearranging what has become indecipherable amongst his chews and spit – that’s “Slugs”.  This is sharp edged, smart, challenging.

This, the slugs insist, is a play about nothing.  Dressed in sleeping bags (as slugs) with gaps for heads and arms they wriggle onto the stage. The audience interaction is hilarious especially as they keep insisting that this is a show about noting.  No serious topics. No gender politics, no climate catastrophe, not guns.  Dance to techno music or watch a puppet show, let’s be slugs – lumps of soft squidgy stuff without sentience. When in doubt place big round stick-one eyes on everything to make it cute.

But doing and being nothing is challenging. Misdirection’s of attention abound, and panic ensues – Joni Mitchell enters the mix (she’s Canadian after all!), live inanimation and the aforementioned two headed horse.  As things break down and safety is up for grabs the team use body parts, guns and words and – yes – the situation becomes pointedly political.   “Slugs” deliberately pulls apart the culture of distraction; not always clear what the point is but there is a point. Subject matter ventures into dissection of a society whose fixation on trans ness and that societies propensity for mass shootings.

This is Bursting with ideas, “Slugs” is glorious madness.  It’s ambitious too.  And I loved the DIY aesthetic.  Everything moves so fast it is impossible not to be in awe of the technical feat these two consummate performers attempt.

The team admit this in a niche show. But you will laugh and probably scream (I did), you will reel from comedy to dark darkness.  You will be pleased you stayed up way too late to see this one!

Image Supplied