Slay theatre review: Sparkling, sharp-witted sensation
Jo Laidlaw believes that Lois-Amber Toole is a true star in the making as she conquers the competition in Slay, the story of a flawed yet sympathetic character who seeks an escape from everything
Twentysomething Kit is on the run from her past and home in the North East, living in London, working in a fancy restaurant, seeking treatment (sorta) for PTSD and trying to escape her demons. Add in a pill box with enough anti-depressants to start a drum corps and a raging case of narcissism alongside its millennial-friendly chum, main character energy, and you’ve got Slay, a total joy of an hour.
Of course, where there’s PTSD there’s trauma; the source of Kit’s is almost mundane in its heart-breaking familiarity for most of the women in the audience. But if that sounds bleak, do not fear, because this show is properly laugh-out-loud funny with smart, well-landed one-liners that would not feel out of place in a stand-up show. It’s beautifully observed by writer, performer and rising star Lois-Amber Toole, who clearly has an eye for the ridiculous, ears that are sharply tuned into the things young women say when men aren’t listening, and a sharp enough pen to give Kit the chance to say the things we all think (24 hours later, a particularly well-placed comment about a baby’s deformed head still has the power to raise a belly laugh).
Toole also has a lot to say about class, using accent as a shorthand for character (and mostly getting away with it), as she explores the push/pull between hometown, family and the so-called glamour of a capital city where Kit and an invisible army of waiting and retail staff oil the wealthy’s passage through their days.
Slay is particularly successful at balancing all this darkness with light. That’s important, because when things tip into revenge-fantasy-come-true territory, the audience needs to stay firmly on Kit’s side: because we’ve spent an hour sharing laughs of recognition, we’re first in line for body-hiding duties. In fact, whatever this brave, brittle and brilliant wee lassie does next, we all want to be on her speed-dial.
Toole is making noises in the industry. Grab this chance to see her while you can, not just because she’s got Netflix Writing Deal stamped all over her, but because this is the kind of show that will stay with you, make you laugh and remind you that theatre can be accessible, enjoyable and weighty, all at the same time.
Slay, Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 31 August, 3pm.