★★★★½
“Eat Slay Zombie” sounds like something Gen Z would scream while live-streaming the apocalypse. Thankfully, this production understands exactly how ridiculous that sentence is and runs with it at full speed.
Off the back of a successful 2024 season at QPAC, Eat Slay Zombie returns to Brisbane as La Boite Theatre’s second main stage offering of the year.
Born through the Sparks program run by QPAC and PlayLab Theatre, La Boite has boldly upscaled the work into an ambitious mainstage production that never loses the scrappy chaos that makes it so charming.
Under the co-direction of Githabul-Migunberri-Yugumbeh playwright Alinta McGrady, alongside Samoan-Australian Lisa Fa’alafi, the production balances punchy comedy with emotional weight.
Set in a zombie apocalypse unfolding inside a bowling alley-turned-bunker, the production wastes no time throwing audiences into the action. From the opening moments, the pace is relentless and the energy infectious. The set, designed by Rozina Suliman, features three large backdrops that double as screens, displaying pre-recorded footage, live phone feeds, and social-media style content.
The multimedia design becomes one of the production’s strongest assets and is masterfully executed by AV designer Nevin Howell. The result feels cinematic without losing the intimacy of live theatre. The show is already halfway to a screen adaptation.
At times reminiscent of Zombieland: Double Tap, the work understands that humour lands hardest when the stakes feel real. The writing is funny without ever feeling forced, allowing room for audiences to sit with the deeper ideas underneath the chaos.
The play operates as a sharp political allegory, exploring the lived experiences of women of colour in Australia. TikTok culture, influencer personas, colonialism, and the complexities of Blak identity all collide in a world where surviving the undead somehow feels easier than surviving the internet.
The costumes by co-designers Boneta-Marie Mabo and Lisa Fa’alafi are end-of-the-world perfect. No notes. One of the production’s greatest strengths is its notably young cast. Performers under 30 remain uncommon on Australian mainstages, making La Boite’s continued investment in younger artists refreshing and important.
That commitment pays off most clearly in Juliette Coates’ performance as Tash. Sweet, disarmingly sincere and quietly seductive, they give the show its warmth. Coates’ lip-synced dance break moments are joyous, adding texture and flashes of music-video absurdity to the production. Full of charm and confidence, Coates is a rising talent to watch.
As Sheree, Shahnee Hunter is sharp-tongued, charismatic, and immediately disarming. Her near fourth-wall-breaking moments feel entirely within the universe of the show and leave the audience wanting more. Her scenes wielding the flamethrower “Doris” are among the production’s funniest.
Jalen Sutcliffe shifts effortlessly between vulnerable survivor and volatile outcast, known only as ‘B.’ His explosive outburst left the opening night audience in stunned silence. The dichotomy between influencer persona and inexperienced survivor is believable and he grounds the production emotionally amidst all the mayhem.
Eat Slay Zombie is a clever piece of theatre that fills a noticeable gap. Apocalyptic stories are so often framed through an American lens that it feels refreshing, and strangely believable, to see the end of the world unfold in our own backyard. Turns out the apocalypse looks pretty good under fluorescent bowling alley lighting.
Eat Slay Zombie is presented by La Boite Theatre and runs to 30 May at the Roundhouse Theatre, 6 Musk Avenue Kelvin Grove 4059.
Tickets: https://laboite.com.au/shows/eat-slay-zombie
Website: https://laboite.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/laboitetheatre/
Photo credits: Dean Hanson Photography
