No Spray No Lay is a new original musical following the highs (some literal) and lows of a ladies’ club bathroom in 2005, complete with an all-female presenting cast, original bops and a sweaty glittery heap of nostalgia.
No Spray No Lay was created by friends Kat Dobell and Lara Dunning after a night out at the ballet, a few wines and a run in with a pervy DJ. Sponsored by Bare Productions it plans to hit the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024. We were invited along to the preview/preparatory run last week in Edinburgh, with almost nine months to go to Fringe there’s bound to be refinements made but for now the cast are shining in this production that really captures the chaotic fun aura of a girls’ night out. It’s clear that there is a lot of love behind this production, from the nostalgia-fueled writing to the all-female presenting cast bringing these characters to life.
The show follows three groups of girls on a night out; the techno-loving, drug-sneaking Sweaty Girls, pouting and posing besties Crystaal and Sahara, and IT-girl Laura with her disgruntled minion Jane in tow. What could have been a knotted tangle of subplots and stereotypes manages to effectively give us three realistic but different girls’ night outs, with an unpredictable but hilarious crossover pulling all three together for the finale (no spoilers but two words: dance battle).
The stage is set with graffitied toilet cubicles, dirty sinks (with the audience serving as the mirrors) and a toilet attendant station, where our main character, Kike Hassan’s Vicki, sets up for the coming evening. Vicki serves as a narrator type role, introducing the tropes of girls to the audience and talking us through the highs and lows of the night. Hassan has an air of authority about her as she tells off the misbehaving nightclub patrons, comforts heartbroken IT-girls and keeps the womanizing nightclub manager in check. Unfortunately however the character of Vicki doesn’t really get to shine amongst the many big personalities who pass through her bathroom. Hannah Childs stands out with confidence in the role of IT-girl Laura, and Abi Price as the in-your-face (literally, in the audience’s face) nightclub manager, Deb, has the audience howling any time she steps into view.
Ruth Harris shines as Laura’s pushover best friend Jane who begins the night too insecure to enjoy herself, but eventually lets go. Harris shows off stunning vocals and handles the audience participation aspect well, though Jane’s character arc could have used a little more nuance – currently it relies on her self-worth being fixed by having sex with a man (as hilarious and well-done as the onstage moment is it’s a little one-dimensional). The two-person ensemble might be an odd choice but works perfectly for the setting and are used effectively to support the main characters and add to the comedy.
Ultimately the techno-crazy Sweaty Girls were the life and sweat of the show, bouncing in and out of the bathroom between bags of powder and hiding from the bouncer. These sweaty underdogs quickly became audience favourites due to Stacey Scott and Chiara Menozzi’s constant high energy and one-liners, and their Techno Trance number was a stand out moment.
The visuals of the production are a huge asset and the use of projected photos is implemented really effectively. The audience are treated to selfies of the actors as characters take them on stage, using photos to punctuate punchlines and an assortment of photoshopped pictures projected to let us know when we’re speaking to somebody outside the nightclub, or referencing a trip abroad. It is used just enough to keep the audience on their toes, but not too much to be lazy storytelling, and it added to the 2000’s MySpace-crazed atmosphere, which otherwise could have been amped up even more.
No Spray No Lay has the potential to become the ultimate girls’ musical – boppy original tunes, an array of 2000s outfits, and a display of some of the most universal yet often private aspects of the female experience. One to keep a glitter-shadowed eye on!
REVIEWER: Amber Docherty