Songs for Slutty Girls is as if Inside Out and SIX The Musical had a 20-something-year old daughter and it’s hilarious
Kailey Marshall’s creation of Songs for Slutty Girls is a hilariously clever portrayal of the complexities of sex and relationships for young women in their twenties. The plot follows four characters playing different body parts of one woman- Head (Dominique Roberts), Heart (Emily Ooi), Gut (Xenoa Campbell-Ledgister) and Hips (Charlotte Jaconelli). The musical starts with them celebrating New Year’s Eve and follows the character’s journey throughout the year, paying close attention to her new relationships’ success and failures.
The relationship between all the character’s was absolutely comical and a joy to watch. Every performance from the actresses was a stand-out performance, from the sexy harmonies to the audience interactions. The immersive touch of members of the audience reading out bio lines from dating apps was a witty, bold choice which was perfectly executed with the writer Kaliey Marshall subtly handing them a microphone.
The circular narrative of the witty musical starting and ending on a New Year’s Eve celebration was uplighting yet bittersweet as although the woman/characters was about to go on an adventure- travelling the world not much in her dating life had changed in the year. Over, the energised 75 minutes it was undoubtable the writing of Songs for Slutty Girls was absloutely incredible and inspiring. The way Kaliey Mashall is able to make the depressing parts of the story so fantastically funny is an exceptional talent, that not many could do.
Every single song synchronised beautifully with the story and the singing from every actress was glorious. The music director, Jennifer Deacon on the keyboard was sensational and her enthusiasm was perfect for the show. The other band members- Amy Shaw, Dave Rice and Laura Williams were equally amazing as well.
Although, there were some moments were it was slightly confusing which actress was playing what body part. This was mainly between the Head and Gut, there was at times too much across over between what lines they were saying, however this was minor. Furthermore, it was enjoyable the choice at the end for a women to come on stage and be revealed as the woman the characters (body parts) belonged to. However, it may have been stronger for this reveal to never have come as the audience can see themselves more in each body part without this woman.
To conclude, Songs for Slutty Girls is a show everyone in their twenties needs to run and see, it’s fabulously humorous and high spirited.