At its outset, SLUGS boldly claims to be a show about “NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING”. Inspired by garden slugs – seemingly formless, mindless, useless creatures – the characters set out to create a show that completely avoids touching on any serious or thought-provoking topics. The show should supposedly be pure escapism, akin to scrolling through cute videos of puppies on Instagram. However, serious topics inevitably creep in. The characters – fictionalised versions of the performer S.E. Grummett and Sam Kruger themselves – can’t help but bring up gun violence, transphobia, sexual harassment in the comedy industry, and so on.
The result is an hour of nonstop, unhinged, manic, perfectly executed comedy, as the characters desperately attempt to avoid these topics. The show is brash, in-your-face, and deliberately alienating; dark humour, gross-out humour, and nudity are all flaunted at point-blank range. SLUGS expertly blends elements of clown, puppetry, musical comedy, and theatre into a unique, energetic rollercoaster. Grummett and Kruger’s onstage chemistry is captivating, and they execute each gag and set piece with both precision and a sense of spontaneity. One extended sequence extremely creatively makes use of an overhead projector to depict a saga involving a childhood home, a public toilet, childbirth, and a car accident. This sequence, like the show as a whole, is extraordinarily creative, dynamic, and unpredictable.
Sometimes directly, and sometimes through allegory and metaphor – but always through comedy – this show questions the role of art – and of artists – in society. Should art be used as a form of escapism, or should it try to tackle important issues? Is there any value in overtly political art that doesn’t seem to actually make a difference? Can art have a valuable political message and also be commercially successful? These are questions that the play grapples with, culminating in a satisfying, tender, heartfelt, and of course hilarious ending.
SLUGS runs until 25th August at Summerhall (Red Lecture Theatre) with tickets available at https://festival.summerhallarts.co.uk/
Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe
Reviewed: 19th August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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