DUNGEONS & Dragons, 90s nostalgia and teen sexuality are being explored on stage in Newcastle this weekend.
She Kills Monsters is the most recent staging by Hunter Drama and is being performed at the Civic Playhouse on Friday and Saturday.
The show tells the story of Agnes Evans, an "average" young women who, after losing her parents and sister in a car accident, is thrown into a world of fantasy.
While packing up the room of her sister, Tilly, Agnes discovers a notebook containing a Dungeons & Dragons game module and embarks on a quest to play the game in an effort to get closer to her sister.
"Agnes stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge," Hunter Drama said.
"As Agnes delves deeper into her quest, the fantasy world and reality begin to collide and blend.
"Agnes discovers things she had never imagined and comes to realise there was a great deal about her sister she never knew."
Program director for Hunter Drama and director of She Kills Monsters, James Chapman, said the play deals with themes common to adolescents including sexuality, gender, family dynamics, and being the odd-one-out.
"Whilst highly comedic, at times it is also tragic," Mr Chapman said.
"It explores topics of romantic and interpersonal relationships of relevance to young people and delves into the issue of sexuality which is important to address.
"I read a quote that said the themes of openness, tolerance and resilience are baked into the DNA of this show and I agree."
From acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen, Mr Chapman said the show pays homage to the Dungeons & Dragons culture, which has enjoyed a resurgence this year thanks to the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.
"In fact, there are quite a few correlations between this tale and Stranger Things - particularly the strong sense of nostalgia which our older audience members will particularly enjoy," he said.
"As the play toggles between reality and fantasy, elaborate battles unfold. It's been brilliant to be the director for the sword fighting and general fight sequences.
"The cast has learnt new skills in the form of fight choreography, and the fight scenes are something Newcastle audiences will not have seen."
She Kills Monsters is on at Civic Playhouse:
- Friday, August 26, at 7.30pm
- Saturday, August 27, at 2pm and 7.30pm
While sexuality is an important theme of the play, Mr Chapman said it does not define the characters.
"The LGBTQ characters are complex, well-rounded and fulfil goals, outside of the sexuality stereotypes," he said.
"Their sexuality is not the focus, one of the great appeals is the way it presents the non-heterosexual characters in the same light as the other characters.
"Yet, it also creates space for a serious discussion about how challenging it is for queer people to come out, and how important it is to consider our own reactions."
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