Shit Summerhall – Main Hall (Venue 26)

Shit comes to Edinburgh with blisteringly brilliant reviews from Australia, and fresh from the Venice Theatre Biennale. It opens with the spotlight on the toughestlooking blonde you’ve ever encountered, Billy (Nicci Wilks), with matted hair and a mouth to match. Bobby (Sarah Ward) and Sam (Peta Brady) are three hard girls

with hard lives and hard language, an unending slur of obscenities to match the show’s title.

They’ve barely survived foster care; now they’re behind bars for a crime whose details are only unfolding. They practise fake crying, revel in cynicism, and fail even when they try hard a speak a sentence without a single f-word. They quarrel over whether they’ve ever loved their mothers, or found kindness in people.

The actor Sarah Ward came to the Fringe in 2018 as larger (and bluer)-thanlife cabaret personality Yana Alana. She soon establishes a strong presence in this piece as the measured, watchful, unflinching Bobby, in contrast to the volatile Billy. Meanwhile Sam’s dreams of a house, or a dog – “I’m not needy, I just want a few

things” – are heard out to jeering derision.

The writer/director team of Patricia Cornelius and Susie Dee were the first Australian artists invited to the Venice festival.

Their portrait of damaged, toughened young women who spit and swear and challenge prejudices was first presented in Melbourne in 2015, and went on to collect a series of nominations and awards in Australia.

TIM CORNWELL

Until 25 August. Today 4:50pm