As someone who avoided horror movies for years, I was skeptical about Wrong Turn, but within the first few moments of the piece, I was sold. 

The story is simple: Svetlana Slay has taken four iconic Final Girls and recapped their stories with a big campy cabaret. The plot is loose and serves more as a passive road map to get where they want it to go rather than a hard and intricate story. Even if you haven't seen the movies the pieces are based on, it's not hard to figure out who is who. 

Now the numbers are where this piece really shines. The performers know they are in a camp classic and act accordingly. Energy is big and enthusiastic and the dancing and singing is often great. 

The talent is obvious with no weak links in the bunch- and the performers are greatly challenged by the space. With no vocals on microphone each singer belts out to their maximum ability with everyone getting at least one solo to stand out as a unique character. While this meant their voices could sometimes get lost in the room, it never detracted as the easy to follow story never suffered. Some highlights include the opening Wrong Turn number and the Jennifer performer. 

The plot mostly doesn't take itself too seriously- especially with the "so you think you can slay" stinger at the end of every vignette- but does steer into some heavier moments that don't feel as cohesive as the rest of the pieces. The reference to Alien is taken much more seriously than the rest and highlights the trauma of the Final Girl which does serve the plot, and is beautifully done and executed- but does feel at odds with a lot of the other pieces. I do appreciate that they wanted to tackle the more traumatic elements of being a final girl but it does feel a bit like the "odd one out" in the piece. 

There is also one moment where the singer is masked and you could tell that the singing was coming from the speaker system which is only unusual since the whole piece had been entirely in the room, but with the physical limitation imposed upon the performer in the mask, I can understand why they did it. 

I do also want to highlight that this production is an excellent example of body inclusivity and diversity. Seeing men and women of different shapes and sizes embrace the vibrant diversity was very exciting and proof that your ability need not be discriminated against. 

Overall, this is a highly enjoyable romp through horror tropes and the Final Girl archetype in a loving send up, with great music and great performances. If you enjoy horror movies and cabaret, this should absolutely be on your list to see. 

PROS: 

• Great music choices
• Wonderful cast and variety of body types
• Fun story done well

CONS: 

• Occasional tonal inconsistency 
• No microphones so can be hard to hear
• A specific reference to the movie world they're from could be beneficial