Slugs – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
by Brian Merriman

Venue – Project Arts Centre – Cube
Duration – 60mins

Nominated for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Slugs, their Canadian creators assure us, is about nothing at all. And there’s a good reason for that, because there’s too much already preoccupying the world.

Our two comedic heroes are Canadian, and as we know, Canadian identity is welcoming, independent and rebellious at present.

We have clever puppetry, nudity, trans and gay, and no bad ideas. The playing is highly charged, vocally impressive across many registers, and the performances are wonderfully timed. Their use of props is timed to perfection, and their unhinged personas are uninhibited and wild.

What a soundtrack, co-written by Shirley Nome. All of the songs are word-packed, loud, raucous and sung live with hilarious and explicit lyrics. The action is playful, messy and seamless.

Slugs is an action-packed hour of powerful commentary, proving there is always something about nothing. It is very funny.

Their Canadian neighbour, the iconic Joni Mitchell, was the voice of her generation, and this pair are the confident, exuberant voices of today.

They are in a constant duet on stage that moves, roars, changes and entertains without stopping. Even Shakespeare makes a cameo appearance, and his claim to be the only one to make much ado about nothing is now under severe pressure.

The script, presentation, and performances are really something, bringing a welcome edge to the 2026 Fringe programme. Their next stop is the Melbourne Fringe.

There’s a reference to a two-star review in the script, so this is another one. These are two stars in a five-star production. Grab a ticket; it will be the best time you’ve spent doing nothing in ages!

Cast and Crew: 

Written by Tobias Graham
Directed by George Jibson
Performed by Creepy Boys, S.E. Grummett and Sam Kruger