High-octane and hilariously unhinged, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! is a genre-bending comedy written by Maddie Nixon and co-directed by David Morton (Dead Puppet Society) and Courtney Stewart (La Boite Theatre). With original music by Dean Hanson (Ball Park Music), this production is a gloriously absurd romp through 80s-inspired horror, teenage rebellion, and ecological doom—with a uniquely Brisbane flavour.

Set in our very own River City, the show blends schlock horror with whip-smart Aussie comedy. Think Stranger Things meets The Blob and The Goonies - only if those were directed by someone who’d just biked through peak-hour traffic along Coronation Drive.

When a CSIRO research vessel mysteriously disappears off the coast, the daughter of a crew member (an “eco warrior in training”) suspects something monstrous is lurking beneath the surface. Turns out, pollution dumped into the water has spawned a grotesque creature - “Little Monster” or LM - that’s growing fast and threatening to engulf the planet.

Louise Brehmer, who I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in past productions like the heartbreaking The Longest Minute, is wonderfully absurd in multiple roles - particularly as the protagonist’s mum.

But it’s Anthony Standish who steals the show, dazzling in two sharply contrasting roles: a rat-tailed high schooler and a slimy corporate villain. His comedic instincts and the little flourishes he adds to each performance had the audience in stitches.

The set design is minimal yet effective - a couch that doubles as a car, a few school desks - but it’s LM, the black trash-bag monster with crudely funny Kit Cat Clock eyes, that steals the visual spotlight. There’s a deliberate “the cheaper it looks, the funnier it is” approach that absolutely works.

Dean Hanson’s original synth-heavy score perfectly complements the 80s horror aesthetic, while musical cameos from Brisbane legends like Regurgitator and The Go-Betweens inject local charm. (Yes, I spotted Ben from the ‘Gurge in the front row.)

There’s even a sequence set to The Streets of Your Town, featuring a madcap drive through Brisbane that swerves past angry cyclists and people putting their bins out - a moment that truly warms the cockles of any Brisbanite’s heart.

Clocking in at a tight, intermission-free runtime, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! wastes no time. It’s a fast-paced rollercoaster of teen hijinks, ecological disaster, and corporate tyranny.

The cast manage to walk a fine line between dramatic performances full of emotion and charm, to Looney Tunes levels of over-the-top absurdity. This pull between the serious and the hilarious keeps the audience invested and unsure what's going to happen next.

While I would’ve liked a slightly more fleshed-out ending, its abruptness feels intentional - perhaps a statement about the climate crisis and the very limited time we have to fix things.

La Boite Theatre and Maddie Nixon have served up a wildly fun, fiercely original show that knows exactly what it is - and never tries to be anything else. From the hysterical projected introduction to the final blackout, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE! is a riotous, uniquely Brisbane experience that had the audience laughing (and possibly rethinking their recycling habits).

 

Written By: Tom Harrison

Imagery By: Dean Hanson