REVIEW: Deal With It! – Hanson Creative

Deal With It! – Hanson Creative

Presented at PIP Theatre

Written by Aimee Sheather and Aarya Dath

Directed by Aimee Sheather and Aarya Dath

Set Design by Aimee Sheather

Sound Design by Aarya Dath

Producer Emma Hanson

Deal With It! by Hanson Creative is a dark comedy-thriller that manages to be sharply witty while poking at some uncomfortable truths. All with a devilish grin. Literally.

Set in a Brisbane sharehouse littered with Amazon boxes, we meet couple Alix and Max, whose lives are quietly unravelling thanks to their elusive roommate Bridget. She is behind on rent, jobless, and rarely home… until suddenly everything shifts. When money appears, blood stains turn up, and suspicion starts to brew. What unfolds is a slow-burn mystery with supernatural twists, dark laughs, and a growing sense that something far more sinister is at play.

Without giving too much away, Bridget has made a deal with the devil via your everyday, run-of-the-mill satanic ritual. In exchange for wealth, she becomes tangled in the manipulative grip of Zizi, a sharply dressed, smooth-talking devil who delights in pulling the strings as puppet master of Bridget’s fate.

Ruby Gleeson (Max) and William Kasper (Alix) are the undeniable comedic dynamite of the show, with a rhythm that feels instinctive and easy. Ruby’s Max considers herself a detective, concocting wildly imaginative theories while concealing a little darkness of her own. William’s Alix is peak golden retriever energy, friendly, goofy, and blissfully oblivious. Their scenes consistently guaranteed plenty of giggles.

Gianni-Mia Attril-Dowling gives Bridget a withdrawn, internalised intensity. Bridget is something of a hermit, often journalling her thoughts aloud to the audience rather than interacting with those around her, which creates an eerie sense of distance. Her moments of vulnerability land well and will only grow stronger with further development of the character, particularly when the themes turn toward women’s autonomy, fear, and survival. One line in particular really got me, “I don’t hate men, but it’s something I tell myself to stay sane”.

Caleb Hockings is fabulous as Zizi the devil, strutting onstage in a sparkly red and black tux with a low, gruff, wonderfully theatrical delivery. His physicality and vocal precision give the character real presence, and his puppeteering of Connor Costin’s characters is cleverly staged. Even in the darker moments, humour sneaks in unexpectedly, with “Please, my cats need me!” earning a big laugh from me (cause... real). Connor also does excellent work as Paul, a man Bridget meets at a bar who is immediately unsettling. His casual entitlement quickly curdles into something far more disturbing. Kyle Armstrong also pops up as John, the Amazon delivery driver, in brief but consistently great moments; short, sweet, and always a treat!

Visually, the show commits hard to its colour aesthetic. The set features towering red velvet curtains, a crimson rug, a black and red chaise lounge straight out of soap opera, a marble table, a raised stage with string pulled taut in patterns, and an ever-growing pile of Amazon boxes that anchor the supernatural story firmly in modern domestic life. It is striking without being cluttered.

Sound design is particularly effective, using eerie droning textures, sharply timed effects, and music cues to signal the passage of time. Red lighting washes the stage during darker scenes, heightening the sense of danger, while fake blood makes multiple appearances. Stage combat is also well executed to add to the tension. The only consistent technical note is projection. A memorable monologue describing lucid dreams, delivered beautifully by Gianni-Mia, would have benefited from more volume, particularly when facing away from the audience without a microphone.

Direction is solid and confident, especially given this is a brand-new play written by local artists, Aimee Sheather and Aarya Dath. The script is interesting and ambitious, revealing itself slowly and trusting the audience to piece things together. I particularly enjoyed the distinct Brisbane references scattered throughout the script. Plus, well-placed references to the Daniel Craig character in Knives Out was particularly satisfying because I have JUST recently seen it and caught the joke.

Deal With It! is a rare beast, a thriller comedy that blends humour, horror, and social commentary with a distinctly Brisbane flavour. This is an ambitious, locally written work with a strong cast, clever design, and plenty of originality. With further workshopping development (split staging scenes, higher urgency, etc), it has the potential to go even further. If you like your theatre just a little bit satanic, Deal With It! is well worth catching.