Shit, part of HotHouse Theatre’s 2018 season, opened at the Butter Factory Theatre on Tuesday and stars Peta Brady, Sarah Ward and Albury’s Nicci Wilks.

Patricia Cornelius’ play about three out of control women pulls no punches and no-one involved is making any apologies for that.

“Drama should look at the parts of the world you don’t know, and in fact surprise you or intrigue you or make you angry,” Cornelius says.

“It’s great to be able to find a way into their world without softening them up.”

Directed by Susie Dee (who directed the equally compelling This Is Eden in the 2015 HotHouse season) and crafted by a team of 10 theatre focused females, Shit is a study of class and incarcerated women. 

Just as Gordon Graham’s The Boys, Shit’s confronting climax shows that how people act is as much about the circumstance as it is about the individual.

Despite Sam, Bobby and Billy’s hopeless despair they deliver plenty of laughs.

The three trade verbal blows, using Australia’s almost unique way of using swear words as abuse or endearment depending on the tone and target audience.

After an opening scene laced with expletive filled banter, the three reveal their stories, the circumstance which put them in this place and time.

Wilks, who started her performing life with the Border’s Flying Fruit Fly Circus, delivers a totally believable in-your-face performance as Billy, the foul-mouthed self-appointed leader of the group who willingly fights others, and her own inner emotions, to maintain her persona.

“There are parts that are quite funny but … some really moving moments,” Wilks says.

“It is, maybe, a slice of life of these three women. One of the great things about this show is you never see these characters on stage in theatre.”

Brady, as the broken Sam who wants for a normal life and normal things, and Ward, as the ever-so-slightly-quieter Bobby, are both also first class.

This is a powerful play that takes the audience to a place most in the comfortable theatre seats rarely, if ever, venture.

Like a well placed heavy kick to the face, Shit will leave a lasting imprint.

Tickets are still available. See it.