The Milkman Cometh Theatre Review

Milk, metal and utter madness come together in unforgettable fashion in DeadPlant Theatre’s comedy horror cult hit The Milkman Cometh, which has come to life in The Big Smoke for the London Horror Festival.

In a not-too-distant, and unnervingly not all that implausible, future in which the cows are gone and the world is thus milk-less, a lone warrioress (think Michone, but milk-deficient) finds herself seeking shelter in the strange village of Cud. But while she finds the sanctuary and companionship she was looking for, she also discovers the deep and dark secrets of Cud’s cult-like clan, and the milkman they’re minsters to.

Encouraging the renaissance of the ever-popular folk cult subgenre while tapping into a pertinent social issue of our time, The Milkman Cometh succeeds both as a) an inventive and reflective commentary of the horrors and damaging consequences of our dairy industry – vegans, this one’s for you (and we you won’t read that on HorrorDNA.com very often), and b) as a rowdy piece of riotous theatre that will have you chuckling in your chair from its intriguing outset to its wickedly depraved end.

Brought to (loud) life with an electrifying live performance by London metal band Fuck Slurry that keeps the menace and energy relentless, and complete with dairy pun aplenty, would you brie-lieve it (yes, we’re afraid it’s rubbed off), this 50-minute descent into ever-amusing mayhem is a guaranteed good time. The production is tight, the tone ludicrous, and the pitch-perfect performances wonderfully hammy. It’s The Wicker Man meets Hot Fuzz, with a sprinkle of Cowspiracy – and if that doesn’t sound like it could over-satisfy your silly side we don’t know what will.