“I’ve had quite a weekend...”

Lucy Rivers’ blackly comic tale of “girl meets boy and murders folks” draws from Badlands, Natural Born Killers and the gore of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

But by integrating Americana-inflected songs with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, such as What My Daddy Done In A Minor and bad boy Connor’s murderous doo-wop ditty (complete with glitterball), the tale is raised above Tarantino-esque tropes to something truly stunning.

It’s a musical for people who hate musicals, a slice of dusty grindhouse theatre for those who would rather watch a movie than a live performance.

And not a second is wasted in the pacy story set over a hot Memorial Day weekend in 1950s smalltown Evergreen.

Rivers’ central character channels the spirit of Juliette Lewis, as a damaged girl who can look after herself and should never be underestimated. Her exchanges on the vintage microphone with would-be lover Connor recreate the cut and thrust of young lovers working out if they like each other – providing a perfect backbone for everything that ensues.

Mary Maid’s juke joint four-piece band The Missing Fingers provide both the extra characters and the atmosphere – with Hannah McPake stepping out from behind her bass to add a delicious left turn to the story.

An unforgettable highlight of the Fringe so far – and one which will be tough to match.