Melbourne Theatre Company's latest production has been described as somewhere between spaghetti western, Afropunk, Quentin Tarantino and Greek tragedy.
Oh, and at times it's laugh-out loud funny.
"There are moments of comedy where you don't expect yourself to laugh or you almost feel bad for laughing, there's a push and pull of your emotions," actor Masego Pitso told AAP.
Is God Is represents Pitso's MTC debut alongside Henrietta Enyonam Amevor, the pair playing twin sisters Anaia and Racine, who have grown up in foster care believing their mother was dead.
As the action begins they discover their mother, who they refer to as God, is alive but on her deathbed.
She tells them to find their father and kill him.
The award-winning play by US writer Aleshea Harris opened off-Broadway in 2018, and the MTC staging is its Australian premiere.
It's also the first time the company has cast a show entirely with actors of African or black descent, according to Amevor.
It's a monumental change that goes beyond simply trying to hire more diverse actors, she said.
"They're just doing it because it's right, and because this play is just a freakin' good play that happens to have black characters," Pitso agrees.
The play is a co-production with Sydney Theatre Company and co-directed by Zindzi Okenyo and Shari Sebbens, whose last effort together, seven methods of killing kylie jenner, sold out seasons around the country.
Is God Is represents nothing less than a milestone for Australian theatre, according to Okenyo's director's note.
"This is the first time Melbourne Theatre Company has programmed a work that centres the black experience and I am really proud to be part of that," she said.
There's also hope that Is God Is might attract a wider audience than the MTC's typical theatregoers - the actors expect that some nights, they will look out at the audience to see a crowd of white faces.
But efforts are being made to change that, with a community engagement team actively looking for audience members who may have never been to the theatre before.
"Just come to the theatre and enjoy it, because it should be enjoyed by everyone," Pitso said.
A huge mural of the two actors outside Melbourne Central train station should help: it's emblazoned with the slogan "Revenge is a dish best served bold".
Is God Is runs until July 15 at the Southbank Theatre. The Sydney season is from September 15 to October 21 at the Wharf 1 Theatre.
Australian Associated Press
