Set in 1998, amid the proliferation of chatrooms, a fascination with the occult and some of the witchy horror movies of the era, such as May (2002) and The Craft (1996) – The Exact Dimensions of Hell sets out to examine the desires of young women and the abuse of power within uneven relationships.

This production reflects the themes and aesthetic, albeit with an Australian suburban twist. Despite its promising premise, however, Bridget Mackey’s latest work doesn’t quite reach the heights it could.

Matilda Gibbs in The Exact Dimensions of Hell. Photo © Darren Gill

The play commences with an early-chat room conversation, featuring explicit exchanges (naturally) and Fiona Horne disses. Thus, the groundwork is laid for the eventual meet-up between The Girl (Matilda Gibbs) and The Witch (Daniel Schlusser).

In this exchange, Gibbs exudes enthusiastic angst, clad in tartan and lace-up boots. She convincingly embodies the essence of a teen, oscillating between mock-confidence and insecurity.

Schlusser plays a pseudo-scholar of the occult and an aspiring cult-leader, held back by a terminal illness that he later weaponises in his grooming of The Girl.

He frequently quotes the occultist and self-professed prophet Aleister Crowley,...