Review: YO HO at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater

Babes With Blades Theatre Company opens its 2026 season with yo ho., a captivating reimagining of historical fantasy full of over-the-top comedy, sexual tensions, and touching portrayals and celebrations of queer love. This world premiere production written by SMJ and directed by JD Caudill will make you laugh and reflect on what it means to embrace yourself as you walk the plank with some gay pirates. 

Mary Read and Anne Bonny are historically famous female pirates, and in yo ho., we start off with Vanessa (Brittani Yawn) kidnapping Mary “Mark” Read (Sierra Bryn) onto the ship of Calico Jack (Stef Brundage), who they believe to be a military man. Anne Bonny (Rachel Sleek-Bañuelos) is already on the ship disguised as “Andy” after having escaped her ex-husband James (William Delforge), and the whole first act is full of sexual tensions and secrets as Anne and Mary navigate the ship, the seas, and themselves. Rounding out the crew is Chad (Delforge), a sassy gay pirate with a watchful eye. Along with the themes of queer identity and all that it encompasses, the show also touches on patriarchy, religion, and colonialism as we are indeed in the Golden Age of PIracy.

The ensemble cast of five is extremely talented and full of personality and life every time they step out. Sleek-Bañuelos and Bryn captivate as Anne and Mary, from their chemistry with each other, under the direction of intimacy director Alyssa Vera Ramos, to the way they hide their true selves in the beginning and how that facade begins to crack. As Calico Jack, Brundage also commands the stage as the captain of the ship, but it’s the moments of emotional vulnerability as they try on makeup and dresses to discover who they really are where they really capture our hearts. As the comedic duo, Delforge and Yawn shine in the multiple roles they play, with particular note of Delforge’s horny priest to Yawn’s many quick changes between the stoic Governor to Vanessa or her pirate counterpart. This production uses all the tactics to evoke raucous laughter from the crowd: physical comedy, sexual innuendos, excessive reactions, visual gags, prop comedy, extravagant line deliveries, little asides, and just the very specific flavor of comedy that comes from queer culture. 

True to this theater company’s mission, this show has no shortage of excellent fight scenes, directed by Carly Belle “CB” Cason. With sword fights and fist fights galore, the action is skillfully choreographed and impressively executed right in the audience’s face. In a playful sequence with Delforge and Yawn playing Great Britain soldiers, we watch the pirates tactfully dispose of each attacker, distinguished with numbers on their hats that they swap out as they die so we can tell that Soldier 2 is different from Soldier 6, thanks to the creative costume design by Jennifer Mohr. We also get a comically big hat on Yawn as the Governor, which, alongside the prop design from Maddie Abelson and make-up and hair design from Syd Genco, lends to many of the visual jokes throughout the show. Overall, Mohr captures the baggy pirate aesthetic while sprinkling in the sparkles, sequins, and intentional design touches that let us know we’re not just watching any pirate show on any pirate ship. The Edge Off-Broadway stage becomes an intimate ship with Amy C. Gilman’s scenic design. Lighting design by Laura J. Wiley makes us feel like we’re at sea, while Alex Kingsley’s sound design adds to the oceanic atmosphere with the occasional seagull squawk.

The second act, while still full of humor, is definitely more serious as we get identity crises, confessions, and confrontations. As with any world premiere production, there were several scenes and moments in the second act that felt unnecessarily drawn out that affected the pacing, but the show balances its serious beats with the vulnerable intimacy, particularly from Brundage, Bryn, and Sleek-Bañuelos. yo ho. ends with an unexpected but pleasant twist that connects this historical fantasy to the present and reminds us queer people have been here all along and will always be around. 

yo ho. is an extremely delightful, hilarious show that embraces its campy queerness to fully explore what it looks like to accept one’s true self and love in its purest form — all with some swashbuckling stage combat and whimsical sexual fun. 

Babes With Blades Theatre Company’s 2026 season opener plays at The Edge Off-Broadway Theater (1133 W. Catalpa Ave) through August 29. Tickets are $28 for students and seniors and $35 for general admission

Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Don't Miss a Chicago News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...