Review: HOT MESS at The Other Palace

We’ve all dated a person who just isn’t right for us. 

Turns out, it's a problem as old as time. Or, should I say, as old as Earth.

Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote’s Hot Mess opens with Earth herself sauntering onto stage, declaring her desire to fall in love. After bouncing between relationships with single-cell organisms and a T-rex, she’s gone through a brief hiatus (aka, the ice age), and is ready to put herself out there again. Enter humanity.

While it may initially seem as though the pair are meant to be, things soon sour. Over the course of the show, audiences watch the relationship between Earth and Humanity blossom and eventually wither - spurred by Humanity’s constant desire to take more from Earth. 

On paper, a two-hander framed around environmentalism may not seem all that engaging. It's a concept that could quickly feel patronising, and while the show may not be breaking new ground in terms of its messaging, the production is lively, cheeky and ultimately, rather endearing. 

Danielle Steers is nothing short as fantastic as Earth, powerful one moment, achingly vulnerable the next, and her performance of My House is arguably the stand-out of the evening, hair flip included. Morgan Gregory is equally compelling as Humanity, initially presenting an innocence and charm that really gets the audience on his side.

While the narrative can sometimes feel a little repetitive, with Humanity stepping out of line, and Earth nudging him back into place (though perhaps, such is the nature of relationships), there’s a satisfying switch-up towards the climax of the show. This gives Gregory the chance to put a little more bite into his performance, in another of the night’s more engaging moments, the song What Did You Expect.

Jack Godfrey’s score, reminiscent of productions such as Six, is largely entertaining, though there are times wherein songs could be slightly shorter and still carry the same punch. Ellie Coote’s book is fun, relatable and packed with puns that never feel forced, and there’s some real tension here that could be pushed even further in future productions.

All in all, Hot Mess is an exciting new production, showcasing some real talent from the entire creative team. And, if the current temperatures weren't enough of a reminder that we’ve really messed up the planet, Hot Mess is here to really hammer the message home. As such, it's a production you should be sure to catch, before it's too late. Aka, before we burn the entire planet down. 

Hot Mess is at the Other Palace until 2 September.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith.

 

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