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Hot Mess

 
Gillian Bain Review by Gillian Bain 4 Published: 4 Aug 2025 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

Ever since Six made its Fringe debut in 2017, the race has been on to find the festival's next breakout pop musical. Throwing their hat into the ring are Birmingham Hippodrome with a climate crisis-themed contender called Hot Mess. It has some impressive credentials to back it up: the two-hander features Tobias Turley (playing Humanity), winner of ITV's Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, and Danielle Steers (as Earth), a member of the original West End cast of Six.

Danielle Steers delivers a world-class pop performance – soulful, dynamic and bringing fire to all the right places

It’s not just the climate that’s heating up in this show – even planets get lonely, and Earth is looking for her next hot date. Enter: wheat-obsessed, frontal cortex-bragging primates – Humanity. We already know how this story ends; we haven’t exactly treated Earth fairly. But for a time, the relationship was beautiful – maybe it could work out again?

Despite the steamy premise, the onstage chemistry between the leads feels flat, which weakens the emotional dynamic. This is more than compensated for, however, by some outstanding vocal performances. Steers, in particular, delivers a world-class pop performance – soulful, dynamic and bringing fire to all the right places.

The music throughout is catchy and exciting. Composer Jack Godfrey has done a phenomenal job, striking a perfect balance between contemporary pop and musical theatre. With cheeky one-liners reminiscent of Sabrina Carpenter or Chappell Roan laced into the lyrics, and a score tinged with rock and dance elements, it feels distinctive yet familiar. Standout tracks include Better in Time and Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow. The show’s EP drops next week and will be well worth a listen.

The concept of Earth and Humanity dating – each represented by a single performer – may sound abstract and could give some pause. But don’t be put off. The quality of the songs and performances quickly pulls you into the idea. By the end of the show, the audience was on its feet for a full standing ovation.

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The Blurb:

Hot Mess: a new musical. After a billion years of bad dates, Earth's finally found the one... Humanity. Sparks fly. Wheat is harvested. Technology flourishes. But what begins as a passionate love affair between the universe's most iconic couple quickly descends into a Hot Mess. From the creative duo behind 42 Balloons comes a new pop musical about love, hope and the ultimate break up – with Danielle Steers (SIX The Musical) and Tobias Turley (MAMMA MIA!).