Hole!, American Sing-Song (A.S.S), EdFringe 2026, ★★★★★

If you’ve not yet heard the buzz around town for Hole! – where have you been? With a hard-to-miss tagline about a butt-plug wearing religious sect in Nebraska, it is a show which is tantalising in conception and masterfully follows this through in its execution. 

As we walk into the impressive Cowbarn venue we are greeted by the sight of a spaceship-esque set up. A circular contraption holds an impressive array of instruments and foley devices. We are quickly introduced to our two performers (who are also the writers), Jake Brasch and Nadja Leonhard-Hooper. We follow a series of characters through a chaotic but endlessly entertaining plot. After an event called ‘The Great Sucking’ this small religious sect are the only people left in the world… or so they think. Plugged up at all times, the characters in this small town live in eternal fear of being sucked up into the sky.

Our protagonists, two young men brought up in this zany cult, are sent on a journey to discover and destroy a group of suspected sinners. Find them they do, but in actuality they are a group of leather-clad gay daddies living out their best post-apocalyptic life. Our boys find their place, are reunited with their respective long-lost mothers and, against all odds, discover the key to happiness was with them all along. 

This is certainly a bold concept, and American Sing-Song (abbreviated to A.S.S.) certainly deliver. The music is all played live by Brasch and is enchantingly suited to the tone of the show: wacky but with a solid heart underneath. What’s most impressive is that Brasch maintains a flawless score throughout while morphing into a series of characters, delivering dialogue and even running on the spot. The result is a masterclass in actor-musicianship. Brasch also possesses a voice so skilled and effortlessly angelic that, when he does employ it to its full use, reminds us he is completely in control of this music.

Leonhard-Hooper not only manipulates the various foley elements of the show expertly to her will, she does so with such stellar performance that it completely embodies these sounds into the show. We are not just hearing the sound effects, we are finding real joy in seeing them come to life. From vibrators in party cups, to bespoke music boxes, to comical mouth noises – Leonhard-Hooper renders this both an audio and visual spectacle.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this show is its ability to so naturally and wholesomely build and incorporate its central queer love story. We watch our two protagonists slowly expose themselves to a world beyond their extremist, homophobic upbringing to discover a new world of connection and love. Despite it being an outrageously funny show – and believe me, you’ll be out of your seat laughing – it brings such impressive heart to this relationship that you can’t help but leave in awe of the writers’ mastery of their skill. 

With movement elements from the renowned Xhloe & Natasha and direction from RJ Tolan, Hole! seamlessly blends together its elements of comedy, world-building and live music to create a remarkable show. You simply can’t fault its execution and if the audience reaction is anything to go by, this show is in for a long and exciting future. 

Recommended drink: Rainbow Shooters – colourful, queer and ideally drunk through a loopy straw just like the circular hair atop our characters’ heads.

Performances of Hole! have now concluded for EdFringe 2026.