Eve Miller
Content Warning: Spoilers.
This well produced new pop-musical is enjoyable, and technically very impressive, even if it is narratively confusing. It follows Earth as she searches for the perfect apex predator partner, eventually getting together with Humanity. But can they have a healthy relationship?
The musical begins with a rundown of Earth’s dating history, starting with the single cell organism, progressing to the T-Rex, and then she meets Humanity. After a rocky start, they get together and, working as a team, Humanity begins to industrialise. But Humanity is so wrapped up in his work that he begins to neglect his relationship to Earth, and stops cleaning up after himself, throwing their relationship into jeopardy.
Unfortunately, the way that this interesting premise is set up leaves the book nowhere else to go but to play on unhelpful and tired stereotypes, casting Earth as a nagging wife who is jealous of how much time Humanity spends at work, accusing him of cheating with the Moon, and complicit in her own destruction as she offers up her coal and oil of her own volition. There are far deeper, indeed foundational, problems with this concept, which plays upon an outdated nature/culture duality calling to mind gender essentialist narratives and sexist rhetoric based on reproductive capabilities. It also hugely underplays the severity of the climate crisis – although I fear that a musical that accurately represents the way that humans have treated the environment in the context of a romantic relationship would be disturbing, and borderline unwatchable.
That said, both leads give electrifying performances, and have incredible chemistry. Danielle Steers gives an absolute powerhouse performance as Earth, with awe-inspiring vocals and believable emotion. Tobias Turley is endearing as Humanity, giving such an earnest performance that it is hard to hate him, even as he becomes cruel and power hungry. The music is catchy, and Shankho Chaudhuri’s set and costume design is perfect to make the abstract concept tangible, along with clever lighting design by Ryan Joseph Stafford.
This entertaining and skillful production is a fun way to spend an afternoon, but the implications bubbling under the surface left me lukewarm. Perhaps with some dramaturgical intervention this concept could be reworked and the better parts of the production could be salvaged.
Drink recommendation: A warm can of Sprite – sweet, bubbly, but doesn’t quite quench your thirst.
You can catch Hot Mess at Pleasance 2 at Pleasance Courtyard from 30th July to 25th August (not 6, 11, 18) at various times (65 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
