REVIEW: Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

What is one thing that could make Heated Rivalry better (read: sexier) than it already is? Making it a drag musical parody. From a talking zamboni (the Zamboner) as the narrator, potrayed by Elyse Ruppert (she/ her) to silicone abs and rewritten songs that are witty and horny in equal measures, this show decentres cis men and instead celebrates the female (and queer) gaze.

Heated Rivalry, the gay hockey TV show, took the internet by storm in late 2025 and continued to do so throughout 2026. For those who somehow still don’t know, it features very little hockey and very much sex between two closeted players, Ilya and Shane. But one of the main criticisms of the show, especially in gay circles, has been how unrealistic the show is. Well. Make it drag. Make it a musical. Make it parody. And suddenly the source material works better than before.

Puck Bunnies does not waste time; from the first moment it is camp, over the top but precisely directed and choreographed. Given that they only have one hour to reproduce a six-episode season, this show genuinely does an incredibly job at hitting every single icon moment of the TV show and yet not feeling rushed or convoluted.

We get Ilya and Shane’s first meeting, the draft, the ad shoot and the shower scene followed by their first… encounter. Scott Hunter and Kip get their special moment too because, well, is it a late-night fringe show if no one is deepthroating a banana? Even the more emotional moments of the show such as Ilya’s speech in Russian are subverted and made funny, and of course we come (hehe) to the cottage at the end.

The music, made up of iconic musical theatre and pop songs with rewritten lyrics, had everyone dancing in their seats and there was a particularly clever moment utilising audience participation whilst recreating the iconic clubbing scene.

Hanna Barlow (she/ her) delivers an incredible performance as Shane both vocally and in their characterisation, and on the night I saw the show, the understudy for Ilya Mariel Sena (they/ them) delighted us with an equally strong and smooth performance. The absolute stand-out was Blake Benson (she/ her) playing Scott Hunter as well as Ilya’s friend (with benefits) Svetlana and Shane’s short-term girlfriend Rose Landry. Every member of the company gets a moment in the light which is lovely to see, and every single one of them delivers.

Whilst there are somehow three Heated Rivalry musicals at this year’s fringe, Puck Bunnies is an absolute must-see and perhaps more fun than the source material. I’m sure I’m not the only one hoping that they’ll be back next year with a sequel inspired by the next season of the show because if there’s anything sexier than gay hockey players it’s drag kings.

Recommended Drink: A ginger ale, a blue slushie, and a shot of vodka all mixed together.

You can catch Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody at Other Yin @ Guilded Balloon Patter House until August 31st at 22:45 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.