A charming and fun two-hander that shines through its performances, even if the production itself feels a little too static.
⭐⭐⭐
What's it about?
Hot Mess imagines an unlikely love story between Earth and Humanity, charting their relationship across thousands of years as civilisation evolves. Blending comedy, romance and environmental themes, the musical explores how our actions have shaped the planet—and whether the relationship can still be repaired before it's too late.
Hot Mess first premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and quickly built a strong following. Following its initial success, the musical has returned for a further London season at The Other Palace.
What we loved best
The central concept is undeniably clever. Personifying Earth and Humanity provides an engaging and accessible way to explore climate change without becoming overly preachy, allowing humour and emotion to sit comfortably alongside its important message.
The production stars Danielle Steers as Earth and Morgan Gregory as Hu(manity). Both are immensely likeable, effortlessly charismatic and highly talented. They have great chemistry and deliver strong vocal performances with genuine warmth, humour and vulnerability.
Anything we'd change?
While the premise is imaginative, the score begins to feel quite repetitive. Many of the songs blend together stylistically, with limited variation in musical tone or emotional pace. Greater contrast—more light and shade (no pun intended)—would help give the story greater momentum and allow the emotional beats to land with more impact.
The staging also feels surprisingly restrained. Given that the story spans vast periods of human history, there was an opportunity for far more imaginative visual storytelling. The set remains largely unchanged throughout, and much of the action is static, missing opportunities to reflect the changing eras, cultures and evolution of civilisation through design, movement or theatrical invention.
We loved the costumes by Sarah Mercadé, especially Earth’s dresses.
Who would enjoy it?
Fans of intimate new musicals and contemporary scores.
Who created it?
Hot Mess is created by the award-winning writing duo Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote, the team behind the acclaimed musical 42 Balloons. For this production at The Other Palace, the show is directed by Ellie Coote, with choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento, set design by Shankho Chaudhuri, lighting design by Ryan Joseph Stafford, costume design by Sarah Mercadé, sound design by Paul Gatehouse and musical direction by Sara De Sanctis.
Verdict
Hot Mess is built around an inventive premise and features two thoroughly engaging performances. While the score becomes somewhat repetitive and the staging doesn't fully exploit the possibilities of its time-spanning narrative, there's still plenty of charm to be found. With a little more visual imagination and greater musical variety, this could become an even stronger production.
Book tickets at: https://tickets.stagedtheatre.co.uk/musical/hot-mess-a-new-musical-tickets