Review: DEEP-HEAT RIVALRY, The Other Palace
Photo credit: Mark Senior
Deep-Heat Rivalry is a musical parody loosely based on the Crave hit series, Heated Rivalry. It follows Shane Hollandaise and Ilya Stroganoff as they come to terms with their love through the medium of interpretive dance and Celine Dion. It has all the tension, all the fishnets, and zero minutes of ice hockey.
The cast may be small, but the audience laughter is absolutely not. This multi-talented, multi-roling cast are true comedic geniuses. Diana Vickers provides side splitting humour in characters ranging from high kicking undercover Russian spy Svetlana to Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose kitted out in full liturgical dress. Not only a talented comedian, she serenades the audience with truly breathtaking musical numbers (all rewritten of course to exalt Shane and Ilya’s infamous ‘hockey sticks’).
Ross Chisari’s cheeky energy as Puck makes him the ideal emcee for the night. He shamelessly flirts with Shane, Ilya, and even an audience member or two if you’re lucky. In thigh highs and a thong, he is everything you would want from a piece of hockey apparatus-cum-Shakespearean fairy.
Sario Solomon and Jason Leigh Winter are a dynamic duo perfect to lead this camp love affair. Ilya and Shane aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, and neither are these two. A Wicked musical number, tap dancing, and flashing their…... incredibly charming smiles, it’s a wonder Sisqo’s Thong Song hasn’t made it onto the soundtrack.
The design elements of this show are just as vibrant as the actors. Although the set (designed by Reuben Speed) is simple, it works perfectly to provide some hilarious opportunities for physical comedy. This production might have the most creative shower scene a 120-seat studio theatre has ever seen! The costumes (designed by Angie White) are equally provocative, with plenty of crop tops, short shorts and sequins. A lack of ice caused by ‘global warming’ doesn’t stop the cast from whizzing round on stage, with wheelie shoes rather than skates being their weapon of choice.
This show feels like one big party, from DJ Wayne G’s amazing pre-show playlist setting the energy high, right to the end where the audience are encouraged to join the cast in a joyful rendition of John Paul Young’s Love is In the Air.
For fans of Heated Rivalry, fans of comedy musical magic, and fans of insert Kip’s blender sound effect here, Deep-Heat Rivalry is an unforgettable night of fun!
Disclaimer: this show is suitable for those aged 18 and over due to mature scenes.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Anna Nichols
