Review: HOT MESS, Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Photo credit: Helen Murray

It’s not been an easy ride for “the universe’s most iconic couple”, Earth and Humanity. New musical Hot Mess, fresh off the back of a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe, is a playful imagining of how the pair came to be, but will their relationship last? For 65 minutes, it delivers meaningful commentary about our over-exploitation of the earth’s resources without feeling preachy or overly earnest.

We instantly know Danielle Steers is Earth, as she comes on stage in a silk dressing gown with her name embroidered on the back. Her costume nods to nature throughout, with hues of blue and green, and pink flowers in her hair. Earth bursts into song with ‘I’m Going on a Date’ - for the first time in 65 million years, we learn. Her ex, the dinosaur, was wiped out by a meteor, but she’s ready to get back out there. Hu-Manity is not who she had in mind, though. As her type is usually apex predators with "incisors the size of forearms”, she doesn’t immediately warm to the dorky Humanity, played by Tobias Turley. Explaining that humans catch prey by hitting them with a weapon doesn’t appeal to Earth, either, and things soon get awkward.

There’s a brief spat about who owns what after Earth floods one of Humanity’s irrigated fields, but soon the chemistry can’t be denied. Humanity declares his admiration for Earth, and the sparks fly: they’re a partnership that will surely only get “Better With Time”. When Humanity becomes frustrated with how slowly technical advancement is happening (in comparison to wheat, which was a great success), Earth reveals their hidden weapon: coal. But this steamy next step in their relationship soon starts to back(fire).

As thousands of years pass, Humanity becomes more and more obsessed with human progression - while Earth just wants to stargaze. At one point in history, people did believe Earth was the centre of the universe, leading to the most romantic line in the show: "You're the centre of my universe". But after Humanity betrays Earth by flying to the moon, the cracks really start to show. Earth wants Humanity to quit fossil fuels all together - and the audience can all guess what he’s going to say. Not yet, he needs more time for an alternative, he’ll do it “Tomorrow”. It’s a stomach-churning reminder delivered in an incredibly fun way.

Hot Mess has only two characters and a static stage, but it achieves so much within those parameters. After a dramatic break-up scene where Earth reminds Humanity that, no, she doesn’t need him, the comedy comes back swinging: Earth is now in a throuple with AI and, somehow, the dinosaur. And spacesuit-clad Humanity is making it work with another planet (beggars can’t be choosers), so the show ends on a positive note. Ish. Hot Mess does an impressive job of reminding us all just how hot it’s getting - all while maintaining that necessary musical escapism.

This creative new musical acts as an allegory for the dangers of human greed through clever jokes, romance and catchy tunes.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Ruby Skippings

Hot Mess plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant in London until 8 November, with further info here.