She’s a planet who’s been languishing in want of a sexy apex predator since T-Rex went down with the asteroid. He’s a plucky new species with ambition. What could go wrong? Across a series of catchy pop-rock numbers, new musical Hot Mess smartly maps the tumultuous relationship between Earth (Danielle Steers) and humanity (Tobias Turley) onto the contours of a love affair. The rise of civilisation is the honeymoon period; the moon landing is an adulterous flirtation.
On paper, a musical romcom about the climate crisis seems incongruous. But as with their last show 42 Balloons, creative duo Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote bring verve and humour to unlikely subject matter. Hot Mess is an entertaining alternative to earnest, hand-wringing climate dramas, bringing gags and infectious beats to a weighty topic, with the witty touches extending right down to the small details of Shankho Chaudhuri’s compact set.
It’s a punchily performed and tightly packed hour of material, skipping swiftly from agricultural revolution to burning of fossil fuels to climate breakdown. While the time constraints inspire brilliant economy, some sequences feel cut short and the issues are inevitably flattened at times. A clever and well-executed concept that could be even better with more room to breathe.
Hot Mess, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 11, 18), 3.10pm