Peru-born actor and director Sergio Antonio Maggiolo made headlines this August when they proposed onstage to their Fringe co-star, Uruguay-born Guido Garcia Lueches, who said yes. The pair co-wrote JEEZUS!, a fun and filthy musical theatre show about growing up queer in Latin America. Semi-autobiographical, it tells the tale of a young, pious yet horny altar boy called Jesús who lusts after Christ, much to the horror of his army dad. Underneath the saucy, silly storyline of junior Jesús wanting to be a little lamb for his six-packed crush, and the much more famous Jesus’s serious Papi issues, they’ve woven in serious details about the Peruvian dictatorship, nightly curfews and heavy military presence.
Anti-colonial messages come with frills and sequinned dance numbers, blasphemous songs are laced with Latino beats and blasts of Carmina Burana, and there are flashes of Life of Brian absurdity amongst the twerking and nipple tassels. It gleefully straddles the line between the deeply sinister side of religious dogma and institutional power, with low brow bum jokes and rippling Britney Spears moves. Underpinning the flamboyant cabaret numbers, there is a sweet and soppy message of love and romance winning in the end (even before the live marriage proposal).
JEEZUS!, Underbelly Cowgate, until 24 Aug, 6.50pm