If Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody has a secret weapon, it’s not two guys wearing jockstraps on stage. Oh no, it’s Susan (May Tether).
Susan’s just another woman who needs the high-stakes romance drama that two closeted sportsmen can offer. For those unfamiliar with the original source material, Shane (Zheng Xi Yong) is a Canadian hockey player who meets Ilya (Joseph Dann), his Russian rival. The two realise their chemistry and start a secret liaison, and this is the TV show that Susan craves in the opening number ‘What We Want’. Tether’s facial expressions could teach Katy Perry’s “Eye Glitch” a thing or two. She’s so perfect for this role, and the larger-than-life wig matches the larger-than-life character.
This parody waters down the sexual content and replaces it with highly concentrated innuendo musical numbers like ‘Shane Hollander, Slap That Stick!’ and ‘A Heavy Load’. There are still a few brief sex scenes, but this is not a show that shows too much skin (apart from a quick flash of cheek at the very end).
Zheng Xi Yong is a supple and athletic Shane, but his characterisation is as wooden as his hockey stick. His solos are so-so, and he gets outshone by the other vocalists in his duets. Whether it’s intention or not, Shane is often the least interesting character on stage, being overshadowed by his overly critical mother (Sylvie Stenson), his date Rose (also played by May Tether) and Ilya.
Shane’s on-stage rival, however, is superbly cast, with thick accent work that sustains throughout his ballad ‘Big Ass, Cold Heart’. I would love to see Dann as Anatoly in Chess because he was able to add real gravitas to the song despite the ridiculous lyrics. He created a character on stage for us that was able to switch between warmth and stoicism.
The two quickly discover their chemistry with ‘Gym Song’, which is exactly the type of content that Susan celebrates. It’s a catchy song, and I think it could become the standout number of the show.
Whilst the set is cheaply put together, there’s a hilarious scene change with the rotation of the bed into the Russian flag worn by Svetlana (Sylvie Stenson).
Rather than mocking the source material, this show amplifies the melodrama and romantic moments until the result become hilarious.
The smoothie scene drags an audience member on stage to join in the fun, and the obviously low-budget show finds a way to be inventive and makes a strength of its limited cast.
Completing the company was Andrew Berlin as Ilya’s Dad and other roles. The trio that are Stenson, Berlin and Tether work fantastically together, adding a touch of camp to the show with rainbow flags and an outrageously bad collection of wigs.
The show pokes fun at the boom in male/male romance stories designed for women trying to escape heteronormative power dynamics. Following Susan’s desperation for season two by reimagining her favourite show through a musical format is a genius framing device.
Writer MarcAurele’s Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is a hit, and just like Susan, we’re incredibly happy to welcome it to London’s Soho. The audience laughed throughout the show and rose to their feet to celebrate a successful gala night. With its one-act format, I hope this show becomes the next Six or Titanique. It’s a real crowd-pleaser and delivers everything you would expect from a parody musical.
It runs until 1 November. Tickets: here.
Review: James Dix Photo: Matt Crockett