Bold, brash and unapologetic, Pop Off, Michelangelo! shows the Renaissance period as it has never been seen before. Written by Dylan MarcAurele and directed by Joe McNeice, this is pure fun, musical silliness, with an extra helping of camp.
With a strong cast, catchy numbers and packed full of pop culture references, this is a musical that is sure to be the talk of the town. Follow the two soon-to-be-iconic, ravenous power bottoms as they strive for the success that will absolve them in the eyes of the Catholic Church, learning a lesson or two about what is really important along the way.
Max Eade (Michelangelo) and Aidan Mccoll (Leonardo) both give stand-out performances as the two leads, childhood friends in this version of Herstory. Eade has a superb voice, moving easily from showstopping belt to Disney ballad realness, while Mccoll expertly layers physical comedy and a touching sincerity into his performance. Joe Winter also gives a grounded, genuine performance as Salai, serving as a counterpoint to the innuendo and raucous goings on.
There are certainly some elements of this production that could do with some polish, not least the opening number which appears to be far too low for all the male voices. There are some issues with sound balance, with the sole female voice (Sylvie Stenson) often being lost in the mix, and too much fussing with furniture and props on a set seemingly designed for a bigger space. Some of the numbers add little to the plot, and there are places where it seems a song is required – the narcissistic Pope (Paul Toulson) could certainly have had a Herod-esque showstopper.
There are a number of smaller characters in the piece, played by Stenson, Toulson and Swing Conn Mcgirr. Some of these are more successful than others, but due to the need for numerous quick changes these appearances often feel rushed. There is also a whole section where actress Marissa Tomei appears, which is bizarre and feels entirely unrelated to the rest of the plot. Given the calibre of the rest of the references, this feels like a real miss, when there are myriad queer icons that would have made more sense and are well-known to the audience. The piece also has an unsatisying ending, which feels like a bit of a cop-out after an otherwise well drawn arc.
Camp, irreverent and historically inaccurate to a hilarious degree, Pop Off, Michelangelo! is a show you will certainly enjoy. Watch this space, because once the rough edges have been smoothed out, it may very well be the next big musical hit.
By Deborah Klayman
Pop Off, Michelangelo! plays at Gilded Balloon Patter House, Edinburgh until 26th August 2024.
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