Review
Review
Review: Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody
The highly euphemistic parody at Underbelly Boulevard is a loving tribute to the small screen sensation
Rent over at the Tom Stoppard Theatre has ‘Light My Candle’, and Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody has its own tension-loaded Act One duet: ‘Eye Fucking At The Hotel Gym’. Over at Underbelly Boulvard, you’ll find an ode to the TV event of the summer (maybe it depends on who you ask) that really gets what makes Heated Rivalry such a sensation. This is a gay romance that knows its audience, and its audience is heterosexual women.
Enter Susan, played by the exuberant May Tether. She’s an American suburban wife and mother here to guide us through the world of Heated Rivalry, and her narration often comes in handy, as this 75-minute show has to make significant cuts to the source material. Through Susan, we’re introduced to ambitious hockey player Shane Hollander (Zheng Xi Yong) and his rival Ilya Rozanov (Joseph Dann), who waste very little of the show’s precious time before launching into a secret affair. Cue antics behind bedsheets, some fairly graphic things happening to mannequins, and at one point, a tasteful explosion of white streamers. Eventually, of course, both main characters are able to overcome fears, hangups and tense relationships with parental figures to confess their love for each other and agree to give the relationship a real go.
There are some genuinely laugh out loud moments, numbers that will stick stubbornly in your head (you may find yourself humming ‘Shane Hollander, Slap That Stick!’ on your way home), and a total lack of attention to the rules of ice hockey. In this intimate Soho venue, the show’s Fringe origins are apparent in the best way, and some audience members will find themselves getting up close and personal with the cast. With a simple design and a cast of just five performers, Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody makes astonishingly thorough use of its materials, with multi-role actors Andrew Berlin and Sylvie Stenson filling in for the majority of side characters, and every cast member giving a vocal performance that far exceeds what’s required. Shane and Ilya will share their last onstage embrace on 1 November – we’ll leave the euphemism to the professionals and just say that you won’t want to let them finish without you. (Dammit.)
