JEEZUS! - New Diorama Theatre - Review

Lima, Peru. Jesús is gearing up for his first communion, seen as a miracle through the eyes of his mother and an object of pride by his father, raised in a religious household where he is regularly told that 'God loves you'. But has Jesús comes of age, it is a sexual awakening that takes hold rather than a religious one with the realisation that he loves Jesus, perhaps too much.

Penned by, and starring, Sergio Maggiolo as Jesús (pronounced hayzuss) alongside partner Guido García Lueches, JEEZUS! is larger than life, fantastical exploration of queerness and religion, wrapped up in a hilarious music fuelled celebration of Love is Love, with a joyful scream of 'If Love is a mortal sin, let's burn in hell'.

Drawn to the well worked body of the crucified Christ, Jesús is a tightly wound bundle of confusion, torn between his own desires and the requirements and expectations put upon him by his regime working father, his strict church school teacher and his own society. His father would rather have a terrorist for a son than a homosexual, to the teacher everything is a sin, and to society, there is nothing more important than communion. But for Maggiolo's Jesús communion takes second place over a voyage of discovery through rebellion, sexual exploration and surreal dreams. Maggiolo's Jesús is honest, turning the turmoil of growing up gay in the shadows of the church's sexual oppression into a rollercoaster of a comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. This is a character designed to be laughed at and laughed with, a cheeky glint in his eye and a winning smile, and the audience come together to cheer him on to the realisation that he can love who he wants and that love is more important than anything.

Guido Garcia Lueches, the real life fiancee to Maggiolo (the pair got engaged on stage after a performance of JEEZUS! at the Edinburgh Fringe last year), plays everyone else; from Jesús' mother and father, to the strict school teacher and even the golden loin cloth wearing Christ, the fantasy of the young boys dreams, jumping from character to character with ease, earning many a laugh and a cheer.

The pair, alongside on stage musician Tom Cagnoni, bring this surreal tale of self-discovery, finding yourself and searching for acceptance to life with energy, love and comedy, all whilst creating a warm and friendly environment where everyone is welcome to simply be themselves. It's hilarious, laugh a minute, and very clever, with serious topics woven in and handled with sensitivity. It takes the Book of Mormon approach perhaps to poking fun at the church, pulling apart it's strict rules and questioning aspects such as why would God send his child to die, exploring the effects of the rules on those who feel that the rules simply must be followed.

With its message that everyone should be free to love whoever they want, and if it means taking a risk to find that love, its worth it, JEEZUS! is a celebration; big, bold and brave, pushing boundaries and asking big questions. It's bright and beautiful, inviting the audience to simply give in to pleasure.