Pop Off Michelangelo - Udderbelly, Underbelly George Square Gardens - Edinburgh Fringe Review

What happens when you combine the artistic rivalry between Michelangelo and da Vinci with strong pop anthems, fabulous costumes and an incredible amount of queer joy and celebration? Well, you get ‘Pop Off Michelangelo’, a new musical that over the last year or so has taken both Edinburgh and London by storm.

Staring Max Eade as Michelangelo and Aiden MacColl as Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Pop Off Michelangelo’ follows the two young artists as they come to the realisation that they are gay. Fearing that they won’t be let into Heaven, they set out to become the greatest religious artists in order to work for the pope (played by Michael Marouli in the most camp of manners), the one man who can talk to God and guarantee them a place in Heaven. But Savonarola (Laura Sillett), the piece’s pantomime like baddie, is determined to punish anyone taking part in gay activity, whatever it takes. From mothers, lovers, art school students and Italian chefs, a variety of characters appear alongside the pair to either help or hinder their journey.

Both Eade and MacColl boast impressive vocals, along with some cracking comic timing that make both Michaelangelo and Leonardo instantly lovable characters that you want to see succeed. Eade’s Michelangelo is incredibly bright and turned on, knowing how to work the system, how to act in order to succeed, often having to guide, or at least try to guide, Leonardo in the right direction. His moment to shine vocally is in the show’s softest ballad ‘When You See Your Son Jesus’, with gives Michelangelo his heart. MacColl earns many a laugh throughout with his clever and hilarious lines and their delivery, often paired with a knowing or cheeky look. In a double act with Kurran Dhand’s Salai, it’s a comedic dream as the couple delight as young lovers, with their duet ‘Drawn to You’ managing to make lines such as ‘Like a child to a vape’ sweet and kind hearted as they describe how they simply cannot be without the other.

Michael Marouli brings the sass and the most iconic of costumes to the role of the pope, dripping in sparkles and oversized jewellery. His guard is concerned about the behaviour of men, and how such behaviours should be punished, but the Pope is more concerned about finding a talented artist to paint the ceiling of his chapel. That guard, one Savonarola, played by Laura Sillett is the villain that you just love to hate. With a powerful determination to get what they want, she commands attention every time she is on stage.

Aoife Haakenson and Sev Keoshgerian complete the cast, playing many different characters, each memorable and as fabulous as the last. Keoshgerian’s song as the Italian Chef will be stuck in your head long after you see this production, as will the standout moments of some of his other characters such as a high-end art collector and a costumed attendee of a night club whilst Haakenson has a starring turn as famed actress Marisa Tomei that raises raucous laughter from the thrilled and captivated audience.

The music is incredibly catchy and, except for a couple of lovely ballads, upbeat. It is pop in style, with lively tunes that match the high energy choreography. Against the backdrop of a tiled floor, pillars and a cloud shaped screen, this is an incredible slick and polished musical that could be lifted easily onto a much larger stage then Underbelly’s famous Purple Cow. It is crammed full of jokes, some clever, some cheeky, some rather naughty, and each are hilarious and delivered with a punch by the talented cast.

‘Pop Off Michelangelo’ is laden with big laughs, big energy, several earworm musical numbers and many references to modern popular culture that is sure to raise a smile, a laugh and a sense of joy from many a theatre fan.

You can see this production at Udderbelly, Underbelly George Square Gardens, at 17.15 until 25^th August.