Britain needs saving – how do we do it? Well, with religion of course. Holy Crap is a musical that puts the OH MY into GOD, as three Americans convince a British network to stream porn onto their religious channel. Subscription numbers skyrocket, but questions arise on their ethical choices. It’s hard to get comfortable in the space as the audience are crammed in like cattle and everyone is fanning themselves uncontrollably in an attempt to cool off.
The performance gets off to a good start – the cast enter with animated expressions, opening the show with fabulously camp dancing, choreographed by Lucie Pankhurst. The show is indebted to Rachel Marwood, whose portrayal of Clarissa keeps the excitement up. Her sickly sweet character is the stereotype of a die-hard American God worshipper. Without her it would be unbearable to watch, as none of the other leads have the presence to keep the energy up on stage.
Letitia Hector’s solo song beautifully captured the battle of morals Destiny was having, complimented by the warm vocals of Peter Bindloss and Emma Salvo. Despite being on stage the least amount of time, Bindloss is the most exciting performer. Playing three parts throughout, he brings high energy, hilarious facial gestures, and his character choices show an impressive level of intelligence for such a young actor. About to graduate from Arts Educational, it is exciting to see what he will go onto next and I expect an exciting career for him.
I find myself looking for more promiscuity. At the moment it is too tame, so that when Rex and Destiny advise it needs to be toned down I question why. This is not the sadomasochistic piece of filth they claim it to be – it is simply vanilla. At a venue like the King’s Head, riskier decisions can be made.
Holy Crap is full of potential, but misses the mark every time. A moment of genius is forgotten immediately as it is overshadowed by poor delivery or lack of energy. The majority of the jokes don’t land – the ones that do seem pinched from other sources. Poor casting is the show’s biggest downfall, as songs fail to have a lasting impact. At the moment I don’t see a reason as to why this show needs to exist. It needs a lot of refining; going back to the drawing board would suit them well.
Cast: John Addison, Peter Bindloss, Letitia Hector, Arvid Larsen, Rachel Marwood, Nuno Queimado, Emma Salvo Director: Benji Sperring Writer: The Heather Brothers Theatre: The King’s Head Performance Dates: June 7th – July 8th 2017
