By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

WHEN? Sunday 14 June, opens 23 June and runs through 6 September 2026 RUNTIME: 85 minutes (no interval)

Hot Mess was shortlisted for our Best New Musical 2025 monsta and last year we said of it: ‘We’d definitely recommend catching it on this short run and wouldn’t be at all surprised if it scorches its way to the West End next.’

• Read on for reasons including how Hot Mess remains 1 of the best new musicals of recent years

It’s arrival here softened the blow of the postponement of the London premiere of musical World’s Greatest Lover starring X Factor winner Matt Terry, Jaymi Hensley and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (The Lightning Thief, Other Palace) at this very venue.

This production has been expanded by 20 or so minutes from the Southwark Playhouse (Elephant) version we saw last year and even has 2 new songs, Been There Done That and One In A Trillion.

The ferocious Danielle Steers returns as E(arth) while Hu(manity) is given life by Morgan Gregory rather than Tobias Turley.

There’s also a little more set at The Other Palace than the Southwark Playhouse (Elephant) and giving the production a little more room to breathe has the constriction of revealing the limitations of this 2-hander.

The best reason to see Hot Mess is the clever wordplay and more modern tunes than you might expect from a musical by Jack Godfrey, who was behind Babies (The Other Palace), shortlisted for a 2024 Best New Musical monsta, and the uplifting 42 Balloons and here co-writes with Ellie Coote who he worked on the latter with.

Coote’s book manages to be both an exploration of the dangers of climate change while also riffing on a romcom between Earth and humnaity.

Earth is having a crisis following the dinosaur extinction and contemplating what to do next with the classic line: ‘I could literally pull anyone I like, it’s called gravity.’

Initially she’s unimpressed by the romantic overtures of geeky Hu and disappointed by his claims on her assets but later enjoys being seen by him and appreciated for everything she has to offer.

Unfortunately, the new songs aren’t quite the quality of the bangers that boosted the last version we saw but do remain here.

We also weren’t quite as impressed by Gregory as his predecessor, but Steers is an imperious Earth and Hot Mess remains 1 of the best new musicals of recent years.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Other Palace Tickets
• Have you seen Hot Mess before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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