Hot Mess Is Anything But A Mess

Photo by Daniela Denyer Malo

Hot Mess feels like a fever dream – in the best way possible. There’s no better way to describe it than as if a ‘90s sitcom show and SIX the musical had a theatre baby… and that’s how this show came to be. Not only is it a perfect representation of the toxic relationship between the earth and humanity, with the best level of comedy to make it interesting, but the music will also have you dancing along the whole time. 

The premise is brilliantly ridiculous. Imagine the climate crisis reimagined as a messy romantic comedy, where Earth and Humanity are the universe's most dysfunctional couple. After billions of years of searching, Earth finally thinks she's found "the one", but what starts as an exciting whirlwind romance quickly spirals into manipulation, neglect and heartbreak… sounds like a familiarly accurate metaphor? 

Through a soundtrack packed with infectious pop anthems and razor-sharp lyrics, Hot Mess turns one of the biggest issues of our times into an unexpectedly personal story about love, hope, and what happens when one half of a relationship takes the other completely for granted. It is a beautiful reflection on the energy, care, and love we should all be constantly putting into our relationships - the one with earth included too.

Fresh from an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe where it picked up multiple awards before transferring to London's The Other Palace, the musical proves that environmental storytelling doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Instead, writers Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote package an urgent message inside a wildly entertaining, laugh-out-loud pop musical that somehow manages to be both unapologetically silly and genuinely moving.

Danielle Steers and Morgan Gregory make a wonderful job of making the audience feel all the emotions the script attempts to express. 

Steers (fittingly, a former SIX cast member herself) perfectly personifies everything the Earth would be - limitless joy, endless beautiful energy, a strong character and personality, and a curiosity that knows no depth. Gregory, in turn, is everything humanity proves to be time and time again – innovative and creative but also pushy, intense, toxic, manipulative, and mostly blind to the damage and pain we cause. 

While the musical ends on a joyful and hilarious note – a happy ending for the characters in new relationships – there’s one truth lying beneath the surface that can’t be completely ignored: we don’t have the luxury of finding a new relationship after we destroy earth. 

The reality of the relationship this show portrays cannot be lost on its audience: we are a toxic partner to earth and either we put a complete stop to these actions or we’ll find ourselves looking for a new partner. But can we really trust that Mars will be the next right partner for us?

When you think of a musical about climate change, the words ‘weird’ and ‘boring’ may come to mind. But Hot Mess could not be further from this. In fact, Hot Mess is anything but that – it’s anything but a mess. It’s hilarious, enjoyable, and has a soundtrack that keeps the audience constantly clapping, dancing, and moving to the beat. 

Buy your tickets to Hot Mess here. This musical will be running from 13 June - 6 September 2026 at The Other Palace.