The middle of both a heatwave and London Climate Action Week was an appropriate time for LBM to see Hot Mess, a new London musical, that imagines the climate crisis as a relationship between Earth and Humanity.

Dating profiles
Who are these characters? Let’s look at their dating profiles. Earth, outstandingly played by Danielle Steers, has “been around a while” – 4.54 billion years in fact. She is “into oceans, forests, and long walks through evolutionary history. Looking for someone who understands boundaries and basic recycling.”

Humanity – Hugh for short – is equally vibrantly played by Morgan Gregory. He is considerably younger at around 300,000 thousand years and is “into art, science, romance, and inventing things nobody asked for. Currently working on communication skills and reducing emissions.”

One-liners
What could possibly go wrong? Earth, still perhaps smarting from encounters with dinosaurs, eventually sees the charm of Humanity and they agree that “when we work together, there is nothing we can’t do.” A trip to the moon though is not well received by Earth as a third person in the relationship. “It’s not even a planet!” One-liners come thick and fast. Earth boasts: “I could literally pull anyone – it’s called gravity!” and complains of “pre-monsoon tension”. Looking for a partner, she’s “not picky, just naturally selective.”

Contribution
Winner of the best musical at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025, this is truly a song and dance show. Thirteen belting numbers (with a couple of reprises) and athletic choreography had the audience fully engaged and entertained in The Other Palace’s wonderful space.

Writers Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote describe their musical as their “slightly bonkers contribution to the climate conversation. If the show encourages people to think, laugh, argue or simply talk a little more openly about our relationship with the planet, then we feel we’ve done our job.” Hot Mess certainly does that.

Hot Mess is running at The Other Palace, Palace Street, Victoria until 6 September
www.theotherpalace.co.uk/hot-mess