Pop off Michelangelo!

Underbelly Boulevard Soho

A brand-new musical that is filled to the brim with camp musical numbers, jokes and a super cute set design. This is the perfect choice for a fun night in Soho.

This modern musical brings the Renaissance period to a stage in Soho. It's a grand addition to the Underbelly Boulevard Soho and it will be interesting to see where this musical goes next! It leaves you wanting more...

Pop Off Michelangelo is comedy musical about Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, the two famous artists. The musical reflects on the negativity towards homosexuality, having to hide sexuality, whilst finding poking fun at activities throughout history that was clearly hiding homosexuality. It's an interesting narrative and concept.

The two artists are best friends, they long for the freedom of their sexuality and finding a relationship with a man. They decide to go to art school and participate in a competition so they can meet the Pope and ask him to convince God and the world to be accepting of same sex love. Whilst, lurking in the Pope's board is the antagonist of the tale Friar Savonarola. Their plan is to see out homosexual activity and eradicate anyone involved. The two artists are unaware of the danger they get themselves tangled into.

The iconic duo Michelangelo played by Max Eade and Leonardo Da Vinci played by Aidan Maccoll are an intriguing pair! They are different, but create a wholesome bond. Maccoll plays a comical character, his comic timing is good, and his character is lovable. He has a great rapport with the audience, sometimes breaking the fourth wall and he confides in the audience. This helps build this relationship where you feel you want to protect him. Aoife Haakenson plays the mother and steals the show with her performance when she plays Marisa Tomei as Michelangelo's voice of reason. Haankenson has a super stage presence and charms the audience.

One of the most iconic performances was a duet between Sev Keoshgerian who plays an Italian chef and the Friar played by Laura Sillett. This number is all about the Friar's plotting and the two give this energetic, slapstick and hilarious musical number that is rather catchy. The music throughout the piece is modern with a mix of musical theatre and pop tones. It's appealing music, but the quality isn't in the melodies, it's in the lyrics. They have modernised the Renaissance and added puns about celebrities and events to help make this piece to date, get the audience laughing and fully engaged.

Cute, pink and fluffy, are three words I'd use to describe the set. It's almost like a Renaissance night club. They use some animated visuals to help tell the story, add to jokes and create different environments in each scene. The modern tones are added to the piece, for example cherubs with sunglasses are presented on the screen in one moment of the piece. However, some visuals aren't always the clearest and take the attention away from the performers at times. The set plays a big role in helping to tell the narrative, giving more time for the audience to take in every aspect of what they are being shown would help make the piece easier to watch. At times it feels like the audience are being fed a lot of visuals quickly and you don't want to miss anything, so it's hard to prioritise where to look.

It's clear that this piece has a strong message about being free with your identity and protecting who you truly are. Whilst also showing the importance of setting your sexuality free. The content and story does feel rushed and it's such a short and sweet show. More work on taking moments further and not rushing to the ending would help make the message clearer. The jokes in this piece are funny, however the number of modern puns and phrases does taint the story at times and does make you cringe a little. You do truly want more of the story, because it is so well presented and the cast bring such vibrance to the characters. It's a great show and it'll be wonderful to see how it develops.