Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody – Underbelly Boulevard Soho

Zheng Xi Yong and Joseph Dann in Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London. Picture: Matt Crockett

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody continues at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London until 1 November 2026.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series of gay romance novels set in the world of North American elite ice hockey was already a phenomenon before Canadian cable channel Crave adapted it as a TV series, titled after the second novel, Heated Rivalry.

When HBO picked up the series in America, it exploded, propelling its stars, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, into instant global fame. That is only possible because the series is compelling, romantic, funny and heartfelt, while also being ever so slightly aware of its inherent cheesiness. And while the novel series was primarily aimed at women, showrunner Jacob Tierney successfully transformed the property into a hit that also won over the LGBTQ+ community.

Dylan MarcAurele’s comedic reinterpretation, one of three at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, frames the show as a delight for middle-aged housewives desperate to escape the humdrum nature of their own lives. A trio of fans, all named Susan, celebrate discovering this odd little Canadian TV show in ‘What We Want’, which sets the musical’s tone from the start. They delight in the escapism and crave the raunchier elements of the relationship between protagonists Ilya and Shane. MarcAurele’s lyrics celebrate the couple’s frequent hook-ups and various sexual positions, juxtaposing what the men do with each other in bed with “but they’re sad – that’s what women want”.

The silliness works partly because of the company’s vocal strength, evident from the outset. May Tether (the Main Susan) and Sylvie Stenson deliver powerhouse pop belts, elevating the score in the relatively small Boulevard Theatre, while Stenson and fellow ensemble member Andrew Berlin race through a variety of sharply defined, lived-in supporting characters.

But Heated Rivalry centres on the two main roles. Zheng Xi Yong’s Shane Hollander exaggerates the character’s Bambi-like innocence and borderline neuroatypicality to great effect. This allows the script’s many jokes about Shane’s ignorance of his own sexuality to be as warm as they are over the top and, frequently, filthy.

Alongside him, Joseph Dann’s Ilya captures the character’s apparent nonchalance and almost dismissive attitude towards Shane, while also exposing the layers of insecurity beneath. It’s all carried off with breezy pop tunes and impressive solo voices from everyone.

If Brooke Engen and Tiffany Engen’s choreography sometimes feels it has compressed to fit on the Boulevard’s small stage, it never stops serving the story. In fact, director Alan Kliffer’s production constantly strives to both lampoon and celebrate its source material, succeeding in ways many such parodies never quite manage.

Not everything works. The interlude re-creating the series’ episode three diversion into Reid’s first book, featuring Shane and Ilya’s fellow hockey player Scott Hunter and his relationship with barista Kip, leans heavily on an audience member playing Scott. Thankfully, on press night the cast were able to recruit a professional – former Drag Race UK contestant Jonbers Blonde, in the audience out of drag – but even with a seasoned performer in the role, there is a stilted nature to the comedy that doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the show’s carefully balanced pace. The show’s finale also flubs the resolution, with Berlin’s Kip bringing a puppet version of Scott on stage for no apparent reason.

But this quibble, and a running joke about the size of Ilya’s butt that would make more sense if either Storrie or Dann were built to suit the descriptions, are minor distractions from a taut 75 minutes of affectionately respectful gutter comedy with great vocal performances.

There can’t be many audience members who have yet to see the Heated Rivalry series, but this will doubtless drive them to watch. For those who have seen it, the musical may well inspire a revisit to the world of ice hockey and sweaty sex in hotel bedrooms. While this musical parody may be unauthorised, its tenacity, rudeness and smart adaptation of Tierney’s TV series make it a great ambassador for the show.

Scott Matthewman