Jeezus! continues at the New Diorama Theatre

Picture: Alex Brenner

Jeezus! continues at the New Diorama Theatre, London until 9 May 2026.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Following on from its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025, for which it won the Untapped Award, Jeezus! has risen again for a London run at the New Diorama Theatre.

Set in 1990s Peru during a time of military dictatorship, the story follows teenager Jesús (Sergio Antonio Maggiolo) as he prepares for his First Communion. Flanked by his father José and mother Maria, Jesús has a religious awakening of his own when he realises his devotion to Jesus isn’t entirely innocent, and has to battle between his own truth and the pressures of society (and his father’s view).

With a cheeky 69-minute run time (a detail one quickly realises did not come about by accident), the story has a good pace and is held together by the charisma and impressive stage presence of both Maggiolo and Guido Garcia Lueches, ably supported from the sidelines by musical director Tom Cagnoni who also has his starring moments throughout.

There are numerous characters within the piece and while Maggiolo skilfully maintains the central storyline, Lueches absolutely shines as every other character. There are some outstanding comedic moments when Lueches is playing Jesús’ American swimmer cousin, a part-time priest, part-time biology teacher, and even Jesus (the original one!) himself.

The musical numbers – with music and lyrics also written by Maggiolo and Lueches – are the clear highlight, and the choreography from Vivian Gabel elevates them even further into some of the finest, campest and most hilarious performances currently to be found either on- or Off-West End.

When the actors appear in sequin trousers from the outset, you know some jazz hands and air grabs await, and indeed they appear in abundance. Incorporating a whole host of musical genres from Latin to hip hop, the lyrics and timing are played to excellent effect and garner swift and enthusiastic audience participation at those moments when it’s required.

The other element of abundance comes in the form of lewd humour and a whole load of smut – not surprising from a show where the set design centres around crucifixes made into phallic shapes and figures. The vast majority is wittily placed, superbly executed and laugh-out-loud funny, though there are one or two moments when the innuendo seems a little too overplayed and briefly strays into cheap panto gag territory, though thankfully this is short-lived.

For all its irreverence around some objectively heavy topics – societal and cultural expectation, guilt, repression and queer acceptance – the show concludes with a pivot towards a message about love, acceptance and resisting injustice. It’s a sincere and worthwhile conclusion, and one that resonates as strongly today as in its 1990s setting, yet it does feel a little awkwardly juxtaposed with the gleeful vulgarity that precedes it. The shift from a clear focus on lust rather than love, to earnest moral reflection, seems to be slightly forced and misaligned, although no less appreciated as a standalone message.

But even if it has a momentary stumble in marrying sincerity with satire, Jeezus! still remains bold, hilarious and brimming with personality, created by a excellent team that knows how to entertain.

Sorcha Exworthy