Picture: Steve Ullathorne
Pop Off, Michelangelo! continues at Gilded Balloon Patter House – Big Yin until 26 August 2024.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Long before Beyoncé gave us her Renaissance album, did you know there was a different kind of ‘Renaissance’ period in which best friends Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci had ambitions to become giants in the world of art (and create such iconic religious works that God would forgive them for being gay)?
Okay, so maybe there’s just a little bit of dramatic licence here. For a start, Leonardo was 20 years older than Michelangelo and there’s a decent amount of evidence that they were fierce rivals rather than besties, but who really cares when the alternative is this much fun?
What NYC-based Dylan MarcAurele (book, music and lyrics) does so brilliantly in Pop Off, Michelangelo! is pack the script to the brim with camp, contemporary references (Cher, Drag Race, Legally Blonde and more), pretty fruity lyrics, witty one-liners and a nod to historical context, but at the same time still presents likeable characters who the audience roots for.
Best of all, there are some truly infectious, pop meets musical theatre show tunes accompanied by a good dose of boy band-influenced choreography. A standout track is the charming ‘I’m Drawn to You’ (‘like a tissue to a sneeze’ / ‘like a straight man to a drill’).
I suppose critics could accuse the show of being niche, but I’m not so sure. Its themes of passion, friendship and freedom still resonant, however silly the context is (a Kenneth Williams-like Pope is a bit of a scene-stealer).
Joe McNeice’s staging of this world premiere musical comedy is likely to leave many Fringe-goers happy and uplifted. I would very much like to revisit the score in the near future.
Think Six, & Juliet and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, and that might give you an idea of what you are in for.
Lisa Martland
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