The Car Man & Hot Mess

This episode, we’re reviewing two wildly different shows with one thing very much in common: relationships heading spectacularly off the rails. Darren experiences Matthew Bourne’s seductive dance thriller The Car Man, while Hot Mess turns the entire relationship between Earth and Humanity into one brilliantly funny, pop-fuelled musical romcom.

The Car Man

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man roars back onto the stage with its intoxicating mix of dance, desire, jealousy and murder.

Loosely inspired by Bizet’s Carmen, Bourne relocates the action to a hot and claustrophobic 1960s American town, where the arrival of handsome stranger Luca sends passions spiralling dangerously out of control. Ashley Shaw is electric as femme fatale Lana, opposite Will Bozier as her doomed lover Luca, leading an exceptionally talented New Adventures ensemble through Bourne’s unmistakable blend of cinematic storytelling and thrilling choreography.

Darren and Natalie discuss the extraordinary chemistry of the company, the production’s sensuality and how Bourne takes the familiar DNA of Carmen and transforms it into something entirely his own. Dark, sexy and deliciously dangerous, The Car Man is another reminder of why Matthew Bourne remains one of British theatre’s great storytellers.

Hot Mess

After a billion years of bad dates, Earth has finally found the one: Humanity. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turns out.

Created by the award-winning team behind 42 Balloons, Hot Mess features music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey and a book and direction by Ellie Coote. This hugely entertaining new British musical transforms the climate crisis into a love story between Earth and Humanity – complete with attraction, arguments, break-ups and some seriously catchy pop songs.

Danielle Steers is sensational as Earth, with Morgan Gregory bringing enormous charm to Humanity as their passionate relationship gradually becomes, well… a hot mess.

But underneath the laughs is something surprisingly thoughtful. The environmental message never feels preachy, instead using comedy to explore what could happen if Humanity continues taking Earth for granted. We discuss why theatre is such a powerful place to tell stories about the climate crisis, the show’s ingenious staging, its infectious score and an ending that’s worth the ticket price alone.

Funny, clever, informative and bursting with originality, Hot Mess confirms Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote as two exciting voices in new British musical theatre.

Plus, we’re playing Let It Out from Hot Mess during the episode.

Two shows about irresistible attraction, destructive relationships and what happens when desire gets seriously out of control. One involves murder. The other could involve the end of the planet. No pressure.