★★★★☆
Oh Zeus! is wild, whimsical, and completely absurd… everything La Navet Bete do best. This time, the comedy trio, “the daft turnip”, transport us to Ancient Greece in a barmy take on Greek mythology.
When Zeus’ daughter, Hebe, declares her marriage to the mortal hotel owner, Gregg (no relation to the sausage roll shop), Zeus brews a plan to stop the wedding.
Greek mythology is already a minefield of infidelity, vengeance, and tragedy, but somehow the group still manage to heighten the craziness alongside director and co-writer John Nicholson. Nick Bunt, Al Dunn and Matt Freeman play almost 40 characters between themselves, from arrogant sex pest Zeus and his Australian swimming-obsessed brother Poseidon, to ringmaster Hades and his three headed pink poodle pooch. My favourite, however, was Freeman’s Moussaka, the dim-witted bellboy whose indecisively European accent, utter stupidity, and numerous food-related name changes had me in stitches.
La Navet Bete’s comedy style certainly isn’t dis-Crete, discord being one of their most amusing qualities. Every joke is bold, wildly absurd, and immature, culminating in chaotic sequences akin to Mischief’s Goes Wrong productions… but even more unpredictable. You certainly have to commend stage manager Fi Russell for keeping the show on track with the whirlwind of props, lighting cues, and quick changes!
Russell also takes charge on set and costume designs, revealing the grand Hotel Krapios complete with a coliseum rooftop, an “Oh Zeus” sign, a staircase, a platformed bedroom area, and Mamma Mia-esque blue doors. The underworld removes the furniture, opting for moodier lighting and a neon Hades sign. Across the set, there’s various places for the actors’ more slapstick antics with hidden passages, open “windows”, and sliding staircases. Here they could also reappear seamlessly, having just left the stage as another character.
Costumes are aptly lavish with shimmering togas, a variety of boldly coloured capes and dresses, and even some cheeky budgie smugglers! The design was an impressive combination of ancient and modern sensibility.
Admittedly, the show starts a little slow and occasionally trails off. Not every joke will have you cackling but there’s such a variety, that you’re sure to leave with a smile, especially if you’re a fan of the more absurd and farcical. There’s so much to enjoy with their extreme physicality, cheeky fourth-wall breaks, some compulsory Greek puns, and numerous musical parodies (including one very batty Meatloaf number).
Their visual jokes are another highlight with boobed skin suits, a plant puppet, unicycles, inflatable “hydras”, flailing dummies, diapered men, a swan pedalo, and a pooping centaur costume. All this is combined with quick-paced character changes and stage trickery that keeps you spinning on your heels.
The trio also interact with the audience, breaking the fourth wall in amusing (mostly intentional) slips, catapulting plushies and “poop” into the audience, and most amusingly bringing an audience member (poor Alan) on-stage as doppleganger Zeus, receiving a full lap dance and face tickles for his efforts.
Like King Arthur, the best moments are the ad-libs, where one of the actors gets carried away or tries to crack up the others with extra kinky line-deliveries or licking another’s chests. It’s group of friends pushing each other’s buttons and having a laugh live on stage, and there’s nothing more authentic than that.
All three give an incredible performance but I have to give Freeman credit for the hilarious ad-libs and the sheer amount of roles he flips between. His Hera is a seductively voiced diva, while Cerberus and Ares are gruff and grunty; each role is enthusiastically acted and surprisingly distinct. I particularly enjoyed his mid-poodle existential crisis.
Put simply, Oh Zeus! is batshit crazy. While it has its moments, the trio keep it together with wacky characters and a multitude of humorous spectacles that had the audience howling.
Oh Zeus! runs at Lowry (Quays Theatre) until August 1 2026 and tours the UK until May 15 2027.
Photo: Mark Senior Photography
JADAR 