****

The Edinburgh Fringe can be overwhelming and very confusing. This year, amongst the record 4,202 shows at 299 venues, there are three musicals based on the hit HBO TV series Heated Rivalry.

Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody, Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody,  and Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorised Musical Parody. Following its glowing reviews, I chose to see the last of these productions, straight from its recent success Off-Broadway.

For those of you who somehow missed it, Heated Rivalry is the story of a long, steamy, secret love affair between two ice hockey players. Shane and Illya are closeted sports stars playing on opposing teams. Shane is the shy conservative son of a rich Canadian couple, while Illya, the top in the relationship, has the added glamour of being a bisexual Russian. As a gay melodrama, the series easily lends itself to a camp musical reinterpretation, brimming with sexual innuendo.

The show begins with Susan,  a typical American housewife and the narrator, singing the praises of the TV series and describing its appeal to married women.

“Gay hockey players with big butts is what we want.”

We immediately know that big butts will be a theme throughout the performance, right up until the end (!) and that this is going to be one big, glorious Broadway production! 

The quality of the singing is impeccable, and every performer gets a chance to belt out the hilarious lyrics of the silly songs, which come fast and furious – each line funnier and cruder than the last.

The original score sends up traditional musicals, but one vaguely familiar melody, in a party scene,  morphs into “All the Things She Said” by Russian pop duo t.A.T.u and the audience goes wild.

The story is skilfully condensed into 70 minutes of pure joy. It helps if you know the TV series , in order to get all the jokes, but you don’t need to have seen Heated Rivalry to enjoy this show.

There is also some clever audience participation and male flesh on show which are always Fringe favourites.

The cast has a blast, and each one is a star in their own right. May Tether as Susan owns the stage, while Andrew Berlin in various roles is a bundle of fun. Sylvie Stenson also skilfully takes on several parts, while Zheng Xi Yong plays the innocent “twunk” Shane Hollander. But it was Joseph Dann as the handsome Illya Rozanov, a gentle giant with a fine baritone voice, who impressed me most, shifting easily between macho sex machine and soppy romantic.

I won’t have time to review the two other Heated Rivalry shows, but I can only tell you that this one sets the bar very high. Go see it! It’s a winner!

Directed by Alan Kliffer with book, music, lyrics and orchestrations by Dylan Marcaurele, Heated Rivalry – The Unauthorised Musical Parody is brought to the Fringe by Kliff Entertainment and is playing at Underbelly George Square until 30th August.