Stage: Slap that puck

Heated Rivalry
The Unauthorized Musical Parody 
writer-composer Dylan Marcaurele
director Alan Kliffer
with Zheng Xi Yong, Joseph Dann, Andrew Berlin, Sylvie Stenson, May Tether
choreography Brooke Engen & Tiffany Engen
set Sully Ross • costumes Brendan McCann
lighting Devin Cameron
Underbelly Soho, London • 7.Oct-1.Nov.26 ★★★★

Running at a brisk 75 minutes, this hugely entertaining musical pastiche is packed with soaring songs and riotously naughty innuendo. Amusingly recounting the plot of the TV series, the show plays on how Heated Rivalry is "a story for women, written by a woman, about gay guys with big butts". And right up front, they admit that they only made this show to tide us over until season 2 arrives next year.

Tracing the plot faithfully, we meet rising-star Canadian hockey player Shane (Zheng Xi Yong), who is the league's first draft pick until Russian rival Ilya (Joseph Dann) steals his thunder. Both are closeted, and also smitten by each other. They keep their casual affair a secret while playing up their tough-guy rivalry in public. Then they begin to actually fall in love. Cut to a second romance between coffee shop clerk Kip (Andrew Berlin) and hockey star Scott (played by a diva plucked from the audience).

The plot continues through Shane and Ilya's breakup, a serious injury and relationships with their respective beards (May Tether and Sylvie Stenson) before they reconnect on a dance floor to the thumping strains of tATu. All of this is skilfully written with witty visual jokes and a verbal playfulness that runs through both their angry insults and confessions of undying love. It's a nonstop barrage of hilarious gags, both tiny details and big dramatic beats, plus a few sexy moments involving puppets. And each superb number is a massive power ballad performed at full-tilt by the up-for-it cast.

Inventive staging uses simple but effective sets and costumes that help us keep track of the wide range characters who are sharply well-played by Stenson, Tether and the scene-stealing Berlin. And Yong and Dann are seriously engaging leads as well as gifted singers with belting voices. So by the time Ilya finally caves in and proclaims, "I'm coming to the cottage," even someone unfamiliar with the series will be unable to suppress a massive sigh. This is an almost outrageously enjoyable production that is gleefully suggestive, rude and also very smart.

For details, HEATED RIVALRY >  

photos by Matt Crockett • 13.Oct.26