Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh
Following a critically acclaimed, sell-out run at the Turbine Theatre, Luke Bayer gives a tour-de-force performance in this blood-stained love letter to Broadway – a solo musical about rivalry, vengeance, and killer ambition. As President of the Drama Club and star of every school show, Desmond Channing spent his short life in the spotlight, until a hotshot transfer student from NYC arrived to challenge his throne. Desmond responded as any diva would, with lethal force... Now stuck in the Seventh Circle, Hell's most squalid cabaret venue, Desmond is forced to relive his disturbing tale of woe.
Pardon my puns, but Luke Bayer delivers a killer performance in the hell of a ride that is DIVA: Live From Hell!
This show answers the age-old question of “what would happen if Rachel Berry gave into her demons”, and I loved every minute of it. Bayer’s chameleonic ability to give us a world filled with fully-fledged characters we can see and feel in every scene despite being alone on the stage is completely unmatched. His charm and charisma, plus the wittiness in the audience interactions made the experience all the better.
Accompanied by three very talented musicians, Bayer as Desmond Chandler recounts the events that lead him to end up in hell - the good, the bad and the unhinged (of which there was plenty). The songs are catchy and allow Bayer to show his prowess with every bar of the cleverly written lyrics.
If I were you, I’d even make a deal with the devil to catch this show. Let’s hope it transfers to the West End, as it’s the perfect watch for fans of Heathers, Mean Girls and Carrie.
You can book tickets to see DIVA: Live From Hell!, here.
Review by Luma
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