DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! at the King’s Head Theatre
★★★★
“There is much to enjoy in this camp morality tale about the true cost of being a Diva”
Diva: Live from Hell! is a dark musical comedy directed by Joe McNeice with musical direction by Debbi Clarke. The show follows Demond Charming (Luke Bayer) as he recounts his sordid tale, forced to perform the show for all eternity in hell. Adding to Charming’s discomfort, he plays all the characters and entertains solo on stage, taking his anger out on the band and audience. Bayer is a superb talent, debuting the score with technical prowess and presence, revelling in the delightfully evil character portrayal.
Bayer performs the various characters with consistent distinctions and switches between them with ease, from awkward stage manager Ally Hewitt to relaxed jock Evan Harris. Carrying on their characterisation through their singing voice, sometimes duetting with himself in an impressive display. As more characters are introduced we learn about the events leading to Charming’s damnation. Throughout Desmond is malicious and disparaging about fellow members of the Ronald Reagen high school drama club, revealing a conniving insecure wannabe star. Bayer makes no attempt to redeem Desmond, President of drama Club, with all the trappings of a catty student thespian; complete with pettiness and ego. The dissection of showbiz ambition and the nasty edge of teen drama queens is funny as much as it is biting; Desmond is in the 7th circle of hell for a reason. His story evokes a message of self-acceptance, responsibility and the importance of introspection. We watch Charming’s descent from grace as he embraces the label of Diva.
Surrounded by the infernal band, Desmond performs from a hellish vaudeville-esq stage, complete with red ringleader jacket in the opening number “I’m coming live from Hell”. The songs are catchy, well paced and distinct (Alexander Sage Oyen) with as much dancing (Anna Hale) as a solo performer can provide (yes there is Tap). A bank of lockers set the story in a timeless school somewhere in America (set and costume design by Pip Terry). There are ample references to American musical theatre legends like Patty LuPone and Kevin Klein, with send ups of iconic sequences and coming of age Highschool dramas. Some jokes and references fall into a niche category, but not distractingly so.
The tale is full of sound and fury with touches of seriousness. Nora Brigid Monahan writes a compelling humorous story with a bitchy, melodramatic and effeminate, Desmond who insists his feelings towards his attractive rival are entirely plutonic, going ballistic at the suggestion he has suppressed feelings. The setting of Hell is foreboding and dramatic, with Desmond satirising his life with gleeful lines “Have you read the script? Who are you, Lea Michelle?” and “I like to think I’m making Ronald Reagan proud”. There is much to enjoy in this camp morality tale about the true cost of being a Diva.
DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! at the King’s Head Theatre
Reviewed on 6th June 2024
by Jessica Potts
Photography by Danny With a Camera
Previously reviewed at this venue:
BEATS | ★★★ | April 2024
BREEDING | ★★★★ | March 2024
TURNING THE SCREW | ★★★★ | February 2024
EXHIBITIONISTS | ★★ | January 2024
DIARY OF A GAY DISASTER | ★★★★ | July 2023
THE BLACK CAT | ★★★★★ | March 2023
THE MANNY | ★★★ | January 2023
FAME WHORE | ★★★ | October 2022
THE DROUGHT | ★★★ | September 2022
BRAWN | ★★ | August 2022
DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL!
DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL!
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