Finishing its UK tour here in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Oh Zeus! is a riotous, all-out crazy ride through Greek mythology. When Hebe, daughter of Zeus, announces her engagement to a mortal, the stability of Olympus is thrown into question. Her mother Hera is happy to support the match. Zeus is not, and he sets about sabotaging the wedding by whatever means necessary. His scheme takes him from the heights of Olympus to the Underworld and back again, via a wedding at which the gods arrive in suitably ridiculous attire. Zeus’s plan to derail the ceremony grows ever more desperate, and even includes faking his own death. It is a loose, silly retelling of Greek myth, and the story is essentially a clothesline on which to hang the gags.
Le Navet Bete have built their name on physical comedy, and this is a show that demands a great deal of its three performers. Al Dunn, Nick Bunt and Matt Freeman play almost 40 characters between them, with Dunn carrying the evening as a pompous, scheming Zeus. The show has 39 costumes and 84 costume changes, 63 of them rapid quick changes, and the cast handle that workload with real skill. The sheer effort is evident, and the slickness of the transformations is a pleasure in itself.
The humour is at its best in the second act, where the pace picks up, the gags build on one another and the audience is firmly on side. Earlier in the evening, the show can feel as though it is trying too hard, pushing for laughs rather than letting them arrive naturally with some moments going on far too long to be funny or enjoyable. It would benefit from leaning into full-blown farce sooner. When the panic and momentum finally take over, the show is at its funniest, and it is a shame it takes so long to get there.
John Nicholson’s direction keeps the chaos controlled, and the writing has a good ear for the kind of broad, affectionate silliness that recalls Fawlty Towers and the like. The mythological material is treated with gleeful disrespect, which suits the tone, but is .
The set and prop design are excellent throughout. They are inventive and playful, and they give the physical comedy plenty to work with. They support the cast’s frantic energy without ever getting in its way, and they are a highlight of the production. Similarly, the lighting design is strong and works for the humour needed.
Oh Zeus! is not flawless. A tighter, faster first half and an earlier commitment to farce would sharpen it considerably. Even so, it is a generous, energetic and hard-working piece of comic theatre, and the cast deserve credit for the effort they put in. Lovers of physical comedy will have a very good time.
Oh Zeus plays at the New Vic until the 17th October and then is back on tour in 2027.
Photography throughout from Matt Crockett.
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