York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 20th June 2026
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4.5****
La Navet Bete has once again returned to York Theatre Royal, with their newest production, Oh Zeus!. I have been lucky enough to have seen their previous performances in York. They are a high-energy, physical comedy theatre company, formed in 2008 by three friends, Al Dunn, Matt Freeman and Nick Blunt, through a shared passion for physical theatre and clowning. They now have a long-standing creative partnership with director John Nicholson, which continues with this production.
Taking inspiration from Greek mythology, and in their own words, looking for the maddest thing a Greek god had ever done. Considering how bonkers Greek mythology is and put Le Navet Bete into the mix, you just know that a madcap performance awaits you.
The stability of Olympus is threatened by the proposed marriage between Zeus’s daughter, Hebe and a mere mortal Gregg, or as Zeus likes to call him, Greggs. Zeus hatches a plan to thwart this marriage, insisting that she marries her brother, ant the God of War, Ares instead. This is pretty twisted I know, but Zeus is married to his sister Hera, who is Hebe’s mother, and trust me it isn’t the worst thing you hear about the what the gods got up to. This attempt of sabotage leads to chain of slapstick lunacy, involving gods, mortals, fates and monsters, plus a member of the audience, in our case Pete.
Over 30 characters are played by Dunn, Freeman and Bunt, switching roles and costumes at breakneck speed, this is amazing to witness. You can always distinguish the separate characters with a change of accent, clothing and demeanour.
Dunn played Zeus wonderfully, a bit of a bumbling, narcissist idiot, who has a conscious somewhere inside. He isn’t afraid to show off his physique as Poseidon, in his silver budgie smugglers, and his outfit during the finale, I don’t want to give the game away and I will say no more, except he works out!
Freeman excels in his roles, with Cerebus and Moussaka — or is it Tzatziki, perhaps even Banana Split? — drawing some of the biggest laughs. His Hera is all glamour, with a flawless bob, oversized shades, a gold dress and attitude to spare, while Maria, the indifferent and inept receptionist, is another comic highlight. Freeman throws himself into each transformation, whether barely dressed or fully bewigged, using his long, slim legs and sharp sense of character to brilliant effect.
Bunt is endearingly almost ordinary as Gregg/Greggs, full of boyish charm. Then he transforms into Nestor, Zeus’s centaur servant. This topless, half-man, half-horse character has a habit of “messing” on stage, though he keeps a bag close at hand, and his unruly back legs provide plenty of laughs. He later becomes Hades, God of the Underworld, styled like a voodoo doctor.
Fi Russell’s set design was wonderfully inventive, shifting smoothly from Mount Olympus to a hotel and then to the underworld. The stage also offered plenty of entry and exit points, allowing the actors to dash off and reappear moments later in new roles. Russell’s superb costumes worked just as effectively, supporting the rapid changes throughout.
This is classic Le Navet Bete, but on steroids. Oh Zeus! isn’t your traditional tale from Greek mythology, it is wildly silly, chaotic, entirely bonkers and packed with mayhem, yet somehow perfectly controlled. It is a masterclass in physical comedy, with the same madcap spirit that made Blackadder, if you can remember that iconic television series, so memorable. The humour occasionally sails close to the wind, but that edge is part of what makes it so entertaining.
Oh Zeus! is another triumph for Le Navet Bete, and long may their success continue. A must for all fans of physical comedy. Make sure you get your tickets for this show, touring on selected dates until October.