Sh!t Theatre's Evita Too at Southbank Centre: An Immersive Experience With Disco & Dictators
Wow, what an experience! Evita Too is one of the most hilarious, feminist, evocative show London has seen in a while! It does not shy away from embracing plenty of riotous, political themes brilliantly and beautifully executed. Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole share the spotlight with Isabel Perón, history's first female president. The show zeroes in on the gap between Isabel’s messy reign and Evita’s myth. Ursula Martinez directs this mega-musical with infallible wit. The story negotiates fact and fiction, with loads of glitter, justice, and punk rebellion. This premise hooks the room fast and doesn’t let go.
The aesthetic is gloriously shambolic: bad wigs, fake tan, disco balls, and riotous chaos reign. Every moment weaves messiness with intelligence. Evita Too is a masterpiece at subverting the dark side of Political history with documentary-style comedy. On-stage drinks, trashy props, naked roller skating, and fever-dream sci-fi frames everything with raw ingenuity. Just beneath the mess, there’s serious structure and detail.
Biscuit and Mothersole's chemistry is volcanic. The duo’s synergetic performance is unfiltered and precisely timed. They play each character with the most earnest commitment. Despite the chaotic story, they don’t miss any chance at genuine vulnerability. Their meta-commentary on art and aging lands hits true. Every look between them tells of battles fought, triumphs earned, and fears negotiated. They embrace the wild ride with palpable humanity.
The show explosively connects the dots between politics, history, and the struggle against being forgotten. Pop songs and John Biddle’s catchy arrangements become satirical weapons in this performance. Multimedia is a central theme as well. With the aid of scrappy projections and home video footage, the show is grounded in the messy reality it depicts. Art here is activism as much as entertainment and you are sitting on the edge of your seat wondering if the two will ever meet the first female president in the history of the world.
The experience is quite communal, with loads of enthusiasm. Biscuit and Mothersole know how to pull the chords of the audience. Every scene feels personal, with a well-preserved balance between history’s true events and the fun of the performance. Leave any expectations of solemnity behind. This show is an essential for those who don’t mind a bit of anarchy!
