Review: Oh Zeus! (Touring)

Thursday 18th June 2026 at York Theatre Royal

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Le Navet Bete are back with a new ridiculous adventure: Oh Zeus! It’s a silly and gleeful romp through the eventful life of Zeus as he navigates his daughter’s betrothal to an icky mortal and his wife’s infinite loathing of him (not that she can be blamed, given his cheating and infanticide)… 

Al Dunn, Nick Bunt and Matt Freeman play around 30 roles between them, switching costumes and gear repeatedly as the plot sprints ever onwards (except on a few occasions where it intentionally chases its own tail). The trio are a dynamic bunch, forever on the move, never shying away from a perilous slapstick fall or running gag and carrying a constant glint in their eyes.  Dunn’s take on Zeus and Bunt’s take on Hades are their stand-out moments, amongst a variety of other well-played roles, but it’s Freeman who is the overall stand-out; a total chameleon playing a wide variety of roles with precise, small shifts and some great voice work – his take on the diva that is Hera in particular is a real hoot. 

John Nicholson and the Le Navet Bete team are the proud writers of the show, with Nicholson also directing. Crucial to note is that the company prides itself on clowning and physical theatre – and here they do indeed excel, offering plenty of action and visual gags to entertain (the swan, high hems, wobbly demons and the levitating platform of the underworld offer some good highlights – not to mention some nice spot lit work on audience participation). Fi Russell’s set and costume designs are equally fun, with lots of surprises and visual kicks to enjoy. 

The show won’t be for everyone though – and for even those of us who do love clowning and physical theatre, the show, while undoubtedly pacy and entertaining with its antics, is also on the over-long and therefore wearisome side. Had it had been a 60-90 minute straight through without bursting the silliness bubble with an interval, it probably would’ve gone down a lot better with me, but at 2h 30 and a lot of repetition, I found myself wilting a bit. That said, quiet titters in the audience became hearty laughs by the second act so what do I know? I guess hardcore fans of unrelenting clowning chaos are in for a treat with this one! 

Oh Zeus! is at York Theatre Royal until 20th June 2026 – more information and tickets can be found here.