Adam and Eve: The Musical

With The Book of Mormon and even Jerry Springer: The Opera having reinvigorated the religion-imbued musical in recent years, one wonders—especially as we tread the beer-soaked floors of a venue that usually acts as Edinburgh University's Student Union—what riot inducing controversy Adam and Eve: The Musical might hurl our way. But aside from a few risqué penis references and one slightly over-zealous snog (save your enthusiasm for a post-lunchtime crowd, kids), there (sadly) isn't much of that at all. Adam and Eve: The Musical is a fairly straight-forward but silly and ultimately entertaining retelling of the Genesis story. 

The characters are likably portrayed by the small cast of six. Gerard McGrath's lovably wicked, nonchalant Lucifer—something like the antihero in Disney movie, but with more hip-thrusting—is especially worth seeing, while the advisory role adopted by a sexually fustrated talking tree (played by Kerry Frampton) becomes the most entertaining of the supporting characters. The musical component, composed by Ben Hales, consists of functional, well-executed pastiches. "Sexual Love," for example, is reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," while ‘(This) Morning Has Broken (My Heart)’ feels like a Carole King ballad.

Adam and Eve: The Musical is nothing revolutionary – it is simply a light-hearted, slightly camp retelling of The Fall in a modern vernacular. It follows the pair as they learn to adjust to the world beyond the Garden of Eden – a world full of comedy pain, talking wildlife and of course, sexual organs. A spirited and entertaining start to any festival-goer's day.