JESUS L’OREAL: NAILS IT! – REVIEW – EDINBURGH FRINGE

Jesus died for our sins, but he’s back, and he is fit!

Jesus L’Oreal is a fitness and lifestyle guru, played by Chris Stuart-Wilson. Jesus L’Oreal: Nails It! takes us on a journey of faith and fitness – similar to an exercise DVD combined with a television evangelist – but with some important messages woven within the show.

The show is filled with pop songs with their lyrics chopped and changed to fit his sermon. Dance numbers are incorporated as he takes us through his fitness routine, and he has the audience up dancing too; he even guarantees himself a standing ovation. He performs with Mary Magdalene (Kirsty Malone) who doesn’t speak, but dances very well indeed.

The staging consists of a cupboard with props inside and an illuminating cross on its side. The space is utilised well, and the choreography by Stuart-Wilson is a joy to watch – their stamina is unbelievable.

My only gripe is that there were some sound issues, sat at the side there were some moments when I couldn’t always make out exactly what was said (we were also sat next to an air con unit), but this is a shortcoming of the space and not of the show.

Stuart-Wilson has created a sizzling satire filled to the brim with jokes, Nails It! is unbelievably clever and witty. It’s no wonder that the front row is filled with regulars, multiple viewings are necessary to recognise every pun or joke thrown at you within the hour.

If church was like this, we’d all go.
It would be a sin to miss it!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Find all our Ed Fringe 2023 content here!

Click here to find tickets and info for all Edinburgh Show!

{🎟 AD: PR Invite – Tickets gifted in exchange for an honest review}

2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 2024 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interview Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Regional Production Review Revival Richmond Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End

  • FRANKIE GOES TO BOLLYWOOD – REVIEW – HOME MANCHESTER
    Frankie Goes To Bollywood is a Bollywood-inspired musical from Rifco Theatre Company. With songs by Niraj Chag and Tasha Taylor Johnson and a book by Artistic Director Pravesh Kumar, the show is presented by Rifco, Watford Palace Theatre and HOME Manchester and tours through the UK this summer. After her mother’s passing when she was young, Frankie (Laila Zaidi) takes comfort in watching the Bollywood classic films that played through her childhood. After a chance meeting with up-and-coming director Prem (Navin Kundra) at the cinema she works at with her cousin Goldy (Katie Stasi), Frankie is thrust into the searing heat … More FRANKIE GOES TO BOLLYWOOD – REVIEW – HOME MANCHESTER
  • BALLET BLACK – REVIEW – BARBICAN
    My childhood memories of ballet shoes: pink, always pink. As Isabela Coracy begins to create the first moments of the show, I am staring at her brown pointe shoes, their existence is revolutionary. In fact, Ballet Black collaborated with Freed of London, to bring us the UK’s first pointe shoes inclusive of ‘Black, Asian, and mixed race skin tones’. Founder, Artistic Director and CEO Cassa Pancho continues to ensure that Ballet Black creates and embodies change, not just on stage but in the ballet world and beyond. Ballet Black: Heroes presents two creations, If At First (Sophie Laplane) and The Waiting Game (Mthuthuzeli November). One is very good, … More BALLET BLACK – REVIEW – BARBICAN
  • SONG OF SONGS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
    The Biblical book Song of Songs stands out; unashamedly erotic, for women as well as men, it has long been a subject of controversy, and it is this book that writer, director and lead performer Ofra Daniel takes as the subject of her musical. First performed in Daniel’s home of San Francisco in 2017, this run at the Park Theatre marks the musical’s first visit to London. It is difficult not to be thrilled by the world presented in A Song of Songs. The soundscape is one of klezmer music and infectious rhythms, composed by Daniel and Lior Ben-Hur with collaborators Ali Paris … More SONG OF SONGS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
  • SLEUTH – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE
    Who’s afraid of Stephen Sondheim? I certainly would have been, having seen this show. Playwright Anthony Shaffer’s original title, an homage to the Broadway composer and puzzle obsessive, was changed to Sleuth before the play’s 1970 premiere, whereupon it won the Tony for best play, and has since been adapted for screen by both Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Harold Pinter. It is certainly an auspicious beginning, and it is a delight to see that fifty years on, this clever play can still stay a step ahead of its audience. The play opens with Andrew (Todd Boyce), a writer of detective fiction, delivering … More SLEUTH – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE
  • JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
    Jesus Christ Superstar reimagines the biblical story of Jesus’ last days through a contemporary lens, portraying him as a rockstar figure navigating betrayal, redemption, and finally crucifixion. At the New Wimbledon Theatre, this iconic musical comes to life with electrifying energy and innovative staging. Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the dynamic duo of England’s musical theatre scene, will recognise the typical elements of their work; and they are as electrifying as ever. The rock score is performed by a mainly hidden live band, filling the theatre with a pulsating sound. The observant audience member can spot the guitar … More JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

Leave a Reply