Funny, irreverent and unexpectedly poignant,
Theatre Now
Venue: Flight Path Theatre Marrickville.
Sydney
Dates: Until Saturday 31st October. 2026
You’ve likely heard every one of these Bible stories before, but you’ve never heard them told quite like this. Popular Playhouse’s Oh My God! A Comedy of Biblical Proportions opened last weekend at Flight Path Theatre, delivering an epic spoof extravaganza that feels like a collision between a Monty Python film and classic sitcom humour.
The show begins with Oscar Wills’ disarmingly earnest, flower-power hippie rendition of Jesus Christ, who simply wants to bond with his father, God, over a few Old Testament tales. James Hartley, who can now forever boast that he’s literally played God, balances the Almighty’s all knowing power with the persona of a quintessentially “daggy dad”. Whether appearing high in the rafters, commanding the spotlight, or high-fiving audience members to punctuate his many knee slapping punchlines, Hartley’s God is as endearing as he is omnipotent.
The show is chock-a-block with larger-than-life characters and superbly silly scenarios, bringing writer/director Tommy James Green’s vision to life through familiar satirical tropes and age-old stories given a modern twist. The production’s most inspired choice is the on-again, off-again situationship between God and Lucifer, suggesting that many a moment of divine intervention may simply have been the result of a lovers’ quarrel.
Joseph Rotondella delivers the show’s standout performance as Lucifer, or “Lou”, striking the sweet spot between camp, catty gay characters of ‘90s television and a surprisingly soulful depth. His flamboyant theatrics are masterfully teamed with thought-provoking sensitivity, while his various disguises — particularly the burning bush — are a sheer delight. As he might say himself: “Darling, don’t hate it ‘cause you ain’t it.”
The whole ensemble shares an infectious chemistry as they traversing years of biblical history while slipping between farcical characters at a dizzying pace. From Adam and Eve negotiating their “tenancy agreement” to a dinosaur who missed a spot on Noah’s Ark, the show snaps up comedy in the most unlikely places! Keep an ear out for the animals’ inner thoughts as they dismantle the ark — their improvised asides are a particular treat.
Jamie Sturgess is another highlight as the belligerent Angel, adopting a New York delivery-man persona to uproarious effect, before switching gears into the well-meaning but blindly ambitious Noah. Roslyn Hicks’ neurotic, Woody Allen-esque David is an utter comic gem, as is the truly entertaining Max Dÿkstra as a Seinfeldian Moses. And their confrontation with Daniel Moxham’s gloriously brutish, WrestleMania-inspired Goliath is an excitingly over-the-top showdown of skilful swordplay and raining ping-pong balls. Emma Flynn gives Egyptian princess Bithia a deliciously
ditzy and privileged air, while the elastic and energetic Oscar Baird and comically sharp Natasha Cheng give a whole new quirky perspective as to why sheep farmers, Abraham and Sarah, can’t quite make it work as new parents. Meanwhile, Erin Pacholke’s hilariously acerbic Mrs Noah injects some much-needed scepticism, questioning the practicalities of building an ark and repopulating the planet, quipping at her husband: “You think the end of days is going to get me in the mood out of desperation?”
Isabella King’s cartoonish sets and props, paired with Denise Tart’s exaggerated, storybook costumes, marry the aesthetic of British pantomime with a primary school play. Far from detracting from the production, this playful artifice reminds us not to take the bombastic parody too seriously, while giving the performers plenty of room to run riot with layered witticisms, contemporary references, occasional jabs at the current political climate and wonderfully ridiculous gags. But beneath the brilliantly blasphemous banter lies a feel-good celebration of humanity, relationships and the absurd business of being alive.
Funny, irreverent and unexpectedly poignant, Oh My God! is as intelligent as it is stupid — in all the right ways. I had a fantastic time, and I suspect you will too. Go see it
Theatre Now
