Birmingham Hippodrome has given audiences a glimpse of the high-energy original romcom musical Hot Mess ahead of its world premiere at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with a series of photographs taken at preview performances in its Patrick Studio last week.

London West End stars Danielle Steers and Tobias Turley play Earth and Humanity respectively in the comedy romcom which reimagines the climate crisis as a story of love, hope and the ultimate break-up.

Danielle has performed as Catherine Parr in SIX The Musical (2019 - 2021), Lady in the UK tour of The Cher Show and Marsha in Just for One Day at the Old Vic. Tobias was the winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream and played Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre, London. He also performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024.

Joining the team alongside 42 Balloons creative duo Ellie Coote and Jack Godfrey are Tony and Grammy nominated Paul Gatehouse (Sound Designer), Joe Beighton (Musical Supervisor and Co-orchestrator), Alexzandra Sarmiento (Movement Director), Shankho Chaudhuri (Set and Costume Designer), Ryan Joseph Stafford (Lighting Designer), Issie Osborne (Musical Director), Deirdre O'Halloran (Dramaturg), Lex Kaby (Intimacy Director), Charlie Smith (Associate Sound Designer), Caroline Mirfin (Costume Supervisor), James Ashfield (Producer), Vicky Graham for Vicky Graham Productions (Executive Producer), Finlay Carroll (Assistant Producer), Callie Barter (Stage One Trainee Producer),  Emily Humphrys (Deputy Stage Manager), Christopher Ball and Emily Obasohan (Production Managers) with casting by Pearson Casting CDG.

After a billion years of bad dates, Earth’s finally found the one... Humanity. Sparks fly. Wheat is harvested. Technology flourishes. But what begins as a passionate love affair between the universe’s most iconic couple quickly descends into a Hot Mess.

Created by the award-winning creative duo behind 42 Balloons, the pop comedy musical takes us to the heart of the tempestuous relationship between Earth and Humanity.

Hot Mess is the first Edinburgh Festival Fringe production from the UK’s only in-house New Musical Theatre Department at Birmingham Hippodrome. The new musical is presented in association with Vicky Graham Productions.

Hot Mess is at Pleasance Two from Wednesday 30 July - Monday 25 August 2025, excluding Wednesday 6, Monday 11 and Monday 18 August. Tickets are now on sale at pleasance.co.uk