Writer: Le Navet Bete (Nick Bunt, Al Dunn, & Matt Freeman) and John Nicholson
Director: John Nicholson
Mighty Boosh meets Greek mythology in Oh Zeus!. Anyone who loves surreal comedy will find Oh Zeus! a fun night out with friends.
Packed with slapstick, wigs and strange antics, Oh Zeus! follows the king of the gods, Zeus, as he begrudgingly comes to terms with his daughter Hebe’s wedding to a mortal. Twists and turns make even the wildest fever dreams seem mundane.
With the three actors of Le Navet Bête sharing 40 characters throughout the production, the action centres on mortal Greg’s hotel, Hotel Krappios, as he prepares to host the Greek gods on Mount Olympus for the wedding.
The show begins at a frantic pace as Le Navet Bête immediately embraces the most bizarre elements of its humour. The opening of the first act races from one moment to the next, leaving little room for laughs to land. The jokes are there, but they often pass before the audience has time to fully enjoy them.
As the first act settles into its rhythm, the production’s greatest strengths emerge through the chemistry of the central trio and its affectionate approach to audience participation. The show truly finds its footing when an audience member joins the cast on stage as a decoy Zeus. The ease with which the performers embrace this unpredictable element highlights their impressive improvisational skills.
This also proves to be one of the production’s clearest strengths. All three actors are driven not only by making the audience laugh but also by making each other laugh. That playful dynamic creates an infectious sense of fun, making the audience feel included in the joke. When the trio occasionally breaks character and scrambles to recover, it becomes clear that they are genuinely enjoying themselves.
The chemistry between Al Dunn, Nick Bunt and Matt Freeman is undeniable. Their frequent asides to the audience create an immediate rapport, making them feel familiar and likeable by the end of the performance.
At times, the comedy resembles a jumble sale of ideas. If the production focused on fewer comic styles, it might feel less overcrowded. It is difficult to define Le Navet Bête’s particular brand of comedy because it embraces almost every style imaginable. However, comedy is entirely subjective, and this eclectic approach arguably creates the show’s wonderfully bizarre and unpredictable Mighty Boosh-inspired energy.
Some characters remain on stage long enough to become audience favourites. Hera is consistently one of the funniest creations. With clear echoes of Victoria Beckham and Anna Wintour, Zeus’s wife delivers razor-sharp one-liners and maintains an effortlessly cool demeanour amid the surrounding chaos, becoming funnier with every appearance.
Other characters leave less of an impression. Hades, for example, feels underused, serving mainly to advance other storylines rather than developing as a memorable character in his own right. Given his importance in Greek mythology, the God of the Underworld arguably deserves a role with equal dramatic weight to Zeus.
Audience members currently enjoying a renewed interest in Greek mythology following The Odyssey may be slightly disappointed by the limited number of mythology-specific jokes. The production largely uses Greek mythology as a backdrop for its setting, character names and costumes. While this broadens the show’s appeal, those with a deeper knowledge of the myths may find relatively little additional reward.
With so many ideas packed into a single production, it is inevitable that not every moment lands successfully. The least effective jokes tend to be those that feel overly constructed or forced, working against Le Navet Bête’s greatest strength: its ability to improvise and generate wonderfully chaotic, high-energy comedy.
Even so, these weaker moments disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. The production maintains such a relentless pace of jokes that it rarely lingers on anything for long.
Oh Zeus! is unlike anything else currently on stage. It delivers gleefully silly comedy that feels genuinely distinctive. Le Navet Bête throws countless ideas into the mix and, for audiences willing to embrace its wonderfully chaotic energy, it provides a hugely entertaining night out.
Runs Until 1 August 2026
