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This evening, theatre took me to The Other Palace Studio to see Deep-Heat Rivalry. Loosely inspired by the popular television show Heated Rivalry, the production has been billed as “the panto on ice”. But would this icy adaptation bring the heat it promised, or would it leave me cold?
I’ll admit, I went into this one completely blind. I haven’t seen the TV show, but I do love a good panto and, frankly, who can resist a “cheeky” parody? So, naturally, I decided it was time to lace up my skates and see what all the fuss was about…
Deep-Heat Rivalry tells the porno—sorry, panto—story on ice of Shane Hollandaise, played by Sario Solomon, and Ilya Stroganoff, played by Jason Leigh Winter. Both are popular, thriving ice hockey stars with one little secret: they’re in love! Add plenty of diva sass from Diana Vickers, with the whole tale narrated by Ross Chisari as Puck, and what follows is two gloriously sexy, raunchy acts of panto on ice.
Written by Trevor Ashley, I could tell from his programme notes that what I was about to witness wasn’t going to ooze finesse. This was destined to be an epic gay love letter — and anything but boring! The writing hits exactly the right spot for this audience, with jokes both above and below the belt, every one landing to raucous laughter around the studio.
Panto simply isn’t panto without a few cheesy songs adapted to fit the story, and Deep-Heat Rivalry is no exception. A particular highlight was “Stroganoff”. Imagine a certain tune made famous by Cher, and you’ll know exactly where I’m going with this. There’s also an honourable mention for a brief but cheeky adaptation of a certain musical housed just around the corner at the Apollo Victoria.
Speaking of musical choices naturally brings me to the voices and the actors themselves. Timing is everything in comedy, and our quartet had it in abundance — both in their delivery and in their ability to land a punchline exactly when it mattered.
Ross Chisari was everything I could have wanted from a camp-meets-Shakespearean storyteller. He connected effortlessly with the audience and was a joy to watch, commanding the stage every time he appeared. Solomon and Winter, our lovers, stole the hearts of the audience from the moment their eyes met. Stroganoff, the butch beefcake with his guard firmly up, and Hollandaise, the more timid of the pair, are clearly having a ball telling this wonderfully fun story. Both are equally unafraid to throw themselves into the more risqué comedic moments, delivering them with plenty of vigour, enthusiasm and impeccable comic timing.
While all three delivered fantastic vocals throughout, my standout performance goes to Diana Vickers as The Diva. As someone unfamiliar with the TV show, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her character, but I soon found myself continuously cackling at her facial expressions and the way she tackled her comedic portrayals of familiar faces — certain long, dark fringes, anyone? Alongside the comedy, her vocals were spectacular, particularly during a brilliantly parodied number from Sunset Boulevard. Jamie Lloyd, she’s waiting for your call!
I often admire how productions at The Other Palace Studio make such effective use of the limited space, and this was no exception. The staging by Reuben Speed and lighting by Matt Hockley were simple but incredibly effective, giving us enough to visualise an ice rink, gym, locker room and even a shower! This isn’t a show — or adult panto — that needs a wealth of frills to hold it up; the side-splitting humour does that all by itself.
For a show clocking in at 1 hour and 50 minutes, there were also plenty of costume changes, with no shortage of glitz and glamour, particularly from Puck and The Diva! Through the combined efforts of the creative team, even intimacy was made hilarious.
What I loved most about this production was its connection with the audience. I genuinely felt as though we were part of the fun, and that the cast wanted us to be right there with them.
Overall, I loved this show, and I’m so glad I went in blind. I became completely invested in the story, and it has now become my mission to watch the television show — although I’m fairly certain it won’t be anywhere near as funny!
If you consider yourself prudish, then perhaps this isn’t the show for you. However, if you love your theatre outrageous, sexy, camp and tongue-in-cheek (I’m not saying which ones!), then this is absolutely the show for you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Deep-Heat Rivalry is playing until 11th October 2026 at The Other Palace, London
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