Jeezus!

Growing up in rural, Catholic Ireland, I spent my entire childhood and teenage years surrounded by Jesus. His tortured, nearly naked body hung in every single classroom, his sacred heart was in the hallways of every house I visited, and the cross hung on a gold chain around the neck of most of the people in my village.

It's a funny thing growing up Catholic because there are certain things your non-Christian, non-Catholic friends just don't understand. I find often when I tell my wife something from my childhood that has to do with the church, she just stares in disbelief at me.

I was so curious to see another perspective of this Catholic world, especially through a Latinx lens, a sea away from my little rural village.

The pre-show for Jeezus! has songs of praise banging out, which was honestly a hit of nostalgia I wasn't expecting. Knowing that this show was meant to be a little raunchy, I did find myself chuckling at the juxtapostion.

I soon moved from chuckles to all out laughter! The story follows young Jesús from his miraculous birth up to his preparations for his first Holy Communion. Whilst on holiday to visit his family in Orlando, he ends up having his first sexual awakening after finding a secret porno in his cousin's bedroom, finding himself more attracted to the plumber than the bored and lonely housewife.

Back home, he is busy preparing to be the head alter boy, wanting to show how much he loves Jesus who just so happens to be one of the sexiest people he has ever seen. We get to peer in on the lessons with the local priest, who reminds them all of how they need to have their first confession before their communion becauss if they accept the Body of Christ with a sin in their soul, they will be damned for all eternity. It brought me back to my own first confession and the anxiety I felt as a 7 year old trying to figure out what my sins were.

Jesús is prepared with his childhood sin of stealing an eraser when he learns from his father that the church views gay people as a sin. He is completely torn as he doesn't feel he is a sinner for something that seems so pure. His mother, however, provides him with comfort in a beautiful song that brought me to tears. Growing up in Catholicism, I can absolutely relate to this moment. In a religion that is supposed to be of love and acceptance, you are surrounded by people who hate you. I remember being told I was going to hell for being the son of divorced parents, God help me if they found out I am bi as well. That first acceptance from someone in your life is a beautiful moment, and I'm so glad Jesús had his mother.

I don't want to spoil too much more, but to give you a heads up, there is crucifix dildo scene, divine fellatio, and butt-ton of twerking!

A couple of things were lost in the staging, such as when action happens on the ground. It's difficult to see even in the second row, and I felt like the sound was little iffy from time to time and made it so that you couldn't hear very well.

These are just my little bugbears with the show, but it was honestly such a great time. I was very much touced by one of the final message of: "Love is more powerful than God". In this terrifying world where we seem to sometimes be going backwards in the ideas of love and acceptance, where religion is growing in its hatred again, we deseperately need that message from Jeezus! We need to scream it from deep in our lungs, from deep in ours souls: "LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN GOD!"

Jeezus! is running in Underbelly Cowgate, and I highly recommend you go to this Untapped Award winning, queer Latinx musical! I am very proud to award them a Fantastic Fringe Award!

I hope seeing this much theatre is a religious experience for you, but most of all I hope you all have a fantastic fringe! 😁

Love,

Tony x