The romcom musical Hot Mess, created by the team behind 42 Balloons, will play a summer season at The Other Palace from June to September 2026. The show explores the climate crisis through a relationship story and follows successful runs at Edinburgh Fringe and Southwark Playhouse.

Hot Mess, with book and direction by Ellie Coote and music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey, will run at The Other Palace in London from Saturday 13 June to Sunday 6 September 2026. A national press night is scheduled for Tuesday 23 June 2026.

The musical tells the story of Earth and Humanity as lovers, framing the climate crisis as a relationship on the brink of collapse. Its creators include Godfrey, who was awarded Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer at The Stage Debut Awards in 2024 for 42 Balloons, a previous musical nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award.

Hot Mess premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025 before transferring to Southwark Playhouse Elephant, where Danielle Steers and Tobias Turley starred. The original cast recording featuring them was released last year.

Critical response was positive. One reviewer described Hot Mess as “a terrifically fun idea, executed with energy and pace,” and praised it as “high concept” yet “high energy and high success.”

Producers Vicky Graham Productions, Birmingham Hippodrome, Aria Entertainment, with Global Creative, TRW Production and RJG Productions as general managers, are backing the new London run. The full cast and creative team for The Other Palace season are yet to be confirmed.

Godfrey and Coote said they have been developing and expanding Hot Mess since the Edinburgh run and look forward to sharing “Earth and Humanity’s messy romance” with audiences again. Producers expressed pride in bringing the sharp, fresh and funny writing to London for a 12-week season.

This summer’s staging adds to a growing strand of theatrical works addressing environmental themes through inventive storytelling, continuing to bring climate conversations to mainstream theatre audiences.