Cabaret & Variety review: Cross Fit

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Following last year's Christ on a Bike, messiah of fitness Jesus L'Oreal Christ is back with another high-energy combination of gorgeous hair, fat-burning work-outs, catchy pop pastiche and irreverent biblical rewrites.

The Voodoo Rooms (Venue 68)

***

The gag is a simple, funny one, with the Son of God reimagined as an Instagram-happy gay Californian gym bunny, helping the audience get in shape while explaining how his dyslexia has led to several unfortunate scriptural misinterpretations of his message of peace. He’s supported by Mary Magdalene, who, as in the gospels, has nothing to say (but gives looks that speak volumes).

The energy starts high, with a wind machine and a Bee Gees medley, and only gets higher: there’s palm-frond burlesque, a Sermon on the Mountain Bikes (“time to destroy those fatted calves!”) and a breathless account of Passion Week, along with cheeky updates of liturgy and inspirational reworkings of pop lyrics. The lack of tonal or formal variation makes for diminishing returns over the hour but the vibe is infectiously amiable, and the humorous strike rate not bad given the sheer volume of gags, puns and innuendo. When in doubt, tone the other cheek.

Until 27 August. Today 9:10pm.

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