Lucifero ****

A member of the audience is trying to bite into an apple. The problem is, he’s laughing so hard, he simply can’t manage it. So…how did we get here, exactly?

Enter Lucifero (Claudio Del Toro): the Devil himself, sweeping onto the stage, replete with a pair of black wings, without a trace of white in sight.

Lucifero takes his audience of “fallen angels” on a provocative journey of discovery as to the nature of the Devil. What follows is a theological discussion – of sorts –, as Lucifero reflects on his complicated relationship with “Papa”, and his disenchantment with God favouring the “son of a carpenter” over him.

Along the way, he guides us through the seven deadly sins: gluttony is illustrated, in part, by an exuberant display of spaghetti eating, before we come to his position on Nutella. There are songs, including intriguingly Lili Marleen. Temptation, meanwhile, is never far away - the show goes through the gears when the show turns to lust, including some significant audience participation.

Del Toro is a charismatic and skilled performer. His opens with controlled, almost operatic precision, but his breadth of his talent becomes apparent as we progress through this show, his calm demeanour belying the fast pace. His comic timing is sharp – impressive in a second language – his clowning honed to perfection and his storytelling assured. The audience participation is playful, but respectful, yet he was confidently able to push boundaries when the moment was right.

This is a highly engaging, witty, mischievous and subversive production; we await Claudio del Toro’s next production with anticipation.