Absurd Hero - Reviews

Edinburgh Fringe Performance

August 4th, 2025
An uplifting cry of protest and defiance

With the way things are Stateside, a musical about community, determination, resilience and love seems like a poignantly fitting response to more brutal measures currently being enacted by government.

And you’ve got to hand it to Denver-based April Alsup Productions, who fill Greenside’s tiny stage with what feels like a whole town of singing, dancing actors (12 of them, in fact, plus a two-strong live music section) for Alsup’s strong, catchy and uplifting tunes.

In many ways, Absurd Hero feels like a cry of protest and defiance, a reminder of the good things about human nature. Sid is a charming, charismatic small-town politician, with alleviating homelessness among his aims – to achieve that, however, he’ll have to convince and win over the Gods who hold sway over the town’s fortunes.

If a social democrat battling bureaucracy and corruption doesn’t sound like the stuff of musicals – well, Alsup focuses squarely on her richly drawn characters, their motivations and hopes, so that Absurd Hero always feels real and relevant.

In truth, the criminal underworld of her scheming Gods isn’t too convincing, but they serve their purpose as a setting for her modern-day myth of Sisyphus (and full marks for weaving Albert Camus into a modern-day musical).

If politics isn’t your thing, however, just sit back and admire Heather Westenskow’s elaborate dance routines, or the gorgeously rich harmonies that Alsup’s ensemble produces in their vivid performances.

Gunnar Bettis is wide-eyed and fine-voiced as a likeable Sid, while Antigone Biddle soars in her songs as love interest Dawn. Among the baddies, Cooper Kaminsky is a snarling Zeus, with Patrick Brownson lumbering around comically as his henchman Tony.

Following last year’s equally strong BANNED from the same group, Absurd Hero is a complex, richly imagined show whose energy and conviction blaze off the stage – and one that dares to stand up for human warmth and compassion.

By David Kettle

Read the complete review on The Scotsman website

Read the complete review on MSN

The Scotsman Review (pdf)

August 16th, 2025
Musical Myth Takes to the Campaign Trail

Camus imagined the “absurd hero” in the form of Sisyphus, condemned to push his boulder up a hill only to watch it roll back down for eternity. Absurd Hero: The Musical takes that myth and spins it on its head: in this 2025 reimagining, Sisyphus becomes “Sid,” a would-be mayor of Corinth navigating gods who have fallen on hard times and political conspiracies that feel uncannily familiar.

The production bursts with energy. The score, a mix of jazz, blues and classic musical theatre, gives the cast room to show off their impressive pipes and sharp choreography. Even on a small stage, the ensemble overflows with enthusiasm, their camaraderie radiating through every number. It’s clear this is a cast that loves performing together, and that joy is infectious.

But while the performances soar, the story sometimes stumbles. In the show’s one-hour runtime, too many subplots jostle for attention. It feels like every character is handed a moment to shine (and they do), but that generosity comes at the cost of clarity. Promising threads—like the Muses stepping in as a Greek chorus—get swallowed by the show’s busyness, while others, like the “street gang” of homeless gods, feel undercooked. You can’t help but wonder what the show could achieve with a full-length, two-act structure where these ideas could truly breathe.

Thematically, the piece is ripe with potential. Instead of a homeless gang the writers might consider Sid’s campaign against Zeus’s posse, reimagined as a modern Republican rival and his ruthless campaigners. This would set up an intriguing allegory for the cyclical tug-of-war in American politics. The current ending, where Sid wins the election and solves Corinth’s homelessness crisis, feels a little too neat. The myth of Sisyphus is one of endless struggle, and a more daring finale could lean into that resonance – Sid’s rise and fall echoing the pendulum swings of recent presidencies from Bush to Obama, Trump to Biden, and back again. A bittersweet ending would underline the absurdity at the heart of the story: that progress is always hard-won and always fragile, but always worth the fight.

For now, Absurd Hero: The Musical feels like a work in progress – but an exciting one.

With development and further workshop time, it could evolve into something truly special like a modern-day Hadestown that dares to challenge not just myth and musical theatre tradition, but our own political moment. The boulder may keep rolling back down the hill, but this is a show with the grit—and the heart—to keep pushing.

By Ruth West

Read the complete review on The Arts Business website

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Tim Cole (Audience member)
14 Aug 2025
“Wildly funny and unexpectedly profound. I left rethinking Camus on my bus ride home.”

Robert Stockton (Educator)
12 Aug 2025
“The best show I’ve seen at Fringe this year. Clever writing, incredible music, and a cast that pours their souls into every scene.”

Jessica Thompson (Audience member)
11 Aug 2025
“It’s like Camus meets Monty Python in a city council election, utterly absurd and absolutely brilliant.”

Heidi McElrath (Audience member)
10 Aug 2025
"Wonderful cast with such a warm show. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire time! And additionally, it was so impressive to fit such a big all-singing, all-dancing show in such a small space. "

Anonymous (Audience member)
10 Aug 2025
“The piano-driven score is fantastic. The tunes stuck in my head all night, and the cast chemistry is undeniable.”

Barbara Watts (Fringe friend)
9 Aug 2025
“At times chaotic, but that’s the point. The absurdity is the message and when it lands, it really lands.”

Jonathan Hart (Audience member)
8 Aug 2025
“The social worker Dawn stole my heart. A goddess, an activist, and a human all at once—beautifully acted.”

Brenda (Audience member)
8 Aug 2025
“Denver brought its A-game to Edinburgh. You can feel the love, sweat, and camaraderie in every scene.”

Lyn Holland (Audience member)
7 Aug 2025
"Finding the news too depressing and need to be reminded of the power of showing up and doing the best you can, despite everything? Absurd Hero will lift your spirits and leave you smiling. Gunnar Bettis and Antigone Biddle charm in the lead roles of Sid and Dawn while Cooper Kaminsky has great stage presence as Zeus/Zac. (“We are gods so we do what we want because we can”. Remind anyone of a certain President?) In a 12-strong cast, each with excellent voices, Jude Thurman in the role of Darby is a particular stand-out. Absurd Hero’s four-star review from The Scotsman is well deserved."

Heather Bilich (Audience member)
6 Aug 2025
"Really clever show! Well done on weaving Greek Mythology into a story that is dealing with modern political hot button issues. The actors achieved their goal of keeping us riveted and laughing at the same time. I would love to see this again!"

James Alexander Lewis (Audience member)
6 Aug 2025
“It reminded me why I love theatre: intimate, funny, thought-provoking, and brimming with heart.”

Tom Bass (Fringe friend)
5 Aug 2025
"Had a really fun time at this show! It was really joyful and a great energy and joy radiating from the cast!"

Anonymous (Audience member)
5 Aug 2025
“Some moments stretched too long, but when the comedy hit, the whole room erupted. Political satire at its finest.”

Sally McMillian (Educator)
4 Aug 2025
“A refreshing take on Sisyphus that somehow makes pushing a boulder feel like modern democracy. Camus would laugh.”

Rory (Audience member)
2 Aug 2025
"Saw the first preview and was surprised and impressed by this musical. It has a diverse cast that clearly enjoys performing and interacts well as characters, solid vocals, and great vibes. This show deserves a bigger stage - and a bigger audience."

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August 4th, 2025An uplifting cry of protest and defiance

August 16th, 2025Musical Myth Takes to the Campaign Trail

August 4th, 2025
An uplifting cry of protest and defiance

August 16th, 2025
Musical Myth Takes to the Campaign Trail