Pop Off, Michelangelo! isn’t just a riotous historical reimagining — it’s a Fringe-born sensation now storming the West End. Playing at Underbelly Boulevard from 24 June to 13 July, the show stars co-creators Max Eade (Michelangelo) and Aidan MacColl (Leonardo da Vinci), alongside RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finalist Michael Marouli as the Pope. With electropop bangers, biblical levels of gay panic, and a fanbase so loyal they queue for merch down the street, this is one Renaissance party you don’t want to miss.
We sat down with Max and Aidan to talk about surprise audience reactions, how their characters have evolved, and which scene always pushes them to the brink of breaking.
What was the most surprising audience reaction you experienced during Pop Off, Michelangelo!?
Aidan: After the show, we came out and the queue for merch was out on the street and round the corner. Soon after, shows continued to sell out. We hoped it would do well but it was a really nice surprise.
Max: I think the most surprising audience reaction has been the following that started at Fringe then made its way down to London. People really love the show! The queue for Pop Off, Michelangelo! merch was down the street at Fringe. We came out onto the stage at The Other Palace and people were sat in Pop Off T-shirts.
Max, stepping back into the sandals of Michelangelo, how has your interpretation of the character evolved since your last performance?
Max: I think my portrayal of Michelangelo has evolved massively with the different audience reactions and cast changes. It’s so fun playing opposite different actors, everyone brings something unique and different each time. My portrayal of Michelangelo is now more nuanced, considerate of the world around him, and less headstrong. We always wanted to approach the piece with sincerity and layer the comedy on top of that!
Aidan, same question re: Leonardo da Vinci.
Aidan: I’d say it’s changed in the sense that we have a new and wonderful cast and you get a different energy from your scene partners. The longer we have done it there’s been a lot more truth found. As well as that, there’s a bit more confidence having heard the laughs that the lines get during Fringe.
There’s a rich (and often ridiculous) tension between your characters. How do you two balance the historical weight of these Renaissance icons with the show’s comedic tone?
Aidan: I’d say personally it’s very hard to give weight to the historical icons. Because our story is new, we have a lot more free agency to focus on the relationship between them in our context and build our characters from there!
Max: We used the historical figures as a starting point and then formed our versions around them. Obviously, there was no way we could emulate the historical icons accurately within our piece, so it’s more of an original journey — and that’s where the camp fun comes in.
Was there a specific scene or moment in the show that always gets you laughing during rehearsals — even when you’re trying to stay in character?
Aidan: The very final scene, which I don’t want to give away, involves all the cast on stage. There were times during the Fringe it was difficult to get through without corpsing. Also, any scene with Max has become such a joy that we find new laughs every time we do it.
Max: Yes, every scene with Aidan. I am holding in constant giggles with every fibre of my being. One could say we’ve corpsed a couple of times on stage (naughty!).
How has audience energy at Fringe shaped the way you perform the piece? Do you find yourself adjusting delivery or timing night-to-night?
Aidan: There were laughs where we didn’t expect them and that often is the case when you start doing a show to an audience for the first time, so it took a moment to adjust and leave room for laughs. However, the more truthful we became the bigger the laughs got, which felt joyous.
Max: Naturally you’d want to play into the jokes more when you hear the laughs. But we have to be strict with ourselves and play against the comedy. Sincerity is funny.
Pop Off, Michelangelo! plays at Underbelly Boulevard from 24 June to 13 July. With RuPaul’s Drag Race UK finalist Michael Marouli as the Pope, and a cast ready to sing, slay, and sculpt their way to heaven — this is one West End debut you won’t want to miss.
