Head Over Heels (Hayes) ★★★½

Songs by The Go-Go’s. Adapted by James Magruder. Based on The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney. Conceived & Original Book by Jeff Whitty. Presented by Well Done Creative in association with Hayes Theatre Co. 20 Feb – 22 Mar, 2026.

After two aborted attempts to bring Head Over Heels to the Hayes, it’s finally here. This romping queer, punk-pastoral musical is full of tongue-in-cheek wit (and the tongues are usually firmly planted in someone else’s cheek).

In the mythical kingdom of Arcadia, King Basilius (Thomas Campbell) receives a terrifying prophecy from Pythio (Gaz Dutlow). In a rage he sets out to defy the fates with his trusty servant Dametus (Nancy Dennis) and his family in tow — including his wife Queen Gynecia (J Ridler), his youngest daughter Philoclea (Jenni Little), his self-absorbed daughter Pamela (Shannen Alyce Quan — replaced by Lucy Lalor for the performance I saw), and Pamela’s handmaid Mopsa (Minerva Khodabande).

When noble young shepherd Musidorus (Adam Noviello) follows them out of his love for Philoclea, fate intervenes — disguising himself as an Amazonian warrior woman to get close to the king. But this gender-switching time bomb creates ripples among the whole camp. The prophecy is already coming true.

Head Over Heels feels like three shows in one: a camp, faux-Shakespearean comedy, a brash queer teen-romance, and a high-energy jukebox musical. If it reminds you of something, you’re not wrong. Head Over Heels came first. It walked so & Juliet and The Lovers could run.

The most interesting thing about the show musically is the collision of The Go-Go’s 80s punk-infused pop with a sixteenth-century plot and its heightened, archaic language. As the songs take us into the true thoughts and desires of the characters, they become instantly more relatable singing in 80s vernacular than when speaking to one another — which is an odd juxtaposition, but actually a lot of fun. It does however run into the age-old issue with jukebox musicals — the songs bring the plot to a standstill. Which is fine if you accept a jukebox musical for what it is: a covers concert with a pantomime plot thrown in the middle.

The cast are clearly having a ball, especially Nancy Dennis who unashamedly steals her scenes. Jenni Little gives a warm and convincing romantic-lead performance. J Ridler’s martini-swilling matriarch is always on the verge of singing “The Ladies Who Lunch”, and Gaz Dutlow practically purrs as the sassy prophet. With the ever-excellent Shannen Alyce Quan unwell, full credit to the brave Lucy Lalor who stepped in at the last minute and belted with the best of them.

Brendan de la Hay’s costumes are rich, and I’m not sure who was responsible for the choices but did I detect some sly digs at Disney in the looks? From the slain lions, clown fish and an Ariel-esque moment (pictured above)… I may have been reading too much into it, but I felt a theme developing.

This is ultimately a distracting, enjoyable romp — a queer fantasia where the storytelling is as fluid as gender and the message as uplifting as a sugary treat. If you’re in need of a post-The Normal Heart (playing at STC till March 14) pick-me-up, you could do a lot worse.