Review: Crapp's River

📍 Other Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House

🗓️ 21st August 2026

🎟️ PR Invite

As a fan of Schitt’s Creek, I had high hopes for this parody show — and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

When the Peony family have their belongings torn away from them, they have no choice but to move to the town their father bought as a joke. Now, it’s all they have, along with whatever they managed to salvage along the way. But can they learn to fit into small-town life and embrace a different way of living, or is becoming a ‘Gay Icon’ their only chance of getting out? With the Crapp’s River Bicentennial Parade approaching, a Grand Marshal needs to be crowned — and you can bet they all want the crown!

I really enjoyed the concept of the musical. Taking our favourite characters from a well-known TV show and creating an original plot that complements the realities of the show itself worked incredibly well. I also loved the use of projected videos of ‘gay icons’ on the screen behind the cast, both to distract from the scene changes and to add another layer to the production, with some of the icons even making an appearance onstage. The clever use of suitcases to create different settings throughout the show was another great touch. At times, though, I did find the projections on the back wall difficult to see, although I’m not sure whether this was intentional.

The absolute highlight of the performance, however, was the cast. Each actor embodied their character perfectly, from the mannerisms and voices to the facial expressions and movements — even managing to capture “a little bit Alexis”. Playing the Peony family were Nolan Young (Johnny), Grace Anderson (Moira), Nora Delechanty (Alexis) and David Irizarry (David). Each of them blew me away with their performances, but Delechanty was particularly impressive. She played Alexis so convincingly that, at times, I genuinely forgot I wasn’t watching the original character.

The family are, of course, joined by the town regulars, played by Erin Pellegrini, Ryan Romero, William Francis and Macie Cox. They switch between various characters throughout the performance, including favourites such as Stevie, Jocelyn and Roland, and each brings their own energy and comedy to the show.

The songs are woven into the story really well and add another layer to the performance, making this a funny, energetic and impressive production packed with plenty of chaos and surprises.

Fans of Schitt’s Creek are sure to enjoy this one!

Crapp's River continues its run at Gilded Balloon Patter House until 30 August at 21:15.