Review: EDINBURGH 2024: SHITTY MOZART, Gilded Balloon Patter House

“They cloned Mozart, it went horribly wrong and now we’re stuck with the consequences”

Imagine this, if you will. Scientists have discovered that they are capable of cloning human beings, giving them the ability to bring deceased geniuses back into the world of the living through a new life. They have chosen to clone Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time. But, in a shocking twist, the hair retrieved from Mozart is actually his pubic hair, leading to the clone being a much more immature version of the man. This is how we begin Shitty Mozart.

Shitty Mozart, written by and starring Aaron Nemo, introduces us to this clone, who is determined to establish himself as a musician, outside of the shadow of the man he was cloned from. We are introduced to a range of electronic instruments, including an impressive recorder that is able to put hecklers in their place - though it might take a few minutes to find the right notes. And, when all else fails, he’ll just throw bees at the audience to keep them distracted from what he believes to be a lack of talent. But he’s not alone - Nemo is joined by a little sidekick, a robot who can only say lines from “Mr. Brightside” by The killers, leading to jokes that you can see coming from a mile away that are still hilarious.

As someone who grew up in the age of YouTube and silly online comedy, I found myself quickly enjoying Nemo’s style, especially when using videos to go along with his songs. One highlight includes an entire conversation with the ghost of the actual Mozart, who is revealed to be just as immature as the one we have been introduced to (it is historically proven that Mozart was a bit of a child when it came to jokes - check out “Leck Mich Im Arsch”). 

An entire bit is dedicated to a 2-star review that the show received from Richard Bath from Scottish Field, a man who had already received quite a bit of ridicule from the Production Team over at Stamptown after he gave them a one-star review. Both Stamptown and Shitty Mozart brand the reviewer “Dick Bath” and use some truly brutal pull quotes, with Nemo choosing to go for the final line from Bath’s review, “This show is perhaps proof that just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.”

Shitty Mozart is a silly yet insanely fun hour of comedy that showcases not only Nemo’s comedic skills but his technical abilities. Whether you’re seeing the Nordic version of Daft Punk or interacting with Balloon Hitler, you’re sure to have a great time. Just don’t expect any classical music - and watch out for the bees!

Shitty Mozart ran until 26 August at Gilded Balloon Patter House - Nip.