Two Hearts has had an impressive rise over the past four years. Real-life couple Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore joined forces in 2017 to create the over-the-top pop duo, playing heightened versions of themselves already convinced of their success and talent the moment they first walked on stage.
Three showson, and their production values have finally caught up with their ambition.
Sitting in Q's Rangitira Theatre for We're Pregnant and the Baby is Music, you could almost believe this was a real concert. The giant screens, the LED lights, the smoke machines; this was probably the most expensive show at this year's Comedy Festival, but it gives the characters of Two Heart their most authentic staging yet for their Madison Square Garden-level ambitions.
While their staging has grown, Two Hearts still delivers the expected comedy pop song brilliance fans have come to expect. Their opening song, Guess Who's Back, was the perfect mix of expertly mastered pop song and sketch show-esque comedy, and was the first sign that their onstage props had a key role to play in the show and weren't just decoration.
Daniel's vocals and Moore's production skills were best highlighted in their newest hits, namely the incredibly catchy Tummy Rose and the poppy ballad The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Their banter between the songs was perfectly scripted and played on their relationship more than ever (there was no actual baby announcement as that was being saved for a Women's Day driftwood photoshoot).
The show also gave each performer a chance to shine, with several solo numbers allowing Moore more of an opportunity to showcase his own vocal/rapping talent, whether it be about oral health or Dave Dobbyn.
Among the new hits were some old favourites given a fresh polish for the bigger stage: their cyber sex ballad worked better with the big screens then it did in 2019, and the "Snyder Cut" of one of their early hits Slutty Ghost was a welcome encore addition alongside the perennial favourite Baby Boomer.
Two Hearts has amassed such a back catalogue that fans can now feel disappointed when a favourite doesn't appear (My fingers were crossed for a reprise of F**k Sarah), but there was rarely a dull moment in this slick, beautifully produced show – all the way up to its Grammy-baiting Christian show complete with backing choir.
We're Pregnant is the perfect example of how far Two Hearts have come (even just down the stairs from Q's Loft), and now they've got the budget to realise their popstar dreams, there's no stopping them.
What: We're Pregnant and the Baby is Music, Two Hearts.
