This alternative take on the New Testament will likely not be everyone’s cup of woe. According to Will McDowell’s comic play, Judas Iscariot, he of the 30 pieces of silver and the treacherous kiss, didn’t hang himself or burst open in a field, but survived to spill the tea in a tacky TV studio on Calvary, a few days after the resurrection. There is a lot at stake, not least for the show’s sozzled host Simona Tonight (Beth Mullen), currently in the ratings doldrums, and Judas himself (Nicholas Alexander) who arrives radiating Disney prince charm and a certain, understandable caginess.

The show feels very close in tone to the cheeky audacity of Horrible Histories, albeit with added sexual innuendo and artery-hardening measures of camp. What is essentially an extended sketch is broken up by cutaways to other post-ascension telly parodies, including a news bulletin featuring horny presenters and a spoof holiday programme. There are some clever hooks and allusions along the way and a semi-serious point to be made about cancel culture and the vagaries of celebrity. Judas Exclusive shows promise, even if the funny premise gets stretched thin over the course of an hour.

Judas Exclusive, Zoo Southside, until 30 August, 7.10pm. 

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