Todd is young man who has been chosen by God to start a new religion. Todd & God is a solo performance (although this is not strictly true) from Richard Marsh. The protagonist is actually joined onstage by the voice of God (whose vocals are supplied by spoken word artist and performer Sara Hirsch). God gives advice, makes jokes, assists and at times torments Todd. If he is the chosen one, then it is not going to be an easy ride.
The performance feels like a fantastical Richard Curtis movie played out onstage. Todd is a fumbling and confused protagonist, very much in the same vein as Hugh Grant in his many Richard Curtis collaborations. The story is set in London and features an ensemble of characters that are all played by Marsh (excluding God of course). He has an aptitude for taking on various roles and makes use of his vocal delivery and abilities as a performer to help distinguish between the characters.
Although it is very well performed by Richard Marsh and Sara Hirsch, Todd & God feels a bit too predictable and familiar. The words are delivered with style and the show works very well when it veers into spoken word performance (Richard Marsh is a slam poetry champion). Here poetry and rhymes are employed to express emotion and feelings and the show hits a nice and easy flow. However, it is the story itself that lacks mystery and imagination and offers very little in drama. Todd & God does ask big questions around love and religion, but the quirky tone removes any excitement and intrigue that could be experienced. This is unfortunate as the performers seem like they could easily deliver a more enthralling story if given half the chance, as their talents with words are obvious.