Men dressing as women is not a new phenomenon. Danny La Rue, Lily Savage, Dame Edna – they have been names well known by everyone for many years. We are also very used to extrovert, over the top panto dames. I guess the main difference now with drag performers is the realism with which they design their costumes and perform. Many intrepid traveller returned with awkward stories of Far Eastern ladyboys but nowadays there are truly some performers that might make you look twice. I’m not going to get into the the psychology or motivation behind it all but suffice to say drag is here to stay. Ru Paul has no doubt helped its segue into mainstream entertainment and the ongoing popularity of Ru Paul’s Drag Race with all ages, genders and orientations means theatre companies like Tuck Shop will become more commonplace. Imagine ten, twenty years back having a drag performance in a West End theatre. Times have changed, and for the better.
Drag Me to the Musicals was the last in a series of performances from Tuck Shop at The Garrick. As the name suggests it was a night of musical numbers by leading drag performers. These ladies are a bit like musical theatre stars – they are all-rounders: singing, dancing, acting; not to mention makeup and costume. If you’ve watched Drag Race, you will know they have to turn their hand to a lot of skills.
In this COVID restricted time (first time in a theatre for over 18 months – and have I missed it!), there are no programmes still and my ageing memory cannot remember who sang what, so I’ll applaud them all generally. Also knowing one of the cast, I wouldn’t want to be accused of favouritism or nepotism!
I loved it all – the cheeky banter, the filthy insinuations, sparkle, silicon and so much more. If you love musical numbers, you’re unlikely not to love this show. A bit of glamour and entertainment after months of Lockdown drudgery is just what we all need. Some costumes were better than others, some sang live, some mimed. None of it mattered. It all made the audience cheer and everyone was on their feet for the unsurprising surprise encore.
If you’ve never been to a show with drag performers, give it a go. I truly believe they might take over from panto dames (as long as they can reign in the filth for family performances) as the former seem rather dated these days. With even queen of the dames Christopher Biggins edging toward retiring his wigs and heels, their days must be numbered. Theatre is constantly evolving and as we approach a society where LGBTQ+ gains its rightful place, drag performers provide a delightful bridge from old to new and a comfortable window into a different but everso exciting world.
If you don’t like musicals or sparkles, this probably isn’t the show for you.
Above: Alyssa Edwards in Alyssa Memoirs of a Queen! Photo: Pamela Raith Photography
A tornado of a drag show!
There will be two types of reviewers for Alyssa, Memoirs of a Queen!; those who are huge fans of now-cult TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race, and those who are coming at it from a place of curiosity but with little knowledge. I fall into the first category, so was totally gagged to take my seat at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Even those who aren’t fans of Drag Race will no doubt have heard of it. There are 13 US series on Netflix, and two UK series on BBC iPlayer. Alyssa Edwards (a.k.a. Justin Johnson) appeared on series five in America and finished sixth, but has since become one of the most popular queens from the show.
Alyssa is a powerhouse of beauty, style, talent and, of course, a nice chunky bit of ego. She remarked several times that she’s her own biggest fan, and why not? The most famous line from Drag Race host RuPaul Charles is “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” and I’m completely here for it.
The show is peppered with gloriously camp musical numbers and although Alyssa’s lip syncing isn’t 100% perfect, it really didn’t matter. A professional dancer (she owns a dance school in her hometown of Mesquite, Texas), you can’t take your eyes off her kicks, spins and splits. Even the four hunky dancers (Austyn Farrell, Luke Vella, Alex Brown and Billy Sawyer), who were on point throughout the whole show, didn’t steal focus for me.
In between numbers, Alyssa engages the audience like she’s known them for years, sharing tales of how she came out to her (very supportive) grandma and what it was like growing up with four younger sisters. The chats are freewheeling and at times, almost scatty in nature, but this makes it all the more real.
During act two, non-Drag Race fans will definitely struggle to keep up, as in-jokes and fellow contestants’ names are thrown around like confetti and in quick succession. For me, it was tantalising to get a glimpse behind the scenes of a world I would love to be part of, but if you’re a fan of a structured, scripted show, these segments will probably drive you a little round the bend.
It’s not all rainbows, glitter and gossip however. Act one’s closing number sees Alyssa strip out of an amazing OTT outfit into a simple gold dressing gown and black turban. The contemporary dance that follows is quite moving; with Justin’s bare male chest on show, it blurs the lines between masculine and feminine, proving that Alyssa really is as fearless as she makes out. It was a special and more still moment in the middle of a tornado of a show.
Memoirs of a Queen isn’t perfect, but it’s perfectly drag. Alyssa Edwards has created a show in which she can be true to herself, doing exactly what she wants to do and the audience lap it up. The art of drag has exploded over the last decade, stepping into the light of mainstream TV and theatre. Memoirs of a Queen is yet another rung on the ladder of drag’s meteoric rise and I defy anyone to leave the theatre not wishing that, even just for a second, they could be a beautiful, sparkly drag queen.
