Review: Drag Stars UK at The Rechabite
Drag Stars UK at The Rechabite
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
9.5/10
At a difficult time for Drag globally with anti drag laws coming into effect in the states and with one of our own being targeted locally for their work with Drag Storytime, it wasn’t lost on the crowd at the Drag Stars UK show how important the night’s proceedings would be. You could feel the anticipation in the air, both of excitement for the show and a collective knowing of how lucky we are to have a space for such artistic expression.
We began the evening with local legend and MC for the evening Fay Rocious, who is known in Perth for being a fierce lip syncer, and an incredibly quick on her feet and welcoming host. They certainly didn’t disappoint leaving the crowd at The Rechabite feeling pumped for some quality UK drag, and united through their thoughtful words.
First Queen to the stage, Irish lass Jonbers Blonde treated us to a dramatic and heartfelt performance of The Cranberries’ Zombie, complete with what seemed a near collision with the front row, turning the splash zone into a war zone. However this queen is a pro and was expertly in control the entire time for this breathtaking stunt.
After each performance Fay joined the Queens on stage for a little ‘how do you do’ and some some Aussie slang questions, giving the evening a more relaxed and intimate feel.
Cheddar Gorgeous’ creepy, quirky number began simply with crackling audio reciting and conjuring up Bloody Mary. However, when Cheddar took the stage cloaked in darkness only to pull a fast one on the crowd with Destiny’s Child Say My Name, the tension breaking moment of comedy genius really set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Black Peppa did what Black Peppa does best; lip syncing hard to a Beyonce megamix with precision moves and the most captivating eyes; drawing in and holding the attention from front row to the back walls.
Winner of Season Four UK Drag Race Danny Beard wowed the crowd with their live vocal stylings singing Adele’s Rolling In The Deep. We knew from their time on Drag Race that Danny was a comedy queen, but what wasn’t made clear to everyone before is just how good they are at singing live while still being fully in the moment with their hilarious crowd work.
Cheddar’s second performance was more of an impactful think piece. Beginning with floral themed songs to match her yellow garment, then a reveal to having a third eye during Sunglasses at Night, they moved into a spoken word piece from 1976 film Network, which was unnervingly relevant still, with the crowd joining in for ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.’ It was a loveable moment where drag and rebellion met.
Jonbers’ second lip sync of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball was a crowd pleaser, and Peppa somehow pulled yet more flips and twists out of her bag of tricks.
Danny Beard brought the feel-good times with a sing-along of Bohemian Rhapsody uniting the crowd and reminding us of the joy in life and drag.
After another stellar performance from the evening’s hostess Fay, and an Aussie custom shoey for all and sundry from Jonbers’ Louboutin, it was time for one final group performance of their Drag Race finale song, complete with surprisingly elegant crowd surfing.
It was an evening full of all the best elements of drag; killer lip syncs, quick-witted crowd work, sparkly getups, education and rebellion, and most importantly community, solidarity, and a message of love.
LIANA KELLY