As soon as I was offered the opportunity to attend the RuPaul’s Drag Race official tour show at the Hippodrome in Bristol, it was the fastest yes I’ve ever given in my life.
Not even a marriage proposal would top that - ever.
Fast-forward to Sunday, March 27, and there I was, starry-eyed and already gobsmacked, at what I was about to witness, and simply braced myself.
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After years of hoping I would get the chance to watch a drag show, I finally did. But never did I expect a drag show of this scale. It was a spectacle.
With the art of drag hitting mainstream in recent times, thanks to Ru and the Drag Race phenomenon, it’s no wonder that when it was time to put on a show, they put on a show alright.
The production didn’t mess about, from start to finish, and neither was what else had unfolded. All 12 twelve queens of the beloved season two cast hit the stage and I was blown away by the range of talent that was on offer.
From lip syncing, comedy, live singing to even pole dancing- the show really did have everything for everyone.
With season two’s reigning queen, Lawrence Chaney, taking lead in the show by starting us off with her unforgettable opening monologue - the entire theatre was roaring with belly laughs, as Lawrence managed to dazzle people into hanging on to her every word.
Despite all the queens doing a brilliant job, I have to say, some of the most fabulous performance acts came from the ones that have been highly underappreciated.
As the first eliminated queen, Cherry Valentine arrived centre stage knowing firmly she had to either bring it all or nothing. And boy, did she bring it and more.
On what might have been a deleted scene from the live action Aladdin flick, Cherry is introduced while reclining onto a chez lounge, while wearing a get-up that can put a Disney princess into early retirement.
The Gypsy Queen did what she came to do with a lip sync show stopping number, as she gyrated her hips to Beyonce and Shakira’s Beautiful Liar- then to seamlessly transition into Christina Milian’s iconic song Dip it Low and for that, I might add, deserves a BAFTA nomination for the song choice alone.
Another queen that deserves all the flowers is Tia Kofi, who might be belting her way to pop superstardom, as I could certainly see her confidence exuded through song and dance.
Also, Tia is straight up hilarious too, so I must know why Tia isn’t on everyone’s favourites list because it’s truly a puzzle.
Other standouts include A'Whora, who flew into the scene as a neon green Starburst princess, and brought Tomorrowland into the Hippodrome as her Europop mega-mix unanimously brought the crowd up on their feet.
There was the outrageously hilarious Ginny Lemon asking for crisps from audience members and she dallied around the stage to launch into her self proclaimed “working class anthem”, as an ‘eff you’ to the bourgeoisie.
Her original ballad, I am Over My Overdraft, was way too painful and realistic for my liking, as I was even tempted to wave my arms in rhythm, clench onto my credit cards, and let the tears stream down my face.
However, as much as there were no crumbs that were left on the plate, I must emphasize that there were two queens who were undoubtedly responsible for serving us with the most face, fashion and funk throughout the entire show.
Of course, I’m referring to my generation’s Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, Tayce and Bimini Bon Boulash.
Firstly I must bow down to her majesty, Queen Tayce, who from the very beginning, commanded the stage through her hypnotic choreography and style that almost drove me to tears.
Meanwhile, during her set, she oozed sex appeal as she performed an empowering anthem for those seeking late night affection that rhymes with ‘smouble lentration’- it was purely excellent and explicit.
I was also truly grateful that while swooshing down a motorized walkway dressed as a glambot from Blade Runner, Tayce strutted without any accidental hazardous trips and falls, as a video on March 26 surfaced on Twitter, demonstrating the Welsh queen unexpectedly slipping off the treadmill in a previous tour gig, much to the audience’s utter shock.
To conclude, Tayce is a superstar. No further discussion. Following the third runner-up, waltzed in Bimini, who has been hailed by the masses as the ‘People’s Winner’ of Season 2, as they turned a 110 year old theatre into the second movie instalment of Hustlers.
Donning leather platform boots, leopard print, fishnet tights and full-on body ody ody on display, Bimini wowed the crowd with their high-risk acrobatic pole dancing full of literal twists and turns while carrying the demeanour of a British punk legend, which is timely seeing that Bimini is indeed an icon on the rise themself.
Compared to the ensemble performance during the first half of the show, where it seemed Bimini was slightly out of sync from the others, they later dominated the stage on their own terms. And honestly? It couldn’t have been any better.
The energy was there, the booty was popping and now the rest of us could sleep better because of it.
Overall, just from overseeing the beautifully diverse crowd of all ages, races and genders, this cast and crew should be extremely proud of being able to bring people together for a night to remember- while putting in the hard work that has transpired into a work of near-perfection.
Lawrence Chaney was quoted as saying earlier in the show that “this is a classy theatre, but we’re not classy people.”
Lawrence and company may be proudly un-classy, but I hope as a collective they can at least accept my compliment when I say that they certainly make up one hell of a class act.
Audiences in Bristol can expect to next witness a Drag Race return on Sunday September 18, as all 12 queens from Season 3 will be performing live on stage at the Hippodrome. For further information on booking tickets online, please click here for more options.
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