Hedwig and the Angry Inch is one of those things that somehow managed to pass me by. When the cult-fave 1998 musical was turned into a film in 2001, I was too busy listening to Destiny’s Child’s Survivor album on repeat and playing with Pokemon cards to really pay attention.
In the almost 20-years since, my knowledge of the musical has been pretty limited to being aware it revolves around gender identity and Neil Patrick Harris starred in a production of the show at one point. Thankfully, that need not matter.
Walking into HOME Manchester’s theatre, everything about the auditorium screams 80s punk rock - mullets, acid wash jeans and spandex all optional - and I am instantly made aware of where I am. Described as a cross between ‘a musical, a cabaret and a stream of consciousness’, Hedwig is, quite proudly, an odd one.
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The show is not, as it might seem on first instances, about an owl suffering with an untoward ruler. Instead, the show tells the tale of Hedwig, a ‘hedonistic genderqueer anti-heroine’ rockstar who takes on a journey of self-discovery while, at the same time, seems hellbent on absolute chaos.
Taking on the titular role is none other than RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Divina de Campo. Anyone already aware of Divina knows they can sing but, woah, can they SING. With this being my first introduction to the world of Hedwig, Divina embodies the role. They ooze the rockstar persona, the outrageousness and the stage presence needed to take on such a huge role - constantly sizzling in beauty and admiration.
Essentially one big monologue - with stadium rock numbers littered throughout - Divina owns the stage. From the moment Hedwig first appears, the audience is enthralled. And even more so when a dazzling stars-and-stripes cape opens up to reveal the statement ‘gender is a construct’.
What we gather pretty soon enough is that we, as the audience, are in the crowd of a Hedwig gig - at Rochdale Community Centre perhaps, the main character jokes - where the titular rockstar is joined by musical companions The Angry Inch. The band is led by music supervisor and musical director Alex Beetschen on keys, with Frances Bolley on lead guitar, Isis Dunthorne on drums and Jess Williams on bass. And yes, they play live.
Also joining Hedwig is trusty companion Yitzhak, played by Elijah Ferreira, who often faces the brunt of Hedwig’s frustration and anger. Yitzhak is essentially someone we can’t help feeling a tad bit sorry for - as much as he might not want us to. It's a supporting role, for sure, but Elijah makes for a strong stage presence with plenty of wit and charm.
Hedwig does not beat around the bush when it comes to talk of gender identity and transition. We learn that East German Hedwig ends up having a sex reassignment surgery in order to please their one-time lover. But the surgery goes wrong, leaving Hedwig with a ‘one inch mound of flesh’.
Here there in, the show takes a deep, dark turn as Hedwig questions what everything means - the origins of love, who they really are, who they want to be and where they want to be. It’s hard not to resonate with at least one of the questions of self-doubt.
Dazzling and well-considered set pieces, courtesy of Ben Stones, make sure the staging never becomes boring and is a perfect transportation to an 80s diva bar. How different elements of the stage take on new meaning throughout the show should also be commended.
Back to Divina, who leaves everything on stage with no emotion left unturned. From singing about being ‘a walk-on role in the script to your long, long grift’ in one moment to straddling the stage in an over-vamped rock number the next, there are many layers to Divina’s take on Hedwig. It's a star turn and one that could see Divina being booked and highly blessed for a long time coming.
Directed by Jamie Fletcher, Hedwig and The Angry Inch is ultimately a story of self-discovery. There’s a real sense of resilience, despite the hurdles, throughout and it’s one that feels incredibly apt and necessary today. Right now, many young trans and non-binary people face abuse and anger simply for being themselves and it’s hard to imagine that not sometimes taking its toll.
While never shying away from the harsh realities of gender identity and transition, Hedwig is an inspirational tale of battling through the self-doubt to make it out better at the other end. And, actually, that’s something that we could all do with being reminded about right now.
For someone who has never seen Hedwig And The Angry Inch before, consider me sold. I’m now humming the songs, putting on my best East German accent and looking at gummy bears in a completely different light. More fool me for not discovering the world of Hedwig sooner.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch runs at HOME until May 11. Tickets here.
