We’ve been to many Drag Queen shows over the years, and what we love about them is you know exactly what you’ll get. Music – occasionally lip-synched. Fashion – some of the best dresses and heels you’ll see anywhere. And inevitably a really good laugh – sometimes at the audiences expense. So, coming into DEATH DROP, the Drag Queen (and King) murder mystery play, was a whole new experience.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, although the trailer and images from the show gave me a good idea. I was also fortunate enough to interview two of the stars recently (more of that shortly), so I had an inkling as to what was coming.
For the uninitiated, imagine all the elements of a regular Drag Queen show, throw in a little pantomime flamboyance, and actually a proper whodunit and we reckon you know what lies ahead at the New Theatre in Cardiff.
Here’s a look at the brand new trailer first………..
The show was written by HOLLY STARS, who also stars in the show, although to be fair, there isn’t one main star, everyone is equally cast.
There are lots of familiar faces from the telly, but you don’t need to have seen, or indeed know anything about RuPaul’s Drag Race to appreciate them and their talent. There was however, a fair sprinkling of fans in the audience, eager to see their favourite contestants from the show. As each of them came on stage there was a cheer and gasp, as much for the cast as the glamorous costumes they wore.
There’s RA’JAH O’HARA, KAREN FROM FINACE, WILLAM and VINEGAR STROKES, all of whom made an impact in the RuPaul series. Holly has also recruited some of the finest talent from the UK drag scene too. The Kings, GEORGIA FROST and RICHARD ENERGY are a brilliant addition to the show.
APPLE DERIERRES is understudy, and although we didn’t see her, we’re sure Apple will be a real peach.
Going to DEATH DROP is not a passive experience. Drag Queens are never averse to a little audience interaction, and despite the storyline and script, as a member of the audience you will feel part of the show, and occasionally be playfully picked upon by various members of the cast.
Holly describes the show as a Dragatha Christie Murder Mystery, and there’s a tiny part of me would like to think that Ms Christie, with her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world’s longest-running play – The Mousetrap, would have had a little chuckle along at this show.
The story is everything you want from a Drag Queen murder mystery.
It seems brilliantly obvious to set it in 1991. A time when Bryan Adams was doing Everything For You. John Major was keeping the country afloat and Robert Maxwell was found floating in the sea, having apparently fallen from his yacht. Freddie Mercury sadly died, the number of people using the internet touched 1 million, and more importantly to the Death Drop story, it was the 10th anniversary of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding.
A party of guests are invited, actually let’s make that summoned to Tuck Island – obviously it’s mysterious and isolated, it is a murder mystery after all. It’s then we meet the slightly outdated 80s popstar Shazza (Willam). The weathergirl Summer Raines (Ra’Jah O’Hara). Karen From Finance is the newspaper editor Morgan Pierce from the World of the News and Vinegar Strokes is a mighty fine Lady Von Fistenburg.
The male characters are OTT and hilarious, played superbly by Georgia Frost who is Phil Maker and Richard Energy who is one of my favourite characters, the Conservative MP Rich Whiteman.
From there, secrets are revealed, questionable pasts are uncovered and with a generous amount of finger-pointing and speculation. The story moves along to the inevitable, and cleverly played out climax of just whodunit. Along the way, guests are shot, poisoned, choked and even get the chop – never has a stage death been so funny. In that respect, the story did keep me guessing till the very end.
The set is fairly straight forward, but perfect for the story. Death Drop is absolutely about the characters rather than clever scenery. The use of sound is really good, and will get you jumping from your seat on more than a few occasions. There are some nice little early 1990’s touches too, the obvious Charles & Diana portrait, the hostess trolley, which brought back a few childhood memories, and don’t we all miss the rotary dial phone?
Everything is taken straight from the pages of a classic murder mystery, put together with Holly’s comic touch and talent. She plays the three (yes three) Bottomley sisters: Brie, Blue and Spread, and is a show stealer every time she takes to the stage.
But what is nice about this piece is that everyone gets a ‘fair shout’, it really is a true ensemble piece.
From the moment the show opens, and it is long, so grab a pee and your breath first, because you’ll need it. It doesn’t stop from start to finish. The jokes come thick and fast, there’s innuendos aplenty, the cast never miss an opportunity to ‘slip one in’ (like that). It has song and dance (and the songs and singing are top-notch), tongues twisters and 90s references, meaning you’ll need to keep your wits about you to catch them all – or go see it twice.
By the way, the tongue-twister scene is really funny, and one of the highlights for me.
What is worth remembering, and it’s KAREN FROM FINANCE who told us this during our recent interview, ‘it’s not the people in the show playing the roles, it’s actually their Drag personas‘. Add to that a bit of gender role flipping throughout the show, and your mind will be well and truly scrambled.
Death Drop is a great evening out. The audience laughed in all the right places, and a few which were a little ‘off script’ and I laughed along with them too. I even found myself singing along to songs I’d never heard before – yes they are that catchy.
Yes, there are more than a few poo jokes and occasional sexual references, but they are there as part of the flow, and not just for the hell of it. And to be honest, the show is all the better for them. It cleverly references recent news events, while never slipping out of the 1991 setting. And of course, the costumes are great, but then we wouldn’t expect anything else from a Drag Queen show.
Simply put – Death Drop is a Killer Show, with a Dead Funny cast.
DEATH DROP is at the New Theatre in Cardiff for the rest of this week till Saturday 23rd October. It plays at 8pm each evening, except Friday when it starts at 8:30pm. There’s a 5pm matinee on Friday, and 4pm on Saturday. You can find out more, and get your tickets HERE.
To take a look at our interview with HOLLY STARS and KAREN FROM FINANCE from the show, just go HERE.
