Review: DRAG BABY, The Pleasance
80’s pop hits play as the audience take their seats and already the energy feels electric. Lu Herbert’s set design gives us the intimate insight of a Drag Queen’s backstage dressing room; the glitz and glamour of feather boas and sequin jackets paired with a messy makeup table and high heels lying haphazardly on the floor. We’re given permission to see behind the curtain, both methaphoically and literally in Grace Carroll’s Drag Baby, a story of identity and chosen family.
Dan (Stephen Cheriton) is a Drag Queen who is destined for fame after treading the boards of London clubs for years. He’s grappled with his sexuality and the idea that he has chosen a life which will never give him things ‘normal’ people can have; true companionship and a family. Drag Baby breaks apart the notion of a traditional family unit and delivers Dan life-altering decisions in the form of his estranged ex-girlfriend Sally (Nicole Evans) who is seeking a sperm donor for herself and her partner Sandra (Amelia Parillon).
The poignancy of the plot is beautifully paired with sharp and witty dialogue, which is most notably brought to life by Nathan (Ché), Dan’s friend and fellow Drag Queen. Ché’s skill-set seems to know no bounds as we watch Nathan’s elevated style of drag; including exceptional choreography and even a huge black dildo. Nathan’s provocative performances differ from Dan’s pop-icon impersonations, but the two characters are united in the struggle of a difficult home life. Dan becomes a kind of mentor to Nathan, more so in their personal lives than on-stage, both having grown up with homophobic fathers and utilising the world of drag as a creative escape.
Drag Baby is as joyous and uplifting as it is emotionally moving, and it feels like there could be and should be more of it to share. The play does seem to end somewhat abruptly and we were left longing for even more insight into the characters and where life will take them next.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Chess Hayden
Drag Baby plays Downstairs at The Pleasance until 22 June. For more information, please click here.
