We at Rhys Reviews are so overjoyed by the fact that there seems to be an influx of competitions that shine a light on local drag performers. While shows such as Ru Paul’s Drag Race are wonderful entertainment, we think it is so important to support local, up-and-coming drag performers as without them shows such as Drag Race would not exist! Recently we have had competitions such as Kings royal variety show (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/10/kings-royal-variety-show-week-5-production-review/) or Eagles got Talent (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/17/eagles-got-talent-production-review/) and now we have the amazing Draglings organised by the Queer Emporium! This event is designed to promote local queer talent and this interaction was dedicated entirely to the art form of drag.
Hosting this entire event was the fabulous Catrin Feelings (you can check out our interview with Catrin at https://youtu.be/kNcQ0CmlvgE?si=eZn7foS679HtO-c5) who is someone we have followed for a long time but have never actually see perform before! Having Catrin host this entire event was particularly special as Draglings was an event she took part in early in her drag career. Catrin clearly embedded this fact into her performance as she decided to redo her performance of the iconic “Telephone” by Lady Gaga which she performed during her appearance at Draglings. At one point in the song, Catrin used the song to make a conscious effort to build up excitement for the rest of the event which was a flawless blend of performer and host which was a very clever inclusion! On top of this homage to her original performance at Draglings, Catrin also decided to include an entire verse in Welsh and we think that any time my national language can be promoted is absolutely fantastic! The second performance we saw from Catrin Feelings was a wonderfully camp performance of Wings by Little Mix (which is actually the group that inspired her drag name which you can learn more about in our interview.) The audience clearly loved this performance as they roared the lyrics back at the performer! In terms of hosting itself, Catrin paid homage to the iconic Davina McCall on Big Brother with the repetition of the “Do you fancy another one” which had the audience in hysterics each and every time!
The first newbie drag performer is the incredible Matt Hazzard (who we recently saw at Cabaret of Queerosities which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/03/cabaret-of-queerosities-3-production-reviews/) who appears to be popping up everyone with their unique brand of grotesque, monstrous cabaret style which the audience is always totally transfixed by! Their first performance was Bourbon Streep by Jeff Tuohy which is not a song I am particularly familiar with but the camp and eccentric motifs made it a perfect representation for the type of performer Matt Hazard is! One of my favourite performances of this set however was their rendition of “Get It” from the musical Little Shop of Horrors which worked perfectly with their cabaret-infused performance style. What was particularly impressive was the fact that Matt was able to perform both the Seymour and Audrey two parts in the song with two distinctive voices and styles which was incredible to watch! This song perfectly captured the monstrous and theatrical persona of Matt Hazard with their incredible vocals nailing every single part of the song.
Next up was another queen who I have known (both in and out of drag) and was actually my fellow co-dancer in the king’s royal variety yet I have yet to see them take to the stage for a solo performance. Diva Devine was the first lipsyncer of the evening who opted for “Sometimes” by Brittney Spears which I have to admit was not a song I am particularly familiar with. Diva used every inch of the stage and interacted with key audience members while injecting a wonderful sprinkling of comedy throughout the routine which made for a highly entertaining performance! The highlight of this set however would have to be Diva’s lip-sync performance of the incredible “My Heart Will Go On” by the eccentric Celine Dion which is clearly a song the performer loves as they knew every single performance. They nailed every single word and delivered an incredible lipsync to the track. The familiarity of the song allowed the performer to really emote throughout the track which worked perfectly with the emotional undertones of this iconic song!
Next up was the amazing Phone n Phurter (who you can follow at https://www.instagram.com/phonenphurter?igsh=MmV1MHMxOXl1MnE5) who I have to admit is not a queen I am particularly familiar with before this event but is absolutely someone I will be keeping an eye on going forward. They also decided to do a lip-sync performance and opted for the song mamma mia by the iconic Abba. This routine began with some very character-based acting throughout the song which was highly entertaining but it was the climax of the song that left the audience in total awe. As the music built up and up, Phone pulled off their gloves as a shower of roses exploded into the air which was absolutely spectacular and fitted the song absolutely perfectly! The inclusion of this theatrical spectacular was absolutely amazing and hinted at an almost burlesque (which is an art form we have been absolutely obsessed with since seeing our first burlesque show which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/11/19/del-lightful-debuts-performance-review/) which was something we have not seen so far in this event and so made for a very exciting reveal!
Following phone n Phurter was none other than the brilliant Sue De Crème (who is competing in Eagles Got Talent, which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/17/eagles-got-talent-production-review/) who also seems to be popping up everywhere. This performer has made a name for themselves for showing campy, crowd-pleasers every single week at Eagles and she brought this repetition to this event also. Her first performance was of one of the most camp songs to ever exist “I Will Survive” which is instant bonus points from me! Sue used every inch of both the stage and audience area to interact with key viewers to create a highly immersive and entertaining performance. As this was such a well-known and iconic song the audience got fully involved while roaring the lyrics at the performer showing that this was the perfect choice for the array of people in attendance. Her second performance was of an equally camp song by Abba (which we recently attended an Abba brunch which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/09/24/mama-mia-brunch-experience-review/) which also brought a fantastic sense of disco-tastic fun to the royal Arcade!
Vertigo was up next and she is yet another queen I have known about for a while but have yet to see them perform. They also decided to opt for a Mamma Mia song and controversially went for the exact same song that Phone n Pherter performed earlier in the night. I know if I were in Vertigo’s shoes and realised during the show that someone had already done the song I had chosen it would have sent me into a spin but Vertigo seemed totally unfazed by this! She walked onto the stage and gave the audience the option of either lip-syncing or live singing with the audience choosing the latter so that the performance was slightly different from the one they had seen earlier. I totally understand why Vertigo decided to offer the options to the audience but I do have to say that having the recorded vocals on top of your live singing can be somewhat difficult for the audience to follow! However, Vertigo also used every inch of the stage and audience area while singing live which showed how truly talented this performer is! You can catch Vertigo in her second-ever Cardiff show at Frock n Roll which you can purchase tickets for at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frock-and-roll-tickets-827172594497?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
The audience was then treated to another drag king performer which is fantastic seeing drag kings getting showcased as they are often left out of lineups! The incredible Tucksie who gave a very unique portrayal of ‘The King Welcomes You to Avatar Country’ by Avatar. Donning rainbow suspenders and the most amazing horned top hat, the performer flexed their incredible stage presence that kept the audience entertained throughout! Now this song by Avatar is not a track that I am particularly familiar with and doing a metal song at a drag gig can be quite an unusual choice but this song provided Tucksie a chance to showcase not only their love of the genre but also provided ample opportunities for camp/comedic moments. They used every inch of their body to capture the unique vibe of the song and at one point lipsynced to a metal scream which is something I have never seen before! This drastic change of genre was something unique and exciting for the audience which came at the perfect time in the evening.
Many people may recognise the next performer Faux Fur from her performances alongside the amazing Haus of Deviant (who you can learn more about at https://www.houseofdeviant.com) As her drag haus was not in attendance tonight she decided to showcase a very different style of drag with a totally different name. The routine started with a series of audio clips including that infamous Seth Rogan clip where he asked Ariana Grande if she could live without make-up or her phone with the immensely talented performer putting the podcast host in his place. This transitioned into an insanely powerful routine highlighting the issue of sexism including a moving moment where she paraded around the stage holding a sign that said “My body my choice” which is a very important message now more than ever! This performer also used every inch of the stage and performance message really focused on the message of the routine. One of my other favourite moments in Faux’s routine was when she pulled out a classic clack fan but when she opened it up an eruption of confetti danced across the stage which added a wonderful sense of theatrics on top of this important message!
The final performer of the evening was the wonderful Bella Zebub who delivered one of the cleanest and most clean lip-sync performances of the night. Bella took to the stage in a gorgeous styled red wig and green matching tights/top which gave a much fantasy-inspired look. While showcasing her adorable pixie/elf-inspired outfit, Bella delivered a high-energy rendition of “Easier than Lying” by Halsey and she nailed every single word of the track. This is not a song I know particularly well by it is clear that it is one of Bella’s favourites as not only was she visibly having so much fun but also knew every single word! The end of the routine saw the performer really amp up the energeticness of the performance which was a very bold thing to do as this would be the point when I would start to run out of energy but Bella did not seem fazed in the slightest! One of my favourite moments of the entire routine saw Bella pull out a handful of glitter and launch it into the air causing a beautiful shower of glitter to fall over her during her performance which added the perfect amount of theatrics to this performance.
Overall, draglings is a fantastic opportunity for new drag performers to showcase their talents in front of a supportive and welcoming crowd. Having this event within the royal arcade (the last show we saw here was Transition which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/10/01/transition-event-review/) and hosted by the Queer Emporium means that performers are given a unique experience that is totally safe and protected which is exactly what you need when you are getting on stage for the first time. We saw an array of drag kings and queens each with their own unique performance style that made for a truly exciting experience for the audience. I would rate draglins 4.5 stars out of 5!
Rhysreviews 
3 Comments