I have to admit that going into this event I was probably most excited to see my good friend Ice Armour not only perform but also make their hosting debut and they did not disappoint! You absolutely could not tell that this was their first time hosting a show as they seemed totally relaxed and comfortable with a mic in their hand and bantering with members of the audience. I cannot fathom pulling triple duty with organising, hosting and performing during a show however they did not seem fazed in the slightest. From the moment Ice walked onto the stage, the audience knew they were in for an absolute spectacle. You cannot help but be transfixed by their flawless makeup to incredible hair (both of which they do themselves!) the striking image of beauty teases the incredibly high standard Ice sets for themselves. Their first performance was paid homage to another drag icon that being winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race All-Star 3 winner Trixie Mattel with their song “All I Want for Christmas is Nudes.” While I have heard the original Marie Carey version on repeat for almost three weeks now I was happy to hear something slightly different. Ice was able to perfectly capture the overwhelming comedy with this number with many comedic moments scattered throughout. Throughout the evening Ice used every inch of the stage including one insane moment where they leapt from the stage into the audience into a split which was absolutely incredible!
Going into the show Myst Fortune was one of the few performers I was not particularly familiar with. However, they were one of the most captivating and mesmerising performers I have seen in a very long time. Despite me having literally no idea of the song accompanying the performance, I found myself totally drawn into the dance-heavy act. They graced the stage in head-to-toe white as if portraying some sort of snow person but the massive spikes some to tease heavy rock elements which along with the song choice went over really well with the heavy rock crowd at Fuel. Myst Fortune is clearly a very talented dancer as every single one of their movements were purposeful and elegant and the more intensely choreographed sections were incredible to watch. They used every inch of the stage as well as a plethora of levels to keep the audience excited, engaged and entertained! Just under a year ago, I attended my second ever transition event (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/02/19/transition-2-event-review/) which is a bi-monthly event hosted by drag king sensation Justin Drag! My second time at this event was when I was able to meet the amazing AliBama for the first ever time. It is so incredible to see how much Ali has grown since her spoken word performance about her own gender identity at Transition to performing an over-the-top portrayal of kidnapping Santa Claus at Cabaret of Queerosities. Joined by Anniben dressed as Santa, AliBama delivered an eccentric rendition of Something in Your Eyes by Steps (who we were lucky enough to meet at Brighton Pride which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/08/08/brighton-pride-day-one-experience-review/) where she was keeping Santa as hostage. Both Anniben and AliBama clearly have a fantastic relationship on and off stage with both creating the most over-the-top facial expressions and reactions which made for a very entertaining performance. While kidnapping Santa is not on the top of everyone’s Christmas traditions this unique spin made for a very unique and exciting addition to the festivities!
If you are in any way shape or form connected to the drag scene here in Cardiff then you will would have at least heard of the incredible Anniben. They are the alternative drag clown that is taking the drag scene by storm and in fact, if you have watched our recent interview with Tik Tok icon Catrin Feelings (which you can watch at https://youtu.be/kNcQ0CmlvgE?si=i9qjtuD3X9sKgBdd) talked about how talented the aforementioned self-confessed drag clown truly is! With all this hype being built up over many months I was concerned that Anniben would not meet the excitement but I could not have been more wrong! I actually think they surpassed the already extremely high expectations which is no easy feat! After appearing as a hostage Santa during AliBama’s act, Anniben graced the stage in his festive attire and delivered a unique drug-fuelled, frantic Santa routine where they performed with every fibre of their being. It is clear that Anniben is a very talented performer as they utilise every part of their body from facial expressions, to how they stand/move around the space to the placement of their hands to create an incredible and engaging performer. This track transitioned into the iconic “Rush” by Troye Sivan as Santa discovered poppers. At this point, Anniben revealed the words naughty boy blazen across his chest, went into the audience and danced with selected audience members (which I was lucky enough to be one of!) This routine came to an end with a series of tricks including a death drop which the audience went absolutely crazy for! The entire performance was clearly very well thought out which made for a very exciting and engaging act for the audience to witness!
The person who I have probably known for the longest is the incredible Chae with a C who is a relatively new performer in the drag scene. Before their top three finalists (and Mrs Congeniality) run in Etta’s drag marathon, Chae and I chatted about how they wanted to be known for a sillier perspective of drag and if this performance is anything to go by they have got it down to a tee! Their first act began with a game of pass the parcel which included prizes such as a screw, lube and condoms as well as Santa beards which encouraged audience members to get on the stage to reveal what they had one. While I had never played Pass the Parcel at a drag show before, I think this is a trend that is going to very quickly take over the scene based on the reactions from the audience. The crowd were also treated to a performance of Chae’s iconic remix of “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League which talked about working as an elf in the North Pole. While the lyrics in this version are fairly stripped back (in fact it was just “I was working as an elf in the North Pole …. In the North Pole” with the pronoun changing every so often) but the simplicity meant that the audience was able to very quickly learn the lyrics and sing along! Even in the very short time, Chae has been doing drag, they seem to have mastered the art of audience participation as the crowd were singing along and doing the actions despite many people only hearing the song for the first time during this show. Their final act was also a remix but this time it was the iconic “These boots are made for walking” by Nancy Sinatra (which Chae has been known to frequent during Karaoke nights) but with a Christmas twist. At one point in the number I was given a confetti cannon to pull at any point but sadly something went wrong meaning that it do not go off as planned which may have slightly dampened the end of the performance so if you are reading this Chae I do apologise!
The next performer is someone whom I have been following on Instagram for a very long time Ella Menopea. They started their set with a live rendition of the iconic “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carrie which sounded absolutely amazing. This then transitioned into a heavy rock-infused dance break which the audience appeared to love! Their second track of the evening was a booze-infused rendition of the “12 Daze of Christmas” originally performed by Faye McKay. This number saw the performer getting progressively more and more drunk as they attempted to recite the song (which I must confess I struggle with sober never mind drunk) and Ella delivered a wonderfully comedic and entertaining performance which had the audience in fits of laughter throughout. What was particularly clever about this performance is the fact that Ella decided to get Chae to help with this performance. The majority of the Cardiff scene knows Chae as one of the iconic shot sellers in the local gay bars so having them support this act was a nice and clever little fourth wall break. As the number progressed, Ella was taking more and more shots leading to her becoming more and more drunk leading to her ‘throwing up’ in a bucket which was met by laughter from the audience!
One of my favourite performances of the entire evening came from a queen I actually was not too familiar with before this show. Brey K Hart who graced the stage in a red outfit covered in gorgeous chains and spikes which to me was giving the initial ghost in The Christmas Carol due to the chains. The actual performances started with a live rendition of Santa Baby (which we recently saw performed by the incredible Llewelyn at Festive frolics which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/12/10/festive-frolics-production-review/) but this song quickly transitioned into the wonderful Sugar Daddy from the musical Hedwig and the angry inch! Not only did this transition make sense from a narrative perspective as both songs are about receiving gifts from an older gentleman but they were both excellently performed! The rock infusions of the latter song went down excellently well with the heavy rock club crowd and as a musical theatre fan I loved hearing a lesser-known musical get some appreciation! It has been a long couple of months since I last saw the amazing Jessica Rarebit (the last time was probably at Brighton Pride which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/08/08/brighton-pride-day-one-experience-review/) so it was fantastic to see them featured in a Cardiff show! Jessica is very clearly also a musical theatre fan so seeing her perform “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher” from the musical Billy Elliot was absolutely brilliant! While the song itself is very politically fuelled, Jessica found a way to make it comedic and entertaining while still offering a critique on the many questionable choices the former ruler made. I am also aware that for Halloween Jessica went out dressed as the aforementioned Iron Lady which adds an additional layer of context for those who have been following her goings-on recently. Her second performance was of the better-known Christmas classic “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time” by Band-Aid which she performed absolutely flawlessly. This track was very clearly a crowd pleasure as the audience shouted the lyrics at the top of their lungs which was a fantastic way to get everyone into the Christmas spirit!
Overall, cabaret of queerosities was a unique fusion of drag/heavy rock and Christmas which on paper should not work but when translated to the stage absolutely does! On a personal note, it was so heartwarming to see so many of my own friends on stage doing what they love as it was most first time watching them perform and I was absolutely blown away. I would rate this production 4.5 stars out of 5 and I have a sneaky suspicion that there are some more shows to come from Ice and the team in the near future so make sure you stay up to date with Cabaret of queerosities at https://www.instagram.com/the_cabaret_of_queeriosities?igsh=aTY1ZGZiY3F5cnVj
Rhysreviews 
4 Comments