It is crazy to think that back in the year 2016, one of the biggest trends taking over the world saw a series of killer clowns take to the streets simply to scare whoever they saw. This obviously left many people terrified to go outside, especially at night time in case one of these frightening figures would be spotted. A year later the horror movie IT: Chapter Two was released (which you can read our review of at https://rhysreviews.com/2019/09/17/it-chapter-two-review/) which further tainted the traditional jovial image of clowning. I have to say that before these two moments in time, I was somewhat indifferent to clowns but have lived through two clown-centric spooks but even I have a hesitancy towards the circus staples. This is why I thought that it was a very bold gamble for Cabaret of Queerosities to host an entire event dedicated to clowns as even though these pop culture moments were almost eight years ago, many people are still uneasy about clowns even today! This would usually be a negative thing but only two of the performers channelled their inner clown and instead, the event focussed on the alternative meaning of “clowning” which is pure silliness. One of our first-ever reviews saw us attend an event organised by the organiser of Cowboys Comedy (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/15/cowboys-comedy-2-production-review/) Jose Fortuna who showcased an entire production around the classic inspirations of the clowning art form in his show Entree (which you can read about at https://getthechance.wales/2019/09/21/review-entree-by-rhys-payne/) which just like this iteration of Cabaret of Queerosities also stayed away from clowns and instead focussed on the art form of clowning. With this in mind, if I by some miracle had found myself as a part of the lineup for this iteration of Cabaret of Queerosities I think I would have gone for a more comedic perspective of the theme. I think I would have tried to bust out my best impression of the disgraced , ex-prime minister of the UK and mixed some of his more eccentric sound bites into some sort of musical performance.
At Rhys Reviews, we have been lucky enough to have been invited for the last four iterations of Cabaret of Queerosities (the latest of which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/02/cabaret-of-queerosities-4-production-review/) which was created and organised by the amazing Ice Amour with the intention of showcase and local/emerging drag performers with no two shows even being remotely the same. Each iteration of the event has contained a different selection of performers, themes and interesting for this event a different host. Usually, these events are hosted by the organiser Ice Amour however, due to factors outside of the world of drag, they have decided to take us at a small break to help focus on themselves and their mental health. Obviously, at Rhys Reviews, we wish them the best, and cannot wait to see them back on the stage. One stay ready to return! The special guest host for this event was none other than the one and only Ivory Glam (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/DkydmBZr3J8?si=rjTMpuLduynZBjde) who seems to be at their strongest when they have a mic in their hand! As this was a more intimate gig, Ivory had to make sure the audience was even more energetic and excited than normal and based on the thunderous applause for every single performer throughout the evening she did this absolutely flawlessly! They also made sure to introduce the performers and make sure the event ran on schedule which added a lot of pressure (considering this is not an event Ivory has run before) by the sharp-tongued talent did not seem fazed in the slightest! On top of cracking hilarious jokes throughout the event, Ivory also treated the audience to a plethora of incredible musical performances. My personal highlight from their set this evening was their rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl the musical (which you recently heard them perform at Sly and you can read about it at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) was absolutely beautiful and she every single note throughout the song. The second act saw Ivory take to the stage and showcase an incredible rendition of the iconic “It’s All Coming Back to me” by Celine Dion which again was an absolute treat for the ears!
The first performer to actually take to the stage was the wonderful drag king Pure Gliss who is someone I have followed for a very long time on social media but have yet to see them perform live. I know that I would personally find the idea of opening a show absolutely nerve-wracking by Gliss did not seem fazed in the slightest. Wearing the most adorable knitted hat, they took to the stage to deliver a beautiful rendition of “The Ballad of Jane Doe” from the musical Ride the Cyclone. This is not a song (or in fact actual musical) I am particularly familiar with but based on how amazing this performance sounded I need to give it more of a listen to. Gliss delivered an incredible and emotionally powerful vocal performance with the higher sections of the song being a personal highlight for us. They decided to strip back on all the theatrics so that the audience could focus solely on how much of a talented vocalist they are and every single second was flawlessly performed! Their second performance was a much more high-energy and striking rendition of “ It’s My Party” which again was an absolute treat for the ears!
It had been a massive two reviews since we have been lucky enough to see the Chae with a C (who we have also interviewed on our YouTube channel which you can watch at https://youtu.be/84KfWuZ8YMU?si=-wMk-b8QoCe0u4Hj) showcase their unique brand of high-energy, camp entertainment but do not fret as she was also a part of the lineup for this clown-inspired event. She graced the stage in an extremely glamorous dress as they delivered a rendition of “The Sparkling Diamond” medley from the iconic Moulin Rogue (which we actually review in London and you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/08/18/moulin-rouge-production-review/) This outfit was then removed to reveal a matching lingerie and boots outfit complete with wonderful hip cages that added the perfect smoking of drama and theatrics to the routine. Their second performance of the evening saw Chae put on another layer of clothing only for it to be revealed a few moments later but the wonderful Khloe Luxx. As we saw during Chae’s recent performance at Frock n Roll at the Bike Lock Cafe (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/23/frock-n-roll-production-review/), Chae has mastered the art of audience participation as she had every single person raising their phone flashlights to fit with the song. The audience went absolutely wild for Chae and their highly entertaining performance!
The next performer to grace the stage was the fabulous Taffy Apple (who we most recently saw them perform as a part of the Del-Fflurs which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/27/del-lightful-debuts-3-production-review/) who decided to lean more into the circus-inspired clownery theme overarching this event. Taffy decided to wear a gorgeous black and white jumpsuit complete with vibrant green hair as she delivered a wonderful rendition of Chilly Down from the iconic Labyrinth movie. Instead of going spooky/scary, Taffy made sure to stay on the approachable side of clowning which also influenced her choice of choreography throughout the routine. They decided to sprinkle a wonderful array of classic , cheesy dance moves which had the audience cheering every single time. This made sense with the classic entertaining influences of clowning which made for a highly entertaining and fun routine which the audience throughly enjoyed!
One of my favourite performances from this evening came from the fantastic Myst Fortune (who we also most recently saw at the aforementioned Sly event) who is usually know for their incredible dance based abilities but decided that Cabaret of queerosities would be the perfect place to showcase their storytelling abilities. Myst , as expected , used every inch of the stage and audience area to create an exciting and immersive performance while still sprinkling in their dance talents They walked onto the stage with a retro-style phone in hand as it began ringing and interrupting their set each time met with a wonderful array of facial reactions from Myst. When the performer eventually answered the phone the performance was mixed with a plethora of popular culture moments such as Peppa Pig sound bites , the viral that’s my opinion moment from the real housewives and many others. Each time the audience went wild as an iconic moment was blasted through the speakers which meant that every time they heard the phone ring they were excited to see what would be next. This performance then transitioned into a performance of “Call me” by Blonde again fitting with the phone storyline being told. It was clear that Myst had carefully thought about not only a cohesive storyline with a fitting song choice but also thought about the audience with which popular culture moments to include in their phone answering sequence.
I am ashamed to admit it as a musical theatre kid but I had only started watching Glee a few years ago when it was added to Netflix. Those who have watched the show will know that one of the most cursed covers to ever come from the Glee franchise would have to be their rendition of the camp classic “Let’s Have a Kiki” by the Scissor Sisters and “Turkey Lurkey Time” from the 1968 musical Promises, Promises. Despite having a star-studded cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, Shangela (from Drag Race season two and all-stars three), Perez Hilton as well as Chris Kolfer and Leo Michelle, this is probably one of the most eccentric performances from any Glee season and she makes it absolutely perfect for a drag performance. At this event, Clair stepped onto the stage with a king black wig and knitted waistcoat which was clearly a tribute to the preppy nature of Lea’s character on the TV show. They channelled the high-energy number of the routine on the show by using every inch of the stage and audience area to create an immersive element to the performance. At one point in the routine, the wonderful Khloe Luxx reappeared on the stage dressed as a turkey and began chasing Clair around the venue which was pure chaotic fun. Their second performance at this event saw them pay homage to the iconic Cila Black (just like how Diva Divine recently did at Sly) Clair took to the stage with a cardboard cut out of the blind date host as she began perform a real-life moment from the show where Cila referred to a guest as Clair with the hair. Taking this one step further Clair Saxa cerise revealed an incredible eccentric hair leotard complete with Googley eyes which had the audience in hysterics throughout.
One of the performers who clearly made a conscious effort to embed themself into the clown theme of this event was the wonderfully talented Matt Hazard. Having seen Matt perform a handful of times (such as at Draglings which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/27/draglins-production-review/) I know they are known for their eccentric, cabaret-style performances but this was a whole other level! Taking to the stage with a massive neon green wig similar to that worn by Denali (who we saw perform live at Pulse a few years ago which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2021/09/22/denali-and-utica-tour-review/) traditional clown make-up, a squeaky horn, mallet, water gun and juggling balls. The routine began with Matt walking through the audience accompanied by “killer clowns from out space” by Dickies which instantly inject the fear factor into the room. What I thought was particularly clever about this look is that Matt had found a way to include UV paint all over his look which under the lights at Fuel looked absolutely amazing. The highlight of this routine came when Matt went back into the audience armed with a can of squirty cream and selected the wonderful Taffy Apple from the crowd and filled there mouth with cream which was a nice blend of classic clowning with a scary twist.
Closing this iteration of Cabaret of Queerosities was the actual, biological mother of the usual host Ice Amour. She took to the stage in a wonderful pink ensemble with the most fantastic sparkly trousers as she delivered two fantastic vocal performances. It was made very clear that Mother Amour’s performance in this event was a last-minute inclusion however she was still able to fit into the clowning theme of this event offering a beautiful rendition of the emotionally powerful “Send in the Clowns” by Judy Collins. Their second song (and final performance of the entire show) saw this performer showcase a totally different style of performance as they tapped into a much more sensual influence but showcased a rendition of “Golden Eye” with a purposeful tease of her dance abilities sprinkled throughout. This more interpretive dance style fitted the song wonderfully and added the perfect amount of theatrics to the performance! Seeing Mother Amour showcase two drastically different performance styles in one set shows clearly where Ice got her versatility from!
Overall, Cabaret of Queerosities: Clowning Around showcased a fantastic variety of interpretations of the theme which was great as I was worried it would just be an evening of scary clowns. Ivory Glam really showcased how much of a wonderful host they are by introducing acts, interacting with the audience and making sure the event ran on time while also treating the audience to a selection of fantastic vocal performances throughout the night. Cabaret of Queerosities continues to be a fantastic platform for new and emerging drag performers which can only benefit the local drag scene! I would rate this event 4 out of 5 stars!
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