It is crazy to think that it has been a massive six months since I was invited to be a special guest judge at the Kings Royal Variety Show (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/25/kings-final-production-review/) and since then I had this longing to back in that seat giving out my oftentimes unwarranted opinions. This is why I was totally ecstatic when I received a rather unusual call from Jolene Dover inviting me to return as a recurring judge for her version of Drag Race. Having been a long-time drag race fan, a massive supporter of local drag and a serial opinion sharer, I could not say yes fast enough! Now in the aforementioned reviews of the Kings Royal variety show, I talked about how I personally thought it was fantastic that the host (also Jolene Dover) would open the show with a musical performance as it not only stopped a new performer from being forced to open the show but also helped to show the contestants the standard of performance that was expected in the competition and Jolene’s drag race was no different! She decided to showcase a rendition of the iconic “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus which showcased just how much of a talented vocalist the Cardiff drag staple truly is. She used this number to demonstrate a wonderful array of vocal riffs that were flawlessly executed! Not only this but she was also able to inject the perfect amount of camp comedy into the routine which the audience absolutely loved. As this was the first week of the competition Jolene also introduced the audience to the format of the competition and explained that each performer would do a three-minute performance that helped to explain to the audience who they were as a drag performer and then would take part in a runway where they had to portray their hometown which again allowed the audience to learn more about the performers. The structure of Jolene’s drag race obviously takes inspiration from Ru Paul’s drag race so the audience can easily follow the competition and understand what is happening at each point.
The first performer to take to the stage was the wonderful Glas (who we actually interviewed on our YouTube channel which you can listen to at https://youtu.be/P0NNhFxySD4?si=2VOb5SvSxH1pCON7) who has built a name for herself a talented musical theatre vocalist and so it made total sense when she announced that she would be singing “You’ll be back” from Hamilton. The very first time I saw Glas perform was at the first ever Hell Haus Show (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/10/23/hell-haus-production-review/) where she also did this song however this rendition was met with some backlash online surrounding the colonialist undertones of the number in the musical. I thought it was very clever that Glas acknowledged this before her performance with a pre-prepared speech explaining that this is simply a song she likes from a musical she enjoys which matched her voice well and has no reflection on her own personal/political views. While Glas is usually known for being a more reserved person generally, this pre-able allowed her to let her guard down and really step into the performance. I have to say that this extra confidence and stage presence made for a very entertaining performance and I’m fact I would probably say this is one of my favourite performances I have ever seen from Glas! For her hometown hero look for the runway section of the evening Glas decided to pay homage to the comedic icon Tommy Copper with an incredible sparkly suit (which I would in fact like to buy off her) complete with the classic red Tommy Copper Fez. Now I didn’t not know that just like Glas, Tommy Copper came from Caerphilly and so not only was this a good look but also had an element of education to it which I always enjoy!
The second performer to take to the stage was the fabulous Bella Stronza who was one of the few performers to grab the mic before their performance to deliver a little speech about their love life which tied into their song choice perfectly! I thought it was a fantastic choice to deliver a performance of the iconic “HOT TO GO” by the incredible Chapel Roan which instantly had the entire audience engaged from the moment the very first note started playing. This is clearly a song that Bella also really enjoys as they nailed every single word of the song and used every inch of the stage to create an engaging and exciting performance. I do think that there was an opportunity for Bella to get more involved in her routine as this was such a recognisable song with an iconic dance sequence which could have been explained to the audience. For her runway presentation this week Bella paid homage to her coal mining heritage with a beautiful, hand-made black outfit complete with a coal-infused corset. She also cleverly used coal on in her hair to create this extremely interesting and unique look!
During the aforementioned Kings Royal Variety show I was introduced to the charismatic My Liege. She also entered Jolene’s drag race and in the first week of the competition proved that there truly is no one like My Liege! Taking to the stage on the backs of one of our close friends and donned a unique ET mask and so from the moment her performance was announced we knew we were in for something unexpected. What I thought was particularly clever about this routine is that My Liege had clearly considered the song choices to fit with the overarching ET entrance as they all referenced a phone of some sort. This had an extra layer of intrigue for us as this was a similar motif of their Sly performance (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) which we never actually got to see due to the technical issue the event experienced! Not only this by My Liege decided to showcase an array of theatrics including stunts and a unique costume reveal which the audience went absolutely wild for! For her hometown hero look, My liege decided not to pay homage to a specific person but instead a stereotype of Bridgend where she is originally from. At first glance, I thought that both the hair and makeup were very messy but I very quickly this was intentional and fitted with the character she was portraying. She decided not to do the usual model strut you would see on a drag race catwalk but instead did a rather stiff and frantic walk which made sense when I finally realised what her outfit was actually channelling. She took to the stage in an outfit adorned with an array of recreational drug-taking objects such as keys, bags and weed leaves including a puff of white powder smeared across her face. Trailing behind her outfit, however, was my favourite part of the outfit as she had cleverly sewn together a collection of bags (all containing a white power) together to create a very artistic cape which in my opinion completed the look as a whole.
The fourth queen to take to the stage is the fabulous Carrie Sauce (who we interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/Fc83Ti_ifmY?si=MMbxiX5bc5oKtdhG) who is also the reigning winner of the Kings Royal Variety Show. While the only thing these two competitions have in common is the location they take place in and some reoccurring judges (myself included) but there is an extra pressure as people already have an extremely high expectation for Carrie Sauce. I thought it was extremely clever for Carrie to play to her strengths and showcase her incredible operatic vocals as this is what she has become known for on the Cardiff Scene. Her rendition of “Oh Mio Babbino Caro” really demonstrated how much of a talented vocalist she is while also standing out from the other competitions as no one else went down that style of performance. For the runway portion of her presentation, Carrie decided to pay homage to her hometown Clevedon and specifically the Curzon cinema which is the longest-running cinema in the country. She took to the stage dressed as a classic usherette complete with a tray full of assorted snacks and a gorgeous stoned, sculpted wig that looked amazing on her! This look and performance really captured the theatrical aspect of Carrie’s character while playing to her strengths with a wonderfully performed operatic showcase!
Next to the stage was the incredible, drag king Sar Chasm (who we most recently saw at the SLY show which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) who has grown tremendously since that performance. Despite being relatively new to the world of performing, Sar Chasm is able to draw in the audience from the moment they step onto the stage and maintain their attention till the very last moment of their routine. Before starting their actual performance, Sar Chasm announced that the song they were planning on doing had already been performed in part by My Liege earlier in the show and I knew that if it was me who had to take to the stage after someone had already done my song, I would have fallen to pieces but Sar was able to deal with this both hilariously and professionally. They had mixed the Shirley Bassey classic with cost-of-living-related sound bites highlighting the ever-rising cost of living and therefore parodying the carefree nature of the track. It is clear that Sar Chasm knew every single word of both the original song and the sound bites they had mixed into it and they delivered a very accurate lip-sync performance. For their runway presentation, Sar Chasm paid homage to their hometown of Epsom by showcasing an absolutely gorgeous suit (which I would actually like to steal) that was a tribute to the royal ascot races as well as having Epsom salt to hand further embedding the hometown inspiration!
Following Sar Chasm was the amazing Vanity Act (who we have interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/QBtsisDtCH0?si=4ZYqRfh4sulXsczj) In terms of drag as an art form, vanity was probably the most established and polished for their performance section showcasing gorgeous red gown which had a removable skirt which added the perfect amount of camp theatrics to this routine as well as showing off a pair of gorgeous matching boots. Having known Vanity both personally and professionally for a little while now, I thought that their song choice really captured who they are specifically in drag. The comedic song discussed her desire to be promiscuous which was perfectly matched with the range of sexual dance moves they decided to showcase throughout. At one point in the routine vanity lay on the bar and spread her legs as far as humanly possible again fitting the accompanying song flawlessly. I have to admit that vocally she was not the strongest performer of the evening, however, the camp sensual overtones of the song allowed lean more into a character-based performance rather than it being a vocal showcase! For the fashion element of their presentation, Vanity decided to pay homage to their hometown of Tamworth with a wonderfully camp pig outfit. Dress from head to toe in an all-pink outfit complete with a pink wig, ears and udders! As someone who is not particularly familiar with Tamworth, even I know that they are known for their Sandy-back pig and so seeing Vanity lean into this was absolutely brilliant!
In an unusual coincidence, following Vanity Act was her drag daughter Diva Divine (who we saw at Draglins earlier this year which you can read about at – https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/27/draglins-production-review/) who really leaned into the Idea of introducing the audience to the performer. I have to say that the look Diva decided to wear for the performance section of her presentation is one of my favourite outfits she has ever worn! Wearing a gorgeous, sparkly blue dress and blonde hair she took to the stage and decided to focus on the storytelling element for her performance. Diva decided to tell the story of how she became the official divalicious diva including a series of events at Bute Park. I always find seeing a drag performer lip-sync to a recording of their own recorded voice absolutely hilarious and Diva decided to do this multiple times throughout their performance. For her runway, Diva paid homage to her home Barry Island but showcased a bathing suit which was an homage to the iconic beach. Many people will recognise this beach from Gavin and Stacey (which was discussed during an evening with Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2019/12/11/an-evening-with-ruth-jones-and-rob-brydon-review/) but I petition that from now it is known as the birthplace as the one and only Divalicious Diva!
The penultimate performer of the premier episode of Jolene’s Drag Race was the burlesque icon Llewelyn (who we interviewed on our YouTube channel at – https://youtu.be/L8H1Wa_S6iw?si=R9kpWQh5KpbW8K9Y) who used the getting to know the performer theme to showcase what they do best! Having seen Llywelyn perform this style multiple times (the first of which being at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/12/10/festive-frolics-production-review/) I have a certain expectation of the standard of performance I expect from this performance which they always manage to surpass but what I found particularly interesting about this routine is the fact that Llywelyn took to the stage in a beautiful bridal inspired outfit and then began sensually removing items of clothing in the classical burlesque style. I personally found this contradiction of pure bride and sensual burlesque totally captivating and interesting as well as visually being a spectacle to watch! Despite the performance being absolutely amazing, Llywelyn’s runway presentation is where they really shone! They decided to pay homage to Bettws by putting together a gorgeous farming-inspired look that was giving high fashion dungarees with ruffled detail complete which created an absolutely gorgeous silhouette! If this look is anything to go by, Llewelyn is going to be a force to be reckoned with in this competition especially when it comes to the runway section of the evening!
Closing the entire show was the insanely talented Matt Hazard (who we also interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/QgFBcnjApoU?si=6Bv42ECylirCnnlg who appears to be popping up absolutely everywhere at the moment! They decided to showcase their unique performance of Toxic Love by the icon Tim Curry (which we previously saw during a Cabaret of Queerosities show headlined by Orgotik which you can read about at – https://rhysreviews.com/2024/03/03/cabaret-of-queerosities-3-production-reviews/) and this time Matt decided to pour a cup of slime over themselves as the routine progressed which had the audience going absolutely wild! While the amount of slime was scaled down from the aforementioned COQ show, this stunt had the audience screaming with excitement and so I encourage everyone to check out this routine when they can get fully messy on stage! It was clear that Matt had carefully thought about their costume for their runway presentation as they paid homage to their working class, steel-work family heritage. They took to the stage in a wonderfully theatrical dragon headpiece and tail that appeared to be made out steel which was a very clever use of materials!
After every performer had showcased their performance and runway presentation it was announced that My Liege was the winner of the opening week of Jolene’s drag race! On the other end of the competition, however, were Bella Stronza and Sar Chasm who had to lipsync to the iconic “Don’t Rain on My Parade” by Barbra Streisand. This was such an iconic song especially when you consider the fact that on my panel were two massive musical theatre fans (myself and Esther Parade) and both performers used every inch of the stage to try and save themselves from going home. It was sadly announced that the first-ever eliminated performer for Joelne’s drag race is the wonderful Sar Chasm who I am sure we will see more from very shortly! Overall, I would rate this first week of Jolene’s drag race 4.5 stars out of 5!
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