We were recently lucky enough to sit down and chat with the queen of Ceredigion (which you can watch at https://youtu.be/HjUcWnKgyAU?si=uqRviF1IwfDuBdfD) where we discussed how they wanted to showcase the true breadth of talent they possess when they have creative control over her own events which they absolutely did at this latest event! Serenity took on hosting duties for this event where they helped to introduce every act, keep the audience’s energy high throughout the show and ensure the night went as planned. On top of this, the audience was also treated to a series of performances from Serenity! Having seen Serenity perform a few times previously (including most recently at Cabaret of Queerosities which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/02/01/cabaret-of-queerosities-2-production-review/) I am aware of how much of a talented dancer they are so seeing them open the show with a high energy rendition of “rhinestone heart” by Slayter where she showcased all of the mesmerising dance abilities she possesses! She owned every inch of the stage and the audience went absolutely wild which was particularly important as this was the first number of the entire event which ensured the audience started already extremely excited for what else they would see throughout the evening. In an almost total contrast, Serenity also showcased a performance of “Kill Bill” by Sza where the queen showcased how much of an emotive storyteller they are! The number focussed more on emotion with Serenity using every inch of her body (including a series of wonderful facial expressions) to emote the power behind this song. This routine climaxed as Serenity performed an incredible blood-splatter gag that added even more theatrics to this powerful performance. The highlight of the evening however occurred at the closing moments of the event as the host Serenity gracefully glided onto the stage in a show-stopping sparkly black gown complete with a gorgeous blonde wig that just screamed classic glamour and grace. This clear intention of channelling classic beauty made perfect sense as the queen of Ceredigion showcased an incredible rendition of the powerfully moving “Unbreak My Heart” that had every single audience member close to tears. In fact, at the later part of the performance, numerous audience members began romantically slow dancing around the stage which helped add to the heartfelt nature of the song being shared. Having known Serenity for a little while now, I know they have made a name for themself for their high-energy, choreography-heavy routines (which we did see throughout this show) but seeing this queen slow it down while showcasing their wonderful vocal abilities was absolutely amazing!
As a resident performer at the Drag Collective events, Neon Gwyrdd took to the stage with their classic brand of high-energy chaos with a clearly established relationship with the people in the audience. They were wearing a gorgeous black gown with a beautiful black updo which made total sense when the audience was made aware that this performer would be paying homage to the iconic Amy Winehouse. They did not choose just one of the British singer-songwriter’s songs but instead created a medley of their greatest hits. The crowd went absolutely crazy when the classic jazzy-infused “Rehab” started to blast throughout Victoria Hall. Neon clearly gave everything throughout this Amy Winehouse mega-mix as she was able to costume the eccentric performer perfectly with the audience screaming the lyrics throughout! My favourite performance of Neon however came in the second half of the event as they delivered an incredible rendition of the newly released “Disease” by Lady Gaga which is not a song I am particularly familiar with (due to obvious reasons) but based on this performance is a song I need to add to one of my many playlist. This is a song that contains a series of dance breaks where Neon showcase their dance talents while lip-syncing to their own pre-recorded voice which shows the clear attention to detail this queen possesses while also being incredibly clever!
Anita Fag (who we saw perform earlier this year at Queen of the Palace which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/29/queen-of-the-palace-wales-event-review/) was the next queen who took to the stage in a stunningly sparkly, red gown with bright red hair which looked absolutely amazing on this queen! Those who are a fan of musical theatre are eagerly awaiting the release of the new Wicked movie staring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and so recently social media has been full of people covering some of the most iconic songs to come from the 10th longest-running West End stage production in British history. This is why I thought it was incredibly courageous when it was revealed that Anita Fag would be taking in the iconic “defying gravity” from the aforementioned musical. Not only has this song taken over social media sites recently but it is arguably one of the biggest, vocally challenging songs to exist. However, Anita did not seem fazed in the slightest and absolutely nailed this intense musical theatre anthem. The performer showed why she has made a name for herself as the vocal sensation of the Swansea scene as she performed the song flawlessly! The closing moments of Anita’s performance saw the audience (including myself) begin to congregate at the top end of the runway as the queen began to kick off their shoes. Now usually taking over your heels is a big no-no during performances but it all made sense as she launched herself off the stage into the audience members below. This was an incredible way to bring this show-stopping performance to an end which had the audience going absolutely wild for!
Clearly, it was not just organiser and head host Serenity who wanted to use this event as an opportunity to showcase their wide array of talents as the Swansea superstar Olivia showcased two drastically different performances throughout the show. Their first performance of the night saw them demonstrate how much of a talented vocalist they truly are. They decided to strip back all the theatrics and dramatics so the audience could solely focus on their incredible singing abilities as they took on “Hometown Glory” by Adele which was an absolute treat to the ears. Olivia took on the incredibly powerful song with ease and seemed totally at home keeping the audience focussed simply using their vocals and if it was me I would have found this incredibly draughting but Olivia seemed to excel. Their second performance of the night was a high-energy lipsync performance to the camp classic “I Need a Hero” where Olivia showcased how much of a talented dancer/performer they are! They used every inch of the stage which helped the audience stay excited and engaged throughout including a wonderful cartwheel which was met with a thunderous response from everyone watching! Having seen Olivia perform this routine at Boigie Drag brunch, we know that it is also met with an incredible response from the audience but the people at Victoria Hall went above and beyond to show how impressed they were with the range of dance abilities Olivia showed off!
Completing this already incredible lineup of drag performers was the iconic Justin Drag (who is the host of the bi-monthly Transition events which you can read more about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/25/transition-4-production-review/) who appeared to really lean into the production value focus of this event. He took to the stage in a wonderful fur coat and bandana which made total sense as they treated the audience to a rendition of the viral sensation “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie Movie (which we actually reviewed at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/07/27/barbie-movie-review/) only to transform halfway through the performance to pay homage to the sequence in the movie. This high-energy number was a perfect fit for Justin and his style of performance with the audience being fully behind the performer every moment of the song! Their second performance of the evening saw Justin showcase a series of mesmerising magic tricks including teleporting lights an incredible appearing wand and a magical lightbulb sequence which added even more theatrics to the evening. On top of the magical elements and showcasing their vocal talents, Justin also made sure to inject the perfect amount of comedy and energy throughout the number asking the audience if they would sleep with him which again offered something different to the entire event.
Overall, The drag collective has established a new standard of drag shows with each performer bringing a different style of performance to the event which helped keep the audience engaged and focussed throughout. As the organiser, host and featured performer Serenity in particular was able to showcase their wide array of talents which we personally had not been able to see previously. I would rate this event 5 out of 5 stars and recommend that everyone keeps an eye out for the next event as it is not to be missed!
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