Dragspeare: Drag Kings do Shakespeare
Image credit: Deb Mayes
I love the drag and burlesque scenes in Brisbane and I especially adore performances by drag kings. I’m always excited to see shows with a focus on this style. Drag kings aren’t quite as well recognised or as plentiful as other styles of drag performance on Australian stages, and this should change because they are creative and hilarious. I was thus thrilled to see Dragspeare: Drag Kings do Shakespeare at Pip Theatre as part of Melt Festival. The show didn’t disappoint, and I enjoyed it so much I did stand to cheer at the curtain call.
A combination cabaret, comedy and drag production created by Anne Pensalfini and Jo Loth; The Stallion Squad are a singing, dancing, stripping band of kings on a regional tour from Innisfail to Goondiwindi. Feeling stuck in groundhog day doing their usual sexy choreography they decide to get serious and add some Shakespeare to their show. Absolute hilarity, a touch of romance and unabashed queerness ensues, with the classic majors from King Lear to Hamlet to Romeo and Juliet getting the Stallion Squad treatment. And with names like York Lit and Swingin’ Dick how could you go wrong?
This is an experienced cabaret, theatre and drag quintet and they deftly took the audience on a journey laughing, squealing and applauding through their repertoire. Lucinda Shaw’s voice in particular is absolutely mesmerising. The show’s choreography, created by Jade Brider, deserved mention as evoking a flowing conga line of skills that was executed by the cast with a rotation of props, dancing and multiple costume changes per scene. Although the set itself was sparse and this was slightly underwhelming, the conflict and chemistry between the characters was very watchable and these relationships grounded the show in something real, in amongst the liminal space of the set.
Image credit: Deb Mayes
I loved the tongue in cheek references to Aussie larrikin and bogan culture peppered through the show with an affection that isn’t often seen in theatre settings. The carefully curated individuality and costuming of each character also gave me such a feeling of nostalgia. It was so true and reminiscent of 90’s boy bands like Backstreet Boys or N’SYNC, where each guy had a theme, colour palette and facial expression. My favourite moment was the unexpected appearance of a southern bimbo Lady Macbeth. I laughed so hard I had teary eyes.
This is a polished show with a talented, multi-disciplinary cast that was a joy to watch. It was also a call to action, to seeing more drag king representation on stages and in theatres in Brisbane. I’d highly recommend going to see The Stallions do what they do best at Melt Festival, while you have the chance.
