The first queen, Gladys Duffy, was a drag queen local to Newcastle, and she was excellent at getting the evening started with her sharp wit and hilarious singing/dancing acts. Standing in the front row, we were often the butt of many of their jokes but this added to the hilarity of the night. The second act, Novympia, was a Youtube-famous duo that mainly performed covers of songs but they were equally as great and just demonstrated the diversity in the drag world. Finally, The Vivienne ended the night with her one-hour set of singing, dancing and drinking.
Having never been to a drag show before, I didn’t really know what to expect, but their talent genuinely blew me away. All the drag queen’s hair and makeup was unbelievably good and all of them made very convincing women. From lashes to nails, they had it all. You end up forgetting or not believing that it is in fact a man dressed up as a woman, so every act is totally mesmerising.
As the winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, The Vivienne is the Kim K of the drag world
As the winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, The Vivienne is the Kim K of the drag world, so to see her at Newcastle University Student’s Union was a fairly surreal experience. She made it look so easy and seemed so natural on stage. Her imitations of Donald Trump and Kim Woodburn were uncanny, and it really felt like they were on stage at times. She also sung covers of Cher, Lady Gaga and Boy George and her voice was faultless. Her ability to wear a body suit, 6-inch heels and full-length sequin gown whilst performing on stage only added to our amazement.
I would definitely recommend drag shows to anyone who is keen for a light-hearted evening of fun.
It was a great example of cultural diversity and gave me a wider appreciation of alternative entertainment. I would definitely recommend drag shows to anyone who is keen for a light-hearted evening of fun. This was my first drag show but having enjoyed it as much as I did, it certainly won’t be my last!