Five larger-than-life drag queens hit the stage to deliver high-energy performances in Queenz: Drag Me To The Disco! It’s the party of a lifetime writes Charlie Dowey
Bursting with musical brilliance, this scintillating drag concert, directed by David Griego, showcases the sensational vocals of five fabulous queens: Bella Du Ball (Grant Jackson), Billie Eyelash (Craig Colley), Candy Caned (Joshua Pearson), Dior Montay (Mark McCredie), and ZeZe Van Cartier (Jon Hands). Forget lip-syncing – these queens belt every song live, darling.
I caught them at the Grand Opera House in York during their spring tour and from the moment they sashay out of the wings, these campy disco divas command the stage, blending their impassioned vocals, cheeky innuendoes, and glowing hearts into one spectacular performance.
Dressed in their signature colours, each songstress brings a unique flair – think Power Rangers but gayer and with better choreography.
The Queenz wardrobe is a technicolour dream: an explosion of colour, sequins, and rhinestones, plus rubber boobs so bouncy they’ve been known to set off car alarms.
But what sets these five apart is their fizzing joy, a glitter-soaked energy that floods the auditorium like a tidal wave, transforming the show into an epic celebration you’ll wish would never end.
Act one begins boldly with classic disco anthems including Can You Feel It by The Jacksons, I’m Coming Out by Diana Ross, and Madonna’s Vogue, followed by a ‘movie madness’ segment which sees the quintet bring silver-screen legends to life in a side-splitting routine.
In act two, the queens’ vocals soar with anachronistic verve on chart-topping tunes like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Plus, there’s an electrifying 90s medley from DJ Jase – the show’s sassy stagehand.
But it’s in one of the show’s more stripped back moments that this five-piece group truly dazzle. Joined hand in hand, the queens deliver a heartfelt rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors while their childhood photos flash across the screen behind them. It’s a beautifully touching reminder of the story behind each performer and the way drag has helped them all to live their truth.
There’s no standout performer in Queenz as it’s a tremendous team effort, so don’t ask me to pick a favourite.
You could have a thousand sparkling disco balls, but they’d never shine as brightly or fill your heart as deeply as these royally spellbinding drag queens.
