Farr out
Garth Wilshere
Gareth Farr’s drumdrag, Downstage Theatre, March 11
Reviewed by Garth Wilshere
It has been nine years since ‘our’ classical composer Gareth Farr has performed his show ‘drumdrag’ as his alter-ego drag queen Lilith LaCroix. As well as being a terrific composer he is a brilliant percussionist.
Lilith is ably, aided and abetted in performance by two percussion ‘boys’ the multitalented Murray Hickman and Jeremy Fitzsimons. Between them they play an array of percussion instruments; drum kits, cymbals, marimba, a multitude of drums all adding to the colour and vibrancy to match Lilith’s gorgeous, glittering sequined gowns and costumes, sparkling in the coloured spotlights.
Lilith is a drag queen with a difference as rather than lip-synch she actually does her own singing. A variety of moody and funny songs with a straight Pirate Jenny from Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht’s ’s Threepenny Opera - one of the best - and the intentionally out of tune I’m German was great fun.
If it is not quite as inventive and imaginative as before, that will grow, and the patter in between is still a little clunky and needs some work but hey who cares, as the whole is hugely entertaining and a lot of fun.
Just to see the statuesque Lilith in at least six inch heels and slinky sequins pounding on the drums is really something. The entrance after interval in the fibreglass costume supporting two side drums was amazing. A great show. If you get a chance to go to a reprise, don’t miss it.
Reviewed by Garth Wilshere
It has been nine years since ‘our’ classical composer Gareth Farr has performed his show ‘drumdrag’ as his alter-ego drag queen Lilith LaCroix. As well as being a terrific composer he is a brilliant percussionist.
Lilith is ably, aided and abetted in performance by two percussion ‘boys’ the multitalented Murray Hickman and Jeremy Fitzsimons. Between them they play an array of percussion instruments; drum kits, cymbals, marimba, a multitude of drums all adding to the colour and vibrancy to match Lilith’s gorgeous, glittering sequined gowns and costumes, sparkling in the coloured spotlights.
Lilith is a drag queen with a difference as rather than lip-synch she actually does her own singing. A variety of moody and funny songs with a straight Pirate Jenny from Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht’s ’s Threepenny Opera - one of the best - and the intentionally out of tune I’m German was great fun.
If it is not quite as inventive and imaginative as before, that will grow, and the patter in between is still a little clunky and needs some work but hey who cares, as the whole is hugely entertaining and a lot of fun.
Just to see the statuesque Lilith in at least six inch heels and slinky sequins pounding on the drums is really something. The entrance after interval in the fibreglass costume supporting two side drums was amazing. A great show. If you get a chance to go to a reprise, don’t miss it.
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