Who knew murder could be so fabulous?
It’s 1991, it’s Tuck Island (because of course), it’s Charlie and Di’s 10th wedding anniversary, a storm’s brewing (oh how apt) and the scene is set for a murder mystery so dramatic, so devastating, so…drag.
Starring Ru-Paul US drag legends Willam and Ra’Jah O’Hara, Drag Race UK Star Vinegar Strokes, Drag Race Down Under star Karen from Finance and a full cast of leading drag performers including writer Holly Stars, Death Drop is the Smash-Hit, Five Star, Drag Murder Mystery direct from the West End and straight to our Salford Quay’s Lowry Theatre.
With death by Findus crispy pancake, dismembered hands and exploding automobiles, this was no Mrs Peacock in the billiard room with the lead piping.
With running jokes reading the royals with a viciousness like there’s no tomorrow, the library was well and truly open in the Lowry on Wednesday night.
With familiar and a little less familiar faces on stage, each performer brought their own special brand of drag and delight.
And as our guests came (and indeed some, prematurely went) to Lady von Fistenburg’s (Vinegar Strokes) commemorative anniversary evening, they death-dropped like flies.
We had devilish hack Morgan Pierce (Karen From Finance), tory toff Rich Whiteman (Richard Energy), TV wideboy Phil Maker (Georgia Frost), past-it popstar Shazza and the mesmirising meterologist, Summer Raines (top of the bill Willam and Ra’Jah O’Hara). All fabulous, all wickedly funny.
However, the stand-out star for me was Holly Stars both on stage and off, given that it was a drag murder mystery wot she wrote (based on an original idea by Christopher D Clegg). Due to a terrible bout of diarrhea, the original actors/supermodels were unable to meet their theatrical obligations so Holly had to play all three Bottomley sisters, Brie, Blue and Spread (names after my own turophile’s heart – yes I had to google it…).
Holly embraced the parts like she’d written the lines herself…
Never had pathos and grief been summed up so succinctly by one such special sob.
But who got to shantay you stay, and who got sashayed away off this mortal coil? Well I won’t spoil the fun, but let’s say that I did find it particularly inkeeping when our darling drummer of a weatherman, Owain Wyn Evans, took his seat behind me for the performance.
If you want feathers, thrills, sequins and spills (and a downright campfest of drag daftness and innuendo), catch Death Drop at The Lowry until Saturday 16 October.
Directed by Jesse Jones and with original songs for Flo & Joan, find all the deets and book your tickets here at https://tickets.thelowry.com/en-GB/shows/death%20drop/events
Photo credits-: Nathan Chandler
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