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TV Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race S11 Ep 3: Diva Worship
Kahanna Montrese, we hardly knew ye. But that’s the show, it’s a new day and another queen has been eliminated. Was Kahanna gone too soon? Perhaps, but I felt it was deserving for her to go at that point. She joins many other famous ‘2 times in the bottom at the start of the competition and eliminated on the 2nd’ queens; Serena Cha Cha, Vivacious, Laila McQueen, Kimora Blac and Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams. Anyway, enough about the past, let’s talk about the present. The queens headed back into the werkroom to discuss the lipsync shock of the last episode. Of course, all the queens were shocked by the 6-way lipsync and it…
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A Very Millennial Hamlet – A Female, At Uni Who’s a Lesbian
I had the privilege of being able to attend another Press Night at Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up theatre. This time, I was popping my Shakespearian cherry by seeing my first live piece of proper Shakespeare and thankfully I was given the lighthearted romp that is Hamlet! Now, I know that Hamlet is a tad long with the uncut version of the show having two intervals and lasting around 4 hours. But blessed be that the team at Leeds Playhouse had trimmed the fat to give us only what we needed. Shakespeare is a hard one to get into and Hamlet especially is a tough one to keep up with, what with…
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TV Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race S11 Ep 2: Good God Girl, Get Out
The first queen has departed and now the competition has become real for the queens. After Soju’s departure, the queens ventured into the werkroom to discuss the first challenge. But the queens weren’t feeling the same way I was. Scarlet said she felt like her dress should have been in the top and I absolutely agreed yet all the other queens looked at her like she was delusional. Personally, I thought she did pretty well. Oh well, another day, another challenge. Ru came into to give the queens their next mini challenge and, as we’ve seen on a previous season, it was a photobomb challenge. It’s a hard one to…
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TV Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race S11 Ep 1: Whatcha Unpackin?
Another season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is here which means there are plenty more queens, memes and angry teens. We’ve already seen the queens in the promo and now we’re ready to watch them interact with their competitors for the first time! First and foremost, Vanjie is back and I’m not surprised but I’m also not particularly bothered. I feel like bring queens back has become too common now. I liked it when it used to be a shock revelation and now it’s almost become a seasonal part of the show like Snatch Game. The Entrance Looks – Toot or Boot Vanessa Vanjie Mateo – Toot She looks great. The…
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RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 11 – Meet The Queens
Well, whaddya know? Badda-bing-badda-boom. We haven’t even finished All Stars 4 yet and already we’ve been given the ‘Meet The Queens’ for Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Curl your lashes, slap on some lippy and start your engines! 14 brand new queens will be entering the werkroom and 1 queen will be returning? Who could it? Oh fuck it, we all know it’s Miss Vanjie and gay men shuddered all around the world when they realised that straight girls everywhere will be screaming ‘Miss Vanjie’ in every gay bar/drag show everywhere imaginable… great. A pretty colourful promo trailer right? I’d like to say that the show has given as…
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TV Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4, Episode 10: Super Queen Grand Finale
Here we are, the grand finale! It’s been an odd but good season and now we’ve finally got to this point. Some great queens were eliminated along the way, Manila, Valentina, Latrice (to name a few). And in the end, our top 4 was Monét X Change, Monique Heart, Naomi Smalls, Trinity The Tuck. As the queens entered the werkroom, Trinity decided to tell the queens why she chose Latrice. As she’s said from day 1, she would base her decisions on track record. However, she also decided to let Naomi know that Latrice felt she should have been eliminated based on the Sex and the City challenge. At this…
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Press Night for Dinner 18:55 at Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up Theatre
On Friday it was another trip to Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up theatre for the Press Night of Dinner 18:55. The show was an intergenerational community project where old and young came together to share stories of their lives, their past, their emotions and their thoughts. The show focused on loneliness, struggles, family and togetherness. Everybody in the production (a cast of eighteen I believe) was either a Leeds local or resident which made people’s stories feel relatable and more emotive. However, the show was less of a play and more of an expressive piece, a workshop of quips, stories and ideas. There was no real narrative, just a collection of tales, some…
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Press Night for ‘random’ at Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up theatre
It’s just an ordinary day in the ordinary life of an ordinary family. As the alarm clock flicks over to 7:37 am, a day begins for an average teenager. After wolfing down a rushed breakfast, they join the hustle and bustle of the outside world. However, all it takes for one random event to completely flip a family’s life on its head. Lives are changed forever following a devastating catastrophe. random by debbie tucker green and directed by Gbolahan Obisesan is a brilliant one-woman show that focuses on the grief and bewilderment of a family tragedy. The demanding role was played by Kiza Deen (Silent Witness and Hollyoaks) and she plays the role…
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TV Review: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4, Episode 9: Last Chance Bitches
I, like the queens, was still in shock over Manila’s departure when this episode aired. Like, I’m fine, I’m not going to write death threats or find a safe space to retreat to – it’s part of the game, but I can’t pretend I wasn’t gutted. However, after Shangela was robbed on All Stars 3, I’ve just accepted that anything can happen. Trinity seemed to be the most vocal in saying how shocked she was that Manila was eliminated. From day 1, Trinity said she would base her decisions on track record and she has absolutely done that throughout the competition. Trinity called Latrice out for not being as upset as…
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Press Night for ‘Kes’ at Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up Theatre
I, like most northern folk, watched the film Kes. It was a poignant tale about the working class struggles in Barnsley. The 1968 Ken Loach film, based on the book A Kestrel For A Knave by Barry Hines, is a cult classic that has been watched and loved by generations. Now, the beloved tale of Billy Casper and his treasured pet, Kes, has been adapted for the stage and I have to tell you, I thought it was fantastic. I had the privilege of being invited to the Press Night for Kes at Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up Theatre. Now, I haven’t been to Leeds Playhouse (formerly West Yorkshire Playhouse) for quite a few…
