Below a shimmering disco ball, four drag kings circle majestically to East 17’s Stay Another Day, kitted out in 90s boyband finery: there’s white loungewear, questionable hats and an ostentatious puffer jacket. They’ve nailed the impassioned lip-syncing, synchronised dancing and emphatic hand gestures, too.
This is drag king collective Pecs’ Christmas show. And, as John Travulva, dressed as Santa Claus, tells us from the off: this one is for the queer community. It’s funny, heartwarmingly cheesy and often intentionally grotesque (think curdled milk); 90 minutes of filthy, at times adorable, takes on festive hits and films, from The Grinch to Elf.
The group performances are high-energy, entertaining and comically vulgar, made better by the thrusting, bum-slapping and mimed blow jobs. Some solo numbers shine, too, like Thrustin Limbersnake using body positivity to unpick the cruel nature of Christmas capitalism, aided by some oven-gloved masturbation and a mince pie.
There’s a serious side, though. Santa isn’t here just to make festivities gay, but also, that’s right, to deconstruct toxic masculinity. (Cue taking apart the creepiness of that Love Actually cards scene.) On the way, there are witty gags about cuffing season and polyamorous elves, alongside polar bear costumes with bondage harnesses. Plus, a captivating, anti-Tory striptease by guest act Chiyo Gomes.
It doesn’t all work. There are a few lacklustre breaks between the music and some solo bits feel flat. Still, the resulting standing ovation is indicative of how much this stuff matters to the mostly LGBTQ+ crowd where some, as Santa points out, may feel alone at this time of year. This is sparkly escapism wrapped in shiny red hotpants.
At the Yard, London, until 20 December.
