Review

DENIM & FRIENDS – 25th May 2018

Radio Ha-Ha! talks Ha-Ha!

Venue: Soho Theatre

Address: 21 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3NE

Written by Vanessa Maselino

Last month, Radio Ha-Ha! had the opportunity to watch “drag super-group” DENIM in their one-night-only comedy and cabaret show at the Soho Theatre. Having already stolen the show in Edinburgh; DENIM hosted yet another night of powerful ballads, raw sexuality, and jokes that make you do the dirty cackling laugh that you only let loose around close family and friends.  Not for the faint-hearted, DENIM are wonderfully provocative; joking and singing about everything from Religion to Trump, with a refreshing disregard for boundaries or censorship.

Now let’s get straight to it (No pun intended). The show was centred around the premise that the women had briefly split-up after the dizzying heights of fame they received in Edinburgh. However, now that they had reunited, they were sharing with us their experiences during the separation. Each Queen had their own time alone on stage, recounting a few memoirs and empowering the room with a song.

Although each member of the group brought their own sensational level of attitude and show(wo)manship, Glamrou and Crystal left an echoing impression in our minds long after the coloured wigs and heels were gone.

Labelling her life story as “Quran to Queen” and describing herself as “too gay for Iraq, and too Iraq for gay,” we already knew to expect a few jokes from Glamrou that straddled the line between “a bit risky” and “I’m definitely going to hell for laughing at this.” What we didn’t expect, was for her to straddle the stage and make love to an antidepressant pill. Nonetheless, she effortlessly charmed the room with a hilarious and immensely brave routine.

Crystal was the last of the quintet to perform her solo routine, and what a performance it was. Singing ‘Underneath your Clothes by Shakira,’ whilst stripping down to an outfit that can only be described as ‘Ann Summers meets Little Mermaid;’ she completely captivated the audience with her sweet angelic high notes and impeccable stage presence. We really did feel like we were in the Wembley Arena (A running joke throughout the show.)

The show also featured performances from comedians Emma Sidi and Lucy Pearman. Although they held their own, they didn’t quite match the same momentum of the Queens. It was like enjoying a lean, well-seasoned, perfectly cooked steak; and then somebody suddenly swaps it for a cold turkey sausage.

After the show, Radio Ha-Ha! had a chance to catch-up with DENIM off-stage. They spoke openly and honestly about not being scared to perform material that may seem controversial or taboo but is actually just a reflection of their lives.  The women also spoke passionately about the underlaying message of the evening, which is that “Gender is just a construct.”

Overall, it was a unique and explosive show, and we wish DENIM every success along their journey!

To find out where you can catch DENIM next, check out their tour dates here: http://www.denim-uk.com/worldtourdates/