A Fairytale Featuring Queens of a Rather Different Nature....
The audience sits in silent semi-darkness in the ultimate black box set of Traverse 2. A glimmer of light shimmers through sparkling drapes and slowly, imperceptibly, an urban soundscape of dogs barking, traffic, voices, shouting, crashing and banging echoes all around. It's all very unnerving. Then Bernice Hindley, Russell Barr, in long blonde wig, curling eyelashes, short silk dress and black high heels strides through the curtain, saunters over to a high stool and pours a cup of tea.
Sit back comfortably to listen to a fairytale featuring queens of a rather different nature....
Bernice is in the mood to talk, share jokes and memories about the crazy world she has observed from childhood to her make-believe lifestyle as a Glaswegian drag queen. We hear, with increasing hilarity, stories about alcoholic parents, holidays on Arran with mad Aunt Puppy and Uncle Puppy (real names protected for legal reasons), blowing up pigeons with baking powder, dissecting frogs, shoplifting sunglasses and suede coats from "Versnatchy", Gap and M & S, driving in drag to Dundee, ecstasy parties, sexual encounters, lovers and lots of lipstick.
But then the tone and pace change. Unexpected brief pauses interrupt the story as Bernice confronts and confesses her fears of the dark, violent gay underworld. Russell Barr is a phenomenal, powerful performer with cool, deadpan gaze and profound sense of identity. Ten years ago he worked as a drag queen at Madame Gillespie's, Glasgow - the colourful images he paints certainly smack of the surreal truth. This brilliantly structured show subtly twists from comedy to tragedy, sheer farce to shocking anecdote. For Bernice, the nightmare has begun.
When and Where
Traverse Theatre (Venue No 15), Cambridge Street. Runs to 28 August at 10pm except MondaysVivien Devlin, August 2004
Return to Index of 2004 Fringe Reviews.
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