Lizzie Murray
As a huge fan of Drag Race, I’m embarrassed to admit this is the first full-length Wellington drag show I’ve attended. A Mulled Whine presents the drag king spectacle Lord Bi-Ron: Mad, Bad & Dangerous, devilishly directed by James Cain. Struggling with his ENGL 114 essay, Nathan (Isaac Thomas) brings the outrageous poet, played by Aimee Smith, back from the dead to help chronicle his scandalous life.
The set offers Buffy the Vampire Slayer realness in its eerie but camp design. The entire play takes place in Nathan’s room. BATS’ Random stage becomes a gloomy dungeon-study. A large white pentagram brands the floor, behind it sits a messy desk with dark-magic paraphernalia and discarded Red Bull cans. Minor fumbles in the staged mess don’t detract from the quick, witty dialogue and committed performances on show. A projection shares dank literary memes and other hilarious visual jokes from Nathan’s laptop. The use of AV is clever and has the audience roaring with laughter.
Bi-Ron is dead sexy. Chiseled cheekbones, purple eyeshadow, and a thick brooding brow emphasise his sulking scowl. He slinks across the stage in knee-high boots and a red velvet suit. Smith plays the mad bad boy with awesome arrogance and flamboyant flare. A favourite moment is the always over-the-top diva’s huge disappointment upon about learning of his boring death. I also enjoy when the 200-year-old Lord reveals earnestness in his pause and poetry.
What’s a drag show without lip syncing? Celebrity obsessed Bi-Ron struts to gay club favourites like David Bowie’s ‘Fame,’ and basks in Lucas Neal’s festive lighting display. The music is a little too loud in parts. It was hard to hear Bi-Ron boast his humble beginnings against the triumphant symphony. Cardboard cutouts of Bi-Ron’s contemporaries are danced with on stage. Here, the reveal unfortunately fell flat. Bi-Ron cheekily tears off the lower half of the figure revealing - nothing. I expected to see their paper tuck or embarrassing bloomers. The cutouts don’t quite meet the drama of the glittery paper guitar or Bi-Ron’s headshot-confetti.
Nathan takes us on a trip down memory lane as told by Lord Bi-Ron’s ex-girlfriends. Nathan’s earnest acoustic songs from the female perspective juxtapose Bi-Ron’s fantastical show. The contrast creates a lovely balance between this unlikely friendship. While Smith flirtaciously portrays the Lord’s bi-sexuality, I’m left curious about his male lovers - but then perhaps this doesn’t fit Nathan’s thesis. While we learn about Bi-Ron’s controversial past, Nathan teaches him about the friend-zone and challenges his outdated prejudices.
Overall Mad, Bad & Dangerous is super fun and well paced but the ending left me wanting more. This show won me over and I’m a fan of Lord Bi-Ron - a ‘Bi-Ronicle’ - a term I hereby coin for all super fans. What a wonderful way to spend International Women’s Day, celebrating the underrepresented art of women in drag. It is a high calibre addition to the Fringe Festival and I eagerly await future hauntings.
Lord Bi-Ron: Mad, Bad & Dangerous is showing at BATS until Saturday 12th March, at 8:30pm. To purchase tickets click here, or for information on other shows in Wellington Fringe Festival, visit the NZ Fringe website.