Cherry Jezebel is what it says on the tin: rude, raw and raucous.
The new queer drama, written by Jonathan Larkin, is currently being performed at the Everyman theatre and it’s simply a show not to be missed.
With a runtime of one hour and a half, this comedy follows the lives of three spectacular drag queens showing that behind all the glitz and glam, life isn’t always so pretty.
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Besides delving deep into the characters past trauma, the show offers an authentic insight into what it's like to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community living in Liverpool today. Touching on hot topics such as homophobia, OnlyFans, GoFundMe, pronouns, transitioning and self-discovery it is as relevant as ever.
The play starts with the lead role, Cherry Jezebel, depicted brilliantly by Mickey Jones, breaking the fourth wall. At first, the audience waited to see if they were allowed to react, but once given the go ahead by Cherry, we continued to be involved throughout.
Mickey’s Cherry was everything you think of when you think of a Scouse drag queen. She was quick witted, filled with dark humour and most importantly, unapologetic.
The majority of the scenes saw Cherry in the bathroom of a nightclub and as someone who regularly attends the gay clubs in Liverpool, I felt right at home; it was as if I was in the club eavesdropping.
Every little detail was spot on and with so many references to the city (including a shout out to the ECHO) even I, as a non-Scouser, was able to pick up on them with appreciation.
Cherry's best friend, Heidi Harlow, brilliantly delivered by Mariah Louca, perhaps had the important most message to tell between the characters.
Heidi's transition is documented throughout with her sharing her experience of being deadnamed, 'clocked' as a transgender, and the struggles she faces to afford surgery.
Despite it being based on fictionalised characters, Mariah's portrayal of Heidi was very authentic and highlighted how we have a long way to go for equality for the trans community.
However, the star of the show for me had to be Stefan Race who portrayed the role of non-binary drag queen, Pearl Reckless. The characters' dialogue rolled off Stefan’s tongue and with each and every word, you could feel the raw emotion and intention.
Keeping the audience entranced, Stefan teamed up with George Jones, who plays lad about town Mo, to perform a dance routine that would put Strictly Come Dancing professionals to shame.
The raunchy choreography was done with ease and made stronger by the deep blue lighting, alluding to the pair sharing the night together. My guess is that in another life, these two actors were dancers as not a single beat was missed and they made lightwork of it.
After the audience picked their jaws up off the floor, we got to see a side of Mo that everyone in the LGBT+ community can relate to.
The audience saw Mo struggle throughout as his toxic masculinity battled his sexuality and while at times he is portrayed as the antagonist, you can't help but feel sorry for him. This coupled with his humorous one-liners won the hearts of the audience.
At times, the actors could have allowed a little longer pause or hesitation so that the audience had time to digest the jokes that came before, as some dialogue was often drowned out by the sound of laughter.
The stage, too, was set at a slight slant and although in hindsight was probably for functionality purposes, there were some instances where the actors had their backs to the audience meaning we lost facial expressions or gestures that could have added to the dynamics of a scene.
If anything, it is an excuse for me to go back and watch it again.
By the time the cast took their bows, it was clear I wasn’t the only one who thoroughly enjoyed the show. The audience, including Hollyoaks stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race’s The Vivienne, took to their feet for a well deserved standing ovation.
Cherry Jezebel is on until Saturday, March 26 2022.
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