Featuring stars from Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Georgia Wright reviews the Agatha Christie murder mystery musical Death Drop which is set to reopen at the Garrick Theatre in London this spring.
Walking through the City of Westminster on my way to the Garrick Theatre, for a moment, I thought I was lost. Then out of nowhere, swathes of people adorned in feather boas and sequinned gloves came spilling out onto the street – and from that moment, I knew I was in the right place. Upon entering the theatre, the sheer vibrance and elegance of the audience made me instantly excited for what I was about to watch.
Sat socially distanced in my seat, it felt surprisingly normal to be back in the theatre despite being away for so long, and after speaking to those nearest to me, it was clear that expectations were high. Shortly thereafter, the curtains parted to reveal what could only be described as a campy “pink panther-esque” set-up, and the show began…
Being the first and currently only entirely drag-led Broadway show, watching Death Drop was truly a memorable experience, to say the least, and what would a drag show be without the outrageous outfits?
London-based costume designer Isobel Pellow managed to steal the show right from the outset in combination with Florencia Melone’s beautiful hairpieces, each costume falling perfectly in line with its corresponding character.
From the taffeta evening gowns in rich jewel tones to the fabulous knee-high boots donned by Shazza, almost every outfit was enviable.
Death Drop is a classic Christie-aping affair: there’s an island, a list of suspects, secrets, reveals, twists, everything that you’d expect from production so deliberately inspired in this way.
However, whilst the first portion of the show initially entertained for at least the first 20 minutes, it ultimately ended up feeling both overlong and unevenly paced, running at 2 hours 20 minutes with the addition of an interval. It was clear that myself and those nearest to me became restless as the show began to drag - no pun intended.
The music was catchy enough, and no vocal fell flat, but each song felt far too short as many of us in the audience only began singing along when each tune ended.
Despite this, I did enjoy the second act, which managed to reel me back in with its up-tempo scenes, sharp plot-twists, and memorable tunes. The cast also appeared much more comfortable on-stage in the second half compared to the first.
Writer Holly Stars, who also appeared on stage as triplets Blue, Brie and Spread, put on a thoroughly enjoyable performance - causing me to laugh out loud at points - thanks to her effective use of physical comedy.
Courtney Act, who is known across the world for her vocal capabilities, thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, didn’t disappoint. Her performance as the 80’s has-been pop-star Shazza was delivered with gusto and her impressive vocals only added to the character. In contrast, Monet X Change (another RuPaul alum), who appeared as the drop-dead gorgeous weather girl Summer Raines, left me wanting more as her performance was never awful, just underwhelming at times. Throughout the interval, those next to me agreed that they had been expecting more from a queen of her calibre.
The ultimate scene-stealer and performer of the night was, without a doubt, drag king LoUis CYfer as Rich Whiteman, whose character personified the definition of white privilege. CYfer’s eerily accurate portrayal of the privileged, sleazy, conservative MP Rick Whiteman was met with jeers and screeches from the audience as he delivered a villain that the audience just loved to hate.
The personalities of Drag Race royalty Courtney Act and Monet X Change on the stage, paired with electric writing and one-liners, made it a fun watch.
Overall, Death Drop did manage to deliver on its promise to serve us up a campy Agatha Christie show; however, I was left wanting more in the humour and music department.
Despite being the first production to feature an entire cast of drag kings and queens, it just wasn’t as hilarious as I had imagined it would be, but this doesn’t mean it was a complete failure. Although, a shorter running time wouldn’t have killed anyone either.
The personalities of Drag Race royalty Courtney Act and Monet X Change on the stage, paired with electric writing and one-liners from Stars, made it a fun watch.
If you’re in the mood for a good time with your friends, then why not throw on your favourite outfit, grab your hand sanitiser, face mask and strut on over to the Garrick Theatre.
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