Drag has come full circle. From humble beginnings lip-syncing to pop and Broadway hits, to Acid’s Reign, a high-powered, loud, proud, transformative activist musical. Filled with original songs, sarcastic banter, and incredible honesty, there is not a single moment to rest as the drag stars power through this show at Pleasance Courtyard, Fourth.
When Alex Acid (Victoria Scone) fails to get into a drag competition and instead gets dragged to jail alongside several Extinction Rebellion climate protestors, Alex finds a muse she never anticipated in Ria Listic (Gigi Zahir). Desperate for work and invigorated by Ria’s passion, Alex proposes forming a climate activist drag group, Acid’s Reign. With new queen Dina Mite (Scarlett Harlett) and handsome king Micky Steele (Sé Carr/Jamie Fuxx), the group plays the smallest stage at Glastonbury in 2019, then manages, through the pandemic, to land in 2026 with modest funding and a handful of excited fans. Somewhere along the way, Dina Mite became famous, so they cast Olive Branch (Ash Weir), who saw the group at Glastonbury when they were 15 years old. During that audition, Alex learns the group has suddenly lost their funding (thanks, conservatives) so seeks help from the now rich, famous, glamorous, Disney-villain-esque Dina Mite who swoops in and begins pushing the other members out. With the group pared down to Dina and Alex on a TV show with 2.9 million viewers, Alex finally breaks, refusing to give up her friends or her morals (whatever they are, she’ll figure it out).
Every moment of this show is packed to the brim with incredible songs from a live band. Composition and musical direction from Gabriel Chernick are spot on with toe-tapping and heart-gripping tunes, while the book and lyrics from Luke Howarth and Evie Fehilly feel constantly quotable. David Allwood’s choreography makes the most of each performer’s skills beyond their drag personas, and the set design from Good Teeth and lights from Catja Hamilton are reminiscent of iconic queer shows like Rent and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. There’s little actual onstage discussion of intersectionality, but the original idea from James McDermott and Rob Ellis screams of the intersections of our concerns for our planet, ourselves, and our power, however we can grab it. Also of note: this is one of the few shows I’ve seen list an Artist Wellbeing Practitioner (Lou Platt), which seems like a fantastic idea, so I hope to see more of those credits in the future.
The show may start a little late and run a little long, so consider that in your Fringe cramming; but vogue, snap, sashay, and drop to see Acid’s Reign at Pleasance Courtyard, Fourth.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
