Midnight at the Palace bursts onto the Edinburgh Fringe stage with glitter, gusto and a generous dose of countercultural chaos. Playing at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, this new musical pays homage to The Cockettes, a real-life troupe of psychedelic drag performers who lit up San Francisco’s underground scene in the late 1960s before a disastrous attempt to conquer New York in 1971.
The show opens with the cast frolicking on stage, giving the audience a peek behind the curtain into a world of costumes and camaraderie. It’s a lively start that sets the tone for a production that revels in its own theatricality. From there, we’re whisked back to 1968, where Hibiscus (founder of The Cockettes and a symbol of flower power rebellion) leads a band of gender-bending misfits through a whirlwind of glitter, music and radical joy.
Brandon James Gwinn’s score is a kaleidoscope of styles, from vaudeville to disco, with one particularly memorable number about crabs in the anus sung in the style of Irving Berlin. It’s as bizarre as it sounds, and oddly delightful. However, the sound mix often lets the production down, with music overpowering lyrics and leaving the audience straining to catch the wit and nuance of the songs.
Visually, the show embraces a “cheap and cheerful” aesthetic that feels true to its subject matter. There’s more set and costume than one might expect from a typical Fringe show, and while it’s not polished, it’s certainly spirited. The cast are uniformly strong, with a standout performance from the actor playing Hibiscus, who brings both charisma and vulnerability to the role.
Despite its energy and charm, Midnight at the Palace struggles to fully unpack the fascinating history of The Cockettes. The narrative feels rushed, skimming over key moments and leaving us wanting more depth. It’s a whistlestop tour through a rich and rebellious era, but one that never quite settles into a satisfying rhythm.
Still, the show succeeds in capturing the essence of 60s counterculture and the power of art as resistance. Midnight at the Palace may not be revolutionary, but it’s a glittering tribute to a group of artists who dared to be different.
