DRAGS ALOUD AT THE MOVIES Garden of Unearthly Delights Until 13 Mar 2010 Review by Tony Busch This is a wildly entertaining show and much, much more than the usual collection of mimed songs and old gags that make up the run-of-the-mill drag show. No wonder Drags Aloud has performed in the UK and Off-Broadway. A satire on movies, no stone is left unhurled with everything from the Salvation Army and “Soldiers of the Cross” to The Wizard of Oz coming in for a serve. The show opens with an hilarious send-up of “Fame” and segues through Cats, Titanic, Cabaret, Mary Poppins and more. The soundtrack uses excerpts of dialogue from the films as well as music to cleverly weave a comedic web of enjoyment that had the audience totally caught up in the fun. The cast of four are all real troupers but Jessica James is a knockout, and her Muppets rendition of “Manamana” had the audience in stitches. The video clips that introduce each segment, all atrociously dubbed, are priceless, particularly the Barbara Cartland and Little Britain take-offs. Of course the costumes are gorgeous and the only criticism is that the sound is a little woolly which makes some of the dialogue hard to keep up with. From the level of whistling, stamping, clapping and singing along from the audience it was clear that the entertainment factor of this show is right at the top of the scale. Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)