There are no photos from tonight. When a six-foot five bearded Islander bloke in drag tells you there will be no photos, you don't take photos. However, what ensued for the next hour was nothing short of wonderful.
Yes, I've been to a drag show, in Darwin. As you do. It would be rude not to.
We went to two shows while we were up here. We, being a colleague and me. On selecting the shows, we found an indigenous song and storytelling set, Reckoning, which we were supposed to see on Wednesday, but that was cancelled, so Tuesday it was. This was great. Thought provoking, soul-enriching and a delight for the heart.
Tonight, it was a matter of going from the sublime to the ridiculous. It turned out to be a drag/burlesque/circus/you name it show . Briefs it was called, and the briefs were brief. Very brief.
What made this even better was that the boys, all of whom are highly skilled dancers, burlesque artists, clowns and drag queens, were let down by customs. Coming in after performing in America somewhere, they all landed in Darwin, but their suitcases, with costumes, were all on the tarmac in Brisbane.
But Darwin is a place of opportunity and community, so a quick ring around the drag community of Darwin, and a side trip to Sexyland and they were kitted out for the night’s show.
To be honest, we in the audience could tell the difference. They were fabuous.
There was the obligatory raffle - complete with a meat tray prize and a very understanding middle-aged white Welsh guy who accepted a lap dance on stage from four very hot dances with great aplomb.
What stood out here was the artistry of these blokes. My colleague asked me who was my favourite performer. Was it Faz, the emcee, who had us all rolling around with laughter. There was a contemporary dancer, who's grace blew me away. A clown drag queen who was hysterical. A couple of other dance acts, which combined dancing with yoga, acrobatics and strip tease. There was the fellow with the hoops, and the edgy bloke dressed as Satan, out to tempt.
In all, this was an outstanding night if entertainment.
I feel really blessed to be able to do these things. I hope to get back to the Darwin Festival at some stage - it's brilliant.
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