Off the back of a hugely successful Australian tour, Gendermess Productions bring us a quirky and glamorous drag show. Each act is interspersed by interviews between performers, dissecting their reasons for embracing drag as an artform. These interviews ideally complement the nature of drag itself: conversations are both heartfelt and infectiously charismatic with each performer laying bare their traumas and insecurities through a sheen of camp confidence. 

The creative vision of Messy Friends, as outlined by Ginava (Blake Anderson) the lead interviewer and director, is that of self-acceptance and the transformative power of art in the face of trauma and grief. This message shines through in most of the performances, but not all. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as some acts make up for their lack of thematic consistency with meticulously crafted outfits and unparalleled energy. 

A particular highlight is Mary Lamb O’ God’s ‘blind date’, a raunchy strip affair gone awry due to the performer’s covered eyes. The choreography, outfit and inherent humour of the act really shines in a show already bright with stars. 

This review was originally written in 2024 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Messy Friends will be performed at Gluttony from Tuesday 11-Sunday 16 March, 7.20pm; main picture: Kaifu Deng.