Those familiar with RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Miz Cracker will be aware she’s a clever queen, so we were expecting something a bit higher concept than an average drag show – and that’s exactly what we got with Who’s Holiday. It’s essentially a Dr Seuss story for grown ups: Cracker plays the role of an adult Cindy Lou-Who who gets knocked up by the Grinch and ends up running off and marrying him. We catch up with Cindy after a stint in jail – she’s attempting to throw a Christmas party, but unsurprisingly, not many people want to hang out with an ex-convict who married a monster.
It’s a camp and quirky take on the well-known Christmas tale which we’re totally here for. It’s also delivered entirely in rhyming couplets – which is an impressive achievement and while it’s admirable to watch, it does mean the pace barely changes throughout. It’s a bit of a shame – aside from an occasional musical interlude which switches things up momentarily, the show’s unique gimmick feels like it gets very tired, very quickly. It doesn’t help that many of the rhyming couplets are somewhat tenuous.
Cracker is great in the lead role, however. She looks fabulous and exudes a real warmth and charm on stage; she also has excellent comic timing with her delivery and is a real pro when it comes to physical comedy. There’s a bit of rapport and audience interaction and it’s pretty entertaining – for those who don’t want to be dragged up on stage we’d recommend avoiding the front row.
We had an enjoyable evening with Who’s Holiday, but it didn’t blow us away. It feels like it’s held back by some uneven writing – occasionally very funny, but mostly mildly entertaining, and having the whole things delivered in rhyming couplets does grate after a while. It’s a silly and irreverent show featuring a superb performance from Miz Cracker – but it still falls a little short of what we wanted it to be.
GAY TIMES gives Who’s Holiday – 3/5
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