Naked truths slathered in hummus: Lucy McCormick’s intimate and alarming cabaret

The disruptive artist’s new show is a boisterous evening, with her brazen persona an exhilarating challenge for audiencesLucy McCormick’s half-naked body is covered in tomato puree. The floor is littered with confetti and broken glass. Everything is sl…

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Tentacular Spectacular review – wade through Oozing Gloop’s psychosexual swamp

Fierce festival, BirminghamThis immersive cabaret invites you into a world of ‘goblin core’, drag ogres and live art happeningsBirmingham’s Fierce festival opened this week with a compelling call by director Aaron Wright for the UK to diversify its the…

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Yummy: Iconic review – drag burlesque gets a bit too cheeky

Underbelly festival, LondonThe acrobatic feats of Jarred Dewey go some way to redeem a show that’s way too high on cliches and exposed buttocksEnough buttock already! It’s not a sentiment one is often moved to express, but there you go: well before Aus…

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Alyssa: Memoirs of a Queen review – ego fest with a helping of humility

Vaudeville theatre, LondonRuPaul’s Drag Race star Alyssa Edwards rampages into the West End and has an easy way with the crowd“My favourite subject is talking about me,” Alyssa Edwards tells us – so she must really be enjoying her West End show, in whi…

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Alyssa: Memoirs of a Queen review – ego fest with a helping of humility

Vaudeville theatre, LondonRuPaul’s Drag Race star Alyssa Edwards rampages into the West End and has an easy way with the crowd“My favourite subject is talking about me,” Alyssa Edwards tells us – so she must really be enjoying her West End show, in whi…

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They move in mysterious ways: the delirious thrill of Figs in Wigs

The identically dressed quintet combines dance, comedy and DIY electro-punk in a world they have created for themselvesHow to describe the joy of watching people dancing in unison? Anthropologists talk about synchronous activities leading to a sense of…

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Standups and sex workers unite: ‘I can joke about it because I’ve done it’

Carmen Ali and Siân Docksey are among the comedians who riff on their experiences as strippers. The pandemic has revealed both industries to be precarious – but they’re looking out for each otherWhat do standup comedy and stripping have in common? “I s…

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Flamboyant drag on a laptop? It cramps cabaret’s style

Britain’s Got Talent star Myra Dubois turns agony aunt in a show that might raise the roof in a theatre – but not onlineMyra Dubois was a staple of the cabaret scene for years before Simon Cowell came calling. Duetting with Amanda Holden, and cracking …

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Lockdown laughs: where to watch online comedy

The comedy industry is in crisis and we could all do with hearing a few jokes. Here’s a guide to the virtual gigs you can enjoy this weekLike all comedy clubs, the Angel in London is closed and faces a precarious future caused by the Covid shutdown. Th…

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Stamptown Comedy Night review – flying the flag for leftfield comedy

Available onlineLive cabaret becomes alternative sketch show as the Stamptown gang make merry with Zoom-era laughsCan you capture online the raucous energy of the best live comedy cabarets? It’s not easy – because audience and performers aren’t in the …

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