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Eyes, hair, mouth: Darkie Armo Girl at Finborough Theatre

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Darkie Armo Girl, Karine Bedrossian’s electrifying one-woman show, commands attention from the moment it begins. First performed in 2022 and revived last year, it now returns for extra performance and it's an event not to miss. The show takes you through the thrills and horrors of a hectic life. She struts, shimmies, and taunts while revealing some horrific truths. She is such an irresistible storyteller that you find yourself hooked. The story is one of fame, glamour, abuse, self-harm, and suicide. If that subject matter doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you haven't seen it delivered with such high energy and provocation. It's currently at the Finborough Theatre . The show's title refers to a slur a popular girl at school once called her. Her ancestry is Armenian, and her parents were from Cyprus, where they fled the civil war and arrived in the UK with nothing. Shortly after she was born in Roehampton. The birth was an emergency C-section that left the baby and ...

Hot August Nights: Drag Divas

If you have been wondering where you could see a live all-singing all-dancing tribute show to the worlds greatest divas performed by a bunch of blokes, then you could do with catching Drag Divas, which is having a short run at the Arts Theatre in Leicester Square. It has been always a bit difficult to see a drag show in central London as the local punters don't seem to go for that sort of thing... But it is great to see there is at least for the moment a place in the West End where you can go for a late night camp fix that doesn't take itself too seriously and gives a touch of hoary glamour to theatreland this summer.

The show is billed as being "Fierce. Fabulous. Fearless" and this could apply to both the divas and the drag performers as they come out and sing live in front of an audience that has already had a drink or three and has been warmed up by drag compere Mrs Moore. But what they may lack in the vocal department, they make up for with some impressive costumes and great performances that managed to channel the idiosyncracies of the star divas.

The cast includes Anthony Poore performing as Madonna and Dusty Springfield, Leo Loren performing as Amy Winehouse and Cher, Chris Dennis as Shirley Bassey and Liza Minnelli and Rob Tucker as Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Tina Turner. And they are accompanied by two rather flexible singer-dancers Scott Bishop and Ashley Martin, who managed to thrill the audience with a few splits and gyrating manouvres.

At an hour fifteen it isn't a taxing diversion and feels like the sort of show anyone with some spare time after a day of sightseeing or drinking could do with. Just make sure that you have something to keep cool as the Arts Theatre is not the coolest of venues on a hot August night. The performers on stage won't be the only ones that are dripping with perspiration.

Drag Divas continues tonight and then Wednesday 22nd – Saturday 25th August 2012 at 10.15pm. Look for offers as for this week, tickets are two for one. Also keep you eyes out for the boys handing out fliers in Soho too...

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