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You can’t stop the boats: Sorry We Didn’t Die At Sea @ParkTheatre

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Sorry We Didn’t Die At Sea by Italian playwright Emanuele Aldrovandi and translated by Marco Young, has made a topical return to London at the Park Theatre after playing earlier this summer at the Seven Dials Playhouse. In a week when leaders and leaders in waiting were talking about illegal immigration, it seemed like a topical choice . It also has one hell of an evocative title. The piece opens with Adriano Celantano’s Prisencolinensinainciusol , which sets the scene for what we are about to see. After all, a song about communication barriers seems perfect for a play about people trafficking and illegal immigration. One side doesn’t understand why they happen, and the other still comes regardless of the latest government announcement / slogan .  However, the twist here is that the crossing is undertaken the other way. People are fleeing Europe instead of escaping war or poverty in Africa or the Middle East. It’s set sometime in the not-too-distant future. There is a crisis causing p

A broad range: Jinkx Monsoon Sings Everything @lsqtheatre

Thanks to Ru Paul’s Drag Race being one of the shows available to stream for some time on Netflix, series five winner Jinkx Monsoon is a bit of a star over here. Now she’s here in London for a few days at the Leicester Square Theatre singing songs, improvising and doing stuff.

For the few people that don’t have a Netflix subscription, Ru Paul’s Drag Race is a hilarious send up of the reality show format. But it’s also given rise to a new breed of drag super stars. They sing, they strut, they teach you how to throw shade.

In this show, with her combination of improvised comedy and a relentless voice, Jinkx Monsoon gives you a night to remember.


She doesn’t sing everything. The show is only 90 minutes and the theatre doesn’t want to stay open all night. But there’s no set list and so it’s a showcase for improvisation. The audience calls out songs and Jinkx makes a show out of it.

The only problem with this is when you’re audience is wasted and only calling out uninspiring choices, you may not get to see the best Jinkx has to offer.

A cute but musically ignorant audience member suggested she sing Climb Every Mountain... A song not known for its comic potential. Another suggested she sing that hilarious song from Wicked Defying Gravity. Jinkx does lay down some ground rules. But another might be to think about what’s appropriate for a drag super star to sing for its comic potential. And her vocal abilities. Afterall when she’s not shouting, Jinkx has a terrific vocal range.

Perhaps the audience will be better for the remaining nights. Jinkx will be fabulous no matter what.

Jinkx Sings Everything with versatile accompanist Joshua Stephen Kartes is at the Leicester Square Theatre until 28 October. Look out for the UK Tour with Major Scales as The Vaudevillians from 3rd November to 9th December.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


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