Images: ladyboysofbangkok.co.uk

There is no doubt that The Ladyboys of Bangkok hold a demand within the City of Leeds. Back once more and situated in Millennium Square, the Ladyboys have set up their Thai pavilion for another residency throughout October. After visiting the show last year, I was looking forward to another royal romp full of tongue in cheek references and light entertainment. Perhaps due to my curse and aspiration of being a perfectionist, I couldn’t help but notice a few scratches upon their surface.

Of course, it is easy to forget that the cast of 16 members once, or still do identify as men. Elaborate costumes merged with camp playbacks of songs such as On a Night Like This and She Bangs attempted to disguise the poor lip syncing and editing skills of the music. However, its target audience of hen parties and twenty something females remained unfazed to these technical errors whilst they danced and clapped their way through their camp set.

The highlight of the show was the Ladyboy version of Jennifer Lopez. Her appearance was striking and almost identical to that of the American singer. Seemingly demoted from last year’s show opener, she brought the energy to a peak with their number before the finale, and the comedienne clearly has her place within the shows’ cast. Although at times I felt there was more of a drag queen vibe, the raunchy humour and entertainment from the performer was expected for this sort of show.

Overall, the Ladyboys of Bangkok fulfilled their promise of an evening of light entertainment, with good use of audience interaction. There were minor hiccups with the terrible lip syncing and the questionable costumes from their Hairspray section, the show remains a novelty for hen parties and one off events. Do be wary of their premium pricing and sit away from the middle if you want to avoid being picked on.

Mark McDougall