Some say that this is the best time of year; leaves begin to fall, nights become longer and jumpers become our cosy companions. Yet for some of us there is another tradition which appears on the list – The Lady Boys of Bangkok. Back for its annual residency on Millennium Square, the infamous cabaret show came back with their latest offering, Forever Yours.
As a fan who marked this year as the 4th time of seeing the Lady boys in Leeds, they certainly didn’t disappoint. Campy lip syncs and homages to music videos from the likes of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Kylie Minogue made for an extremely entertaining evening, to the point where the variety and exciting scene changes almost justified the pricing of the bar.
‘…the variety and exciting scene changes almost justified the pricing of the bar.’
The show was a mixture of physical spectacular and entertaining drag. While some of the lip syncing was terribly inaccurate, and some costumes didn’t quite compliment a few of the Lady Boys figure, the show is forgiven by its naivety. If you attend any show in Leeds which focuses on gender and sexuality, there is always some pragmatism or a need to think – in a way, Forever Yours goes beyond that without being political or revolutionary. That being said, it must be remembered that the stars of the show were originally biologically assigned as males at birth and perhaps no less than ten years ago its impact in Millennium Square would most likely have have generated a bigger fuss.
‘perhaps no less than ten years ago its impact in Millennium Square would most likely have have generated a bigger fuss’
The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Forever Yours may not upon first glance appeal to a wider audience, but its innocence and entertainment is a refreshing take without, surprisingly enough, being too ‘in your face’ about it.
Mark McDougall
(Image courtesy of theangelinthenorth.com)