Acid’s Reign is the newest musical theatre and drag fusion that charts the rise and fall of drag and climate-activist band, Acid’s Reign. When Alex meets Ria after they both end up in prison after being arrested at a climate protest they form a band, along with drag king Mickey Steele and Dinah Mite.
The premise is an age-old one, band gets together, band falls out over creative differences and eventually splits however Evie Fehilly’s book makes the story feel fresh and puts a modern day spin on it with the drag element. We see the band grow mildly successful and follow them as Dinah leaves band and finds huge success as a solo artist and Olive joins. Their relationships begin to crumble and Alex finds herself wig in hand at a place she never expected and the help comes with huge emotional conditions attached. Weaved into the story are themes around how far would you go for success and at what point would might leave your convictions behind.
A storyline like this relies on relationships being developed and invested in by the audience however the relationships change at rapid pace in this show. You barely see Dinah establish herself within the band before she is a huge star in her own right and when Olive is later introduced into the band it is difficult to really understand her relevance to the storyline. The pace is part of the show’s energy, but occasionally it works against the emotional storyline.
Above all Acid’s Reign is enormous fun. There is an infectious energy to the whole production, from the outrageous costumes and larger-than-life performances to the moments where the cast let loose and give the audience a great night (well afternoon) out. Even when then storyline moves faster than the relationships can comfortably develop the sheer charisma of the performances and the catchiness of the score make it difficult not to get swept up in the experience.
Basing the band around drag Queens (and a Drag King) means that naturally there is a heightened expectation in terms of presentation and performance and Acid’s Reign absolutely delivers on this front. The heels were high and the costumes fabulous. Designed by Harry Whitfield they gave each group member a clear identity throughout as well as being fierce and flamboyant. Fabulous costumes aside the other advantage of centring the band around drag meant that there could be wider political discussions that became personal for this storyline. The most clear cut of this was the inclusion of a Drag King in the line up and Mickey gets a number dedicated to the art form. The struggles for a drag king to achieve mass appeal is woven into the storyline beautifully and provides food for thought. Interestingly whilst the band is formed due to climate activism it is drag and gender identity that is explored in a more interesting and nuanced way whereas the climate activism feels more like a device to set the story in motion and keep the conflict alive than a theme explored with the same depth.
As Acid Reign are a band the show this leans brilliantly into its musical format and frankly, they are a band that I would happily go to see live, both due to their catchy music and their performance ability. Their sound has a rocky edge and when they burst into their opening number, ‘Acid’s Reign Cabaret’ it was easy to get excited about their sound but it was not just their big numbers that wowed. Ria has a beautifully tender number ‘When I’m Not Here’ which shows that Gabriel Chernick who wrote the music is far from a one-trick pony.
All of the drag artists on stage are huge talents in their own right and also complimented each other beautifully. Gigi Zahir played the passionate Ria who floored me with her vocal ability, from the big rocky numbers to the aforementioned When I’m Not Here.’ Jamie Fuxx was wonderfully charismatic as Drag King Mickey had a real sense of showmanship about to him which came to the fore in his number ‘Last Minute King.’ Victoria Scone and Scarlett Harlett join the cast as British Drag Race Alumni and play the two breakthrough stars of the band. They bounce off each other brilliantly. Victoria Scone as Alex commands the stage and the band effortlessly and their voice note style song is beautifully delivered as well as an inspired piece of musical theatre writing. Scarlett Harlett is also easy to believe as a bona fide superstar in her own right and her comedy interjections are timed to perfection.
Acid’s Reign is a gloriously camp, high energy peace of musical theatre that knows exactly how to entertain its audience. The storyline occasionally moves too quickly for some of its relationships and themes to recvie the development they deserve but the infections score, spectacular drag performances and sheer charisma of the cast makes this an enormously enjoyable performance at the Fringe. If you’re looking for something with big vocals, fabulous costumes and plenty of fun, Acid’s Reign delivers.
Acid’s Reign is on at The Pleasance Theatre from 15:45-17:00 each day. You can find out more about the show here.
If you like this review you might also like my review of Dystopia 26, Bog Witch and Texas Annie: The Legend of the Moan Ranger.