Queenz The Show With Balls is a drag act which provides a huge party atmosphere with songs from everything from Whitney to Britney. Combine that with the fact that these Queenz sing live, with not a lip sync in sight then you have 90 minutes of pure camp pop hysteria.

The performers that make up this girl group is Bella Du Balls (Ben Sell), Billie Eyelash (Craig Colley), Zeze Van Cartier (Lew Ray), Candy Caned (Josh Hanson) and Dior Monte (Jaymi Hensley). Each of the Queenz had their own identity on stage, with Bella as the groups powerhouse vocal diva, Candy as the soft hearted Essex queen, Billie Eyelash as the rock chic, Dior as the comedy queen and Zeze as the fierce fashion queen. The costume design by Rikki Finlay also emphasised their own characters, from huge hats for Zeze to an all white costume dripping in jewels for Dior it really helped create a lasting impression. However these Queenz, whilst are great individually, together they are a powerhouse, all singing and all dancing girl group with more girl power than the Spice Girls.

The songs performed were from a huge range of artists. These included Lady Gaga, Gloria Estefan, Spice Girls, Cher, Shakira, J-Lo, Tina Turner and more. A lot of songs were camp to the max however with a drag show would you want anything less? The songs were wonderfully arranged with harmony lines added so that what was originally written as a solo in many cases became group numbers and we saw some mixing of songs that you might not have expected due to the talented musicianship behind this group. Whilst many of the songs were wonderfully camp, the show also had depth. Towards the end of the show there were a beautiful version of Cindi Laupers ‘True Colours,’ which spoke volumes as to LGBTQI+ rights and there was the powerful message running throughout the show that we were all Queenz.

Looking at the casts credentials you won’t be surprised to learn that it wasn’t just pop songs that were performed. We were treated to a musical medley (Drag Me To The Musicals) which included Evita, Chicago, Mamma Mia and Cats, however the words from iconic musical theatre songs were changed to brilliantly fit the show although the line that sticks with you is from the iconic ‘Defying Gravity’ when they sing ‘Defying gender roles.’ This was of course my stagey highlight.

Many of the numbers came with dance breaks and impressive choreography. The Queenz were given the space to perform as their own character during these moments, they always looked like they belonged on stage together.

The production values of the show were high. Sound is of course a key element in a show such as this, which is essentially a concert and the balance was great. The light design by Adam Murdoch enhanced this pop concert feel.

Whilst there was no narrative throughout the show the Queenz were strong enough performers not to need it and the message of empowerment provided all the heart that the show needed to deliver. If you love pop music or drag queens then this is the show for you, if you love pop music AND drag queens then this is a MUST see!!

Queenz The Show With Balls is in the middle of a nationwide tour. You can find out where they are visiting and more on their website.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Jinkx Monsoon and Ben DeLa Creme’s Holiday Special, Death Drop 2 Back in The Habit and Alyssa’s Memoirs of a Queen.