From the moment you walk into the bar, the UK’s only dwarf drag queen is on to you. Miss DQ welcomes practically every guest with a different observation or comment that sets the mood before the show proper begins, and what a show it is. With all the laughs of full-blown comedy and celebratory empowerment shining bright throughout, Miss DQ Live! is a chance to embrace diversity while having the mick taken out of you by a drag superstar bursting with character and attitude. It doesn’t come much more fun than this. 

The show, consisting of a mixture of audience participation, comedy bits, and singalongs, is wickedly funny. Miss DQ is full of sultry humour and stories that get the gleeful crowd rocking back and forth in their seats. One of Miss DQ’s secrets is her interactions with the crowd. One unwitting audience member is transformed into a fully fledged drag queen in the space of three minutes, while another dies of awkwardness when Miss DQ halts the show entirely so they can go and get a drink. Her show works wonders when the crowd are up for just about anything, and the star of the show herself is an extraordinaire. With a belting singing voice and genuine talent for crowd-pleasing, you cannot help but get swept up in the party fever.

One of the briefest moments of the show, but one of the most important, is when a video is played detailing the history of Pride and why Pride marches are still important today. It is an at times graphic account, visibly affecting every person in the room (Miss DQ included). It is a stark reminder of why this show, others like it, and Pride in general all still matter. A brief moment of sincerity is all it takes to contextualise the frivolity. This is far more than an hour of boozy, carnivalesque fun. It is a stirring reminder to celebrate yourself as much as you do others, and to accept everyone for who they are. “One love,” as Miss DQ simply puts it.

Full of laughter and love, Miss DQ’s performance is one to savour and cherish – not to mention keel over laughing at. A time to party unlike any other, the titular superstar’s dirty jokes and great sense of style are all you need to be singing and dancing the night away.