A smart show title will tell us everything we need to know, and that’s true in the case of Séayoncé: Res-Erection. Actual good singing and music? Check. Supernatural themes? Check. Puns and innuendos? Check and check.
Entering a dark auditorium whose stage is already occupied by Dan Wye’s Séayoncé character – her eyes shut and hands nestling a glowing crystal ball in a fortune-teller booth – is admittedly an eerie sight. But this isn’t a regular theatrical production. This, my friends, is drag and comedy cabaret, as proven by the huge phallic design on the booth pointing to a glory hole. What follows seems like too much content for a one-hour show: the setting up of two fascinating characters, songs to tap your feet to, a trapped ghost and a creepy demon, exorcisms, political humour, a rendition of Titanic: the Musical in which yours truly played a drowning passenger, and a vulnerability you don’t see coming but warms your heart. The tight writing smoothens each transition and makes the show a satisfying whole (pun maybe intended?).
Séayoncé and the hilarious musical accompaniment Leslie Anne (played by Robyn Herfellow) present an electric chemistry on stage. They share laughs so genuine that it makes you doubt whether some of the gags are off the cuff or each movement has been cleverly thought out. The production value has to be admired as well for a show of this scale. It comprises an excellent use of lighting and sound effects to elicit a thrilling atmosphere. The props (including a framed photograph of Einstein and Séayoncé hinting of romance) intrigues us before the show even begins.
Almost every line in Séayoncé: Res-Erection has a joke. Some punch you in the face, others require a few seconds for that ‘aha’ moment to click. A few are so memorable you’ll still be chuckling to them the next day – a true indicator of a great show.