Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Forth at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
2019: A new drag supergroup bursts onto the scene, intent on challenging climate change. Present day: Interest wanes. Climate funding falters. When commercial opportunity knocks, the company faces a reckoning: stay radical or stay visible? Provocative, camp and razor-sharp, Acid's Reign is a riotous queer musical with a live band and powerhouse vocals from drag superstars including Victoria Scone, Scarlett Harlett and Gigi Zahir (fresh from supporting Chappell Roan) about activism, community and the power of performance.
Climate change (but camp)? Drag queens (and kings)? Songs and sparkles and a swanky set? If any of that sounds up your street, get yourself a ticket to Acid's Reign.
A stacked cast - including a few familiar faces like Victoria Scone and Scarlett Harlett, take to the stage with a story about friendship, betrayal, and how to save the planet! None of it is preachy, all of it is fun, and it’s definitely worth a watch. While not quite a family friendly production, the show is definitely suitable for a range of ages and demographics, and there was a huge variety of people in our audience.
BE WARNED: this show contains light audience participation, and a heavy dose of performance talent!
Credit also must vocally go to the crew, who were decked out in their own bedazzled branding, and were on and off the stage like rockets to facilitate speedy scene changes and to help with costumes (which were gorgeously designed by Harry Whitfield, and complimented by Catja Hamilton’s lighting). This is a production I could easily see on tour, or even a short transfer to the West End. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, and our carbon footprints down!
You can book tickets to Acid's Reign here.
Review by Katie
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