FELIX & FRIENDS
The word cabaret can mean so many things, and in Brighton it tends to be used to describe drag entertainment, and there’s nothing wrong with that, we have some very talented drag performers here in the city. And in recent years we have had some very good cabaret performances and venues delivering a true sense of cabaret, with more than a hint of pre-war Berlin about them. But after years of hitting the LGBTQ+ scene myself I have become a little weary of the format delivered in some venues, searing and salacious back-chat and belted out torch songs and show tunes. I’m not denegrating what they do but I hanker for more.
Felix & Friends delivered just that, it’s definitely queer cabaret but with an added extra oomph. The evening at The Tusk club in the bowels of The Walrus is hosted by the eponymous Felix Le Freak. Felix is a gender bending artist, a lithe and scantily clad vision in a thatch of blue hair, Felix can dance and sing, can spin a yarn and seduce an audience with acerbic wit. But there is so much more to this performer, yes we got a few numbers, cunningly twisted lyrics of popular songs, but we also get self penned songs. And those songs are razor sharp reflections of the life of a drag performer or a queer person. His delivery is patter song paced but crystal clear and each line packs a punch. Murder In The Dressing Room is a sharply observed telling of life backstage, precisely penned and beautifully performed. It is this element of the show that raises the bar, and Felix clearly wants to create an entertainment where artistry comes before cheesy filth. Not that there is a shortage of that from time to time in this show, but there is balance.
And that balance is provided by the guests. First out is Daphne, a bouncing zebra print force of lip-syncing mashed up comedy, the part one number something of a surprise and a little too loud for my ears. And the mash up requires knowledge of what has been mashed. A second number at the end of the show was much funnier and easier to absorb and won me over.
Oro, a made up name explained by the performer, is a non-binary, gender queer stand up act that gently had us roaring with laughter. Playing with gender politics in a subtle and non-aggressive manner that made so much sense, this is an act to look out for.
At the door we had been greeted by Peter Pearl, a huge and cheesy presence, half of the double act Pearl & Dean. In shiny satin, floral lapels and frilled shirt Pearl is the only “heterosexual” on the stage or so we are told. Of course the character, a cruise ship entertainer, has probably done more cruising on land than at sea, if you follow my drift. It’s flamboyant fun from those frills to the flirting with the men in the audience.
Sam See, a Singaporean Chinese stand up comic is five foot five of pacey humour. His material is spot on, delivered with confidence and speed and his observations of Britain and the British are punchy and uncomfortably accurate. As are his views on ageism and body politics on the male gay scene. He hits hard for sure but at the same time is loveable.
Felix & Friends is a breath of fresh air when it comes to queer entertainment. As yet it is a little rough around the edges, it needs better lighting, the house lights remained too bright throughout and perhaps a little stage dressing to add to the ambience, but despite all that this was a full on evening of fun peppered with some thought provoking jibes. Let’s hope that Felix gets the audiences this sexy confection truly deserves. Felix & Friends returns every second Thursday of the month until Christmas.
Andrew Kay
10 July
The Tusk Club at The Walrus
Rating:
