Alyssa Edwards took The Glee Club in Nottingham by storm on Monday evening with her sold out show ‘Alyssa Edwards: The Secret is Out’. The moment the Queen stepped on stage she lit up the room, figuratively but also literally – I have never seen so many sequins on one bodysuit.
On 5th March, RuPaul’s Drag Race fans piled into Nottingham’s hotspot for comedy to love and adore the fan favourite Alyssa Edwards. Played by Justin Johnson from Texas, USA, owner of Beyond Belief Dance Company and school, Alyssa is famous for her outrageous confidence and beauty-pageant style beauty, and she did not disappoint. Illustrating nothing less than ultimate glamour, Alyssa oozed charisma.
Klub Kids, one of the biggest drag show events in the UK, hosted the event. Launching in 2013 as a club night in Newcastle, the event hosts some of the biggest drag queens in the world. Nottingham being a new addition to their UK tour locations, we were lucky enough to be the first Nottingham audience to see any of their wonderful Queens.
Andrew Hoyle, Klub Kids front-runner, hosted the evening. He took to the stage right on time to assure the audience they were all ‘knackered’ – Nottingham was the fifth night of Alyssa’s tour – but the show would still be the night of our lives, and right he was. He kicked off the evening with a dance off to decide who the winner would be, a lucky candidate who would be given the chance to meet Alyssa backstage; there is nothing like a “cheer for your winner” routine to get the audience riled up.
The wonderful Queens Mutha Tucka, an edgy Queen from Newcastle who performed one routine covered in fake blood, and Alyssa Van Delle, a Bristol Queen who captivated the audience in her wizardry number, supported the show. Considering Alyssa Edwards came from a reality TV competition that allows amateur drag Queens to shine, I thoroughly appreciate supporting Queens at a drag show; it’s a wonderful way to explore the genre and to be introduced to new and upcoming Queens.
Alyssa Edwards treated us to a full 90-minute show (which she made clear in a diva-like fashion that she refused to be rushed through). She instantly connected with her audience, as she walked through them to get to the stage, adorned with a gorgeous rhinestone and fur coat. The photographer got a little bit closer, as she demanded he sensually take off her coat, demonstrating straight away her compelling sense of humour.
On a first instance, I was apprehensive to learn Alyssa would be talking for a whole 90 minutes and nothing more, but I could not have been more wrong. She was captivating the moment she perched on stage, telling all from her season of Drag Race, her All Stars experience and every little bit in between. I truly felt like I was back stage at a recording with Ru himself.
She ended the show with a Q&A with the audience, one question being about her preferred winner of All Stars Season 3, to which she responded: “All kinds of drag are important,” ultimately deciding that it was between Trixie Mattell and Shangela due to their growth and performance outside of the show.
Before closing, she got the two winners of the dance off on stage to perform her new track alongside her. Walking off the stage to cheers and screams from a loving audience, Alyssa greeted audience members with hugs and blown kisses. The secret is out, and it’s that Alyssa Edwards is making drag herstory with this show.
Edited By Izzy Walker
Images
2 Writer’s own