by Zahid Fayyaz

Winner of Drag Race UK this year, Lancaster’s Ginger Johnson celebrates her victory with a Christmas residency for most of December and the first week of January. Ably accompanied by the wonderful Sarah Rose on the keys, this is a technicolour riot of music, comedy and fabulous costumes.

Having been performing for almost 20 years, Ginger has the crowd patter down. It’s an art. She also has no problem keeping the show moving and deftly deals with any technical issues or interruptions from the crowd.

The songs are a particular highlight of the show; obviously they have a Christmas focus given the time of year. The sad advert, honest Christmas songs, and “Next Big Thing” are particularly entertaining. There is clearly a lot of thought put into the songs and jokes. They crackle with inventiveness, which makes it stand out from standard cabaret shows. There are a few costume changes, and the audience is kept busy with pre-prepared videos. These are unfortunately not all that interesting, and they arrest the momentum slightly, but they do not linger long on stage or in the memory.

Ginger is clearly set for bigger and better things in the future, but this show is a great way to see her in a more intimate space than those she is destined to play going forward. It is well worth celebrating the holidays with her.

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