Tis the month of Mardi Gras and to celebrate the gay and jolly season, Fruit Box Theatre are presenting a fantastic selection of shows at Kings Cross Theatre during Sydney WorldPride as part of Pride Amplified. Big Screen, Small Queen (Everything I Didn’t Learn at Film School) is a thoroughly entertaining debut solo show from leading drag artist Etcetera Etcetera. Part auto-biographical, part cabaret, the show takes us on a glamorous introspective journey of Etcetera Etcetera’s struggle to make it into mainstream film, and how she found her own inspiration to break free from conventional boxes and become the superstar performer the movies told her she could be.
With a killer work ethic commensurate with the idols she plays, Etcetera Etcetera dazzles the crowd with energetic choreography, flawless on-stage costume changes, and lots of sly quips about the nature of being a highly creative, non-binary person in a man’s man’s world. I must say, as a woman who often dances in heels, I am so impressed with how she balances so effortlessly in tiny stilettos on top of a tiny podium, stepping up with all the authority of a queen and commanding the crowd’s attention.
Her two back up dancers (Carter Rickard, also the choreographer) and Jack Williams are seamlessly part of the act, assisting with costume changes, make-up touch ups and adding to the sense of enormous pride Etcetera Etcetera takes in making sure her appearance is perfect. After all, this is her show, her chance to tell us what she has wanted us to know for so long: that since moving to Sydney and becoming a drag artist, her life has been as good as any ABBA song. And honestly, I don’t think there’s any exaggeration in that.
Big Screen, Small Queen, presented by Fruit Box Theatre, is playing at KXT in Kings Cross till 23 February 2023. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://www.kingsxtheatre.com/fruitbox
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Image credit: Matthew Miceli Photography