Sasha Velour opens spectacular Smoke and Mirrors show in Birmingham - review
When my husband and I braved the gloomy weather to witness the opening night of Sasha Velour's critically-acclaimed solo show, we didn't quite know what to expect.
Much of Smoke and Mirrors is surrounded in, well, smoke and mirrors.
There's very little information out there about what you will witness, and even fewer photos to gather a picture in your minds-eye.
Intrigued by the mystery, we made our way to Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre for a night of wonder and illusion like no other.
An eclectic blend of runway looks, magic and illusion, Smoke and Mirrors truly has to be seen to be believed.
The opening performance, set to the haunting tune of Sia's Cellophane, sees Velour dressed in a flowing, bejewelled white smock as projections flash across her frame.
The number is a feast for the eyes, perfectly blending rich visuals with emotive performance art to create a thought-provoking spectacle - and there's plenty more where that came from.
The two-hour show takes the audience on a journey through the psyche of gender-fluid graphic artist and drag extraordinaire Velour that pushes the boundaries of the imagination.
A quick aside from the RuPaul's Drag Race winner explained the history of the show, telling the crowd that in her first drag revue, without a spotlight to illuminate the acts, she had to get creative.
She designed a simple white background to be used with a projector, and then went on to experiment with different patterns and graphics.
And as they say, the rest is history.
Smoke and Mirrors features 13 different visual illusions all performed by Velour and set to an eclectic soundtrack from the likes of Annie Lennox, Judy Garland, Le Tigre and Dame Shirley Bassey.
Dazzling costume changes, thrilling lip-syncs and comedic, camp video skits tie the enthralling narrative together, covering everything from loss to the fear of rejection and challenging gender identity.
The show sees Velour dance with projections of herself on the screen and even cut herself in half in a magic box, blending the realms of reality to the point I often had to question what was going on and who the real Sasha was in front of me.
The artistry that goes into every second of the show is truly mind-blowing and makes the spectacle even more impressive.
Add into the mix the precise time management that makes every number work as well as the energetic choreography, and I was simply bowled over.
Though serious in its subject matter, Sasha has a lightness about her personality during addresses to the crowd that added different facets to the show.
She joked about her struggles and mental health in a way that was thoughtful and understanding rather than abrasive, reaching out a long, clawed hand to audience members that may be suffering in a similar fashion.
Sasha captured the attention of the crowd with every word, even evoking tears as she shared a deeply personal number dedicated to her mother she lost to cancer.
Ending on a haunting performance of Nina Simone's Wild Is The Wind that saw Velour embrace every season as a blooming tree, the artist received a raucous round of applause and standing ovation from every member of the audience.
Smoke and Mirrors is a chaotic extravaganza of glittering visuals and spellbinding performance that cannot be simply boxed into one specific genre.
Velour has successfully created a one-of-a-kind show that marks her out as one of the greatest show creators of our time.
I cannot wait to see what wild and whacky spectacles come out of the House of Velour in future.
