Features / Cabaret
Here come the boiz
Brizzle Boiz are returning for their summer spectacular at Smoke & Mirrors on Thursday, August 30. The drag king and queer cabaret night hosted by Oliver Assets is welcoming four leading performers from across the country, as well as two new local artists in the open mic slot.
Oliver Assets will be having a pleasant tea party, “and we’re sure everything will go completely according to plan,” says the show’s producers Oliver and Roddy.
Oliver is well-known for some dramatic and thought-provoking performances and outfits, including a Van Gogh-inspired painting act.
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Also joining Oliver on stage is Rose-Mary Spayby who will be bringing her wild-western wisdom to tell the tale of a cowgirl pushed to the edge.
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Another performer to watch out for is Bobbie Word-on-the-Street. Bobbie’s image is based on a dark, brooding international playboy and raconteur and will be performing a spoken word, film noir-style tale of revenge.
“We’re not sure what Max Legroom will be doing, but it could involve a toilet roll gun or a board covered in old timey car horns,” say Oliver and Roddy of the South Coast’s nine-foot-tall autistic Drag Prince.
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Finally – in a more politically charged performance – Dancing Queer will be performing a “queer belly dancing routine”. This belly dancer shows you don’t need to shave your legs and underarms to have a good time?
Originally from Egypt, Dancing Queer says that, although they don’t believe anyone needs a reason to dance, they perform, “because where I come from being a belly dancer is considered to be shameful. I dance because it connects me to my roots and culture. I dance because it makes me happy.”
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“But perhaps most importantly,” they continue, “I dance as a form of protest against the treatment of my LGBT+ siblings persecuted around the world just for being who they are.”
“We think interest in drag kings in Bristol is constantly increasing, which is really great to see,” says Roddy. The exciting and proudly queer night is one of a roster of events that are making Bristol’s alternative queer scene one of Britain’s best. “There are so many great nights in Bristol now – we love Thorny, Eat Up, Coochiecrunch, Category Is, and ESDR,” says Oliver.
As proof of the growing interest in the drag kings, the team have had lots of requests to fill the open mic slot. “We have two new local kings named Isaac Dix and Hoover that we are very excited to have join us. We can’t wait to see what they do!”
Tickets for the show are now sold out, but be sure to follow Brizzle Boiz to keep up-to-date with their next performance in October.
Read more: ‘So much has changed since I worked under the cloud of Section 28’
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