An hour and a half drumming and dancing spectacular
By Margaret Wieringa
Drummer Queens slammed an hour and a half of drumming and dancing out at the Comedy Theatre and nearly took the roof off. Creator, Composer and Musical Supervisor Joe Accaria worked with Choreographer Peta Anderson and Creative Director Nigel Turner-Carroll to create this stunning, varied performance which thrilled the audience, receiving not one but two standing ovations.
This is absolutely a show for the whole family. The show moved from huge, full-cast numbers to solos and smaller interactions. It was the physical bantering between performers that had the kids giggling, in particular the moments between Rebel (Stef Furnari) and Bey-b (Georgia Anderson).
The set looked like some kind of under-the-city world with exposed pipes forming arcs across the stage. The queens came out in a series of variations on the yellow overall and white singlet combo, each reflecting the personality of their character. And as the show went on, there were more and more set reveals, including a series of moving platforms with varieties of percussion set-up that allowed the drumming to be transformed into fully choreographed numbers.
It’s hard to pick a favourite part when there were so many amazing numbers – the totally kick-arse Asian Metal number (with very impressive head-banging from Cap (Ned Wu) – all whilst slamming the kit); the beautiful gentleness of The Heartbeat Song; the excited, pounding energy of Chant. But for me, it was when things went Eighties. Rebel was rocking it on an electronic drum, and when the full cast joined in with an impressive light show, including sticks and costumes, I wasn’t sure if I was more impressed with the choreography, the drumming or the magnificent spectacle.
Or maybe it was when Freedom (Peta Anderson) blew the audience away with a tap number that started small, a few taps, the clacking of drumsticks, but built and built until she was playing a kit that other cast members built around her, while dancing an absolute storm, and the auditorium broke into a storm of applause.
Unfortunately, Drummer Queens only has a short run in Melbourne before touring the country. Get in, take the family, and maybe grab some earplugs because this show is extremely loud. And if you’re still unsure, check out these videos for yourself
60′ vox pops https://youtu.be/PwvGdCNTddI
Beyanet https://youtu.be/2Q_nze9nVdg
Drummer Queens is playing at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne until May 8. It will then be touring the country – visit https://www.drummerqueens.com/ for details.
Photography by David Hooley
Theatre Press 