(4 / 5)

Take all the typical royal stories you hear of succession, throw in a drag king and a whole heap of humour and you have Lil Wenker’s Boyking. 

I was introduced to Lil Wenker last year with their western cowboy turned accountant act and instantly knew I needed to see more of them. This year, they bring the story of 8 year old Prince Wilfred who is 14th in line to the throne and very unhappy about it. What ensues is a catalyst to trudging up his deep and dark evil side, as he embarks on becoming King through any means. 

Boyking is rude and crude from the start. We get multiple characters out of Lil Wenker, from the court jester, to snippets of his father and the odd brother. His mother appears but only as a giant boob, manipulated and grotesque in a Bouffon style appendage that appears from off stage and breast feeds the Prince. The characters are distinctive and prompted with different voices, mannerisms, physicality and associated props which are all very clever to bring the story forward. They’re not deep characters and that works perfectly; enough to give shock but also enough that you’re not emotionally invested. 

Everything is highly elevated and exaggerated. A large crown that allows Lil Wenker to provide some hilarious physicality with audience interaction that could border on too much for anyone else but who for Lil Wenker pulls laugh after laugh from it the more it goes on. There’s also to say that we are all involved throughout; don’t think that you can go without being interacted with or asking for some involvement. And this is always welcomed – it adds to the hilarity and, when audience interaction is unexpected, Lil Wenker is skilled enough that this doesn’t throw them – they go with it and it only adds to the fun. 

There are really dark, black comedy moments however – when Boyking is evil, the grotesque boob, to name just a few and this is a level more than their last show. Without the traditional physical aspect of Bouffon, it still touches on this dark and taboo humour which makes you occasionally gasp-laugh with the shock factor but also, with great intellectual comedy.

Boyking is dark, naughty and ever so funny. Prepare to be hilariously shocked and belly laugh throughout.