The First XXXmas is a brand new production from the creative team behind XXXmas Carol and the Lion, the B*tch and the Wardrobe (which you can read about here) This year they decided to showcase their version of the Nativity. The cast and crew clearly have a passion for showcasing queer and local artists as each show has contained drastic changes to bring the stories into the twenty-first century. For the past three years, I have been lucky enough to experience all of the crude Christmas productions that have taken place in the Wales Millennium Centre! While the majority of the cast has stayed the same throughout, each year has been a unique perspective of some of the most well-known Christmas stories and this year is probably the most well-known story to ever exist! With the Nativity in particular there is always a certain awkwardness when religion and queerness are involved in the same sentence as there has been a documented history between these two groups so to take on the birth of Jesus Christ is a very controversial story to re- imagine.

The show opens with the sober songbird of Splott Polly Amorous welcoming the audience where she is suddenly challenged by an all-knowing being to give birth to the saviour of the world. Those who know the original Nativity story well will know that Mary experienced an immaculate conception where supposedly no sexual activity took place. This led to Polly delivering a camp performance of “Like a Virgin” by Madonna which dipped its foot into the biblical story while keeping the show camp and modern. I thought that it was absolutely incredible that this number contained an actual violin and saxophone solo (performed by the insanely talented Jenna Dyckhoff) on the stage which are not things we see in the spotlight too often. One of my favourite performances of the evening occurred in the opening of the second act of this show as Polly Amorous delivered an incredible rendition of Robbie Williams’ hit “Angels.” Not only did this song tease a Christmas motif with the titular biblical characters but the vocals themselves were out of this world! This performance truly stepped up a level when Polly continued her wonderful vocals but this time in the Welsh language and then provided lyrics so that everyone could sing along. As a proud Welshman, seeing the language literally take centre stage is amazing and I wish that more productions implemented more of this dedication to promoting the language. As well as delivering two fantastic performances, Polly also had to drive the story which included ample audience participation which is something that fills me with fear just thinking about it never mind having to facilitate it after doing everything else!

Eric McGill is one of the performers who has been a part of all three of these queer reimaginings and yet he still seems to surprise the audience every time he graces the stage. His first performance of the evening saw him take on the role of Mary/Polly’s husband Joseph but in this performance, he was portrayed as a sexy carpenter. The act began with Eric essentially strutting through the audience while carrying a massive log and giving sensuality with every step. Once on the stage, the audience was treated to a brilliant strip tease that was met with thunderous applause! The joke of this performance however was it was alluded to that Joseph is not being as faithful as everyone thinks as the recognisable Grindr notification begins blasting from his pocket. Throughout the evening Eric showcased his wince-inducing ability to force a nail and screwdriver up his noise which sent shivers around my body every time this happened. However, during the second act, Eric decided to channel a much more intense and political underpinning. Now playing the role of the dastardly King Harold, Eric began his act in a bathtub as he began covering himself in blood to represent blood being in the hands of political leaders/the loss of innocent lives caused political leaders that still happens even today. On top of his usual mesmerising aerial talents, the added layer of meaning made for a unique yet transfixing performance. I also thoroughly enjoyed the performance of “Supernova” originally sung by Kylie Minogue as it was absolutely spectacular! While Eric showcased his gravity-defying tricks, Polly and Jenna showcased their vocal talents. At one point glitter was poured from the trapeze that rained onto both the performances and the audience below. I did not know where to look as something was going on in every section of the stage which all worked together to create an extremely exciting performance!

I have to admit that I think Bumni Odumosu drew the short straw in this production as she was forced into multiple animal outfits for her performance. The first time was as a donkey which helps Mary get to Bethlehem whereas the second one was a sheep. This second outfit was absolutely hilarious as two audience members were brought onto the stage to be Shepard’s are guarding the sheep only for her to fly into the air and display her incredible aerial skills. This left the two audience members lost for words as how were they supposed to protect someone who was dangling from the air which caused fits of laughter from the audience. One of the most powerful performances of the evening came from Rahim El Habachi who is usually known for his fun and energetic belly dancing (which he did still managed to showcase) however this time he decided to go down a much more political route. Underscored by the track “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” by the Drowning Pool, Rahim delivered an incredible message about our current treatment of refugees and how Jesus himself was in fact a refugee. This background music combined with the powerful message made for an incredible act that shocked the audience into utter silence so much so that people felt unsure whether to applaud at the end due to the intense message.

Overall, the First XXXmas had the potential to become an attack on religion but instead carefully played with the story to create a politically powerful and entertaining production. The variety of acts ensured that the audience never knew what to expect next with Polly Amorous showing everyone that she is in fact the hostess with the mostest! I would rate this production 5 out of 5 stars!

(4 / 5)

In my opinion it is always incredible difficult opening a show as you have to not only establish the standard the audience can expect from everyone else, but you also need to force the audience to get excited despite what may have happened before they set foot in the Fortuna Spiegeltent tent.

I know that I would be incredibly stressed If I was in the MC’S shoes, but Velma Celli seemed to excel in this intense position. There was not a single drop in energy or excitement as the host kept the audience hyped throughout and even dealt with delays flawlessly. They helped to introduce each act, mask the getting ready periods and even treated us to a few performances throughout! In fact, the whole show was opened by Velma who delivered a vocally incredible rendition of Black and Gold. What I thoroughly enjoyed about this number is the fact that as the number went on each of the acts graced the stage as a subtle introduction to each of the performances and a tease of what to expect from the evening. Velma had people in the audience in stitches throughout the evening whether it was picking on “Santa” sat in the front row or serenading a random audience member (who took it all in high spirits) with an array of crudely parodied Christmas carols!

Later in the evening the incredible duo of Paul and Louise graced the stage to showcase their balance-based skills. What I personally found incredible about this performance in particular was the fact that both of duo were showcasing their skills as often times it appears that the male partner is them simply as a strong foundation for the female to dance/contort around. One of the highlight moments of this performances saw Paul lay on his back while Louise placed her feet near her partners neck and learn forward. She went so far forward that she was a mere few inches from face planting for the floor while her partner leveraged his body to support her ever step on the way which was incredible to watch. The entire performance was full of flips and tricks throughout with these two talented performances clearly have a great chemistry both on and off stage! This pair returned in the second act to showcase an incredible roller-skating-based set. At one point in the routine, the pair circled each other only for Louise to hook her feet around her partners neck as they both continued to spin around. This trick was cleverly repeated multiple times with each iteration different enough to not bore the audience, but it was the final version that truly wowed the crowd! They had donned a rope hoop style contraption which connect the two performers simply by their necks and the cyclone of dance happened one last time, but this time Louise not only span in a horizontal circle but also twisted through the air in an almost impressive pencil twists the entire time! I thought it was very clever for the curators of this routine to repeat the same trick but adapt it slightly each time as it gave structure to the performance yet prevented the audience from being bored by seeing a similar trick!

One of my favourite performers of the evening was the amazing Miss Betsy Rose who treated the audience to a bit of burlesque. Now I am only a recent convert to the art form (having seen my first two burlesque shows just last week) but I do think it does not get the reputation it deserves. This style of dance is not simply about removing your clothes as quickly as you can but the sensual art of teasing the audience, which Betsy has down to a fine art! In classic burlesque style they showcased the most wonderful and over-the-top facial expressions and punctuation on almost every beat with a powerful movement which created a very cohesive and mesmerising performance. This performer was actually one of the first people we saw during the opening ensemble track as she dazzled the audience by dancing on the stage before Velma joined her to sing the song. The way her entire body was perfectly synced to the music not only built up the excitement but also made for a fantastic thing to experience! One of the things I was particularly fascinated is how the feather fans were utilised in such a way to almost give them a life-like breath but also used to frame part of the body which the audience went wild for. Every single person in the venue was transfixed by Betsy Rose with her gorgeous and energetic movements and every time an item of clothing was teased the audience went wild!

I have to be honest and say that fire spinning is never been an art form that I have found particularly fascinating, until I saw the incredible Penny Valent who graced the stage with a stunning headpiece that was set on fire which helped to introduce the main theme of their performance. The set began with the traditional fire batons which was frightening enough on their own but when bigger tools were introduced, we all know that something insane was about to happen! What I did not expect however was the unusual fusion of a sparkling light show and fire twirling! These bigger batons were short of sparks throughout, but the highlight came where she began wasting them with caused streaks of flames to cut through the air which was met with gasps each and every time! I was sat a few rows from the front but every time she motioned with these bigger sticks and intense waft of heat ran through me so I can only image how hot it would have been for the performer on stage! This was not the end however as the performer purposefully set fire to the stage itself causing a wall of fire to act as a backdrop to the performance!

My favourite performance of the evening, however, would have to be Little Finch who delivered a unique act of both simultaneously balancing of a hanging net. I must admit that my first thought as the two very attractive performers graced the stage was that it reminded me of a Jean Paul Gaultier advert. The act started as a wonderfully camp and fun number as two male sailors fell in love and shared a kiss (which the audience cheered immensely for) and then began to dangle from the ceiling on a net. Now I have seen numerous aerial routines but what I have never seen is two people performing the gravity defying skill at the same time! They carefully balanced themselves on one another while their partner was carefully balanced in the net which looked intensely dangerous but was met every time with roars from the audience!  We had Jonathan Finch earlier in the evening when they gave a wonderfully fun hand balancing performance on top of a series of boxes. While upside down this performer decided to proceed to remove their stockings with their feet which I cannot even comprehend how you to even begin to think about doing this never mind performing it in front of a live audience! Yet again this performance was giving face throughout the whole performance which add a wonderful sense of comedy to this very dangerous art form!

Overall, this year’s iteration of Castellana leant much more into a cabaret/variety show style format with the omission of last year’s hard to follow storyline picked up and dropped throughout the show! There was an eccentric mix of burlesque, live singing, hoop routines, aerial acts, fire spinning etc. which made for a very exciting show as you never knew what to expect next! There were a few mistakes throughout the evening such as stumbling, missed cues and tricks going wrong but I for one would never be able to do even a quarter of what some of the performers did on this evening! This performance is clearly intended for a more mature audience as there was swearing, sexual references and mature acts throughout the show but equally it was one’s sexy way to welcome the festive season! I would rate this production four out of five stars! If you want to get yourself some tickets for this event in Sophia Gardens then you can purchase tickets here.

(5 / 5)

In recent times we have seen a rise in the number of productions that have leaned into the idea of an experience rather than simply watching and passively enjoying a performance. Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama recently was home to such a production titled “Queer Collision.” 

Before the main auditorium opened for the staged production, the team behind this project decided to facilitate a cabaret show. One of the main headliners of this pre-show cabaret was Ebony Rose Dark who is a visually impaired singer who delivered a wonderful collection of spoken word style performances. During one point in this performance, Ebony burst into a fabulous dance break complete with audio descriptions of what she was doing throughout. Their energy throughout this performance was infectious which was the perfect way to get the audience ready for the main show later! One of my favourite quotes of the evening came from Ebony as she described being a VIP guest at this event but instead of the classic very important person, she was a visually impaired person! It was not only entertainment that Ebony was interested in delivering this evening however, they also managed to sprinkle in the perfect amount of education as they talked about the importance/purpose of a cane for visually impaired people.

I have to say that I was totally captivated by the mesmerising Rajan as they strutted across down the staircase at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Shifting the focus from the front of the stage to the rafters meant that from the first second the audience’s gaze didn’t not leave the performer. They gracefully strutted down the stairs in the most gorgeous pair of stiletto heels which came with a perfect exclamation point of tear-away trousers! The fact that Rajan was able to keep a firm grasp on the audience’s attention throughout their performance (without the need to excessive extravagance or unnecessary theatrics) was simply incredible! They are clearly a very talented dancer as their body moved in such an effortless and gorgeous way that had the audience in awe from the moments they began their spoken word piece instructing everyone essence of the performer was absolutely incredible to watch! The performer worked every inch of the performance area, even interacting with certain members of the audience! At the end of the number, Rajan instructed the audience to follow them into the auditorium which helped to transform this performance into a theatrical experience rather than the typical two-person biography I was expecting!

The main portion of Queer Collision saw two fabulous performers take to the stage to share their experience of growing up queer. This included key milestone moments including their first relationship, moments of intense bullying, gay awakenings and dating in later life. The character Willie was clearly the more natural and experience storyteller as they weaved dramatic accounts of meeting someone online, a public toilet experience and an eccentric plan of their future funeral while his co-star was clearly a much more gifted dancer. The latter took the audience on a journey of him and his boyfriend being attacked after a night out which was wonderfully captured through powerful and moving choreography which had everyone in the audience extremely close to tears! We were however treated to a scattering of dancing from the former with a particular highlight being towards the end of the show when they led a performance of traditional Scottish dancing!

Each person used their talents to share heart-warming to devastating stories which made for a very entertaining narrative from the audience.  It was incredibly clear that these two performers had wonderful chemistry both on and off-stage as they bounced off each other flawlessly. At times it even felt like the performance was simply two friends catching-up and sharing stories which the audience were invited to observe. I found it particularly inspiring that these two mature performers were able to deliver an honest and real retrospective of their retrospective lives as we often forget that it was a mere couple of years ago when times were incredibly different!

After the main show had finished the audience were invited to go back to the cabaret area where we were treated to a performance by the wonderful Venetia Blind. I don’t know about everyone else but when a show finishes all I usually want to do is head home and get into bed. However, Venetia was able to re-ignite the audience as she launched into a series of original parody numbers. She graced the stage wearing a gorgeous pink ball gown with wonderful purple/pink ombré hair that looked absolutely stunning! Her set started with her making a joke about the fact that when she first heard the title of the main production “Queer Collision” she thought that Elton John and Ru Paul were in a car crash which the audience found hysterical. One of my favourite jokes of the evening was that Venica had said that she had actually applied to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama but was rejected so now she is back with a vengeance. Not only were her vocals an absolute treat for the ears throughout but she was able to create unique and hilarious parody including a song about how many people view her as an inspirational porn star and how so people over-praise blind people for simply existing. She told the story of being hungover on the side of the road and a woman grabbing her (without consent) as she spotted Venetia is visually impaired. As a non-visually impaired person, I cannot imagine someone forcing unnecessary help onto to at any time never mind when hungover so I can totally imagine the frustration this event would have caused!

Overall, Queer Collision was a beautifully moving and powerful exploration of what it is like to grow up queer. The two styles of performance contrasted beautifully with the two performers showcasing incredible chemistry as they shared powerful and moving stories throughout their lives! I do not think I have ever seen a production that is so inclusive and accessible with constant sign language interpreters, audio descriptions throughout and showcasing absolutely fantastic and visually impaired talent! I would rate this production 5 out of 5 stars!

(4 / 5)

Every single year, without fail, there comes a point in the year when people online begin to argue about whether it is too early or not to put up Christmas decorations. Some may say Christmas begins after Halloween, others after the first of December but I personally think Christmas should never stop! I have been jamming out to Christmas songs and proudly wearing my Christmas attire all year round purely because in my opinion, the festive period is the best time of the year so why shouldn’t we keep it all year round? A little-known fact about myself is that I used to be the Santa that would travel through the streets of Cardiff to bring a bit of Christmas magic to the hoards of children that would flock to the sleigh to tell me they should be on the good list this year. These adventures were often extremely arduous and tiring (even more so for the elves who would walk alongside the sleigh giving out candy canes) but it was all worth it seeing how the faces of the young children would light up when you waved at them or even hollered a “Ho, Ho, Ho” in their general direction! To me, Christmas is all about that childlike wonder that gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling in your belly and so when it was announced there would be a new Christmas show heading to the iconic Cardiff castle I knew it was not to be missed! 

Santa’s Wish currently showing at Cardiff Castle opened up with the most magical Santa (who knocks the fluffy socks off my portrayal of the role) played by Dyfrig  Morris who delivered arguably one of the best musical portrayals of St Nick I have ever seen! The ability to maintain the over-the-top Jolly-ness is something I struggled with for the short period of time when flooded with kids on the sleigh but Dyfrig manages to keep up this persona throughout even though every single one of his movements are under constant surveillance by the audience! He has mastered the art of a playful yet booming voice that caught everyone’s attention whenever he spoke. One of the things I really enjoyed about this production is the fact that it is almost totally self-aware but acknowledges the crowd and explains how they ended up on the Castle grounds. After a routine flight Santa had given the reins of the sleigh to a trustworthy elf Crackers (played by the extremely entertaining Richie Gooding) only for Crackers to start showing off making them crash into a far-off land. The script mentions the fact that they are in the Castle grounds but don’t know how to get back as the reindeer have fled for safety! 

Santa and Crackers are joined by the fresh-faced Snowflake (who has a rather unique backstory which we will explain later) played by Millie Davies who delivered quite possibly my favourite song throughout the entire show. Her rendition of “Teach me How to Fly” was wonderfully moving and showcased Millie’s incredible vocal abilities throughout. The beautifully sung sections of the song were broken up with the aforementioned Santa telling the story as to how Snowflake became an elf in his adorable yet magical voice! While Millie was pouring out her heart in this number Keely Edwards was showcasing her aerial abilities as she hung upside down directly above her fellow performer. This spectacle was not only a treat for the eyes but the vocals were a treat for the ears too! There is a much more emotionally powerful rendition towards the end of this production which really focused on how much of a talented singer Millie really is! The elves and Santa decide that in order to get the sleigh back to the North Pole they must create a new magical wish which means telling the story of how Snowflake managed to create her own wish many years ago!

One of the characters we meet throughout this story of Snowflake is Lilly (played by the amazing Naomi Katiyo) who is an extremely kind-hearted young girl who is very upset that there are people in her community who go without food. While she is only little, she is able to use her passion for cooking to make jars of jam and delivers them to those who need it most. The fact that the UK is currently facing a cost of living crisis with more people than even using food bank services, helps to bring the message of kindness from this play to the doorstep of every single person in the audience. We are all able to show some sort of kindness to those who are less fortunate than ourselves so promoting this message to a younger audience is vital, now more than ever! One of these jam jars makes it to the home of Freddie,  Eddie (played by Richie and Keely respectively) and their father who are a family struggling to make ends meet during the run-up to Christmas. The much-needed jar of jam helps to feed the three people for the evening and then they finally decide to throw the empty jar away. At this point the incredible song all about small acts of kindness was sung which encourages everyone to think about each other which is especially important with everything going on right now!  While the jar is waiting to be collected, however, a distressed and stray snowflake (who is one of our lead characters in disguise) floats into the jar while on her journey to make it to the North Pole. This wish of completing her journey combined with the kindness from Lily earlier in the story combine to give Snowflake the ability to fly where she heads straight to Santa’s to become a real elf! I do have to admit that the almost origin story of snowflake did overshadow the earlier story of Santa and his elves crash landing and the focus could have simply been on how the magic wish jar came to be rather than rediscovering the magic in order to use it to get back to the North Pole. The book-ending scenes with the stranded Christmas crew did seem also just tagged on the end with the center scenes where the story really began to gain momentum. 

Overall, Santa’s Wish is a wonderfully festive Christmas musical that explores themes such as kindness and selflessness which are obviously very important. Seeing the faces of the young audience members being transfixed by the wonderful Santa or becoming overwhelmed with joy any time a performer would wave at them is fundamentally what Christmas is all about! I do have to say that I think the opening and closing scenes did seem to fall a little flat but the origin story of Snowflake is where this production really came to life. The castle itself has been wonderfully decorated with two ice skating experiences and so I would recommend young families (or Christmas-obsessed people like myself) to make a day of visiting the castle and making sure they catch a performance of this adorable show. I would rate this production 4 out of 5 stars!

You can find out more about the production and book tickets here