Guest Blog: Jonny Woo On THE UN-ROYAL VARIETY at Hackney Empire

The Un-Royal Variety was originally intended just to be a showcase for the best of my contemporaries. To put on a big show, in a wonderful venue, to which everyone would want to come, simply because of the line-up.

It's never that easy. If only because as soon as I'd decided that I wanted to do the show, the referendum was announced and suddenly we were living in a new political climate.

It was pretty simple putting the cast together. I knew the talent, but suddenly it became apparent that I was now faced with the decision of whether to just do a variety show, or to really use this as a chance to challenge the views of the country and contribute to the discussion about where we were at, at that moment. Not just with Brexit, but also with the Royal family and our thoughts on class.

So, in 2016, The Un-Royal Variety became less about programming and more about working with my network of artists to create something uniquely political and joyous all at once. A show which provoked and asked questions, but which entertained shamelessly.

For me, drag is all about presenting ideas in a different way. The Un-Royal Variety became about exploring and challenging views within a safe format: the old-fashioned variety show - complete with dancers, a live band, comedians, magicians, acrobats. Over the years, I have been drawn to more ways of pushing content - looking at how I can juxtapose the familiar with work that is dangerous and unpredictable.

My Brexit cabaret came out of the first year's show. Richard Thomas and I wrote it after a brainstorming evening where Jack, our PR, said "What about Brexit The Musical?".

It was supposed to be one song, then it became 10 minutes, and then by the time we did the show we had 13 songs sung over half an hour, which dominated the second half of the variety show.

It was risky and flawed and felt wild and glorious to present brand new political work whilst the subject was still so raw. Bourgeois and Maurice's songs about being British felt pointed and razor-sharp.

Last year, we wrote a song about casual racism following the Twitter storm around Munroe Bergdorf's 'All whites are racist' rant. Right in the middle of the show we asked the audience to 'get a little uncomfortable' and talk about race. That year we had flown Christeene over from the USA and she shocked with butt plugs and techno; Lucy McCormick roared her way onto the stage and Pete and Bambi lampooned the old-school magic tricks.

For both of the first two years I had the Kate Middleton choir: 20 women, dressed as Kate, singing songs of sexual provocation or growing up poor. Now we're shifting again - the Theresa May singers will make their debut.

This year, I am feeling wild again and I'm inviting the unpredictable with a happening to open the second half, with a long-term performance partner from the States, Brandon Olson. The gender fight plays a big role and I'm confronting my own masculinity.

I'm excited to be bringing Adrienne Truscott over from NYC, who I'm sure will inform us all about the political storm over the sexual assault of women and men in power.

There are some wonderful duets, Le Gateau Chocolat and Adrienne will premiere a brand new collaboration, Jayde Adams and myself are taking on a pop-opera classic, and there is a staging of a classic Broadway number by new drag dancer Margo Marshall and singer Sooz Kempner, plus the introduction of breakout clown from this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Gary Starr.

There is so much more I could say. Just come and see it. The Un-Royal has become an ensemble of my favourite acts, and we now work together to make a new show that's relevant and celebratory, challenging and very much about community. It's massive and unforgettable.

Jonny Woo's Un-Royal Variety Show returns to Hackney Empire on 19-20 October

Photo credit: Simon Phipps, Studio Prokopiou

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