Review: BIANCA DEL RIO: DEAD INSIDE, Eventim Apollo

Eighty dates into Bianca Del Rio’s Dead Inside tour, the sweary New Orleans-born comedian is still very much alive and kicking. The artist formally known as Roy R. Haylock is an insult comic whose outsized personality and foghorn voice easily fills the capacious Eventim – but does her latest show work on this side of the pond?

The winner of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 6 is still a popular figure a decade after her victory. Del Rio didn’t make too many fans in the UK, though, after taking on the late national treasure Paul O’Grady in 2017. Commenting on RPDR, the Lily Savage star told Radio 4 Extra: “That’s not drag! It’s all about shading and contouring your face now and being like supermodels. In my day we had the likes of Phil Starr, who was a glorious comedian…we had Marc Fleming, Auntie Flo, Mrs Shufflewick. We had great comedians in drag. This new brigade who just parade around going, sashay, shantay – that’s not drag to me.” The American responded by calling the award-winning MBE-holder “bitter”, adding “if he had a go on the show and got a couple of Emmys or the money, I think he’d change his tune.” (O’Grady’s left £15.5m in his will with £550,000 going to Battersea Dogs Home and £50,000 to other animal charities; as winner of Season 6, Del Rio was awarded $100,000, a crown and sceptre from Fierce Drag Jewels and a collection of ColorEvolution cosmetics.)

Supporting Del Rio on her European dates is Mary Mac, a highly dynamic Scottish queen who theatre audiences may know as the character Laika Virgin from the 2020 UK tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. She can do everything that Del Rio can but backwards and in high heels, her spiky patter bringing the house down before she launches into a gloriously messy medley revolving around her own self-serving interpretation of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac”.

By the time Del Rio deigns us with her dayglo-clad presence, the crowd is more than ready. Proclaiming herself “Queen C*nt”, there are few topics she won’t broach, few races - from the Mexicans to the Jews - she won’t go out of her way to jokingly offend and even fewer members of the audience safe from her vicious tongue. And, like the stereotypical Brit abroad, she often speaks in capital letters to make sure WE GET THE POINT.

She mocks many from the show that gave her success - Ru Paul and Michelle Visage are among those in Del Rio’s sights - but shies away from attacking its most pernicious aspects. Since RPDR’s first season, it has undoubtedly slid many drag performers more into the mainstream, albeit those who conform to the type most likely to appear on the show.

Whether it likes it or not, RPDR has caused the public perception of drag to be considerably narrowed: it is hard to see supremely gifted UK talents like Michael Twaits, Myra Dubois, Le Gateau Chocolat or David Hoyle being asked to appear as a contestant any time soon. Despite being a far mightier pound-for-pound proposition, kings (Adam All, King Frankie Sinatra and Oliver Assets are just a few) are only noticeable these days by their general absence outside select venues. 

Dead Inside is an outrageously fun rollercoaster show that takes no prisoners. The title is anchored by Del Rio’s early labelling of a random audience member as a terminal cancer victim with constant asides referring to their condition and imminent demise. It’s a dark theme, to be sure, but no more disturbing than anything else we hear. The brash and broad humour isn’t subtle in any way, manner of form and her equal-opportunity offensiveness ensures that no-one is safe, even among her LGBT fans. Just when you think she’s gone too far with a casual segue into school shootings, she asks the lesbians in the audience to identify themselves. When they do, she rattles back “I wasn’t sure if you were waving or airing your fingers” and rubs one hand over her crotch for unnecessary clarity. 

It’s not hard to find more nuanced drag comedians around - Reuben Kaye comes to mind - but Del Rio’s torrent of raucous comedy knows how to relentlessly and heavily hit the spot.

Bianca Del Rio continues on tour.

Photo credit: Bianca Del Rio

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