Review: YUMMY: ICONIC, Underbelly Festival

Australian drag variety show Yummy: Iconic features of quintet of performers dishing out an upbeat blend of dance, circus, burlesque and as much as lipsyncing as they can cram in. Will this tasty mix of talents leave you satiated or craving something more substantial?

This year's Underbelly Festival continues its fine tradition of bringing some of the world's finest cabaret to the heart of London. Hosted within the magnificent Paradiso Spiegeltent, this latest Yummy outing has everything going for it, not least an eager audience wrapped around a large thrust stage and an ambience many venues would kill for.

Even with all that going for it, this show doesn't quite satisfy. MC Valerie Hex is a gorgeous drag artiste who knows how to shake and shimmy but, apart from some early bon mots, doesn't do enough to hold this show together or raise it up a notch in its quieter moments.

Burlesquer and podcaster Velma Vouloir serves up steamy buckets of classic burlesque and, while her moves are marvellously fluid, they are also too languid to make an impression. Burlesque is all about rhythm and physical poetry and, while there's no denying her ability as a dancer, the stripping itself doesn't have enough in the way of sharpness and substance.

With notable exceptions, Yummy: Iconic seems too tame for where we are right now in modern cabaret. Briefs Factory is an ostensibly similar ensemble, being another antipodean drag variety crew who have headlined at the same festival, but in reality, it is like comparing a chainsaw to a butter knife. Likewise, Bernie Dieter's Berlin Underground took to the same Udderbelly stage last year with a wider variety of performers while putting on a heady display chock-full of sass, danger and skill.

That's not to say that this latest show is without merit. The costuming is admirable throughout with some exceptional pieces, not least Jandruze's tiny black PVC bikini that might have served Princess Leia well in Jabba the Hutt's BDSM dungeon. The lipsynching group numbers are charming and this show could have done with more collaborative elements like this.

Circus artiste Jarred Dewey is (literally as well as figuratively) head and shoulders above anyone else on the stage: whether pulling off some nifty moves aboard a trapeze in a red wrestling leotard and f**k-me heels, wheeling around a pole in barely-there sparkly g-string and six-inch stilettos or slowly moving through the air in a sensual contortion routine, this acrobat is a delight to watch.

Every memorable cabaret needs some true WTF moments and "non-binary wet dream" Jandruze serves up the night's most memorable dish. After approaching the audience with a large blade in one hand and a fierceness that Gordon Ramsay would be proud of, they retreat to bring back two large slices of "bread" before adding a large floppy slice of prop tomato and then, appropriately enough, themselves. Is this some kind of reference to a Lucky Pierre scenario? Perhaps so - Jandruze's final touch sees them squeeze a hefty amount of mayonnaise into their mouth suggesting they have something far more kinky and kooky than the average sandwich in mind.

Yummy: Iconic is cheeky fun without being too serious or substantial - more Nando's than Gaucho. This will whet the appetite for those coming to cabaret via popular drag shows and, for those seeking something rather more hearty, there is always something on the horizon, not least Brief Factory's Bite Club opening next week or the regular nights at the Aeronaut and the Double R Club.

Yummy: Iconic continues at the Underbelly Festival until 31 July.

Photo Credit: Craig Sugden

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