There is nothing campier than flying to Transylvania to perform in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, something is afoot when Kate Butch and Crudi Dench arrive in their gothic Airbnb. Their host Dr. Acula, whose voice booms with a thick Transylvanian accent, has an insatiable agenda.
We buckle down for outrageous gags, camp lip syncs and titillating on-stage chemistry, and boy do the Haus of Dench deliver
Before the show begins, the audience are warmly ushered by Ms. Butch and Ms. Dench as flight attendants on the aptly named Jizz Air, and we know we are in for a treat. We buckle up for outrageous gags, camp lip syncs and titillating on-stage chemistry, and boy do the Haus of Dench deliver.
The story is told with minimal set and kitschy props, which works all the more in their favour, as the Haus of Dench relish any chance for a visual gag, as does the audience. Their wardrobe is, shall we say, wonderfully tacky and would make Edna Mode shiver (there are so many capes?) Despite the pair’s deliberate leaning into the comically makeshift set, the lighting and sound is extremely polished and supports Butch and Dench’s uproarious performance impeccably.
Butch and Dench have expert comic timing as they bounce off of one another effortlessly, oozing with charisma. We are hilariously taken by surprise by some wacky audience participation thrust upon an unsuspecting spectator, but this only increases the camaraderie and joyous applause in the room.
What is delightful about Drag Queens vs. Vampires is the way that the Haus of Dench have crafted a show with campy and sublimely crude jokes that does’t once feel hackneyed. They do not lean on tropes one might expect from a drag show which results in even bigger laughs and louder applause. If you are looking to escape mundanity, to laugh, scream and shout and to leave your troubles at the door, this show is one for you.
