Jake Mace
Rejoice in a delectably daring and fancifully fierce selection of the best queer cabaret at the Fringe each night (except Tuesdays) with Big Gay Afterparty. Aidan Sadler curates and compères an eclectic offering of LGBTQ+ performers ranging from risqué and sensuous burlesque all the way through to belt-along-at-your-own-pace karaoke. Drag performers are the centrepiece, ranging from side-splitting tributes to gay pop tunes up to downright silly satire.
The acts slay until the break of day, and you’re invited right into the heart of this soulfully compiled and radically offbeat cabaret experience. On opening night, the audience was filled with colourful, shiny, and outrageous outfits, and it’s such a delightfully warm experience to feel surrounded by your Queer peers to celebrate and indulge, with acts that both feel immediately in touch with the gay zeitgeist and also those pushing the boundaries of cabaret performance.
Sadler is the charismatic host of the evening and drops in a plentiful dose of their well-versed banter and mesmerising pop tunes, yet you never feel the focus is shifted away from highlighting the pure brass of what’s on offer. Lip syncs back into huge audience participation, with both the variety of ever-changing acts and the experience of everyone in the audience at the core of what’s going on each night.
You’ll feel included, embraced, and offered the chance to completely let loose if you choose to join in the fun. Sensational fun meets the very best of late night cabaret at the Fringe this year. Everyone’s identities are celebrated, flippant fun runs riot, and costumes to die for leave a glittery aftertaste that won’t dissolve until long after the morning light breaks through.
Recommended Drink: Grab yourself a shot of Sambuca neat, and sink into the early hours in the best way possible.
Phoebe Bakker
