Taylor Mac | Festival of Perth – Becks Music Box | Friday 18 Feb 2011 | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Taylor Mac brought a different kind of drag performance to the stage at the Beck’s Music Box on Friday night, boldly declaring to the audience that this was one queen who was not going to be syncing to an ABBA tune.
The Taylor Mac experience is a perfect balance of music, stand-up comedy and theatrical performance that is risque enough to provoke comical shock in even the most liberal audience.
For over an hour the audience was captivated with stories and songs of lost loves, erotic lusts and characters he had met on his travels of the world. Strumming a ukulele, the artist showcased a powerful singing voice that was well suited to the intimate setting of the Beck’s Music Box.
When it came time for a change of costume, suitcases were thrown open, clothes were scattered across the stage and one outfit was shredded for another right before the audience. One crumpled wig was substituted for another, as a fuss free approach to cross dressing was adopted.
Taylor Mac traversed through a wide variety of topics from same sex marriage, to terrorism, politics and the Bell Tower. Impressively the show was more than stand-up comedy and music. A long stream of consciousness monologue on masturbation was both imaginative and cleverly staged as Mac stood behind a curtain creating a bird’s eye view of the performer’s bed.
Whether discussing Julie Bishop, Sarah Palin, American’s fear that Obama has a secret plan to turn everyone into a Muslim or the advice from his drag mother, the stories and jokes followed a clear thematic stream, be accepting of each other and fight against homogeneity.
Taylor Mac plays a second and different show at the Beck’s Music Box on Wednesday 23 February.
Graeme Watson, image: Drew Geraci
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