Raw, rude and raucous, Cherry Jezebel is a dazzling new drama created for the Everyman by writer Jonathan Larkin and director James Baker. Hilarious and heart-breaking, it’s a champagne blowout and the hangover from hell, a spin under the glitter ball that lands in the gutter.
The bass is pounding, the audience are cheering, and Cherry Brandy is blinking back tears. Tonight’s the night she’s finally recognised as the Queen she is, with the crown to prove it. Is this the triumphant moment she’s always dreamed of?
Behind the mascara, the wigs and the six-inch stiletto heels, all that glitters isn’t gold. At least she’s always got her best mate Heidi. But growing up queer in Liverpool is grim, and the queer family they’ve forged is about to slip through Cherry’s nicotine-stained fingers.
From the boudoirs to the bathrooms of Liverpool’s gloriously gobby drag scene, Cherry Jezebel is a riot of lipstick and split lips, of bitching and bruises. It’s a play that celebrates queerness while spilling the tea on the pain behind the polish.
Image: Candy Smokes by Jon Larkin and Ben Youdan