Briefs: The Second Coming is a fabulously camp, extremely naughty and occasionally genuinely shocking fun evening that will have only been improved by not containing so much from the first coming and a different venue.
The performance is a combination of ultra-camp costumes, including fluorescent feathers, plenty of glitter, lots of bare flesh, most of the muscular variety, wild make-up, wigs and theatricality. Add to that some pretty great circus skills, hammy magic tricks, banter from our compere, the potty high heel-wearing, bearded Shivannah.
As in their last visit the evening has no real narrative beyond a great collection of scene/acts held together by the banter of our compere but somehow hangs together far better than shows that are mainly circus skills, such as Not Fit State Circus’s recent Bianco that suffer from taking themselves too seriously.
However, this time they Australian troupe does not have the advantage of being in a wonderful cabaret tent that created a much better atmosphere than the bland Weston Studio at Wales Millennium Centre. Some tables and chairs were put at the front of the stage but most of the audience are in the normal racked seating so it lacks intimacy and interaction.
It is also odd that with such a large gap between visits much of the show is the same as last time, including the grand finale that has our aerial exotic bird artist splashing around in a huge bird bath. It too worked far better in the cabaret tent although the audience members who did choose to sit at tables rather than in the normal seats getting soaked was fun.
New was the cave man discovering fire (not great and dragged out – no pun intended) and the Evil Hate Monkey which was very crude and oddly worryingly erotic. The banana ballet was very jolly although the new dogs and masters skit ended in a very risqué conclusion that I am surprised did not shock the audience more.
Bodysuit-wearing drag performer Dallas Dellaforce repeats a sketch from last time which was pretty freaky first time round and is still plain odd. The wig and wind machine was also from the last visit and was similarly surreal.
The cutie of the troupe, Louis Biggs, repeats his innocent naughty school boy routine and we have the saucy tequila drinking for the winner of the raffle. I have to say it was now a little seedy rather than cutesy as he isn’t the little innocent lad from several years ago.
Despite these reservations – all of which are based on comparing the second with the first coming – this is a wonderfully enjoyable show and if you have not seen the lads before none of those mini complaints will matter at all.
Suffice to say by the lads all took to the stage (and amongst the audience) for the disco conclusion I was on my feet.
By the way, the audience seemed to be a cross between some young groups out for an evening, some but not that many gay men (as demonstrated by too many bum fluff beards) and lots and lots of hen party type women. Most had not seen the show before (Shivanna asks us) and as this was an extra show, I believe, I should imagine the disciples from the first coming probably booked early and will be there on Friday and Saturday. I hope they are not disappointed.