‘Blame It On Bianca Del Rio’ at the Eventim Apollo, London – Review
"If you are easily offended don’t go.... For everyone else, prepare to have your sides split."
Since she first graced our screens during her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6, Bianca del Rio has been known infamously to have the sharpest tongue in the world of drag – if not the rest of the known universe.
Her new show Blame It On Biana Del Rio is no different. The Queen of Hate has dusted off her Rolodex for a new UK tour, which started in Liverpool on 19 June and will end in Dublin at Bord Gais on 6 August.
The excitement at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith was palpable, as if we were all about to get on the scariest of rollercoasters at the biggest of amusement parks, all knowing that in the world of Bianca del Rio, nobody is safe. Bianca is not prejudice – she is a true equal opportunist of hate: regardless of age, race, religion, sexuality or gender.
From the first C-Bomb dropped and F-word shouted the entire 90 minutes flies by with insult and witty crack pouring from her every orifice. The entire crowd laughs continuously from the moment she walks on the stage in her fantastic rant about life, politics, relationships and of course her Drag Race sister. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much at any show – whether performed live or televised.
I spent a good 40% of the performance with my hands covering my mouth in shock, often creased over in laughter with tears forming in my eyes. The only reason she gets away with her tirade of racial, homophobic, heterophobic, offensive rhetoric is because she’s more than happy to rip herself to shreds too. And we love her for it.
A particular mention should also go to warm-up act and legend of the New York drag scene Sherry Vine, who performed her job perfectly with witty and naughty songs and quips, getting us in the mood immediately for the main event.
If you have not managed to book your ticket for this show, do it immediately. NOW. DO IT NOW. But beware, this is not for the faint-hearted. If you are easily offended don’t go. In fact, if you have ever been offended by anyone ever, maybe this show is not for you. For everyone else, prepare to have your sides split.
Rating 5/5
Words by Paul Bloomfield