GINGER JOHNSON BLOWS OFF! at the Soho Theatre

★★★

“Ginger is at her best when she is ad- libbing with the crowd or sharing tales from her life”

Ginger Johnson Blows Off! is a one-woman show from Drag Race UK winner Ginger Johnson which explores risk taking, pushing yourself and living up to expectations. Ginger explains that winning Drag Race had been her dream for as long as she could remember and – since her victory – has been trying to find a new goal to occupy her time. She explains that to work out her next step, she needs to be brave, and so decides to become a daredevil to help get the creative juices flowing.

Despite a run time of 70 minutes, the show does drag on (pardon the pun). Ginger attempts three ‘death-defying’ stunts – ingesting Mentos and Coca Cola, playing Russian Roulette with thumb tacks, and being shot out of a cannon (but not really) – and each segment slightly outstays its welcome, the first two becoming particularly repetitive.

Ginger is at her best when she is ad-libbing with the crowd or sharing tales from her life and general musings. She comes alive when an audience member who works at the British Library joins her on stage – making quick and hilarious quips which enchant the audience far more than any of the scripted content. This is no surprise – Ginger was the in-house emcee for performance collective Sink the Pink for many years, perfecting the art of audience engagement.

Ginger also sings two original songs written by cabaret legends Bourgeois and Maurice which break up the show nicely. Moreover, the drag queen takes the time to address more serious issues, specifically TERFs and the recent riots. She takes digs at JK Rowling and Tony Robinson as well as the government’s inaction in these times of crises. Again, Ginger is great here – showing real heart and passion amongst all the silliness.

Ginger – as expected – looks fantastic. She wears a sparkly purple and blue leotard, reminiscent of the outfits of daredevils past. Her hair is a glorious mountain of ginger curls, never falling out of place despite her energetic performance. They are no outfit changes – only a sparkly helmet worn for the grand finale offers any variety to her show look.

Staging is minimal but some of the props are mighty impressive, especially the giant cannon and her hilariously modified Drag Race sceptre – it is now also a vape! The lighting has no real impact – though some aggressive spotlights would have helped the play lean further into the stunt performance it is parodying. Ginger is also joined on stage by her stony-faced ‘Health and Safety Manager’ Jen throughout the show, who helps set up and clear each stunt. Jen nicely contrasts Ginger’s exuberance, and this is regularly played for laughs.

Ginger has no trouble getting the audience on board, even clambering into the dark stalls brandishing a torch on numerous occasions. However, Ginger Johnson Blows Off does not play to the drag queen’s strengths – her natural wit – so never quite hits the heights one might expect from such a seasoned performer.