Set deep in the Vaults beneath Waterloo Station, Acid’s Reign is a drag cabaret from writer James McDermott with a strong message.

From the get go Mother Nature (played by Son of a Tutu) takes to the stage to set the scene of a dying planet. Suddenly, she crosses swords with the devilishly delightful Alex Acid (Joshua Oakes-Rogers), an LGBTQ+ business tycoon scheming to pollute the world for profit. 

Will Mother Nature be able to save us all before it’s too late? 

Following the classic Dickens Christmas Carol plot, Mother Nature calls on the help of Scarlett Harlett’s Sea and Jamie Fuxx’s Land to show Acid the error of her ways with a list of clever reworks of fabulously-drag tracks.

Oakes-Rogers’ effortlessly queer presence had the audience in high spirits, combined with Fuxx’s show stealing vocals made it immediately clear that the cast loved their art as they expertly kept the theatre’s attention on the issues at hand.

Given that the Acid’s Reign is all about climate change, you might worry that the performance may come off a little preachy. However, with just enough sauciness to keep the tone from tasting bitter, the Relish Theatre uses the art of Drag to lighten the climate crisis for a 60 minute fun ride. 

Sure, the staging was a little rough around the edges, but this only makes the play perfect for the world famous VAULT festival, and of course the message of Acid’s Reign;

The climate crisis is a queer crisis, when civilisation collapses, so do civil rights.

Acid’s Reign is enjoying a limited run from March 14th-19th in The Flair Ground, so get your hands on tickets before it’s too late!