This Review is from August 2026

Stage drag dates way back to at least the 16th century. Women were banned by the church from acting on stage, so female roles were performed by men. Legend has it that England’s first real drag queen was Princess Seraphine, who performed in molly houses, (the equivalent of gay bars) in the 1720s and 30s. Drag is older than many countries. And like any art form drag evolves over time.

Drag queens are artists and activists. They were on the front line of the Stonewall Riots that gave birth to the gay liberation movement in America in June 1969. Today they are being harassed and frequently banned across several American states for being corrupters of youth.

Baby Lame somehow builds on this history to produce a show about Britney Spears. It’s an angry, joyful, trashy, deeply meaningful, fictionalised and entirely truthful romp through the life of a tragic beautiful, damaged popstar. This is a show about power and fame and inspiration.

I’m not a Britney fan, but who cares? I loved this show. There are some surprises, none of which I will spoil here. It is strongly interactive, but there’s no hiding at the back, you will want to take part. By the end the ENTIRE audience are dancing on stage, loving it.

Baby Lame: Hit Me Baby One More Lame! may well be on the cutting edge of where drag goes next.

Martin Walker