FRINGE 2018: Apocalipsync: Humanity Is a Drag

The end has come! Society as we know it has fallen apart, due to infighting from the queer left, as Peaches Lepage explains in the opening exposition. Our last hope rests on three “I-Will-Survivors,” who all have different ideas on how to overcome their current predicament: Dot Dot Dot wholeheartedly believes in the power of sustainability and that society can be restored through composting, veganism and yoga. Anaconda LaSabrosa is a self-described anarchist and wishes to destroy any remnants of the old world. Uma Gahd, on the other hand, is not taking the apocalypse well and wants to return to the way things were, when she had six gazillion followers on Instagram. Peaches Lepage occasionally drops by to offer advice and to “advance the plot.”

Together, the three struggle to survive as they scavenge for food (and makeup), go to the bathroom, and attempt to build walls. And yet, there’s still a substantial amount of shade to be thrown around between them. Eventually, things devolve into a three-way battle over whose ideology will save humanity, or what’s left of it.

I’ve only seen a handful of drag shows in my time, but I have to say, this is by far the most creative scenario. The trio were able to create a whole universe using cardboard boxes and a disco ball. Each queen gets her time in the spotlight to lipsync a song appropriate to their situation. The costumes make do with whatever tattered rags remain in the apocalypse, particularly Peaches Lepage’s costume, made up of a traffic cone brassiere and T-Rex arms. The dialogue was witty and sharp, with a few meta-jokes thrown in for good measure, like Uma Gahd’s frustration with once again getting #2 Best Drag Queen in Cult MTL’s Best of Montreal. The cast was able to roll with the punches during a missed cue, a cellphone going off in the front row, or a heckling audience member. Truly, the House of Laureen has put together a one-of-a-kind experience and will have you leaving the Théâtre Ste-Catherine wishing that you too were a drag queen.