Writer: Shehrzadae Moeed
Director: Maddie Hurley
Written by Shehrzadae Moeed and performed by Stephen Ledger, June follows Billy, an ex-drag queen trying to reclaim past glory with one final show. There is a sense that it is not just his status as a drag queen that’s at stake, but also his identity and long term future as he faces a reality where June and the glamour of drag are just distant memories and nothing and no one has replaced them.
Opening with the moment June’s career came to a literal crashing halt with a fall on stage that leaves her looking less than dignified, the play moves into the dressing room as June takes off the costume, removes the make-up and rubs the ankle that’s causing her so much trouble. A walking stick under the table show just how bad the arthritis she reveals she has actually is.
It’s tricky to accept the idea of June as an ageing drag queen, struggling to walk unaided and using vast amounts of concealer to cover up the cracks on her face, as Ledger’s physical appearance and age make him the complete polar opposite of the character. As he switches into the day job of working in a supermarket, smiling at old people counting every penny of change out of wallets and purses and comparing himself to the woman working at the next checkout, it’s easier to associate the performer with the character, although even here that’s more because of his age than the age that June is meant to be.
The script is well written, and Billy’s desire to recreate June for one last night and the fear that grips him as he attempts to do this are clear to see and understandable. The same is true of the casual encounter he embarks on partly as a way to escape the pressure he is putting himself under as he tries to revive his career. His relationship with Kim, a physical therapist, and his dependence on her is convincing, although it feels like more could be made of how he came to depend on her and why they have become distant.
The other main unseen character, Jason, is less defined as he seems to stand in for a number of tropes from the ex-boyfriend to a rival drag queen who stole the crown, and a person with an almost gangster like control over the London drag scene, and the stereotypes get in the way of the story at times.
It’s a promising debut, but would benefit from further script development and from Moeed trusting an older actor to bring his creation to the stage to fully realise the potential here.
Runs until 26 August 2023 | Image: Contributed
