After an amazing response last year we have once again resurrected our Brighton Bites mini-interviews. These short and snappy Q&As offer an, occasionally witty – often hilarious, insight into the acts strutting, sailing, surfing (insert preferred form of transport here) in to join the line-up of England’s largest arts festival, Brighton Fringe. 2018 was a record-breaking year for the Fringe with over 575,000 people attending the festival; and with 2019 promising to be more inclusive than ever, our Bites aim to give you a taste of what’s in store across the 4,500+ events and performances that are on offer.
Next up, Christian Adore and Eaton Messe tell us about their show Dragprov which they’ll be performing at the Komedia Studio.
Describe your show in one sentence:
A romp of improvised songs, sketches, and raps from a fabulous drag king/queen duo, with a whole lot of heart and even more makeup.
Why Brighton Fringe?
Brighton just feels special to performers like us. It’s a place where cool and exciting things are being done, where there are vibrant queer and drag scenes (though we pride ourselves on our show being accessible and welcoming to everyone), and most importantly people here are really game for a laugh. The perfect recipe for Dragprov!
How did the show get to where it is today?
We started Dragprov a couple of years ago now, having been in the same improv company for a while. We were both intrigued to try drag, and being experienced musical improvisers we were curious to see how we could bring improv into it. We did a spot at a friend’s cabaret night just to see how it went, and it took off from there! We did more and more spots around the place, and eventually ended up with our own show at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, and monthly residencies in Oxford and in the West End’s Phoenix Arts Club.
What do you think sets your show apart from all the other festival offerings?
There isn’t another improv act doing what we do, and there isn’t another drag act doing it either. We’re a double act doing improvised musical comedy that’s rooted in characters and the relationship between them, which the audience gets to see evolve on stage (while catching glimpses of the real friendship underneath the characters!). It’s award-winning comedy, with actually good music from trained musicians, and since we don’t rely on crudity for our comedy you can bring the whole family along.
What show do you not want to miss at this year’s Brighton Fringe (apart from your own!)?
We’re big fans of Brighton’s own Cinebra, so we’ll definitely be seeing Glenda & Rita and A History of Horror.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given, or would give, for performing at a fringe festival?
Rest where you can, but don’t be afraid to throw yourself in, especially when it comes to meeting other artists. Some of the most interesting and inspiring people have come together in this one place – make the most of that, and have fun!
With the theme of this year’s festival being ‘DARE to Discover’, we’d like you to tell us a TRUTH – something about you or the show that fans may not know.
Drag isn’t all glamour folks. On more than one occasion we’ve done our makeup on buses, sometimes using only overhead reading lights, and you’ve not fully embraced the drag experience until you’re getting ready in a toilet trying to cut through plaster tape with a steak knife.
Dragprov runs at Brighton Fringe from 22-23 May 2019. Brighton Fringe takes place between 3 May – 2 June 2019; www.brightonfringe.org
Nicole Craft | Image: Contributed
