Review of ‘Salty Brine: Bigmouth Strikes Again’: “It gave me a creep”

Drag artist and cabaret performer Salty Brine arrives to London all the way from New York with this new montage paying homage to glam rock and classic horror. Guillermo Nazara spills his guts about this monstrous piece, to let us know what awaits in this show playing close to the witching hour.

Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood… And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver… Oh, the night I lost my virginity truly was a night to remember, wasn’t it? What? You thought that was too much? Well, wait till you see my – OKAY! But if you honestly find this opening too distressing for you, then maybe this show is not exactly your cup of tea. Don’t worry, we have a selection of stuff you may enjoy more, all of it pretty… dysfunctional…

The monster is out! My lovers surely like complimenting my attributes. And now let’s go back to this cabaret performance, recounting the life and work of the maker of the biggest freak in History – yes, I know what you’re thinking, but you should just get out there if you think you can do better (as the creature, that is…). Salty Brine flies all the way from New York with this musical tribute to glam rock and classic fiction. Using author Mary Shelley as the topic for the new installment of his Living Record Collection, the piece is camp-over-camp homage to pop culture through song, dance and a lot of sex jokes (and that’s the only reason why I was making those reference before… I promise…).

Featuring an incredible repertoire of rearranged pop and rock anthems, Salty Brine adds his secret spice into the recipe to produce an extremely fun, entertaining product – proving his multi-talented abilities as a raconteur, vocalist and, all in all, showman, giving a most memorable performance whose vibrancy keeps electrifying the atmosphere from the moment he steps his high heel onstage until the very end.

Including a live band comprising piano, cello, violin and drums, musical theatre lovers are really in for a treat of lush (in every sense…), as Brine’s energetic and much infectious rendition is beautifully complimented by the group through intricate and heartfelt interpretations. In addition, his interactions with the audience (watch out if he calls you Elizabeth…) make of this intimate experience a whole theatrical package – able to keep your emotions up (and some other things too, perhaps) as very few shows manage to do.

Although 10 or 15 minute less would have probably led to a more fast-moving show, the exhilaration has not been cut short in this thrilling display of talent and craftsmanship. Bigmouth Strikes Again has done it alright. It’s stricken hard like a thunderbolt. And the explosion has been loud – like, uh, you know… Too many times we hear prejudice about drag shows being too banal and silly. Some may be, but this has demonstrated at least one different turn for this artform to take, by bringing richness and quality to its material. It was freakish and it dealt with a freak. But above all, it was freaking good.

Salty Brine: Bigmouth Strikes Again (The Smiths Show) plays at London’s Soho Theatre until 16 September. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara