“It’s classy and a bit creepy”, says Mother Superior, and she’s certainly not wrong. At least about the latter part, because Death Drop: Back In The Habit isn’t afraid to explore frightful spooks and scares in the slightest. But classy? Classy it’s anything but.
One night at the St Babs convent is enough to put The Rocky Horror Show to shame. These nuns are far from the blushing type as they proved on opening night at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.
In fact, the core quartet – comprising of Mother Superior, Sis Titis, Sister Mary Berry and Sister Maria Julie Andrews – climb every mountain to reach the peak (and beyond) of raunchy humour.
Now, I’ve never gotten around to watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. This world is totally unfamiliar to me, so when I sat down to watch Death Drop: Back in the Habit I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for.
Though I was confident there’d be a few good gags, some on-the-nose puns, maybe a song or two, I didn’t expect to leave the theatre with a sore stomach and a bad case of the giggles on the way home.
Death Drop: Back in the Habit mixes gothic horror and laughs
The second the curtain was drawn and Olivia Newton-John’s Physical echoed through the room I knew we were in for a treat.
A fantastic set, designed by Peter McKintosh, creates the perfect ambiance for gothic horror, reminiscent of those classic macabre Hammer horrors – and a Scooby Doo-esque ghost chase skit.
It is surprisingly effective in capturing an eerie shift in tone considering the parodic nature of the show.
Speaking of which, Death Drop couldn’t be more self-aware if it tried, primarily poking fun at itself. Every character hilariously acknowledges the low-budget production as exactly that.
There’s rarely a moment that anything is taken seriously. Visual gags and physical comedy went down a treat with the audience; the theatre filled with the sound of cackles and applause whenever a joke landed (which it always did).
Visual gags are a blast as Death Drop sashays at His Majesty’s
If crude, crass humour isn’t your cup of tea, it’s perhaps best to give Death Drop a miss.
But this particular, “imaginative” – as praised by Mother Superior – audience couldn’t contain their amusement at the pure filth happening before their eyes.
The cast were a total riot, ripping into and playing off one another without holding back. Nothing was off the table with this bunch.
Ad-libbing breathed new life into the show for HMT audience
A memorable exchange between Sis Titus, played by Kitty Scott-Claus, and Mother Superior, played by understudy Alex Roberts, had the pair expertly ad-libbing.
Kitty Scott-Claus jokingly acknowledged the absence of Victoria Scone, who would have played Mother Superior. Roberts didn’t miss a beat here and, still in character, responded: “She’s ill, you’ve got me tonight”.
It was a brilliant moment of stand-up banter that only added to the hilarity (and frequent fourth wall-breaking), especially when Roberts appeared to laugh at himself for the witty reply.
When the cast are all together in scenes, it’s impossible to focus your attention on a single person – not that you really want to, you’re desperate to drink them all in. There is phenomenal stage presence, which celebrates individuality.
Drag queens were captivating and habit-forming at His Majesty’s
One minute, a foul-mouthed Kitty Scott-Claus steals the show with a blunt one-liner and jaw-dropping musical number. The next Cheryl Hole, who plays Sister Mary Berry, has everyone joining her in prayer to a medley of hit songs and busting out Lady Gaga moves.
The plot itself isn’t exactly award-worthy – as noted by the characters – but it’s well held together by the likes of Kitty Scott-Claus, Roberts, Cheryl Hole, River Medway, and drag king LoUis CYfer. They really are the heart of the show and earned every laugh they received.
Death Drop is incredibly clever. The blend between horror and comedy works wonders. There are some seriously tense moments on stage, despite literally being told by the characters what to expect.
It was almost comforting to know I wasn’t the only one to fly off their seat after the audience collectively broke into a nervous chuckle following a huge fright.
While a newcomer to the glorious world of drag, I can say with confidence I did not want the night to end. Death Drop is a hilarious, risqué joyride from start to finish.
To say the audience loved it would be an understatement. It’s a work of art in its own right, and long-serving fan or not, Mother Superior assures that “everyone is welcome here at St Babs”.
Death Drop: Back In The Habit is at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday January 28. For more information and tickets visit aberdeenperformingarts.com
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