Arts Review Roundup: Symone - Smooth Taste Tour

Hosted by ESDR at Bristol’s ‘The Fleece’; Starring Symone, Sadie ‘Songbird’ Sinner, Mr Wesley Dykes and Baby.

Ebony enchantress and the reigning Queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Symone, graced us with a drag show like no other last Thursday night. Why was the show like no other? Well, because it was an all-black cast.

I would like to preface the remainder of this review with the fact that this was my first time going to a drag show. I’m not a very spiritual person, but there’s definitely a reason why this had to be my first show. As one of the many little brown drag fangirls in the room, there was something about this night that just felt… special. So if this comes across gushy – sorry not sorry.

Opening the show and compering throughout, The Cocoa Butter Club’s Sadie Sinner lived up to her ‘Songbird’ nickname. We were treated to two covers by Sadie – a sultry Christmas ditty and 90’s classic, ‘Show Me Love’. Starting the night off with a ‘take no bullsh*t’ attitude, Sadie commands the stage and the audience alike. With a mix of quick wit, openness and vulnerability, Sadie just felt like a friend showing you a new TV show they were really excited about. Preparing the stage and audience for both high intensity lip syncs and spoken word was done with ease and genuine care for the art. But Sadie wasn’t just here to entertain, she had something to say. This queer black glamazon wasn’t going to let her quips get in the way of her mission. Preaching for inclusivity of black performers, disabled access, representation of neurodivergents, transgender alliance, the list goes on! She wasn’t afraid to call us out, to push us to be a better for the LGBTQIA+ community – ‘Where are the black drag kings?!’ Eyes producer’s at the back.

Well, there was one black drag king not to be missed in the line-up, Mr Wesley Dykes. Another member of the award winning The Cocoa Butter Club, Wesley brings a refreshing take on the drag-cabaret scene. I was expecting a night of chart anthems and exaggerated lip syncs but this act started off with silence. A smooth, moving spoken word piece was beautifully written and performed; followed by an even smoother lip sync and strip tease – I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! In full 70s disco gear, Mr Wesley Dykes is a f*ckboi force to be reckoned with.

The gorgeous Baby, stepping out with legs up to her eyeballs gave us an eyeful of sexy lip syncs. The wigs alone would have been enough to leave me on the floor gasping but the dance skills this drag queen possesses are like nothing I’ve seen before. We were all feeling some type of way with Baby, I could watch her perform for hours. The lip syncing was excellent, the choreography was flawless – bravo Baby! Here lies proof that not all world-class drag stars come from TV.

Of course it wouldn’t be Symone: Smooth Taste Tour without the headline act! Symone teased us with some effortlessly fun lip syncs. Whether intentional or not, this queen knows how to switch from goofy to flirty in seconds - diversity expected of the reigning RPDR queen and assassin of seven lip syncs! But what really made Symone stand out, and why I fell in love with her, was her presence within the room. She wasn’t afraid to speak to the crowd; didn’t protest when there was a minor sound glitch; and handled her fair share of jägerbombs. To reiterate what Sadie said at the end of the night, Symone represents black culture like we haven’t seen in mainstream drag before. She honours the community with such grace and boldness – she makes us feel seen.

My only criticism of the show would be the delays in getting started for both the first and second act, but it’s not something I would dwell on for a relaxed cabaret show. If I had a few jägerbombs and wasn’t one of the few sober people in the room, time would have been flying by with the cheesy pop hits blasting and giant giraffe parade! Yes, there was a giraffe.

If I had one word to describe the show it would be ‘inclusivity’. Nobody felt out of place in that room. I had the opportunity to briefly speak to Mr Wesley Dykes after the show who said ‘I’m so sorry this is your first show! The bar has been set too high tonight!’. I disagree, the bar hasn’t been set too high. This show has set the standard.

Written by Olivia Hylton (she/her)

Olivia has been working professionally in the Film and Television industry for the past year since graduating from Bath Spa University. Starting in 2020, her alias, Lili, runs a small jewellery and home décor business – Lili Beads. Currently residing in Bristol, Olivia values living amongst a diverse population and strives to aim for more representation in her work. A ‘little brown girl’ growing up in a mixed race family within a predominantly white English town, Olivia has always had a lot to say. Her determination for raising black voices is at the forefront of her writing and activism. When Olivia isn’t working you can find her in her baby pink kitchen sipping on hot chocolate with her kitten, Betty.

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