Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February is here, and that means only one thing. Nope, not Valentine’s Day, it’s time for Queer Contact. The climax of the festival is the House of Suarez Vogue Ball, and this year is no exception.
With a theme of ‘Night at the Poseum’, the houses take us on a tour from ancient Egypt to English monarchs, all hosted by the effervescent Rikki Beadle-Blair. In a crowded field, he is the highlight of any ball. I genuinely think my mental health benefits from seeing this man introduce the categories and empower the audience every year.
Hosted by the effervescent Rikki Beadle-Blair… my mental health benefits from seeing this man introduce the categories and empower the audience every year.
Proceedings start slowly with an Egyptian-themed introduction, by far the most popular theme of the night. The costumes here weren’t as spectacular as they might have been, but that only leaves room for the houses to elaborate on the theme later in the evening.
The confidence, originality and body positivity…lights up the entire Academy…
Honestly, I have no idea how the judges manage to pick a winner for any category, the standard is so high that the performers seem super-human. The confidence, originality and body positivity they bring to the stage lights up the entire Academy and makes the cavernous space feel welcoming for anyone who wants to celebrate queer culture.
Having attended the ball for many years in a row now, I feel qualified to say that it really does get better every year, and this was no exception, it was the best year yet. Long may the posing continue.
-Daniel Shipman
Find out more about House of Suarez, and also cast your eyes over upcoming events/ performances at Contact.