Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Night in Trans Vegas is the culmination of MIF’s mini-Trans Vegas takeover, foregrounding the vital and boundary-pushing work of trans artists across Manchester and further afield.
The evening is hosted beautifully by Kate O’Donnell, who I’d have happily watched doing a two-hour show of her own, such is her wit and magnetic stage persona.
This was followed by an opening stand-up act from Travis Alabanza, which set the tone for the risqué humour of the evening.
Justin Vivian Bond then takes to the stage and proceeds to split their stage time pretty evenly between aimless but deeply entertaining anecdotes, and gorgeous, sultry renditions of a wide variety of songs.
For most artists, the pre-song banter is a painful necessity – few manage more than a couple of mumbled thank yous. That is far from the case here though. Vivian Bond has perfected the audience chatter to the point of becoming its own art form. Their anecdotes are funny, emotional, and most of all hugely evocative of a life lived in (and for) show business.
From righteous rants about how Morrissey was better when he was all about feelings and wasn’t a fascist, to tales of their upbringing and myriad inspirations – Vivian Bond covers it all here.
Don’t let this distract from the crown jewel of the evening though – which is the voice. Spanning covers of PJ Harvey, Joni Mitchell, Sinead O’Connor, and Kate Bush. Their voice is showing the scars of age but they are worn with pride, only adding to the endearing character which has become Vivian Bond’s trademark.
Decades into their career, Justin Vivian Bond shows no signs of slowing down, and tonight only serves to reaffirm their commitment to, and talent for, the stage. Long may she reign.
-Daniel Shipman
One Night in Trans Vegas took place as part of Manchester International Festival 2023. The festival runs until 16 July. Click here for the full festival programme.