Review: Very Cherry Sundae – Christmas special at KIKI Manchester

As the party dances started and the confetti flew at the end of the Sunday show, it is clear to see why cabaret is such a celebrated part of drag culture.

With regular hostess Very Cherry at the wheel it comes to no surprise that the show is so popular. As the spawn of Divina De Campo’s Sunday Showtime, the show is well finessed and plays to the strengths of the venue as well the crowd.

The Christmas special saw a variety of drag styles brought into one show and under one theme. Starting with a guest spot from drag star Divina De Campo, the audience was captivated with her original song Doxycycline, with impressive live vocals. Divina, who has worked alongside some of the most famous drag artists in modern culture, is most known for her stint on The Voice. Although she did not manage to get through on the show, she mesmerised the nation with her beautiful rendition of ‘Poor Wandering One’ from The Pirates of Penzance. 

Passing the show onto Very Cherry, it has been nurtured and revamped into a celebration of cabaret, with drag queens, live singers and tribute acts.

Jack Buckham, assistant manager of KIKI Manchester, said “It’s a showtime spectacular every Sunday, showcasing the best of Manchester’s drag scene. We want to give new and old queens a platform to showcase their drag and talent, as well as live singers.”

The show, which changes line-up every week, featured six drag artists: Divina De Campo, Very Cherry, Bonnie Bon QuiQui, Vivienne Lynsey, Heroin Amor and Donna Trump.

Each queen brought their own flair to their performances, from perfected choreography to well versed live singing. Very Cherry is known for her excellent choreography, rehearsing all her numbers with an element of finesse.

Bonnie Bon QuiQui wowed the audience with her mesmerising rendition of Pie Jesus, not typical to the Very Cherry Sunday show, but well received nevertheless. She added an element of drag queen comedy during the noteworthy performance, drinking a pint of Fosters during the interlude, to the cheer of the crowd.

However, the star of this week’s cabaret show was Donna Trump. A regular at popular drag club night, Cha Cha Boudoir, Donna Trump has nurtured and perfected her talent, to become a lip sync artist that could make anybody envious. Her first number was the upbeat Christmas classic, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.

It was her second number that stood out among the rest. Her original remix of the film Grinch, with a full makeover into the character, mixed with the flair of Donna herself. She is known for her incredible transformations, regularly using prosthetics to become different animals. Her remix was witty, relevant to the show’s theme, and all round brilliant. Just as the Grinch stole Christmas, Donna stole this show.

You can watch Very Cherry Sundae, from 8.30pm every Sunday, at KIKI Manchester, free entry.

★★★★★