They will be Kings

Qtopia Sydney, February 2026

The review

Four performers, Drag Kings, Danica Lani aka Dario di Bello, Chris McAllister aka Chase Cocks, Becks Blake aka Jim Junkie and Angel Tan aka Fine China are hurricaning into the show. Not professional drama actors, but trained show and drag performers, they jump off with cross-questions about famous drag kings, if there are any names remembered in history. There are not many to recall; the territory is still too rarefied. The call is to make them reappear loud and strong -  brighter, original, charismatic Kings, to claim the space, recognition and visibility.

It is a kind of verbatim work, wrapped in the vibe of a party with a lot of dancing and exclamations (ahh! ohh! yeah!! are mapping the soundscape densely), merged with intimate, deeply personal narratives and funny, playful interludes - fragments of their own shows. Each of the four Kings has a time for their stories - so raw, so intimate, that my heart was squeezing for them, for their vulnerability and openness. 

The show celebrating masculinity, exploring fluidity of gender, cleverly decoupling it and femininity from stereotypes set by a strict binary, does not leave space for sentimentality. In Russian there are many ancient sayings that happiness shall be kept quiet and away from people’s eyes, to protect it from being jinxed. This show smashes this cautious paradigm shouting, proving that joy, success and love are weapons, a smashing power in a fight for rights of free existence for anyone, staying unique, visible and accepted. 

Danica Lani is a choreographer and a coach for emerging Drag Kings, and their personality is the gravitational center of this show. They radiates power, confidence, strength, so each of the new Kings, appearing in their orbit, shines, and that is contagious for the audience, too. 

This connection, even unity, in a tiny space of the theater was electrifying. Lighting designer Frankie Clark and composer Gail Priest made an empty black box an expanded space, with constantly changing volume, palette and texture. 

Qtopia certainly has massively succeeded in creating a place of trust and freedom. A peaceful corner where everyone is genuinely accepted for who they are. With that, functioning as a powerful launching pad for those making big calls for holding the ground and fighting not against, but for - claiming their own space.  

Listen to the Podcast with Kaz Therese here.

Creative team

Created by Kings of Joy @kings.of.joy and Werewolf @__thewerewolf__ 

Director Kaz Therese  @kaztherese 

Lighting designer Frankie Clark

Composer Gail Priest

Cast

 Danica Lani aka Dario di Bello (@danicalani @dariodoesdrag)

Chris McAllister aka Chase Cocks (@thetranscomedian)

Becks Blake aka Jim Junkie (@king_jimjunkie)

Angel Tan aka Fine China (@kingfinechina)