Review: David Hoyle - Exobiology at Royal Vauxhall Tavern

The RoyalVauxhall Tavern in South London is a Grade II listed building, housing one of London’s oldest, and best known, LGBTQ+ venues. Known for providing alternative entertainment, such as Drag, Burlesque, and avant-garde performance artists, last night I attended, with a couple of friends, to watch a show by one of the legends of the Cabaret scene.

David Hoyle’s show Exobiology is billed as ‘genre-defying evenings of love, protest, comedy and live art’[1] and it certainly delivered.

Image Source: vauxhalltavern.com

Hoyle is a self-proclaimed ‘anti-drag queen’[2]: he appeared through the stage-smoke and strobing lights dancing like a dervish to an ominous-sounding dance track, his face caked in white make-up and unartfully smudged eyeshadow. Tall and skeletally thin he cut a slightly threatening figure, showing that Drag performance still has the capacity to be unsettling and shocking.

As he spoke to the audience he emphasised the power of human connection, urged acceptance of identity, and advocated transcending gender binaries. This extortion was sprinkled liberally with political messages (fitting, since Hoyle once ran for election under his own Avant-Garde Alliance party) and veered from the sublime to the ridiculous as he attempted to ‘interview’ performance artists Simone Simone & Eros, whose pre-recorded absurd responses added levity to the power of Hoyle’s speech.

A particular highlight of the night, for me, was Hoyle’s dark and dangerous take on the song ‘Hey, Big Spender’, a classic song among the Drag community, here given a dirty and sinister turn with a repetitive dance beat rather than the standard backing track.

Hoyle was supported by special guests Travis Alabanza, a performance artist and LGBTQ+ Rights activist, and Lucy McCormick, a cabaret performer who’s provocative piece began with a simulated rape attempt and ended with her peeing onto the stage.

The night itself was one filled with angry joy, and reaffirmed my belief in the power of cabaret performance to convey difficult messages, be proudly political, and play with mainstream ideas and ideals.

There is one more Exobiology show of the run on the 22^nd March, and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern hosts performances and events most nights throughout the year.

---

x

[1] Royal Vauxhall Tavern, ‘David Hoyle: Exobiology’, What’s On <http://www.vauxhalltavern.com/events/event/david-hoyle-5/?oid=1884> [accessed 16 March 2018]

[2] Biju Belinky, ‘Understanding David Hoyle: Britain’s Finest avant-garde anti-drag queen’, Huck Magazine, <http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/print/david-hoyle-performance/> [accessed 16 March 2018]