A Chandelier in my Kitchenette (Regency Tavern, Brighton)

A Chandelier in my Kitchenette is a piece about a drag queen, Miss Diagnosis. He’s turning 50 this year and struggles to come to terms with the fear of his lost youth, a violent relationship and his turbulent upbringing in Glasgow. He only finds solace in his quiet room with his dolls and songs from the past.

Set in an intimate setting, in a dark cellar with a scent of stale alcohol, we are introduced to Miss Diagnosis on a small stage, just big enough for one person, and a small dresser with a mirror and make up, and a rack of spangly dresses. In the opening scene he is distraught, after a failed show he just doesn’t know what to do.

At first the production is engaging, and we all feel for Miss Diagnosis, we hear all about his upbringing in Glasgow, his relationship with his mother who was in a mental hospital and his violent relationship with his partner Arthur. He cries into his whiskey as he reminisces, however, after a short while the audience is constantly waiting for something to happen, for him to turn his life around, for a positive to come from a negative, but that just never happens.

Around half way through the show it becomes awkward as he starts to sing lullabies to his wig, which he has taken off and placed on the dresser, and proceeds to take his make up off in silence which took at least 5 minutes, leaving the audience to sit in an awkward silence just waiting.

Overall this piece was an intense performance and acted well by actor Ken McLoone, apart from the odd song sung a little out of tune, however it left us just hanging, wondering and seemed to lack a punch line. Whatever happened to Miss Diagnosis? How did he turn his life around after talking about it for so long? It seems we will never know!