Skank Sinatra is a high-paced, cleverly written drag cabaret. Filled with dirty stories and puns, this show transports you into a world of classy jazz music, with a not-so-classy act; in fact, she’s more of a skank.
This drag cabaret reinterprets Frank Sinatra’s best hits with a comedic and personal twist. “Come Fly with Me”, a song full of exotic places like Peru and Bombay at the beginning of the jet age, is twisted to South Africa and Australia, as Skank Sinatra made this move as a preteen. As you can imagine, this song/story is full of interesting accents.
Other songs are more outrageous and crude, for example, “I Only Want To Be With You”; some key lyrics are replaced by a very dirty urban phrase. But I will not repeat it; that would ruin the surprise. I think the fast-paced tempo of the song makes the delivery one of the funniest parts of the night, and that’s going by the roaring audience anyway.
At one point during the show, disaster hits as the venue “loses power” and Skank Sinatra runs off stage to help fix the problem. I am not exactly sure what a drag queen knows about electricity, but she manages to get the power back on. Her outfit dramatically changes when she reappears in a white “roaring 20s “-esque dress. This beautiful dress sets up for the final songs. A powerful dress for some powerful songs.
After thanking everyone for coming, Sknak Sinatra decides to do an encore, but it’s very much rehearsed. That’s life, is the final song, a fantastic choice as it concludes a night of laughter, glamour, music and “skanky-ness”.
Skank Sinatra 20.20, Assembly George Square Studios, until August 24
