As I read the title of Jonny Woo’s latest show, Suburbia, I wondered how this celebrated performer, cabaret and legendary drag artist, who has lived most of their life in London and New York, would tackle the subject. This versatile figure is also co-founder of the iconic gay pub and performance space, The Glory (which closed in 2024), and the recently created The Divine.
Suburbia, written and performed by Jonny Woo. Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025.
The present show, playing at Summerhall Arts, during the Edinburgh Fringe, is a mix of cabaret, drag and spoken word. Woo is as dynamic as ever as he embodies a catalogue of characters from their past and present life, making for a highly original autobiographical show. Entering the stage, the performer emerges through an opening in a large net curtain, a reminder of those net curtains in middle-class houses, where privacy and the need for a secret life prevail. They proceed to relive key moments from their childhood and adolescence – they were born in Camberwell, London, but grew up in suburbia, in the Medway towns, halfway between Margate and the capital. In the 1980s Woo had a first sexual experience with a man at the age of sixteen when the age of consent was 21; life in a small town was already way too restrictive. This is a time when the Aids crisis erupted, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s voice is suddenly heard, adamantly admonishing gay relationships and culture – Thatcher was responsible for the infamous Section 28. A recurring persona in the show is one of Woo’s mother’s best friends, a secret cross-dresser, who leads a typical double-life. Wearing a raft of lavish chiffon evening gowns and long, flowing wigs, Woo brings this alluring figure to life. At other times, they embody a male persona of their younger self, reliving moments in the 1990s in New York and enjoying the party and night club scenes in variously dressing and undressing. The performer superbly recreates that atmosphere, remembering the people who shaped their work as well as delivering some well-known songs, when the audience is encouraged to sing along. The play, though, isn’t just about a person from suburbia, who moves to the big city to become a stalwart of drag and gay cabaret, it also reflects the experiences of thousands of people in Europe and America. Woo’s knowledge and razor-sharp analysis of the major issues that the LGBTQ community has faced over recent decades make it a political play, whose protagonist defies gender norms, challenges stereotypes and expresses an identity that has been ever searching and changing
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Margaret Rose.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
