Bucks &amp; Oxon

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139699" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Willam-LoUis-CYfer-Victoria-Scone-and-Cheryl-Hole-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Credit: Matt Crocket</figcaption></figure>



If you&#8217;re headed to the theatre this November to get away from the sight of Matt Hancock scoffing animal anus on TV, then Wycombe Swan&#8217;s latest offering might be slightly too close for comfort &#8211; which should set the tone for this bawdy show about drag queen nuns and serial killers rather nicely. You have been warned! 



If you&#8217;ve seen the original Death Drop, a self-described &#8216;Dragatha Christie murder mystery&#8217; that boasted an all-star drag cast, three West End runs and a UK tour, then new show Death Drop: Back in the Habit will be familiar to you. The show tells the tale of a greedy priest sent to shut down a convent &#8211; but the building (and the nuns within) harbour a dark and deadly secret&#8230; Cue haunting visions, some genuinely terrifying jump scares and plenty of good old-fashioned filth. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139697" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-Cheryl-Hole-Willam-Victoria-Scone-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Credit: Matt Crocket</figcaption></figure>



One major pull to the show is the excellent cast, which any fan of RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race will clamour to see (it&#8217;s no coincidence that the play feels like one of the show&#8217;s acting challenges dialled up to 11 with a West End budget to match). Arguably the biggest name on the line-up is the infamous Willam Belli, who&#8217;s appeared in everything from Nip/Tuck to A Star in Born as well as Drag Race, but the UK holds its own with home-grown Drag Race favourites Cheryl Hole, River Medway and Victoria Scone. 



Willam, Cheryl and River play the gaggle of nuns, Sis Titis, Sister Mary Berry, and Sister Maria JulieAndrews respectively (as you might have guessed, the pop culture references are strong here. Sister Maria JulieAndrews&#8217;s number Some of the Things I Quite Like in which she lists &#8216;Girls in white jeggings with crop tops from Asda&#8217; etc had me in stitches, and there&#8217;s a scene that somehow combines Alien with Paul Hollywood). Although Willam sadly wasn&#8217;t able to take the stage on the night we reviewed, understudy Alex Roberts stepped into her towering heels with aplomb &#8211; including taking on a literally show-stopping song and dance. Meanwhile, Victoria Scone eats up the stage as Mother Superior, showing off some impressive acting chops and swooping around the stage in full-length habit, heels and two-ton lashes. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="731" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-1000x731.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139695" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-1000x731.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-800x585.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-400x293.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-718x525.jpg 718w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Credit: Matt Crocket</figcaption></figure>



The only name you might not recognise right off the bat is LoUis CYfer, the show&#8217;s only drag king and the lead as priest Father Alfie Romeo &#8211; to be said with a strong Italian accent, naturally. LoUis is an absolute tour de force, playing genuine terror, grief and confusion so well that it&#8217;s a welcome foil to the silliness of the sisters. That&#8217;s not to say that he doesn&#8217;t get his own comedic turns, far from it; a highlight includes a debate that Father Romeo gets into with his own foul-mouthed inner voice. 



LoUis also has particularly great chemistry with Victoria Scone, and the two occasionally crack into giggles during improv ad-libs or reactions to the staging or props perhaps not working as planned. Instead of the ruder jokes and comedy gore, these were actually the funniest moments in the show for me, and it&#8217;s impossible to tell what&#8217;s planned and what&#8217;s not. A stupid mime of the two going down the long crypt stairwell (i.e. walking in circles and crouching lower and lower) tickled me until I had tears in my eyes. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139698" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-800x532.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-1000x665.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/River-Medway-and-LoUis-CYfer-Death-Drop-Back-in-the-Habit-Photographer-Matt-Crockett-789x525.jpg 789w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Credit: Matt Crocket</figcaption></figure>



The plot might not be Shakespeare, and you&#8217;ll see the ending from a mile off (even with the smoke machine in heavy use), but Death Drop: Back in the Habit is just the antidote for those already fatigued by family-friendly panto season, or those in need of a good laugh away from wringing their hands over the smart meter. The vibe is perfect for a girls&#8217; night out, especially as the Wycombe Swan bar is given extra buzz by the live DJ, cocktails and nun-themed photo booths before the show. You&#8217;ll have to be quick to nab tickets though &#8211; Death Drop: Back in the Habit runs at the Wycombe Swan until Sat 26 Nov. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT&nbsp;</h2>



Good for: It&#8217;s a dead cert for even casual fans of RuPaul&#8217;s Drag Race, and lovers of cheesy horror flicks and cabaret will be on board straight away. Grab your gal pals for a girls&#8217; night out with a twist. 



Not for:&nbsp;The faint of heart! The horror effects are VERY loud (I screamed twice), and there are some jokes that might be a little blue to watch even with older teens. If you don&#8217;t want to sit next to your 17-year-old daughter while a ghost masturbates with a crucifix, then maybe go alone for this one. 



&#8216;Death Drop: Back in the Habit&#8217; is at Wycombe Swan Theatre, St Mary St, High Wycombe HP11 2XE until Sat 26 Nov. <a href="https://wycombeswan.co.uk/Online/tickets-death-drop-2-wycombe-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book tickets here.</a>

Review: ‘Death Drop: Back in the Habit’ at Wycombe Swan

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