The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show Review

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why. Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCrème are returning to the stage with The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! Known from their time on RuPaul’s Drag Race they have solidified their place as global drag icons. On Friday Jinkx and DeLa were at Troxy London to spread their own unique style of Christmas cheer.

BenDeLaCreme is full of Christmas cheer and is terminally positive and happy. In comparison Jinkx Monsoon prefers to celebrates the holidays “boozed up, bawdy, and on display.” The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! is all about showcasing their opposing views on Christmas. Two massively contrasting personalities that really shouldn’t mesh well but come together to create a great show. The show is filled with comedic moments, lots of singing, glitzy costumes and video diaries from their lockdown experience.

DeLa tells the audience about her unrelatable Christmas upbringing and sings about A Perfect Wasp Christmas. In comparison Jinkx throws caution to the wind and sings A Gay And A Stranger. DeLa wants the show to be respectable and is not happy about Jinkx being crude throughout their performance. She counters this with a speech on how Christmas has capitalised on pagan and gay traditions.

Wanting to bring more positivity to the show DeLa brings out a puppet called Peppy who is a peppermint. To start with I found the addition of Peppy quite cringe and wasn’t sure where it was going. DeLa is unhappy that Jinkx does not have the Christmas spirit but Jinkx has a rant about Santa. Her view is Santa’s a creepy old man who watches children when they sleep. He works the elves like slaves all year and then takes credit for their work on Christmas Day.

Between Jinkx’s cynicism and DeLa and Peppy’s positivity overload the pair end up having a row. They both believe they have the better outlook and decide to move forward with the show separately. DeLa decides to team up with Peppy and sings a duet with her. She realises that so much positivity can be a bit much at time and has an epiphany. She realises that’s what it’s like for Jinkx to work with her and she needs that contrast.

In comparison Jinkx goes solo before deciding to create her own new sidekick. She goes through her bag and decides to pair up with Sock, the cum sock. Sock is extremely vulgar and rude and this leads Jinkx to her own epiphany. She too realises what it’s like for DeLa to work with her and decides she could tone it down a bit. They decide to come back together and save their very important friendship.

DeLa opens up about her emotions and how the pandemic has thrown them up in the air. She feels caught in a cycle of feeling angry and sad and wanting to feel the Christmas spirit. Jinkx explains that everyone feels the same and it felt like a really poignant moment, resonating with the whole audience. The past two years have been hard on everyone and we’re all trying to find out own way to work through it.

This leads to Jinkx singing a beautiful song about being in the darkness looking at the light. Did I mention that Jinkx has got an amazing set of pipes on her?! The queens are both dressed in Christmas tree dresses at this point and during the song they light up. It actually ends up looking like a 3D tree and is something quite spectacular. There were some spectacular costumes featured in the show but I did feel there a few unnecessary changes at times.

The show finishes up with a hilarious number called Everyone Is Traumatised By Christmas. And it’s a lovely way to close the show with a little hilarity and joy. Overall it was a really enjoyable show that I would definitely recommend seeing if you get the chance. Both BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are very talented and are a great pairing. Get your tickets for the remaining performances of The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! now.