Once, they were The Glory; now, they are The Divine. The home of queer performance and drag in East London, The Divine is celebrating a year since their opening with a one-off spectacular variety show at the iconic and historic home to vaudeville and variety, The Hackney Empire.
Co-owners of The Divine, Jonny Woo, East London’s unofficial drag mother, and John Sizzle curate and host a lineup featuring some of the best acts they have nurtured since their transition from The Glory to their current success as The Divine.
Drag queens and drag kings perform alongside comedians, go-go’s, dancers and musicians. Full-cast dance routines nestle against rousing sing-a-longs and absurd solo moments in what could be the most eccentric variety show in UK history!
The Divine is renowned for being the hub of the alternative drag scene. Therefore, you can expect an unconventional and provocative show that promises to be a wonderfully chaotic celebration of Hackney’s queer community—a true Celestial Happening!
The show is structured around three acts, exploring the themes of Heaven and Hell. It concludes with The Divine, which will have its interior recreated on the stage of The Empire. This will feature the artwork of Max Allen, currently displayed on the walls and ceiling of East London’s beloved queer venue.
Stars to grace the stage alongside the hosts Jonny Woo and John Sizzle include:
Amazi (the queen of hoola hoops!)
Don’t Drag Me I’m Scared (cartoon-esque queer satire)
Baby Lame’s Shit Show (punk variety and queer burlesque)
Bolly Illusion and dancers (South Asian dance spectacular)
A Man To Pet and her Basic Boys (Greek absurd spectacle and go-go’s)
Dan Wye (queer stand-up)
Rhys’s Pieces and Sue Gives A F*ck (sketch and lip-sync)
Sharon Le Grand (punk songstress)
Margo Marshall (dancer)
Dairy King (absurd drag king)
Crip Ladywood (current winner of drag king competition Man Up 2024)
Chiyo, Major Dom & Shardeazy Afrodesiak (Drag King burlesque)
Barbs (classical pianist and slapstick drag),
Rudi Douglas (singer and pianist),
Die Lemma (gothic drag),
Viktor Victoria (electro-pop singer)
The Family Woo (Jonny Woo’s own dance troupe ft Mimi Chanel and Camille Leon)
The Divine Dancers (featuring Margo Marshall)
The Divine Crew in a tribute to the original punk queen of drag, Divine herself!
The event promises to be a fabulous one-off celebration of queer performance and community in Hackney.
The Divine Variety A Celestial Happening is on 3 April 2025, from 8 pm, at Hackney Empire,
291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ, United Kingdom.
Running time 3 hours including two intervals.
Images feature Jonny Woo, John Sizzle, Sharon Le Grand (Devil), Bolly Illusion & Margo Marshall (cherubs).
Picture: Tyler Kelly Costumes: Josh Cryne Set Design: Ella Lynch
