'Delicious' comedy show, featuring drag queens at a conservative fundraiser, set to open in Hamilton

A comedy show set to run in Hamilton starting Wednesday will feature three drag queens who, according to the plot, were hired to perform at a private function they later discovered was a fundraising event for a conservative politician.

The Gig, written by Canadian playwright and actor Mark Crawford, is out to ask: "What do we do when we don't agree with people's politics," Crawford told CBC Hamilton. "What do we do when we don't see eye to eye with people?"

The play takes place at Theatre Aquarius — just as the byelection campaign is underway for the next Hamilton Centre MPP. 

Drag queens appearing at events in Canada have been the target of anti-LGBTQ groups in the past, including at a Hamilton Public Library Drag Storytime in 2022 where about 20 people appeared to protest the reading. While drag shows themselves are not inherently political, the appearance of conservative or alt-right groups at these performances in the last few months have created an image that conservatives don't typically like or support drag. 

But Crawford said the goal of The Gig isn't to change someone's politics, but to enjoy the characters' journeys and for the audience to gain a fresh perspective on why people think the way they do.

Crawford said The Gig will feature a total of seven actors and a large creative team including a large wardrobe and "a dedicated wig department." 

Local drag queen Karma Kameleon was hired as a drag consultant for the production to teach the cast about "the mechanics of drag, like the makeup or wearing wigs," Crawford said. He said he and the cast were "very grateful for her work and happy to have her there."

'A funny coincidence'

The Hamilton Centre byelection will be held on March 16. Crawford said he didn't plan for the show to open during the byelection campaign and it was "a funny coincidence."

He said the story was in development before the COVID-19 lockdowns and the idea came from the growing popularity of drag queens in mainstream media like in RuPaul's Drag Race. 

Crawford said he wanted to write a story examining how people of different ideologies interact with drag and expects people to find themselves surprised with who they might agree with at certain points of the play. 

"To quote a line from the play, 'Do we pick up our toys and go home or do we stay in the room and have a conversation?' and what does that cost us if we decide to stay and hash it out with people?," he said.

'The circumstances of this show are so delicious,' Lujan

Jaime Lujan is the youngest actor in the cast and is playing Ms. XXXBox, one of the drag queens in the comedy. He comes from Toronto with experience as drag queen Lucinda Miu and told CBC Hamilton many of his friends love the setting for the show.

"The circumstances of this show are so delicious, conservatives and drag queens you know?," he said. "Many drag artists get booked for private parties all the time and everyone can identify with 'What would happen if our employer was a conservative?'"

Lujan told CBC Hamilton that characters in the show will have conversations about topics such as cancel culture, what an apology looks like on social media in this age and what younger generations look for from social reform.

"I wish I could be a fly on the wall in the car rides home, because I would love to know the conversations people will have," he said. 

"Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, there is something to be gained here."

The play runs until March 25.