The Schitt’s Show is one of those ideas that instantly makes sense. Schitt’s Creek was already camp, heartfelt, gloriously queer and packed with larger-than-life characters. Turn it into a drag tribute show and honestly? It feels like it was always meant to be.
The original series quietly began life on Canadian television in 2015 before exploding into a global phenomenon once Netflix got hold of it. Suddenly everybody was talking about this little show about a once-wealthy family forced to rebuild their lives in a tiny town they had bought as a joke. The pandemic years only amplified that love, and by the time it swept the comedy categories at the Emmys in 2020, Schitt’s Creek had gone from cult favourite to full-on cultural phenomenon. One of the most beautiful things about the show was the world it created. David and Patrick’s relationship simply existed without prejudice or conflict around sexuality. The show chose joy, acceptance and kindness, and in doing so built a huge and devoted queer fanbase.
My wife and I absolutely loved it. So when we saw that The Schitt’s Show, a drag parody celebrating Schitt’s Creek, was coming to The Clapham Grand, we jumped at the chance. The Grand was the perfect venue too. Clips from the series played on the big screen as people took their seats, immediately putting everyone in the right Schitty mood before the evening kicked off.
The evening opened perfectly, with Drag King Aiden Strickland as Roland Schitt welcoming us to Schitt’s Creek to the tune of ‘Welcome to Duloc’. The performance paid tribute to the town’s absurd welcome sign, the one that greets visitors with the immortal reassurance: ‘Don’t worry, it’s his sister!’ It was a deep-cut reference that had us all in stitches and instantly set the tone for the rest of the show.
Drag queen Carrot then entered as Jocelyn for their own lip sync showcase, rocking out in character before being joined by their ‘husband’ Roland for a dance sequence that captured the bizarre energy of the Schitts’ relationship. Fans of the show will know exactly what was so ‘grabbing’ about it.
Carrot would go on to act as co-host for the evening alongside drag king Fabio Lezonli’s David Rose, handling much of the compering while slipping between character work and audience interaction. While some of the performers’ impersonations felt almost uncannily close to the originals, Fabio leaned further into parody and drag stylisation with David, which worked beautifully. The exaggerated approach suited the evening, especially later during a particularly ambitious sequence involving a winch and what must have been a very uncomfortable harness.
The evening then settled into its format, with different characters stepping up for showcases combining music, dance, lip-syncing both to music and clips from the series. First up was drag queen Me as Moira Rose, and honestly, she set the bar incredibly high. Not that the rest of the cast weren’t brilliant, but from that first performance it was obvious that this Moira was something special.
Moira absolutely stole the show. From the moment she walked onstage the whole evening levelled up. The wigs, makeup, costumes and posture were spot on, and every gesture, dramatic turn and theatrical flourish felt lifted directly from Catherine O’Hara’s performance.
The lip syncing was extraordinary too. These pieces blended songs with actual clips from the show, and Me’s timing was immaculate. Classic Moira moments landed perfectly, expressions matched every beat, and the audience were loving it. It genuinely felt less like an impersonation and more like Moira herself had wandered into The Clapham Grand for a cabaret set.
She kept coming back too.
Most performers had one showcase moment, but Moira returned repeatedly throughout the evening with costume changes and new performances. Honestly, it almost felt like somebody had seen Me’s Moira act and gone, ‘Right, build an entire evening around that.’ And my God, I’m glad they did.
One highlight saw her perform to ‘For the Gaze’ from Death Becomes Her, while plenty of other classic Moira moments had fans around us practically dying of laughter. There are so many iconic moments in Schitt’s Creek, and this show beautifully captured every one of them.
That is not to take anything away from the rest of the cast. Drag queen Lauren Del’Arco was fantastic as Alexis, bringing all the confidence and energy you would hope for in the awesome ‘A Little Bit Alexis’ dance.
Drag queen Lust’s Stevie Budd teamed up with Fabio’s David for, among other fabulous bits, a recreation of the wine conversation scene that was hilarious and perfect. You know the one – they’re talking about wine, but they’re not talking about wine. As someone who also likes ‘the wine and not the label’, it’s one of my favourite moments in the series, and they fully nailed every word of it.
Drag king Chiyo appeared as Ted, leaning less into direct resemblance and more into what can only be described as ‘hot vet energy’. Meanwhile cabaret performer Dwayne Nasis – who I’d previously enjoyed as a guest performer in Little Miss Christmas – brought Johnny Rose to life with charisma, sexy movement and great comic timing – not to mention buttocks that could crack a walnut!
Carrot delivered a fabulous Jazzagals tribute, using clever projection to perform as the all-female choir – which really sums up the nutty spirit of the evening. This was a celebration of Schitt’s Creek, a drag love letter to a show that means so much to so many.
The evening would not have been complete without the hosts taking a moment to pay tribute to the late Catherine O’Hara. The audience were invited to give a long cheer for her as a celebration of all the joy she brought into the world. It was a touching moment and I’m delighted they did.
The Schitt’s Show is silly, affectionate, funny, and gloriously queer. It is packed with drag talent, fan-service, and genuine love for the source material. Thanks to some outstanding performances, especially Me’s extraordinary Moira Rose, it also manages to be unexpectedly impressive. The Schitt’s Show is a couple of hours of pure Schitts Creek joy, wrapped up in a beautiful draggy bow.
For further dates and information, check out linktr.ee/theschittsshow and follow them on Instagram @theschittsshowcabaret
Words by Nick Barr
Photography James Klug
