By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Monday 21 September, runs through 2 January 2027 Lolly Adefope plays Mary from 28 September 2026 RUNTIME: 80 minutes without interval

Monsoon (End Of The Rainbow, Soho Theatre Walthamstow) reprises her Broadway turn in this comic delight and reminds how twistedly funny she can be so rush to see her in this West End hit because her run comes to an end in it all too soon.

• Read on for reasons including how you won’t ever have laughed so often in its 80 short fun-filled minutes

This is our 3rd visit to the London production of Oh, Mary! and the 1st 2 were in December to see Mason Alexander Park in the titular role of which we said: ‘Oh Mary! is a comedy play written by American comedian Cole Escola spoofing the lives of former US President Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary in the days leading up to his assassination.’

This summer it celebrated its 2nd year on Broadway where its Marys have included Escola, Monsoon, Jane Krakowski, Maya Rudolph and Bowen Yang.

mr monstagigz thinks its puerile and lacking in depth but it’s precisely this shouty childishness laced with innuendo that propels Mary’s deluded ambition to resume her ‘niche cabaret star’ career in a style that most obviously brings to mind pantomime.

Monsoon (pictured at the curtain below) is shoutier than we remember Park but funnier in a way that only those familiar with drag can be.

Monsoon is thus far the only double winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race and has even appeared on Doctor Who at a time when Drag Race UK and the tales of the Time Lord have both been axed from BBC screens as the struggle for representation and recognition grows harder.

Thankfully live theatre is still a place where you can see acts like Monsoon and we said of her appearance as Judy Garland earlier this year: ‘This production is everything this Garland fan dreamed it could be and so much more. It might not be in the West End’s heart but it’s definitely going to be the talk of the town.’

Mary’s fondness for bringing her short legs to long ‘madcap medleys’ is indulged here and Monsoon shines spectacularly when faced with tunes as diverse as Copacobana, She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain (When She Comes) and American Pie.

Oh, Mary! won an Olivier Award this year for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play and can put them next to the 2 Tonys it already has.

We can’t wait to see and support whatever Monsoon does next in the UK because she’s a real talent.

But if you’re prepared to take a risk on Oh, Mary! we think there’s a strong chance you won’t ever have laughed so often in its 80 short fun-filled minutes.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy ATG Tickets
• Have you seen Oh Mary! or Jinx Monsoon before and what did you think of them? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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