Picture: Corinne Cumming
Wasteman continues at the Assembly George Square Studios – Underground until 28 August 2023.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Prefaced at this performance by his Dad who explains that Joe has suffered a herniated vertebrae, and following injections in London is back determined to continue with the show, Joe Leather presents his self-funded production of Wasteman, albeit with less physicality and no high heels!
This semi-autobiographical story of Joe’s real-life experience working as a refuse loader during lockdown while performing on Zoom in drag translates into a stage show where this binman dreams of winning a local drag contest at the same time as escaping an unhealthy relationship and experiencing horrific homophobia that leaves his best mate in a coma. This might all sound as heavy as the wheelie bins and steel-capped boots that firm part of a binman’s daily embellishments but Leather has written a delightful, emotive, comedic show and enjoys a genuine and enchanting affinity with the audience.
While Leather talks about growing up as a queer person in Lancashire, there is of course the inevitable comparison to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. However Wasteman successfully takes a different approach and is another very valid personal story of gender expression.
The show is beautifully constructed in flashback, and with direction from Kat Bond, Leather comfortably switches between scenes and props with a natural ease. How the show would have been performed prior to Leather’s current limitations is difficult to know but, in many ways, less is often more and this temporary restriction on his physicality seems to have done nothing to affect the impact and professionalism of this captivating show.
Julie Watterston
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