Preach! Drag at St James's

A drag night in a church! Kicking off with RuPaul's Drag Race UK icons River Medway and Veronica Green, plus much much more.

Doors 7pm. Double headline!

LINEUP:

RIVER MEDWAY & VERONICA GREEN

Plus:

SON OF A TUTU

ANGUS CHAI

BARBARA

PREACH! is a new drag night for London’s West End, in the unique setting of St James’s Church Piccadilly. St James’s is widely known for its pioneering welcome of LGBTQAI+ communities and other marginalised people and groups. As part of its mission to celebrate artistry and ingenuity in every walk of life, for the first time in its 340 year history, St James’s will welcome drag icons from around the world to perform beneath its ornate gold ceiling, showcasing some of the biggest names in the art of drag, as well as fresh talent.

PREACH! events typically include live song using our famous Fazioli grand piano, lip syncs galore and hilarious comedy routines, plus dancing-in-the-aisles, singalongs, mocktails and cocktails- all under the roof of this historic Grade I listed church.

Kindness, creativity, laughter and pathos will make a truly special night in the centre of London, close to Soho and the West End.

About the artists

RIVER MEDWAY

“The River is here. Come take a dive!”

Hailing from Kent, River Medway quickly became a household name after appearing on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. From her iconic runway moments to her heartfelt stories, she became a firm fan-favourite and continues to receive widespread acclaim and adoration. Since the TV series, River has toured extensively across the UK, including the ‘Pick‘n’Mix’ UK tour, ‘The Main Event’ UK Tour and the official Drag Race UK Season 3 tour. River also briefly joined the cast of Tuckshop’s ‘Dick Whittington’ last Christmas at the Phoenix Theatre, London, as Alice. Most recently, River played Sister Mary Julie Andrews in Death Drop: Back In The Habit, which in London’s West End and across the country.

VERONICA GREEN

"I'm known for going from Gollum to gorgeous in three hours!"

Veronica Green appeared on the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK but departed due to contracting COVID-19. Thankfully for all her fans she returned in season 3 and has since performed across the UK, including alongside drag icons The Vivienne and Tia Kofi at the Vaudeville Theatre for Drag Queens of Pop. In 2021, Veronica released her popular single "Nothing To Lose", in collaboration with Myleene Klass. You may also recognise her from fun ad campaigns as one of three witches, played by Veronica Green, Tia Kofi and Asia Thorne. In 2022, Veronica toured with RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour.

SON OF A TUTU

Son of a Tutu is an actor, award-winning drag artist, activist, and speaker. Since winning ‘Drag Idol UK’ in 2011, they have performed nationally and across Europe in various cabaret venues, films, pantos, Prides and festivals, including Edinburgh Fringe. They have hosted online events for Amnesty International and ParaPride, as well as hosting bingo on Victoria Beckham’s Instagram account during lockdown!

As featured on ‘BBC stories’, Tutu was the face of Primark’s national Pride campaign (2019). They also conceived and directed the #YouCanDoBetter (microaggressions) viral video in the wake of the Black Lives Matter uprisings of 2020, and were featured as one of the subjects in Dan Jones’s book ‘50 Drag Queens Who Changed the World’. They can be seen in the movie “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” and, in 2023, will play the lead role in short film “Lemon”. Known for their beauty and iconic looks, Son of a Tutu can also be seen in the Hampton Court Palace film and portrait installation “Permissible Beauties”.

ANGUS CHAI

Angus Chai is your misfit new age guy who makes his own Spirulina energy balls at home whilst his mother dozes upstairs. He loves to share poems and numbers from his toolkit anthology taking inspiration from WD40, orbital sanders and spirit levels. The cosmic love child of Scottish poet Ivor Cutler, Angus explores themes of sex, the afterlife, DIY and revolution. Anything could happen with Angus Chai but one thing is sure, you won't experience another soul like him.

COMPERED BY BARBARA

Barbara is a London-based drag queen and artist, known for her spectacular lip syncs, soaring vocals and slick comedy timing. Our very own drag-queen-in-residence, Barbara helps promote St James’s as a welcoming and safe space for LGBTQAI+ people and their allies. She hosts our annual community cabaret with panache, and we couldn’t wish for more beautifully manicured hands to host this sparkling evening!

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Tickets are banded according to location in the church. Within each section, individual seats are unallocated so you are advised to arrive early for the best view. If you have special access requirements (e.g. wheelchair users) please contact concerts@sjp.org.uk. This is an 18+ event.