REVIEW: Sasha Velour’s Nightgowns: A Perfect Fit For Quibi
I wrote a review of Sasha Velour's Nightgowns docuseries on Quibi for WERRRK.com.
At first I was a little sceptical about the Quibi format- a streaming service designed for mobile phones, with short form content less than 10 minutes long. I’m yet to sample any of the other available programmes, but Sasha Velour’s NightGowns docuseries harnesses every available minute to create something spectacular.
NightGowns provides a fantastic bitesize view into the world of drag. Celebrating drag in an inclusive way is key to Velour’s drag mission and she manages to demonstrate an impressive range of drag styles and gender expressions in her six-person cast. Sasha Velour is an artist that draws on a myriad of influences in her own work, so it is unsurprising that that her shows host such variety.
Drag is an artform that lends itself to the Quibi format surprisingly well. As ensemble drag shows such as NightGowns often see drag artists deliver one short performance, the format doesn’t stage too many limitations. We see one lip-sync performance from each artist and a brief introduction into the personal messages and work-process behind them. In the first episode, Sasha Velour sets out her mission statement: “It doesn’t have to do with disguise, but transformation is important. We’re transforming the system that doesn’t work for us.”
See full review here: https://werrrk.com/2020/07/15/sasha-velours-nightgowns-a-perfect-fit-for-quibi/