Review: Danny Beard and Their Band

“They wait until the final week to bring the old drunk girl in,” Danny Beard proclaims to their audience in the guts of the Underbelly in George Square. Dressed in a fitted black dress of comme-des-garcons proportions, the famously white-faced performer guides us through an hour of musical reverie with their talented live band – in-between ripping the audience to shreds. 

It is their first-ever time at the Fringe and Danny’s success on RuPaul’s Drag Race has propelled them to one of the biggest stages at the Festival. Danny was the eventual winner (runner-up Cheddar Gorgeous was in the audience) and became known for their quick tongue and pipes, both of which are on full-display tonight. 

Danny can sing, like really sing. With a voice that has obvious similarities to Adele, no wonder two of her songs are covered during the set. There are other covers and reimaginings of popular songs, each of which receives a raptorous reception from the audience. Yet it is in-between the songs that Danny suffers somewhat of a downfall as they turn their attention to the audience. While there are some genuinely hilarious reads, there are only so many outfits and haircuts Danny can slam before the joke starts to become tired and recycled. 

Throughout the performance, Danny asks their keyboardist to write down jokes they find funny. With some tightening of the show’s structure and more original reads, this really could be a stand-out show at the Fringe by the end of its run on Friday.