Dolly Diamond’s Bl*nkety Bl*nks

Midsumma Festival in Melbourne always provides great entertainment for the Straight and Gay communities together, and nowhere is this more evident than in Dolly Diamond’s latest and most entertaining offering. True, the idea is not new (though why has it taken decades to reach a stage?) and many of the older audience members remember Graham Kennedy - and in a later revival, Shane Bourne - pushing the boundaries as far as they could. The difference this time round is the incomparable Dolly, who knows no boundaries and yet still manages to appear a “lady” throughout. She elevates the game to dizzying heights of hilarity.

Ms Dolly doesn’t like the term Drag Queen, or even Female Impersonator, but if there is a finer representative of either genre on the planet I have yet to see her – and that includes the much lauded Danny La Rue. A marvellous comedienne, with a vast store of one-liners (some original) for every occasion, and possessing a great belting singing voice, plus a divine and tasteful fashion sense, even when totally OTT, Dolly puts all her more ephemeral competition to shame.

It didn’t matter one jot that she was a little hazy on the actual rules, or that some questions were too long, and repeated too often. We were too busy laughing to care.

Dolly had her able assistant – Trevor the Public Tugger – to pull her back in to line and he did so brilliantly. Since he is so totally a part of the proceedings, I can’t help thinking that Trevor the Total Tugger might be a better name.

With a new set of celebrities at each show, you are guaranteed of a new show at every viewing. On opening night Dolly’s celebrity victims - sorry, guests - were Rhonda Burchmore, Tim Campbell and Gamble Breaux (a “Real Housewife of Melbourne” apparently) on one side and Tottie Goldsmith, Luke Gallagher and Ally Fowler – making up the mutant Chantoozies – on the other. All six quickly got into the spirit of the game, with the Ravishing Rhonda and the Awesome Ally providing double entendres which Dolly devoured like a tin of Russian Caviar with a vodka chaser in her normal classy way.

Two hapless but willing contestants, Debbie and Cody, put themselves in the firing line and were good sports throughout. The audience, including myself, loved every hour…er…minute of it, though at times we wondered if we would get home for breakfast. It was a night of joyful and unpredictable entertainment. And, tastefully, there wasn’t a single Trump reference.

Dolly’s close friend and general dogsbody, Michael Dalton, must be congratulated on his entrepreneurial skills and the way he knows just when to give Queen Dolly her head. He would love to see her present this revamped format on television….and so would I. Meanwhile, you have only tonight - January 22 (with the Kinky Boots stars on the panel) and next weekend to see this terrific and entertaining show whose brightest star is the MC  herself….and that’s just how it should be.

Coral Drouyn

Photographer: Sanjeev Singh