New drag show in Athlone promises 'killer performances'

A new drag show will take place in Athlone this weekend which promises killer lip sync performances, extravagant outfits and bold makeup.

KWĒN will be held in the Venue, Athlone this Friday, April 28 starting at 9pm.

Speaking about the new event, host and performer Barry Cassidy aka Tess Tickles said: "I decided to do the show as I found Athlone to be very diverse, but there was only a few alternative nights out, so I have been wanting to put something together for a little while now.

"I love drag shows, the atmosphere and vibe is just completely different to any night I’ve ever been too and when explaining this to my friends here I was met with 'aw I’ve never been to one' or 'I’d love to go to one.' I contacted The manager of The Venue Mark and he was all up for it so KWĒN was born.

The drag show will feature performances from Tess Tickles along with Éiresure, Jackie Off, Nikkie Stones, Sassy Weef and DJ Jason Nugent will be on hand to play music until 2am.

Host Tess Tickles explained: "What I want the show to be is inclusive to everyone, I want everyone to experience what drag actually is and how it has such a strong place in the LGBTQI community.

"What I expect from the show is a killer line up of queens from all over, that bring something different to the stage and has everyone in awe of their craft. I want people talking about it in the following weeks and how amazing it was. There will be audience participation games and lip sync battles and foolishness. It’s gonna be a night not to be missed."

The Cavan native has been living in Athlone for the past two years and performing drag for about eight years and hopes to make KWĒN a regular event.

Drag queen Éiresure is inspired by theatre whilst Jackie Off describes her drag as 'camp, comedy and fun'. Nikkie Stones enjoys dancing, lipsyncing and DJing and is the UK and Ireland's only drag Twitch partner. Twitch is an interactive livestreaming service for gaming, entertainment, sports and music.

Sassy Weef says she goes out on stage as if she's "heading into a battle" and performs on stage like she's fighting for her life.

Tickets for the drag show can be purchased on Eventbrite for €15 plus a booking fee. For more information follow @kwen_shows on Instagram.