Review: Dina Martina: Halloweena!, Soho Theatre

Dina Martina, the long‑standing American drag artist, has clearly built a quiet UK following – even if few in the room owned up to seeing her before. The small venue is packed cabaret‑style and buzzing with anticipation. What follows is just under an hour of (mostly) Halloween‑themed comedy with some musical (kind of) detours, all delivered through the fully realised character of Martina.

Martina has her own particular and quirky world view, as we find out through a stream of bizarre anecdotes that somehow feel entirely plausible for this character. Her mispronunciations are Mrs. Malaprop style in spirit, only rather than using grand sounding words, she twists everyday ones. Cleverly executed throughout with such precision that I only spotted one accidentally correct pronunciation all evening. The singing is deliberately dreadful; the tunes skewed just off-key, timing slightly off, lyrics mangled, mumbled or forgotten, producing a performance that looks chaotic whilst being anything but.

Costumes form a key part of the comedy, providing visual gags with pieces just a bit too big or, more often, far too small. The makeup follows suit, uneven lipstick with imperfect lines appears to be her signature look. A series of audio and video clips play on screens flanking the stage, sometimes accompanying Martina and sometimes standing alone. They provide opportunity for a quick costume change and add extra layers of humour.  

With her deadpan delivery, every joke lands, creating a constant stream of laughter – though you do need to be careful not to miss the next one while you’re still laughing at the last. There are a few teasing asides aimed at audience members, but nothing that demands a response and certainly no audience participation.

Everything runs smoothly, with no unintended mishaps breaking the rhythm. The hour flies by, nothing rushed, nothing padded, and no section that drags (Boom Boom!).  Martina’s vividly realised persona as a malfunctioning, deluded diva delivers a gleefully surreal dose of inspired nonsense: a little madcap and off-kilter, very funny, and powered by a strong stage presence and an easy command of the room.  

So, for an evening of gloriously odd silliness, brush up on your classic sci‑fi and Twinkie bars knowledge, then jet (sic) yourself down to Soho Theatre before it’s too late.

Produced by Grady West and Soho Theatre
Written by Grady West

Dina Martina: Halloweena! runs at Soho Theatre until Saturday 31 October