In the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 5, fans were treated to an absolutely memorable show as the queens embarked on an oh no she didn’t maxi-challenge: a pantomime Rusical! This very British Rusical was another incredible episode. The night saw jokes, reads, mirrors, and the elimination of another queen, as DeDeLicious sent Banksie packing in a lip-sync to Susan Boyle’s iconic rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”.
The episode kicked off with a brilliant reading mini-challenge, which proved to be a hit with both queens and viewers alike. The reads flew, making even RuPaul himself crack up. The talented Kate Butch emerged as the winner of the mini-challenge, earning the coveted first pick of the roles for the upcoming pantomime Rusical, titled “Pant-Oh She Better Don’t: The Rusical”.
In vocal rehearsals led by the legendary Michelle Visage, DeDeLicious faced vocal struggles and concerns about fitting the “big” panto persona – we later find out that she’s never seen a panto nor has she seen a musical – like really, queen? Tomara Thomas provided some comedic moments with her enthusiastic but surprisingly deep vocals. Meanwhile, Michael Marouli and Vicki Vivacious dedicated themselves to perfecting their harmonies.
The dance rehearsals, overseen by Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Hauer, presented its own set of challenges. Banksie may have got the vocals down well but she found the choreography a bit more than just tricky, while Vicki had a tendency to, quite literally, land in Michael’s crotch – they just couldn’t quite perfect the move Karen Hauer had envisioned (or maybe they did?)
The queens finally had their moment to shine as they performed the pantomime in front of the esteemed panel of judges, which included RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, and guest judge Cush Jumbo – whose one-liners made an entertaining impact. The queens’ mesmerizing performance skillfully brought to life a script that masterfully blended beloved pantomime clichés with a tapestry of clever, show-specific inside jokes.
As they twirled, sang, and danced, the stage came alive with time-honoured pantomime traditions, adding an extra layer of charm to the performance. The queens’ ability to infuse these familiar clichés with fresh energy and innovative humour truly stole the show.
In the critiques that followed, RuPaul praised the queens for their efforts during the challenge, noting that it was a tough decision to select the bottom two and that it’s superb challenges like this where the judges have to “split hairs” to decide the bottoms from the tops and the safes. Notably, during the critiques, the judges couldn’t help but notice that both DeDeLicious and Banksie appeared visibly uneasy, their nerves occasionally peeking through their otherwise commendable performances.
The official “Pant-Oh She Better Don’t: The Rusical” is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via World of Wonder Productions.
Ultimately, Ginger Johnson claimed victory for the challenge while showcasing a truly unforgettable main-stage outfit for the “Mirror Mirror” runway taking inspiration from an earthworm, she strutted down the runway arm-less – and everyone absolutely loved it.
DeDeLicious and Banksie faced off in a lip-sync showdown to Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream”. In a heart-wrenching moment, Banksie’s journey on the show came to an end as DeDeLicious triumphed in the lip-sync battle.
The remaining queens will continue to face new challenges, week on week, with one queen leaving until we have a winner. Next week brings on the ultimate Drag Race maxi challenge – the snatch game – with contestants Carol Vordeman and Alexandra Burke taking part in the snatch game, with the latter joining the panel as the guest judge.
As fans eagerly await the next episode, they can dive deeper into RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series 5 by tuning into the companion Drag Race after-show, “The After Shave”, with Danny Beard, available on BBC Three and the iPlayer now.
Don’t miss a moment of the fierce competition on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 5, airing on BBC Three and iPlayer in the UK and streaming on WOW Presents Plus in the US, apart from Canada where viewers can tune in on Crave.
You can follow all your favourite queens from this new series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK across all social media by checking out our article here.
Stay tuned for more fierce runway moments, lip-sync battles, and unexpected twists in this series’ quest for drag supremacy.