Review: JODIE MITCHELL: BECOMING JOHN TRAVULVA, Soho Theatre

“Not all drag is pointing somewhere and then going there.”

From the very beginning, Mitchell proves that they have a flair for drama. Jodie Mitchell: Becoming John Travulva begins with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and the stage in complete darkness. Suddenly, there are flashes of “lightning,” and John Travulva, Mitchell’s drag king counterpart, can be seen striking a range of poses to cheers from the audience.

Once the show begins, Mitchell lets us know that there are three things we need to know before we begin. One? They are queer. Two? They are very proud to be themselves. And three? The show is about the weirdest day of their life. When latecomers come in, they are simply told, “You didn’t miss anything. I’m gay” as a hilarious recap. 

John Travulva begins with a very funny section in which they play God after being told by a relative that they didn’t think God was gay. God is on the phone with the contractor for the gates of Heaven, insisting that they be “pearly.” They then have some conversations with Jesus that had me cracking up, particularly the bit referring to Jesus turning water to wine for a party.

After the religious jokes, Travulva brings us into their favourite barbershop, Man Cave, where they attempt to explain gender to a fellow customer, a man who was confused about their appearance. This led to a great joke about how in order to create a “gayby,” one must collect hair, put it into a baby shape, give it to Sandi Toksvig, and put it into The Great British Bakeoff oven (which is, Travulva believes, how Noel Fielding was brought into the world). 

After beginning to share their thoughts on gender, Mitchell takes a seat in front of a table with a mirror on it, “shaving off” the painted-on beard they have to play Travulva and becoming Mitchell on stage. It was incredibly insightful to see both acts within one show, allowing Mitchell to show the audience more about gender identity while also telling funny stories about their experiences performing comedy as both Mitchell and Travulva. One of their main focuses is on the concept of tension in comedy and they argue that non-men have to take the extra step of building trust with the audience before they can focus on tension, a frustrating fact made clear to them by how, as Travulva, they have already won the audience’s trust. 

The final story that Mitchell tells is an absolutely bizarre one involving their wealthy friend, Mandy, a robber being served vanilla Roiboos tea and explaining what a drag king is and “Why I was dressed as Santa in a hostage situation” to a group of police. Mitchell is a wonderful storyteller and their abilities shine during this final tale, letting them give dramatic pauses for laughter and gasps while also getting to be performative. 

After the drama of the break-in, In an ending that ties the show’s narrative together, Mitchell asks the audience, “Do you want a wee present?” And receives an enthusiastic response, so they give us a great drag performance. I won’t spoil the very end, but it is a satisfying and funny conclusion!

Ultimately, Jodie Mitchell: Becoming John Travulva does an excellent job of discussing the role that gender plays in comedy, whether consciously or unconsciously. Whether they are Jodie Mitchell or John Travulva, Mitchell is a great comedian and I look forward to seeing more from both of their acts in the future. 

Jodie Mitchell: Becoming John Travulva runs until 3 February at Soho Theatre. 

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