From a small town in Illinois to the heart of London: it’s all a Travesty!

Two Charlie Chaplins take over the Covent Garden piazza while Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap breaks records as the longest-running West End show ever, Cabaret leaves audiences breathless year after year and Count Dracula transforms into a gothic feast on ballet shoes.

The heart of London has got it all for any theatre lover worthy of their title and, as such ourselves, we embarked on its latest adventure –  Sasha Velour’s Travesty!

Drag legend Sasha Velour recently brought her latest creation – the drag opera Travesty – to London as part of the UK leg of her tour. The artist’s work always presented a quality somewhat reminiscent of the Pollock’s universe – clowns, masks, magic tricks – but this latest show resonated with us on a whole new level…

Sasha Velour in Harlequin Costume on the Travesty Tour

Devised with the help of a miniature model recreating the fantasy of the Travesty theatre, Sasha Velour plays around with what is essentially a toy theatre to develop her opera through projections and optical illusions. And, amongst showgirls, ghosts, and witches, who ends up taking the stage is a character named Judy dressed in a magnificent Harlequin-like gown. The art of drag, after all, finds its roots in the most surprising places, including the traditions of the Commedia dell’Arte and, later on, the British pantomime (think the iconic Dame character). Covent Garden is also familiar with drag queens! ‘The Square de Venus’ was how the Piazza came to be infamously known in the 18th century. Covent Garden was always a hub for entertainment, from the first ever Punch & Judy show being recorded by Samuel Pepys in 1662 to the bawdy harlequinades at the Drury Lane Theatre. It was a place where love and drama could be freely expressed, including in frequent drag shows – the ruling classes turning a blind eye and, in fact, even occasionally joining in the fun.

Model Theatre by Sasha Velour as part of Travesty

Ultimately, Travesty is dedicated to the gay bar in a small town in Illinois where Sasha Velour’s drag legend was born. The place, a hub for the local queer community since the 1970s, ended up shutting after the land was sold to a real estate developer to build luxury flats. When the money ran out, the project was tossed aside and the area abandoned. The drag opera unfolds into a love letter to all those spaces that truly belong to the community, where people can find and recognise themselves, but that continue to be shut down, gentrified, erased. A 19th century independent toyshop in Central London knows a thing or two about this as well… which is why, just like Sasha, we keep fighting and staying true to ourselves by celebrating our history so that it won’t be forgotten, no matter if by wearing a wig or playing with a toy theatre!

Sasha Velour’s Travesty Programme

Travesty by Sasha Velour is due to tour the USA and Canada soon.

The Covent Garden Rent Ceremony is held in the Piazza every summer. Following centuries old traditions, the annual Rent Ceremony marks the Trust’s payment of a “peppercorn” rent of five red apples and five posies of flowers for the lease on the ‘Protected Lands’.

Chiara Scoglio, June 2026