The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon review: sequinned escapism and pure cabaret joy

London Theatre Doc
2 hours ago
3 min read

★★★★

In a theatre landscape currently packed with deep, thoughtful plays, searing narratives, capitalist take-downs and the occasional animatronic bear, there is one question worth asking: where is the light entertainment an audience sometimes needs?

The answer, glittering in sequins on Shepherd’s Bush Green, is The Lady Boys of Bangkok.

The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon is a gloriously silly evening of lip-syncing, dancing, comedy and unapologetic escapism. From the moment you step inside the Sabai Pavilion, the outside world feels firmly left behind. The venue itself may be more functional cabaret tent than jaw-dropping spectacle, but the atmosphere does the work: tables full of people ready to cheer, a bar doing brisk business, and the promise of a night that knows exactly what it is.

What follows is a fast-paced celebration of pop hits, Thai cabaret tradition, camp humour and full-throttle entertainment. The costumes keep coming with dazzling, almost comic abundance, each reveal somehow more bedazzled than the last. This is a show built on excess, and thank goodness for that.

There are moments of real polish, particularly from one performer, Lilly, whose dancing comes with a knowing Ice Spice aesthetic and an effortless ability to hold the entire crowd’s attention. Some performers have that rare gift of making the audience look exactly where they want them to, and here it is genuinely alluring.

The male dancers provide hilarious interludes, serving camp butch realness with just the right balance of absurdity and charm. Their numbers are knowingly ridiculous and often very funny. Elsewhere, some of the Lady Boys lean so completely into deadpan glamour that it becomes its own kind of art form. They are not always giving you everything, but sometimes giving you almost nothing with total confidence is equally impressive.

Between songs, the comedy keeps the evening moving. One performer, Ole, delivers a series of gloriously daft moments, including failed magic and the pursuit of an unfortunate assistant hidden inside a burlap sack. It is broad, silly and entirely unashamed, which is exactly why it works.

Not every moment is polished to perfection, but that is also part of the show’s charm. The Lady Boys of Bangkok is not trying to be a pristine West End machine. It is a cabaret party, full of sparkle, wigs, dancing, lip-syncing and a crowd very much ready to be entertained. Its rough edges feel less like flaws and more like part of the fun.

What makes Full Moon so enjoyable is its complete commitment to pleasure. It is not here to challenge your worldview or leave you emotionally devastated in row F. It is here to make you laugh, cheer loudly and leave with a grin on your face. In a city where so much theatre asks us to think deeply, feel painfully or admire the cleverness of the concept, there is something genuinely refreshing about a show that simply wants you to have a good time.

Overall, The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon is light-hearted, joyful, camp and completely entertaining. It is sequinned escapism at its finest, and sometimes that is exactly what theatre needs to be. Even your Aunt Ruth would find herself spellbound by the Lady Boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-4cOOQCFfo

The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon 2026 tour dates

London: Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July, Shepherd’s Bush Green

Peterborough: 15 July, Key Theatre

Derby: Friday 17 to Saturday 25 July, Bass Recreation Ground

Aberdeen: 27 to 28 July, Tivoli Theatre

Arbroath: 29 July, Webster Memorial Hall

Dunfermline: 30 July, Alhambra Theatre

Edinburgh: Saturday 1 to Sunday 23 August, Festival Square

Glenrothes: 26 August, Rothes Hall

Kirkcaldy: 27 August, Adam Smith Theatre

Glasgow: Friday 28 August to Sunday 6 September, Candleriggs Square