A Spring Fling with the Drag Kings!

King Tito Bone sings on the mic holding his walking cane. Tito is w hite drag king with a grey mullet and turquoise glitter beard

On 8 May, we returned again to Crookes Social Club for a Spring Awakening edition The Kingdom Come, with our line up of drag kings sharing all sorts of transformations and talents!

We adorned the venue with blooms, butterflies and blossom, and many of our community showed up in some spring inspired outfits, working floral looks or turning over a new leaf in fresh fits. The vegan cake from Little Town Pantry just about lasted until the interval, but only *just*. It’s always tricky knowing how much to order!

Two white women smile with their backs to camera showing off colourful butterfly wing capes
Attendees dressed in their spring finest!

Our host for the evening was well travelled, but Sheffield based, Tito Bone, your average non binary blind bisexual drag king. Their musical flair and comedy got the crowd warmed up from the get go, with witty acts featuring live singing and ukelele. (Pictured above)

Drag king Awesome Swelles plays ukelele dressed as a satyr. He is a larger white performer
Drag king Awesome Swelles. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

We also felt the warmth and affection from Awesome Swelles, who shared his songwriting with us along with some intricate costumes, adding layers of meaning to his powerful message that trans people can and should be making plans for beautiful futures! 

drag king Chiyo, performs on stage showing off his washboard abs
Chiyo. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

CHIYO brought the fire to the evening, with two electric performances that had us very hot under the collar and gagged in equal measure, with his display of power and self acceptance a radical stand against mainstream narratives that seek to dehumanise trans people. 

South Asian drag king Harddeep Singh lipsyncs seated onstage wearing military jacket
Harddeep Singh. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

Harddeep Singh also shared a powerful abolitionist and anti colonial message with us, wrapped in a crowd pleasing emo themed act. Richard Melanin the Third had the audience weeping with laughter at his whimsical performances, making magic that entranced us all. 

Drag Richard Melanin the Third performs onstage wearing battered top hat and tailcoat
Magic from Richard Melanin the Third. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

Finally we were also treated to a debut act from Hot Pot, featuring Quiche Lorraine, aka Lorraine Kelly in a surreal turn, and Hot Pot also kept to the spring theme as they hatched from a giant egg! 

White drag king Hot Pot lipsyncs with a yellow face inside a giant white egg
Hot Pot hatches! The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

This event was a fundraiser for Andro & Eve, supporting our current crowdfunding campaign, with cash donations on the night and online donations boosting the campaign by £1,035. Additional funds from the raffle will also be used to provide discounted and free tickets to those who need them at future events. Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts. Our Go Fund Me campaign is still live if you haven’t had a chance to donate or share. 

A huge thanks also to the Andro & Eve team, tech team and volunteer crew who helped everything run smoothly on the night and of course a massive thank you to all the drag kings who joined us! 

A diverse audiences smiles and waves their arms in the air
The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel a planned July edition of The Kingdom Come owing to another Arts Council funding bid rejection. Like many other independent producers of drag and cabaret, each year this work gets harder. So if you can, we’d really appreciate any more donations to our crowdfunder to help us deliver a year-round programme of culture and community activity supported by an affordable membership scheme.

We do have plans for other activities this year, and of course the launch of that membership scheme in the Autumn, so if you haven’t already, subscribe to our newsletter to be first to hear more about our plans! Enjoy the rest of the photos below!

Group shot onstage of Chiyo, Awesome Swelles, Hot Pot, Tito Bone, Harddeep Singh and Richard Melanin the Third
The cast of The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Drag king Awesome Swelles sings on a mic playing the ukelele.
Awesome Swelles. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
An audience smiles looking at the stage out of shot
Black Drag king Richard Melanin the Third exclaims with his finger in the air
Richard Melanin the Third. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
an older white woman smiles looking up at a stage out of shot
drag king Chiyo, performs on stage with a whoop sound coming from his mouth.
Chiyo. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Blind, white drag king Tito Bone sings on a mic playing the ukelele.
Tito Bone. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Two white queer people smile and wear spring themed floral clothing
Spring looks at The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Handmade flags saying love trans people!
Flags made by the Sheffield community to show support for trans people. Credit – Nelly Naylor
Hot Pot dressed in pink business suit with a quiche mask and brown wig
Hot Pot. The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Audience exclaims with eyes wide open
Eyes wide at The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor
Two white people laugh with scrunched eyes and their arms around one another
Smiling audience members of all ages
The Kingdom Come (2025). Credit – Nelly Naylor

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