Raucous, risqué and rowdy: Anti-imperialist WW1 drag play dazzles

In a courageous endeavor that both challenges history and tickles the senses, Willy/Nicky’s debut Friday night marked the arrival of a daring, historical satire brought to life by the creativity of a fresh, queer theatre ensemble. Staged at Denver’s vibrant Buntport Theater, this raucous production reimagines the complex tale of World War I’s key figures in a way that is both thought-provoking and uproarious.

Directed and facilitated by the visionary local artist Samwell Rose, Willy/Nicky owes its existence to a remarkable collaborative effort. As Rose emotionally recounted in their teary-eyed speech following the play’s world premiere, a mere six weeks before, this play was non-existent. The production’s holistic, non-hierarchical devising process allowed the ensemble to conjure the story, script and staging collectively, resulting in a work that defies convention and embraces audacity.

Produced by Rose, co-produced by IDEA Stages and in association with new queer theater collective, The Agenda Theater, the result is a wild revisionist ride through the horrors of imperialism featuring a homoerotic game of Battleship, Rasputin dancing to Brittney Spears’ Toxic and a multitude of symbolic potatoes.

Willy/Nicky delves into the florid correspondence between Kaiser Wilhelm II (Andrew Catterall), the final German emperor, and Czar Nicholas II (Frankie Lee), the last Russian emperor, during the initial months of World War I. The play begins by depicting these young dictators as children and navigates the tempestuous dynamics of their relationship. It also explores the personal life of Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna (Paola Miranda) and her enigmatic connection with Rasputin (Danté J. Finley).

Read more about Willy/Nicky’s historical context and production process in Denver Westword.

As you take your seat in the theatre’s tennis court style arrangement, a masked character called the Escort (played by Alicia Millerson on Fridays and Louie the Second on weekends) carefully lines the parameter of the stage with potatoes. The Escort and the tenderly handled tubers are meant to represent the neglected masses and innocent children caught in the throes of the narrative.

Frankie Lee and Paola Miranda with Danté J. Finley in background | Photo: Shokai Carter Sinclair

I frequently found myself laughing at the potato visual when the wacky elites would abuse, birth, crush and step on them — until it hit me who their callousness was being taken out on. Although the Escort and potatoes are largely kept on the outskirts and only acknowledged by the other characters when it serves their purposes, their presence serve as a strong anti-imperialist critique of war as a battle between capitalists over loot with no regard for the people of their nations.

After an opening narration which explicitly names “class struggle” as one of capitalists’ chief concerns, we are dropped into the childhood of Wilhelm and Nicholas. The tyrants-in-training are playing patty-cake as they delight in their seemingly idyllic lives and pledge eternal friendship.

But things quickly changes when Alexandra enters the picture and asks Nichloas to play bride and groom with her (she’ll be the groom and he’ll be the bride, of course). When the pair misses a wedding they were supposed to attend with Wilhelm, Catterall throws an over-the-top temper tantrum that underscores the evolving nature of their relationship.

Things aren’t so good for Nicholas either. Now that he’s older, his dad, Alexander the Third, wants him to take responsibility around Russia. But he’s just so not about that vibe. He goes by Nicky now because “Nicky fucks!” and, after gaining confidence from rocking out to “Welcome to the Black Parade,” he’s ready to rebel. At the behest of Nicky’s Anxiety – literally embodied by Finley – he may or may not accidentally kill his daddy to assume the throne.

Alicia Millerson as The Escort | Photo: Shokai Carter Sinclair

Admittedly, it can sometimes be tricky to follow who’s who because the play thrusts you into the action with little context and the small ensemble does quick costume changes to portray a number of characters. If you aren’t intimately familiar with Wilhelm and Nicholas’ relationship and the geopolitical context of Germany and Russia, then you might frequently be left scratching your head; Willy/Nicky doesn’t offer viewers historical handlebars as they ride through the play.

Nevertheless, as the plot unfolds, a clearer picture emerges during the Family Reunion/Speed Dating scene. This scene includes a memorable appearance by former president Woodrow Wilson, alongside Nicky and Alexandra (now referred to as Lexi), who bond over shared interests. Nicky/Lexi get hitched and before you know it, they’ve got a bun in the oven (er, actually, make that potato). They have fiery chemistry together, with Miranda preppily domineering Lee who playful submits.

The arrival of Rasputin – whose entrance earned a round of snaps from the crowd – marks a turning point in Willy/Nicky. Finley infuses the play with newfound vitality through their mesmerizing portrayal of the mystical figure who offers a cure for Lexi’s baby’s hemophilia. To earn Nicky and Lexi’s trust, Rasputin performs “Toxic” in a sequence culminating with an intimate yet eccentric tableau that is a highlight of the evening I wouldn’t dare spoil here.

Danté J. Finley as Rasputin with the Burn Book — a ‘Mean Girls’ reference | Photo: Shokai Carter Sinclair

The meticulously designed sound, overseen by Louie the Second with ensemble assistance, and the evocative lighting design by cade beck (who also serves as the production’s stage manager) shape the play’s heightened atmosphere. The small ensemble’s quick costume changes, coupled with clever staging facilitated by Rose, ingeniously create a number of diverse settings on the intimate stage.

As Willy/Nicky hurtles towards its climactic finale, relationships are tested, names are written in Rasputin’s Burn Book, and shots are fired. While some historical references may sail over the heads of those less familiar with the nuanced relationship between Wilhelm and Nicholas and the geopolitical backdrop, the play’s queer interpretation of World War I is a clever invitation to contemplate the true motivations behind conflicts between nations. Amidst the laughter, Willy/Nicky incites a deeper reflection on the absurdity of historical figures whose disagreements led to the loss of countless lives and urges viewers to consider whose voices are left unheard in history.

Also on view in the lobby is Shokai Carter Sinclair’s exhibition “Rise and Fall,” an examination of the “colonialist impulse to step out of present-day realities in search for ancient, esoteric, ethnocentric, and unquestionable truths.”