NightGowns is the drag show created by Sasha Velour of Drag Race fame and is also the title of the docuseries following one of these shows on the new streaming platform Quibi. It was the series that made me want to try Quibi and I want to share my thoughts with you all.
Quibiis the 10-minute per episode streaming platform that has recently come out. So every episode of this series is about 10 minutes long and focuses on the development one performance of one of Shasha Velour’s NightGowns performances. NightGowns is an ever-evolving showcase of drag performers and we follow this groups journey and meaning behind their performances.
I really enjoy the overall pacing they did for this series. 10 minutes is not a lot of time but they broke it down so well and every episode was satisfying. The first couple episodes cover NightGowns as a whole and Sasha herself. From there, each episode focuses on an individual performer, who they are, what their piece is, and the piece itself. Getting to watch of their pieces was a big surprise and I loved it. Drag is performance so letting us see their finished work feels like an honor.
Each performer has their own style, from more “traditional” lip-syncing to provocative pieces, there is a lot of variety which is great. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed every performance, but I definitely respect the art form and it is really subjective preferences.
Getting the brief glimpses at these people’s lives is also nice. One of my favorite moments is one of the performers had his mom and sister come to the show and they were so excited and supportive. It truly melted my heart seeing family support their queer performing artist.
If you enjoy drag in general, or even just watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, definitely give NightGowns a watch. It’s beautifully done and very moving. I was genuinely surprised at how great it was.
Have you checked out Quibi yet? Tell me what you’ve watched if you have with a comment!
