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A Bold, Buffoonish, and Brilliant Cabaret Debut 

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As part of the Beautiful World cabaret series curated by theatre icon Janie Dee, Litter and Be Gay bursts onto the stage as the drag, clowning, and cabaret debut of Josephina Ortiz Lewis. It’s a dazzling, daring hour that grabs your attention from the moment Jo stumbles onstage – comically buried under a heap of shopping bags – and doesn’t let go until the final note.

This is cabaret as spectacle, satire, and statement. Jo’s performance is an unfiltered celebration of chaos, character, and conscience, with a narrative that dances deftly between clownish absurdity and sharp cultural critique. At its heart is a powerful commentary on the environmental damage of fast fashion and performative sustainability, delivered through incredible storytelling, magnetic comedy, and showstopping musical numbers.

Jo’s voice is genuinely remarkable – soaring with operatic flair one moment, then diving into gritty musical theatre or high-energy club anthems the next. Their rendition of “I Want More”, delivered right after a voiceover of Elon Musk claiming he could solve global poverty (only to buy Twitter instead), is both hilarious and devastating. The music, accompanied by live piano and guitar, grounds the show’s eclectic style and emotional journey.

Multimedia clips – animations, news footage, and curated sound bites – add layers of texture and context. But it’s Jo’s physicality and clowning that steal the show. Their costumes are a visual satire in themselves: buffoon-like ensembles that see them miming shooting birds from the sky, donning faux furs, then pulling on a giant T-shirt emblazoned with the word “RECYCLING” and a beaming smiley Earth. It’s equal parts ridiculous and razor-sharp, calling out the hypocrisy of feel-good activism and greenwashing with comic brilliance.

Despite its political charge, the show remains infectiously fun. Jo builds a fantastic rapport with the audience, drawing them into a world where drag, satire, and clown intersect with purpose. The result is a camp, clever hour of theatre that’s as entertaining as it is urgent.

Running in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust and paired with an art fundraiser supporting charities fighting clothing waste, Litter and Be Gay is more than a performance – it’s a wake-up call in sequins.

Josephina Ortiz Lewis doesn’t just make a debut – they make a statement. Don’t miss it.