23 March 2021
Wig (2019)
In 1984, a group of tipsy drag queens stumbled out of the New York venue where they’d been performing and looked for a place to carry on the show. They ended up in Tompkins Square Park, singing and dancing for the people bedded down for the night on benches. A pretty unglamorous start, then, to one of the Big Apple’s most glam festivals – as every year thereafter, on Labour Day (the first Monday in September), some of the biggest names in drag put on a show in the park in an event that came to be known as Wigstock.
Wigstock’s glory days ended in 2001 when the administration of NY mayor Rudy Guiliani shifted the event across the river.
The festival was started by veteran artist Lady Bunny, but RuPaul was one of its early performers, and later stars have included the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, who was behind the festival’s revival in 2018. This documentary showcases the personalities and performances that inform the ways we understand queerness, art and identity today.
Youngins S2, now streaming
Soft Life, coming to Showmax
More Mzansi gold
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The heartwarming comedy film Christmas Clothes, directed by Athi Petela, premieres on Showmax on 6 December 2024.
SA animation directors celebrate an Emmy for Tabby McTat
Now streaming on Showmax, Tabby McTat won the Kids: Animation International Emmy, directed by Cape Town directors Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour.
Youngins S2 has the biggest launch yet on Showmax 2.0
Toka Mtabane shares insights about his role in Youngins S2, which has already become a hit, setting a record for the most first-day views on Showmax 2.0. New episodes land on Fridays!
Kwa Njomane S1-2
A reality show that follows the controversial life of traditional healer Smangele Mhlongo and her three children as they face the challenges of life, relationships, and societal pressures.