The Lady Boys of Bangkok: Full Moon – Sabai Pavilion, Shepherd’s Bush Green

For almost thirty years, The Lady Boys of Bangkok has been a reliable fixture of the UK’s touring entertainment calendar, building its reputation on flamboyant spectacle, irreverent humour and an unapologetically camp celebration of Thai-inspired cabaret. Its latest production, ‘Full Moon’, arrives at Shepherd’s Bush Green promising a glittering evening of music, comedy and escapist fun. Unfortunately, while the enthusiasm remains intact, the production itself feels increasingly outpaced by the modern cabaret landscape.

Entertainment has evolved dramatically since the show first toured in the late 1990s, audiences are now accustomed to the polished excellence of international drag artists, contemporary cabaret, immersive productions and televised performance competitions. Against that backdrop, ‘Full Moon’ feels surprisingly dated, relying on a formula that has changed very little while the industry around it has continued to raise the bar.

Musically, the production delivers a succession of familiar pop classics, but the illusion is frequently undermined by inconsistent lip-syncing that rarely convinces the audience. Likewise, the choreography is functional rather than exciting, and the group routines lack precision and ambition, often resembling amateur dance recital performances rather than the slick revue one might expect from an internationally touring production. AT points in really does seem that the performers don’t want to be there, and there is little sense of progression or theatrical storytelling, with numbers simply following one another without building momentum or adding narrative value.

Thankfully, the comedy provides much-needed relief, and the show’s off-the-wall humour prevents the evening from becoming repetitive, and nowhere is this more evident than in Ole’s wonderfully anarchic performance. Possessing impeccable slapstick instincts and infectious comic timing, Ole repeatedly injects genuine laughter into the evening, her interactions with the audience feel spontaneous, playful and effortlessly entertaining, often proving more memorable than the musical numbers themselves.

The evening’s undeniable star, however, is Lilly. Her stage presence immediately elevates every scene she appears in. She is an exceptional dancer with remarkable control, charisma and elegance, Lilly performs at a level noticeably above much of the surrounding cast. Every movement feels purposeful, polished and confident, making it difficult not to wonder why her talents are confined within material that rarely allows her to fully shine on a global stage. She quite simply steals the production, and one leaves wishing she had been given a vehicle worthy of her abilities.

The remainder of the company struggle to make the same impression. While enthusiasm is never in doubt, many performances lack the technical polish expected of a long-running international production. Individually they are pleasant enough to watch, but collectively the standard too often feels inconsistent and, at times, disappointingly amateurish.

Perhaps the most telling indication of the evening’s success came not on stage but in the auditorium. As the interval arrived, a noticeable number of audience members chose not to return for the second half. While audience movement is never an entirely reliable measure of quality, the volume of departures suggested that ‘Full Moon’ had failed to maintain the engagement it had worked so hard to establish over the years, which is perhaps the greatest disappointment.

The Lady Boys of Bangkok has been entertaining audiences for nearly three decades and deserves recognition for introducing many British audiences to a style of performance that was once genuinely fresh and distinctive. Yet nostalgia alone cannot sustain a production indefinitely. Today’s audiences have access to extraordinary drag performers, world-class cabaret and technically breathtaking live entertainment, and ‘Full Moon’ simply struggles to compete. There is still an enjoyable evening to be found, but this feels like a production living more on its legacy than its current artistic merit and unless significant investment is made in raising the performance standard, refreshing the choreography and modernising the overall concept, one cannot help but question whether this long-running institution can realistically continue to thrive for another thirty years.

‘Full Moon’ continues its run in London until 12^th July 2026 and tickets are available here: https://www.ladyboysofbangkok.co.uk

Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin

Reviewed: 30^th June 2026

North West End UK Rating: