Tag Archives: Gieza’s Poke House

Berlin’s legendary drag shows return to the stage!

Antina Christ at Pansys House of Presents by Suzanne Forbes Sept 8 2020That’s right, Gieza’s Poke House and Pansy’s House of Presents returned to their home stage of Monster Ronsons last night.

That’s resident goth terror dolly (and newlywed!) Antina Christ, above. After five months of virtual shows and weekly livestreams, Gieza Poke and Pansy were very, very glad to be performing and producing IRL again. And so glad that cherished East Berlin queer clubhouse Monster Ronsons has survived, so far, the pandemic recession and months of shutdown.

To keep everybody going has been a stupendous effort of community and mutual aid, a testament of love to and from Berlin’s queer folx.

Pansy at Pansys House of Presents by Suzanne Forbes Sept 8 2020Pansy has worked so hard to keep income flowing to Berlin’s queer performers.

And she kept herself up, showing up onscreen in exquisite drag looks with no one in her flat but her cute dog Tina, week after week! Last night, back onstage, she wore an absolutely precious Alice look, with perfect petticoats, miles of leg, peeptoe pumps and Marilyn curls.

Reflekra at Pansys House of Presents by Suzanne Forbes Sept 8 2020During the Poke House, statuesque Aussie Reflektra hit the stage in what looked like couture.

But was apparently made from curtains! In quarantine, Berlin’s drag queens have had time but no money, and have made do creatively!

Debonair Detsuki at Pansys House of Presents by Suzanne Forbes Sept 8 2020I was excited to draw gorgeous Debonair Detsuki!

However drawing people onstage, after months of drawing mostly people filming themselves in their apartments, is a real shift. I could not see faces very well, and so needed to rely on body language to convey the sense of the performance. I am gonna need to adapt, which is fine. Like Berlin’s performers, I am highly adaptable and creative!

Miss Agnes Mitchell at Pansys House of Presents by Suzanne Forbes Sept 10 2020Speaking of creative, look at Miss Agnes Mitchell‘s gown!

I swear to you that her gown was at least this big and poufy and amazing.

Luna TikTok by Suzanne Forbes Oct 6 2020One of my favorites, Luna TikTok, gave us classic burlesque!

Luna TikTok is one aspect of ThemTikToks, a performer whose dualities enrich this city so much.

Current Berlin regulations mean tickets for the Poke House/House of Presents show need to be purchased in advance, rather than at the door.

You can buy them here, along with cool merch! And for those who can’t attend in person, you can watch every Tuesday night on twitch! All the regulars are nattering in the chat same as always 🙂

I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support lets me keep documenting Berlin’s international, intersectional drag and burlesque performers while I work safely at home.

The very last Poke House and House of Presents in Quarantine (for now!)

Pansy for Pansys House of Presents in Quarantine Aug 18 2020 by Suzanne ForbesPansy didn’t put on any drag for the last night of House of Presents in Quarantine.

She just appeared as herself, hot and tired after spending the day – GETTING PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN GERMANY! And there is other great news for the HoP crew.

Live, in-person Drag shows begin again at beloved Queer Berlin institution Monster Ronson’s on September 8! You can get tickets (they must be bought in advance and there are stringent protocols to follow) here.

House of Presents poster Fall 2020So the digital drag shows that have helped to support the incredible, intersectional cast of the House of Presents and Gieza‘s Poke House have come to an end.

As much as I have loved these shows – they have been so crucial to my sanity and that of so many others- I know performers need a stage and these beautiful creatures can’t thrive without an IRL audience.

I want the Queens and Quings and Drag Things of HoP and the Poke House to do what they love most! Pansy and Gieza plan to stream the IRL shows, and are working on how to do that, so I look forward to seeing these some of these amazing folx return to their home stage.

I am incredibly grateful to Pansy and Gieza for the work they did these five months, providing a virtual community and psychic anchor when so much else in Berlin was shut down.

Gieza Poke final Poke House in Quarantine Aug 18 2020 by Suzanne ForbesGieza Poke wore a Sacred Heart crown I made for her final digital show!

She came by our flat one more time to collect raffle prizes, and I gave her a box of mermaid jewels to give away to Berlin’s queer community. I have loved being able to contribute value to the Berlin Queerconomy this way!

If you look here, under the VIDEOS tab of Gieza’s twitch account, you can see so many incredible Quarantine performances.

Gieza Poke in Sacred Heart Crown by Suzanne Forbes on Aug 18 2020Here’s Gieza in her crown!

It was actually August 18, the date wasn’t updated! You can see us babbling supportively in the chat. I showed up for every single show!

 

I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support lets me keep documenting Berlin’s international, intersectional performers while I work safely at home.