Review: End of the Rainbow
[Soho Theatre Walthamstow || May 15th to June 21st 2026]
aka. Jinkx and Her Twinkx
Two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon plays Judy Garland in a revival of Peter Quilter’s End of the Rainbow, which premiered in Sydney in 2005 and focuses on the final months before Garland’s untimely death at the age of just 47. Adapted by Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold into a feature film, Judy, in 2019, for which Renée Zellweger won the Oscar for Best Actress, End of the Rainbow serves as both a celebration of Garland’s remarkable life and legacy and also as an elegy to a woman who, like so many Hollywood starlets of her era, was a force of quite spectacular self-annihilation.
Jinkx Monsoon, who has previously played Garland to great acclaim as part of the ‘Snatch Game’ segment of RuPaul’s Drag Race, doesn't just impersonate the iconic star but becomes her, body and soul. Her performance is like a sort of spiritual possession, in which she inhabits Garland’s very being and then vainly attempts to rescue her from her fate, as though she is locked in some Greek tragedy. Though she leans a little too heavily into some of the tics and traits of her Absolutely Fabulous namesake at times, there is a nuance to her portrayal of Garland’s vulnerability that is absolutely compelling and which exacerbates the heartache pulsing through the narrative’s veins.
There is a risk inherent to stories such as these that the protagonist is made a laughing stock, but Quilter’s writing and Monsoon’s performance are accomplished and intelligent enough to avoid reducing Garland to a mere caricature. Make no mistake, End of the Rainbow is wickedly funny - when Garland is hurling herself all over her hotel suite, which she complains is much too small for a star like her, and demanding a cocktail of alcohol and drugs, it’s impossible not to laugh - but we never lose sight of the fact that we are watching somebody destructing in real time. For an audience of queer men for whom this might feel more than a little familiar, it is both uncomfortable and oddly reassuring.
Vocally, Monsoon also does excellent work capturing Garland’s style, and she enthralls with renditions of some of her most iconic hits. More impressive still is her ability to sing badly in those moments when Garland has overindulged and fallen apart on stage in front of an audience. It’s a skill to sing well; it’s even more of a skill to pretend that you can’t sing, and Monsoon hits both of these notes perfectly. She and the show then crescendo with a gorgeous rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’, which serves as an emotional and powerful moment of catharsis for a character who has come full circle and ultimately succumbed to her fate.
Given Monsoon’s sheer force of presence, it is difficult for anyone else to make much of a mark. Jacob Dudman is fine (and also fiiiiiine) as Garland’s fiancée Mickey Deans, and is at his best when his character’s vicious, exploitative streak emerges, but Adam Filipe struggles to imbue Garland’s pianist and close friend Anthony with much character. The interactions between Garland and Anthony are sweet enough, particularly towards the end, but Monsoon does the heavy lifting, with Filipe left scrambling to try and make a mark of his own. It is Monsoon’s show though - as it should be - and she dominates the proceedings with her magnificent charisma.
This is a well written piece that is sassy and camp but also has ample emotional depth. Jinkx Monsoon’s performance is excellent, even if it’s a little too heightened at times, and the show is very ably directed by Rupert Hands, who makes superb use of the space to capture Garland’s spiralling mood and behaviour. It’s also a show that understands its audience intimately, giving them what they want - who doesn’t love a drunk queen stumbling around and cackling - while also never downplaying the seriousness of the tragedy befalling Garland.
Tickets for End of the Rainbow are available here.