Death Drop 2: Back in the Habit: Is the sequel better than the original?

I loved last year’s Death Drop so much I saw it twice. TuckShop UK’s “Dragatha Christie” murder mystery launched two West End runs, a national tour and now a franchise.

So, my excitement was high when TuckShop announced Death Drop 2: Back in the Habit. But what is the new show all about?

Enter the Convent of St. Babs at your own risk—will you make it out alive? A priest (Louis Cyfer) journeys to a secluded convent dedicated to a lesser-known saint after reports of mysterious going-ons, like a goat giving birth to a chicken. What awaits this reluctant priest? A coven of nuns, led by Mother Superior (Victoria Scone) who are a bit too welcoming of their new guest. No spoilers…but this is a murder mystery.

So how does it compare to the first Death Drop? Is the sequel better than the original?

It’s a tough call. These are very different shows. But let’s start with the similarities:

Yes—Death Drop 2 gives us drag superstars straight from the telly. The show features an all star cast from the Emmy award-winning hit tv series RuPaul’s Drag Race and BBC’s RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

Victoria Scone (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK 3) as Mother Superior leads the cast as an authoritative and convincing H.N.I.C. (Head Nun in Charge). Victoria is even more charismatic on stage than on screen.

Willam (RuPaul’s Drag Race 4) is hilarious as the ditzy, horny, and no-nonsense Sister Titus. Willam is effortless on stage. My eyes go back to her for every punchline. 

Cheryl Hole (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK 1) is giving the awkward teenager that refuses to smile in photos. Cheryl’s performance is a bit stilted in Act One but warms up in Act Two.

River Medwey (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK 3) is a natural on stage. River’s Sister Julie Andrews is fun, loveable, and consistently good. 

Yes—Death Drop 2 still gives us the drag kings. 

Louis Cyfer returns to Death Drop as a main character. Louis has a lot of stage time. Impressively, Louis carries the plot and still makes us laugh. 

Yes—Death Drop 2 gives us another murder mystery.

Scream! Cue dramatic drag queen overacting. Filler queens are dropping like flies.

At its core, Death Drop 2 is a “whodunnit?” The show gives us clues wrapped in jokes and physical comedy leading up to the final reveal.

Yes—Death Drop 2 is still high camp.

This show is over the top. And even when you think it’s gone too far—they push it even farther. 

I could tell you what you’ll see on stage, but you probably won’t believe me. This show is absurd.

The show opens with two blue tits singing to a “dumb as fuck” Sister Julie Andrews and ends with an epic Lord of the Rings-inspired finale that must be seen to be believed. 

But, the question remains—Is it better?

Let’s look at 5 key differences to help us decide:

1. Death Drop 2 is scary.

It’s spooky and tense. At certain points I’m nervous to laugh. 

Do not expect the plot of Sister Act or even the Sound of Music. This is the 2018 horror movie The Nun, but with drag queens.

2. Death Drop 2 is plot heavy.

Rob Evan’s script is dense. Some of the story is a bit unnecessary. The excitement in the theatre is immediately dropped when the curtain rises. The entire first scene is a painfully slow exposition setting out a story that doesn’t entirely carry to the end of the play. It’s too much. Give us an opening musical number instead.

Evan’s script lurches between ideas. Pop culture references pop up and then disappear just as quickly. With so much happening all at once, it’s difficult to get a grip on what the story is or what the jokes are.

In Death Drop 1, Holly Stars wrote a plot that was straightforward and wrote fully-formed characters. Because of this, the script gave the show room to play. It was fun.

Death Drop 2 had less room to play and, as a result, wasn’t as fun as it could have been.

3. This isn’t a panto. This is a Drag Race acting challenge.

Death Drop 1 featured moments of campy panto humour (“It’s behind you!”). 

Death Drop 2 feels like an acting challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Just as you’ve seen on TV, the acting challenges feature strange, overwrought humour with cringe-worthy overacting. Unfortunately, you’ll find some of this in Death Drop 2. 

4. Innuendo is swapped for rude humour.

Part of the joy of Death Drop 1 for me was that the humour was so clever. The jokes relied on innuendo and references that built throughout the show. This brought the audience in on the jokes.

Death Drop 2 is rude. The jokes are crass and, at some points, overtly sexual and sacrilegious to the point of scoffing.

Where you might take your kids to Death Drop 1, Death Drop 2 is not family friendly.

5. Where are the musical numbers?

The high point of the show for me was River’s musical parody of Julie Andrews in Sound of Music. This is the Death Drop sequel came for. A fun, easy performance with clever lyrics that both tie into the story and stand alone. River really sells the number and proves why she deserves every single minute she’s on that stage. Her physical comedy and gag-humour take the number to the next level.

I would have loved to see more like River’s numbers. A second musical number arrives in Act Two a bit too late and a bit too abruptly.

Opening with a song in Death Drop 1 warmed the audience and brought us into the world. The musical numbers felt natural in the story. In Death Drop 2, these feel like add-ons.

So….Is it better than the original?

I say no— I prefer Holly Star’s first Death Drop. Death Drop 2 was a bit too uneven and a bit too undercooked for my taste.

My theatre partner said yes—as a fan of horror movies, he loved this bold and brazen “fever dream” of a play.

At its best Death Drop 2 continues a celebration of British drag at its best —campy, clever, and absurd. If the American drag in RuPaul’s Drag Race is criticised for “resting on pretty”, TuckShop shows us that British drag is not afraid to smudge its makeup.

If you’re looking for a reprise of Death Drop 1, I’m sorry my dear, but you’re up for elimination.

If you’re looking for a spooky night of TV drag queens & gasp-worthy plot twists, Death Drop 2 will have you gagged and gooped.

From 8-20 November at the Garrick Theatre, London.

For full tour dates across the UK, visit the Death Drop 2 official website.

All production photos from TuckShop UK’s promotional materials for Death Drop 2.