He’s hardly a household name this side of the pond, but fans of ‘Will & Grace’ will recognise Leslie Jordan as the diminutive Beverley Leslie, whiplash-tongued nemesis of boozy arch-bitch Karen Walker.
In this autobiographical solo show, Jordan reveals not only how he snagged that role – originally created for Joan Collins, who turned the part down; but also how a boy born and bred in conservative Chattanooga made his way in showbusiness and came to terms with his homosexuality. En route, there’s plenty of Hollywood gossip, liberal name-dropping and and rather too much platitudinous pyschobabble, as Jordan’s addiction to drink and drugs ultimately drives him into rehab in a bid to find himself.
‘My Trip Down the Pink Carpet’ is shamelessly self-regarding and sentimental. Fortunately Jordan, under David Galligan’s direction, is a winning performer, twinkly eyed and twinkle-toed, with a turn of phrase worthy of Tennessee Williams. ‘My mother used to tell me, if you can’t be kind, be vague,’ he says, and though he milks his celebrity encounters for comedy, his sideswipes are as gentle as a declawed kitten’s.
There are poignant moments, as he tussles with the homophobia that surrounds him and the misplaced sense of shame that he has subconsciously internalised. But there is a great deal more that is hackneyed and savours of the soapbox. Still, on the whole Jordan is good company in a show as sweet as it is slight.