Dragons are being “maid” by hand, Ninja outfits and panda bears are flying off the shelves and short black wigs have sold out at some party shops as Cape Town braces for the country’s biggest costume party.
With this year’s theme being “Maid in China”, the 18th annual Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) party is expected to attract between 8 000 and 10 000 party animals to the Cape Town International Convention Centre next Saturday.
Among the teams getting ready are the Dolly Lamas, Luce Lees, Homos in Kimonos and a sweet-and-sour pork-and-chicken team.
Teams of two spend months planning and executing their interpretation of the theme. Making and buying outfits and accessories is a fun part of the event, which boasts nine dance floors and 40 acts, including DJ Ryan Dent on the main house floor.
Towards the end of the week, party and fabric shops in Cape Town and Woodstock are sure to be filled with “freaked-out gays running around looking for last-minute outfits”, says Jayson Clark, a guest house manager from Tulbagh, who will attend with his partner, event designer Marcel Augustyn.
The couple, known as The Glitter Boys, are going as “Poof the Magic Dragon” and had completed the main frame of their dragon with a blue tail by Thursday. “The most important thing is to get its head right and make sure we can dance in it,” says Clark.
Cora Kahn from Mardi Gras said she had ordered 10 more Ninja outfits and swords plus many panda bears for the week ahead.
Party shop owners were surprised at the number of foreign visitors inquiring about MCQP outfits.
The party caters for a queer-friendly crowd, of which 40 percent are gay and 60 percent straight.
Blonde teenage band Mille and Mie, The Soapgirls, and sing and dance group Ladylicious, previously named La Vuvuzela, will perform live. - Weekend Argus