Missing Drag Queens Of London? Well in our second instalment of our Drag Queens Of London Interviews we snuggle up with Bourgeosie to find out how life has changed and why Mrs. Doubtfire is her inspiration!
by Jake Hook | 29th July 2014
Since DQOL has aired, how has life changed?
I get recognised quite a lot, which is exceptionally surreal. From a couple in the Earls Court Tesco who proudly proclaimed to me that they were #teamBOUGIE, to random guys on Grindr. I'm becoming a major SUBlebrity. I'm also happily finding niches of the scene where being arty is celebrated.
What are your favourite highlights from the show?
My absolute favourite moments in the show have been my ridiculous one-liners. Re-watching conversations and interviews, its been interesting to see what the producers have thought are my wittiest moments.
Has being involved with DQOL changed you for the better for worse?
Absolutely the better. I had a great time filming and being a part of the show. After the show aired, I've had support from people all over the world reaching out and to affirm that they love what I do and my particular flavour of drag.
For the next series… What more would you, could you, bring to the show…?
I'm not so secretly hoping for a Familyyy Fierce spin-off. If there's this much drama with just a group of unrelated queens, just think how much more there'd be in a Familyyy of queens with egos. If that's not an option, I can definitely see the show following me in getting into producing nights and further expanding my career.
As the war of the words rages on with RuPaul, Logo and Glaad surrounding the word ‘tranny’ where you do you sit on the matter?
I have so many feelings about this topic, there's absolutely no plausible way that I can answer it here. Perhaps Meth and I will put our #FFFeels together in a piece on the issue. (HINT HINT, GAYUK!)
Is drag getting its 2nd wind?
With the influx of new blood and innovative performers like myself, Meth, Ruby Wednesday and the rest of the Familyyy Fierce, I think drag in the UK is on the cusp of a change. I think Drag Queens of London has helped to expose a whole array of styles of drag that perhaps weren't as visible before the show, and the British public are hungry for something they haven't seen umpteen times.
Who do you consider to be your drag Idol?
My drag idols at the moment are this amazing latex Marnie Scarlett and my dearest drag auntie Holestar. Marnie speaks in the same visual language that I do and discovering her catalog of looks and performances has been an amazing process. Holestar is like my queer fairy godmother, enough said. Both queens are such amazingly kind, open-hearted people, its always a joy to see them perform or just be around them.
The best drag movie is….
I'm tied between Mrs. Doubtfire and Party Monster. The former was the first experience with drag that I ever had and I used to watch the movie nonstop as a child. Before the film I thought drag meant that you had to be aiming for a purely feminine illusion, but Party Monster was the film that made me want to start doing drag though making me realise that the illusion doesn't have to be the goal.
What’s the most common mistake for a new drag queen?
Not wearing enough makeup: Invest in a good Kryolan TV Paint Stick and powder EVERYTHING. I personally think that if you can take off your makeup with a single makeup wipe, then you're not wearing enough cosmetics.
Is it easy to get into drag as a business?
It’s incredibly difficult. It’s expensive as fuck, and for the first few years you have to spend loads of money supporting the craft before it starts to support itself. Frocks, lashes and wigs are quite pricey, especially if you're uncomfortable wearing high street tat.
If you weren’t doing drag for a living what would you do?
I'd probably be working in some other visual artistic field, perhaps fashion or fine art. My training in university was in fine art and costume design, so perhaps one of those fields? I'd still quite like to go back to school for my masters and perhaps a doctorate. Dr. Bourgeoisie does have a ring to it. ;]
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