Hornet recently posted this list of the freshest UK drag queens. The Brits like a good pun, hence Sue Gives a Fuck, Ruby Wednesday and Wilma Balls Drop. Will any make their way into your living rooms via RuPaul’s Drag Race? If so, you saw them here first.
Sue Gives A Fuck
Speaking of Drag Race, Sue began drag as a finalist on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Ambassador. Since then she went on to win The Glory’s Lipsync 1000. (She often tackles historical themes. Her Lipsync 1000 piece was about men writing women’s history, as seen in the lives of Boudicca, Mary Beard and Beyoncé.)
Nowadays she performs on the stand-up circuit,
“because someone has to educate straight people.”
The Phoenix (aka Rhys’ Pieces)
Rhys Hollis began The Phoenix as a ‘gender fuck’ spoken word artist and rapper on issues such as substance abuse and mental health.
“I believe it’s important, especially as a black gay man, to play with the idea of gender perception and masculinity, but also as a queer person to use performance to discuss issues faced by the community.”
Vinegar Strokes
Strokes is one of South London’s finest exports, known to some as “The female Whoopi Goldberg.” The man behind Vinegar is actor, comedian and singer Daniel Jacob, who was the first winner of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern’s Drag Idol competition.
Onstage Vinegar is a stand-up and sings live, influenced by Joan Rivers.
Wilma Balls Drop
Wilma’s a Welsh bombshell with nods to Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones. Created by actor and jazz cabaret singer Phil Lee-Thomas as a hostess for his annual fancy dress party, the act grew into its own thing.
Just May
If you love ’90s pop stars like The Spice Girls, you’ll love her.
“I like to take imagery that I love(d) from popular culture, things that people can reference to their own lives and create a drag look that has humour and relevance to pop culture.“
Lewis G. Burton
A performance artist, DJ and drag queen from Newcastle she started with artsy club kid looks six years ago. Drag is now a full time job.
“I mean, it’s much easier to slip into a dress than it is to be having a ruff made of 12 giant dicks around your neck, isn’t it!”
Bimini Bon-Boulash
A drag queen DJ playing anything from disco and pop to Handbag House she’ll either look like the classiest trash bag or the sluttiest.
“I like massive eyes and theatrically inspired over-the-top blusher. Glitter, sequins and gorgeous dresses are staples in my wardrobe, but you can never have too much lingerie.”
Camillé Leon
Performing as both a male boylesque and female drag artist, Leon is master of lip sync, drawing inspiration from all musical genres.
“I sit at both ends of the scale of gender polarity. This allows me to appeal to all audiences, like the chameleon, camouflaging myself into different events and different genres.”
Dolly Trolley
Born in March 2017, she’s literally one of London’s freshest queens. You can expect leotards, sweat, upside-down lip-syncs and a high-energy performance style.
Felix Le Freak
Comedy and original song are her calling cards along with meticulously planned, flawless lip syncs.
“I love the power that lip-sync has to transport you between worlds in the click of a finger, and allows you to inhabit iconic characters. Felix gave me permission to be more boldly queer than I was before, both on and off-stage.”
ShayShay
Shane ShayShay Konno is a drag artist and activist devoted to empowering the queer community originally from California. Living in London for the past three years, this queen becoming an active member of the East London queer performance scene.
Ruby Wednesday
She sings live, sometimes takes her clothes off and has recently started using fire.
“I want an audience to feel something. If they love it, hate it or are baffled by it, they’re all good things. If I’ve at least made you think about something, then I’ve done my job.
I had the realization that night that I’m not really a drag queen. I don’t think I ever really was. I’m a rockstar.”
(Photos, Instagram; via Hornet)
