Drag artists determined to stay creative during tough lockdown
THE show must go on - and these performers aren’t going to let a pandemic stop them.
Like millions across the country, in March, Newcastle’s drag artists suddenly saw both audience and income vanish as lockdown was announced.
It’s been a challenge for many, but inventive kings and queens have also found new ways to connect with fans and keep on creating.
For Choriza May, who won the city’s Drag Idol in 2019, the announcement of lockdown was a chance for an unexpected break with a day job, a sideline as an illustrator, plus her drag appearances, time away from work has been hard to come by recently. But she couldn’t stay away from her audience for long.
Choriza said: “I didn’t do any drag for about three weeks, and then I thought, I have a bit more time on my hands, I want to use it to be creative and put on shows, to keep people entertained while they’re in their houses and give drag performers something to look forward to and keep the creative process going.
“I started planning what is now called ‘Sickening,’ an online cabaret which happens on Instagram - it was one of the first shows in the UK to happen in lockdown. We’ve now done five shows and had over 60 performers, not only from the UK but Europe and America too.
“That’s one of the great things about these drag shows, anyone with a camera and an internet connection can be part of your line up, so you get to see all these people from all around the world.
“The venues we perform in aren’t always accessible either, so people who normally couldn’t get into a club wouldn’t be able to see us perform.”
That’s one aspect she hopes will continue - many people with disabilities which mean they can’t get into clubs have asked that shows be recorded or live streamed in future, while connections with artists across the UK and the world could help boost opportunities for Newcastle’s drag acts after lockdown.
While for some drag is a sidebusiness, for others, it’s a full-time job. That’s the case for cabaret performer and Rusty’s DJ Dixie Swallows, who lost her spot on a summer residency as a show girl in Turkey because of the pandemic.
Like many, she’s worried that financial challenges for selfemployed artists, as well as venues, could leave a whole in the city’s drag scene - but she says there have been plenty of positives to come out of lockdown too.
Dixie, who has been running online events including Dixie’s House Party, via Zoom, said: “What’s been extraordinary has been we’ve all found other ways to still be present and connect with the people who appreciate what we do.
“It took me a few weeks to get up the courage to do an online show, I’ve never used Facebook anything like that or thought of using it as a platform to work - it’s remarkable how overnight this pandemic just changed everything.
“It’s been absolutely wonderful to feel the support. Usually the only feedback you get is some applause or smiles, and it’s been really special that on social media, people you’ve touched can actually reach out to say they’ve enjoyed it.”
It’s also helped her audience to see her differently. Many of those who enjoy her appearances in popular bar Rusty’s might not see her
cabaret work in the bars and clubs of the North East, but have now been able to enjoy these sorts of shows, and might see them live in future.
Newcastle drag acts have found myriad ways to perform online, from Zoom quizzes and bingo to makeup and costume tutorials. Many have also found themselves altering their performance style, as well as learning new technical skills.
That’s the case for drag king Baron LaVey. While his normal shows involve more lip-syncing and physical performance, he’s had to branch out into more speech and comedy - and it’s gone down well, leaving him in high demand for a huge number of shows.
He said: “I know lockdown has been difficult for a lot of people, there are definitely some who’ve said they won’t be able to get back to drag for the foreseeable. I feel really lucky, it’s taken me by surprise, I’ve been performing at least once a week, and there have been nights where I’ve done a couple of different shows.
“This will affect my performance in future: I would never have considered doing anything like live comedy before because I didn’t think it was something I’d be capable of, but I’ve almost been forced into it, but it’s gone well.”
Social media platforms have proven a lifeline and people have been using them more and more for drag. Baron has found more followers on Tik Tok through a new Harry Potter-themed drag series, with Tyneside drag queen
Ivy.
Ivy admits her first online live performance, on Instagram, was “probably the most awkward experience of my life”, but the feedback was good and she’s continued to perform on various platforms.
Ivy, who has been living with her slightly bemused parents during lockdown, is one of the many who has had to find ways to do all of her filming, lighting, editing and more by herself.
Performing online throws up some interesting practical issues for everyone. For Dixie, some headdresses have had to be adjusted to avoid knocking down the light fittings at home, while Baron has had to adjust his performances to fit the confines of his small ‘drag room’ (his home’s box room) instead of a stage.
But there have been opportunities too: pre-recorded shows make costume changes and different locations possible, while Baron was delighted to be able to do a show where they could perform as both male and female at different points, which they’ve wanted to do “for years” but hasn’t been practical in their 13 years of live drag. Choriza, who is originally from Spain, who has been able to perform for people back home without leaving Tyneside.
As Pride month continues, these drag artists are sad they won’t be able to celebrate in the streets with the LGBTQ+ community. But, with Northern Pride’s online show featuring many of them, they’ll still find ways to celebrate their fabulous selves as publicly as possible. Choriza is one of the people featured on Pride Inside billboards appearing across the country during June, showing photos of LGBTQ+ people taken by LGBTQ+ photographers.
Now more than ever, Baron, said, it’s important to honour the political importance of Pride, which was born as a riot, and there are still plenty of ways to do that.
He said: “Drag has always been political and it’s great to see drag artists being vocal about Black Lives Matter and government changes to the Gender Recognition Act that are going on at the moment. It’s a bit sad to be missing out on the party, but Pride is more than that.”
Ivy agreed: “Even though Pride itself isn’t happening in the same way we can still protest for equality in a lot of ways.”
Of course, despite the unexpected positives of lockdown, most still can’t wait to be back in front of a live audience. “We’ve just got to remember, when all this does blow over, we are going to have on hell of a party,”
Dixie said.