MICHELLE VISAGE.

The Drag Race judge on a UK version of the Emmywinning series, All Stars 4, and her role as Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

Now starring in the most successful LGBTQ British musical of the last decade, we get all the gossip on Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, discuss what to expect from All Stars 4, and find out if a Drag Race UK is everrrrr going to happen.

This month, Michelle Visage – who you’ll know as a judge on Drag Race, Ireland’s Got Talent, and for track nine on The Bodyguard soundtrack – is making her West End debut in musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. The LGBTQ activist is stepping into the role of Miss Hedge, Jamie’s less-thanunderstanding school teacher, and reminding us all of her vocal prowess and effortless stage presence.

We caught up with Michelle to discuss her role in the acclaimed production, All Stars 4 and the likelihood of a Drag Race UK.

Was part of your decision in accepting the role of Miss Hedge to remind people that you have an experienced background in musical theatre?

Musical theatre is what I got my degree in at university. It’s my passion, I love it. It’s what I started out my entire career doing and it’s what I did every year. I started when I was about 13-yearsold, professionally, getting paid for. But no, I didn’t do this to prove anything to anybody. I did this to prove to myself that I’ve still got it. I tour all the time, singing and performing, I just haven’t done a structured musical in about two years. I haven’t done it for a while, but honey, I live for this! I don’t ever feel the need to prove anything to anybody, apart from myself.

Have you taken inspiration from anyone in particular for the character?

You see people that misunderstand gay kids all the time. I think parents definitely misunderstand their gay kids, and listen, there’s plenty that do shun them, kick them out and won’t accept them for who they are, but there’s also plenty that don’t understand them. I think Miss Hedge doesn’t fully understand that Jamie is just being Jamie and not trying to do this for attention, and not trying to do this for any kind of accolade.

I’m looking forward to your Sheffield accent... I’ve been working with a dialect coach and a lot of the cast is from Sheffield, so I’m doing my best. Miss Hedge is a bit posh, but I’ll definitely go for more of a Northern twang. I love accents, I love the way they sound, and I love discerning where they’re from. I think I’ve got a really good ear for English accents because they’re some of my favourite. As an American, most Americans think that they’re all the same. I know the differences, but I’ve never done one before, so for me, this is new. I will say, just to put it out there, I’m not Meryl Streep, but I will play one the best as I can on the stage. You either have it or you don’t. It’s not easy.

Do you think the popularity of shows such as Drag Race have opened doors for musical theatre like Everybody’s Talking About Jamie?

I think so. It doesn’t hurt. Shows like Kinky Boots and Rocky Horror have been around for a long time and they didn’t need Drag Race. There’s plenty of shows that explore drag, but I think it does call more attention to it, with the climate of people understanding drag a lot more. So, I don’t think it’s made Jamie successful, but it definitely peaked people’s interest who may not know much about drag.

Have you managed to convince RuPaul to start work on a musical based on his life yet?

Believe it or not, that’s been in talks for a good six or seven years. World of Wonder are great at putting everything on the table, but it’s not always up to us to make it happen. I’d say you’d just never know, because they’ve got a TV show about his life coming up, and all these things coming up, so you never know!

If it ever did happen, who would you like to play you?

Oh God, I don’t know! I guess we’d have to do auditions, huh? Meryl Streep! Meryl Streep is who

I’d pick to do a young me.

It feels like we’ve been talking about this for years, but are we any closer to a Drag Race UK?

At the end of the day, it’s not up to us. We want it to happen. We want it to happen now. It’s up to the channel. Honestly, everyone loves it and says they want to do it, and then they just shut right down. I think they’re still scared of it. But I’ve said this for the past five years, and when I was in Big Brother, I will not stop until it’s made, and Ru and I both wanna do it, so as long we wanna do, we’re gonna keep going until it’s done.

Would you and Ru both be on the panel?

Well who else was gonna do it? Of course! Dream guests, it’d range from music to actors. So many. We’d love the Ab Fab duo. The list goes on and on, there’s so many places it could go! You could go to the Lily Savage’s, to the... You know what I mean? You could go anywhere!

Who would you like to see on a Drag Race UK?

I am 100% not naming names because I have a wishlist that I’ve turned in for when it does happen... so I’m not naming names.

You’ve been on the show since season three, what’s the hardest elimination you’ve witnessed?

I’ve never had to eliminate anybody, so for me, it’s not my call. At the end of the day, somebody has to go home, and Ru’s job is the toughest, but I’ve never disagreed with a decision ever made. Part of it may be, as much as it might upset people, it’s tough. Both times Raven didn’t win were tough for me. I love me some Raven. That doesn’t mean I disagree, it just means that it’s tough...

What’s been your favourite moments from the series so far?

Oh my God, there’s so so many! Usually the moment I love the most are when people recognise the greatness, and it doesn’t happen a lot. Even when, like Roxxxy Andrews revealed that she was left at a bus stop when she was three-years-old, and then reclaimed her strength. Jinkx Monsoon coming out of her shell and becoming this incredible butterfly... There’s been so many incredible moments from over the years. It’s eight years of memories, but there’s incredible ones, incredible lip syncs, incredible memes and incredible moments. It’s just a great show and I love it so much.

What would you say your favourite lip syncs are?

Whip My Hair with Roxxxy and Alyssa, Latrice Royale’s You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman), Dida Ritz with This Will Be by Natalie Cole, Alyssa and Tatianna, Delta Work and Manila Luzon... I could literally go on! Look at Kennedy Davenport. There’s tons of queens that are incredible lip syncers, it’s what they do. They are showgirls. Trinity Taylor’s an incredible lip syncer... there’s a lot.

RuPaul said All Stars 4 is coming sooner than we may think. Is there anything you can tell us about the series?

I’m not gonna give you anything that I’m not allowed to say, but I’ll tell you it’s amazing. These girls never disappoint, even the ones that come on the show for an episode and go home in a regular season, not All Stars seasons, they’re all superstars. So, you just don’t know what to expect, and I know they like to switch stuff up every All Stars, and we’re in All Stars 4 now and season 11, so you never know what’s going to happen. It’s just the best show on TV.