...and which shows to see at Edinburgh

⬛ BY GEORGIA TASDA

As RuPaul Charles’s global drag empire continues its unstoppable expansion and tightens its stranglehold on queer culture, drag has spilled over into the mainstream (read: straight) consciousness.

The seeds have been sown, and in its glittery wake sprouts a proliferation of fabulous drag shows at Edinburgh Fringe. But will drag comedians always play second fiddle to plain-clothes comedians? This year the drag kings and queens are here to show why we deserve to reign supreme.

Drag has always been a staple of the alternative and underground scenes. But thanks to RuPaul, it has exploded into popular culture. Season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race featured guest appearances from Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and the high priestess herself, Oprah.

And since the show first aired in 2009, Google searches for ‘drag queen’ have increased by 800 per cent. Regional drag scenes are thriving, and a new generation of performers inspired by the show are taking to the stage. Heels ready, make-up set, go-go!

Earlier this year, former Drag Race contestant Courtney Act captured the nation’s hearts and went on to win Celebrity Big Brother. She’ll be bringing her solo show Courtney Act: Under the Covers to the Fringe this year.

But RuPaul represents a very specific, American interpretation of what drag is and what it can be. Most controversially, the show does not allow drag kings or cis-female contestants to compete, and RuPaul’s remarks about the eligibility of trans competitors have drawn sharp criticism from the queer community.

Thankfully there are no such requirements for Edinburgh Fringe: performers of all shades of the gender rainbow are coming to peddle their wares. From drag king Isa Bonachera’s Artcoholic to the genderfuck campery of my own show, Georgia Tasda Means Business.

When they think of drag queens, a lot of people will think of a middle-aged man in an ill-fitting sparkly frock, in a dingy pub telling off-colour jokes about lesbians and sucking dick. But that is the old guard, and, thankfully, they are a dying breed.

There is a long tradition of drag queens who have made an indelible mark on UK pop culture: from Lily Savage and Dame Edna to, dare I say it, Mrs Brown. British drag is less about creating a perfect ‘gender illusion’: it’s rougher round the edges, with a punk spirit. Chest hair is welcome here. There is a plethora of intelligent and, frankly, hilarious acts who explore and challenge societal gender norms. They are on the zeitgeist of thinking on modern masculinity, femininity and culture, taking cues from current affairs, the arts, and the dankest recesses of the internet. We still sometimes make jokes about sucking dick, though .

Of the over 100 different LGBT shows at the Fringe this year, more than 30 are drag. 2018 is the Year Of Queer. East End legend Jonny Woo and Finge stalwart Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho return for another year. The 7ft Antipodean monster Gingzilla presents her one-glamazon show. And catch Cambridge University’s only touring drag troupe, Dragtime, for a hot load of non-binary mayhem.

Or see 1980s throwback Desert Storm self-immolate in a spate of death drops that’ll leave you thinking ‘Is she gonna jump from there!?’ at queer cabaret, Pollyanna. There’s even something for the kids too: self-styled drag super-troupe Denim are bringing a family-friendly show for all the legendary children. The local queens and kings will be strutting their stuff too: on Tuesdays The Rabbit Hole sees hostess Alice Rabbit do the finest Divine impersonation this side of 1980.

But spare a moment’s thought for the plight of the drag performer. Whereas other comedians can rock up to the gig ten minutes before they go on stage, drag comedians will already have spent hours in the dark smelly green room changing into their look. Or tiptoeing around puddles of stale piss in the toilets to apply their makeup in the mirror, hoping that no-one comes in to take a dump (or to dish out some bigotry).

Mainstream comedy nights have predominantly straight audiences, so we also run the risk of being laughed at, not because of the quality of our material, but because they’re thinking ‘wait, that’s a dude? Lol’ ‘it’s a woman dressed as a man lololol.’ Comedy is a tough gig? Try doing it in a chest-binder, corset or six-inch heels. Being a comedy drag act is sometimes quite literally painful.

So come along and see what we’ve got to offer! What’re you afraid of? We won’t bite (without consent)!

• Georgia Tasda Means Business is at CC Blooms at 22:30 during the Fringe.

Published: 30 Jul 2018