Following the footsteps of those we see when enter a gay club can seem like an impossible task. Where would you even begin? The idea of being a Drag Queen is one filled with possibilities, but how do we circumvent the barriers hindering us from taking part in this ancient (yes ancient) craft?
After researching the use of drag as therapy I began to gain a real interest in Drag as an expression or art form and most unlike me, I began to read. Maybe not the most academic sources, but I challenge you to find more than a handful of academic writings focused on drag performance. Okay so, these sources were essentially bathroom reading; but to me they were an invaluable start. From interviews with famous Drag Queens to makeup tutorials, I was immersing myself in the world of drag; but I needed to go further.
Around a year ago I decided that the best way to research Drag Art would be to take part in it, to give myself in to the research and see what I could learn along the way. I began to experiment with makeup, bought what most queens would refer to as a “Poundland ratty wig” and cut up an old t-shirt to make a crop top and short skirt and voilà I was ready to compete in Rupaul’s Drag Race… Not. But I did begin to hone the skills needed to be a bonafide Drag Queen.
So I carried on, experimenting with makeup until I felt confident enough to try to show my act, dubbed “Annette Curtain” a name I still believe to be ingenious while others tell me it is “basic”. I performed at a fundraiser for a play that I was producing and I loved every second of it. From the first note of Sweet Transvestite down to the last beat of Bad Romance, it was the highlight of my semester; but it still wasn’t enough.
I came to realise that I wanted to get more involved with the local drag scene and the real hub of all things gay in Leeds, The Viaduct Showbar. So when the opportunity arose to compete in a “drag battle” how could I not give it a go? Lets just say it could’ve gone a lot better.
Then the unexpected happened, I felt challenged. The harsh words from the Judges were the solid point for growth that provided me with the focus going. I worked on my makeup, upgraded from cheap £3 foundation to cheap £5 foundation, invested in large quantities of eyeliner and started to colour outside of the lines. And then it happened, my first metamorphosis. I went from a 12 year old girls first go at makeup to an EXTRAterrestrial being from God knows where:
I was at the point were I needed to work out how I wanted my drag persona to look and quickly, this was no longer just research, this was pure fun.
To this date I’m still working out what I want Annette to be, but what I do know is that she’s an extension of me. Where I personally would become too embarrassed to escape societies mundanity and for example, go and sit on an attractive audience member before stealing drinks and carrying on the performance, Annette has no such embarrassment.
I’m currently having a go at more “pretty” drag makeup, rather than the extreme, but who knows, maybe in a months time I’ll shake off the dress and strut along in 6ft heels with metre-long lashes flapping in the wind. Stranger things have happened.
Who knows what will end first, my research project or my drag career, all I know is I’ll enjoy it while it lasts and take every opportunity.
In the words of she-who-is-always-named, “Can I get an amen?”
By Connor Overfield/ Annette Curtain
Image: Dressed to impress at Queen Bee 2018