With the roaring success of RuPaul’s Drag Race just two weeks away from its sequin-studded conclusion, The Business decided it was high time to take a look at the business of drag. They sent intrepid reporter, Liam Geraghty, to talk to some of Ireland’s drag kings and queens.
"Female impersonator impersonator" Veda has a weekly show at the George.
"I think the misconception a lot of people have about drag is that, you know, that you’re only working when you’re in drag. Which really isn’t the case. Drag is one of those weird jobs that never really goes away. It’s a vocation. My working week involves 3 or 4 shows, 1 maybe 2 rehearsals and then a bit of sewing, maybe some wig washing and these days, endless self-promotion on social media."
Philip Keogh has been performing as Victoria Secret for 14 years.
"I still get nerves and that’s 14 years later. I think nerves are a good thing because the moment you stop having nerves, you’re kind of too comfortable with it all and you’re maybe not pushing yourself forward. You’re just doing the same thing all the time."
Drag king Julian Mandrews, a.k.a. Anna McCarthy, thinks that drag kings are still not mainstream.
"I think there tends to be more of an opportunity for drag queens in terms of jobs just because of I suppose the more mainstream success of drag queens. Whereas I think with drag kings, they haven’t kind of broken into that mainstream appeal."
Listen back to the whole segment on The Business here.
