A short documentary about Dublin drag queen Viola Gayvis, Thank You Dublin, has been released and is now available to stream for free. Thank You Dublin follows Viola behind the scenes and under the wigs of her drag career and identity.

In the documentary, Viola discusses her introduction to drag, which was, serendipitously, at a Witchy Wednesdays show at The George, where she now frequently performs. Director and cinematographer Victor Henry captures a touching taste of gratitude for the feeling of finding community and a calling. The piece feels like a full circle moment, an appreciation, and a taste of anticipation.

The drag artist discusses her feelings on Dublin, the times she thought of emigrating, and the things that have made her stay.

Viola began her drag career in 2019, and in 2020 ran a digital drag event, Ireland Cares, to raise funds for non-profit organisations during the pandemic.

Since then, the queen has gone on to work with just about every queen in Dublin and collaborated with the Fringe Festival and Gay Project. She has also been on the cover of GCN for her work on the collaborative project, Queer Utopia.

The documentary also features Viola Gayvis’ fellow drag performers and creatives Anziety, Donna Fella, Annie Queeries, Naomi Diamond, Saša Iris AKA Draciris, Daphne with a D, Boola Bus, and Eimear Keating AKA DJ Bure. The set design for the interview was done by Nele Hohl, with gaffing assistance for the documentary by Carlotta Piediscalzi, and sound mixing by Matt Lopez. The composer is Arthur David-Tracaz.

Dublin’s drag scene is vibrant and certainly something to be thankful for. Thank You Dublin with Viola Gayvis is available on YouTube now, and you can watch the full documentary below. To stay up to date with Viola, be sure to follow her on Instagram.