After 10 showstopping seasons in the US, the legendary RuPaul will finally bring her iconic reality competition series across the pond as she confirmed that Drag Race UK is going to happen in 2019.
GCN got in touch with the casting agency to ask the question on every Irish Queen’s lips: Can Irish Drag Queens apply? The answer is YES.
The Irish Drag Scene has been saving up nothing but fun fresh, fabulous queens for years. So let’s have a look at some of the familiar and unfamiliar faces that are slaying the game right now and that we would like to see featured on Drag Race UK!
Panti Bliss
If you’ve ever wondered what RuPaul would look like if they were from Mayo, look no further. If Panti is not at least a guest star judge on RPDR UK we will be having words!
Half drag superstar, half national treasure, Panti became something of a public figure back in 2014 when they made their noble call on the stage of the Abbey Theatre. They starred in their own award-winning documentary and even given a Queen’s speech on Christmas. People still travel from far and wide for a drink in Pantibar, and you can catch them performing in RIOT all over the world!
Veda
You can catch this living drag legend in The George for Witchy Wednesdays or for Saturdays karaoke. Their hair is almost as fiery as their attitude, and they manage to host one of Dublin’s hottest, freshest Drag nights every week. All hail to this queen!
Dizzy Dyin’forit
The rattle that you hear when Dizzy Dyin’forit walks by is probably her jewellery, but it may also be her new hips. She can be a stern Mother Hen but her bark is worse than her overbite. However, she’s been around the block on more than one occasion so she won’t take any of your nonsense – unless your ginger in which case she’ll take your nonsense and then take you home (you’ve been warned!). You can find her in the bar every Sunday evening playing records and getting drunk with Panti.
Candy Warhol
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlTd-BBgEKi/?taken-by=candywarholqueen
Grand-nephew of the infamous Danny La Rue, Cork based Candy Warhol was introduced to Drag at a young age. Their name was inspired by Andy Warhol’s muse Candy Darling and was obsessed with films like To Wong Foo. It wasn’t until her second year of college that they ran and hosted a club night as a doll. A month later they competed in Alternative Miss Ireland and the rest, as they say, is herstory.
Trudy Scrumptious
Resident power bottom at The Kremlin in Belfast, Trudy is one of Belfast’s most fabulous Drag Queens.
Phil T Gorgeous
Now we think it’s about time that a Drag King graced our screens on Drag Race and Phil is the man for the job! Phil is Dublin’s is one of the long-standing members of Dublin’s drag scene and is one of the only regularly performing drag kings who can be seen every Monday with their partner in crime Bunny. They co-host Win Lose or Drag which is full of “ridiculous games, drag shenanigans and life-changing prizes”.
Lady Portia Di’ Monte
Northern Ireland’s First Lady of Drag, Lady Portia is BBC Radio Ulster’s Entertainment and Arts correspondent and has won the PPI Award for ‘Best Newcomer’. They have also given a TEDxTalk and has appeared on Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me.
Davina Devine
Davina has been a staple on the Dublin drag scene for years and currently now hosts Thursty Thursday’s in The George. They are a self-proclaimed “international diva” who lives by the words of Marilyn Monroe:
“I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I’m out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
KiKi St Clair
Kiki St Clair has been performing around Galway as Kiki St Clair for seven years. They were first exposed to drag when they attended a bingo night hosted by local drag queens Dusty Flaps and Jane Eyre Square. Not long after, they saw Panti Bliss and Veda perform at a festival and was instantly enamoured.
Victoria Secret
Have you ever wondered how we’ve managed to get such incredible drag acts like Sasha Velour, Naomi Smalls, Trixie Mattel and Alaska (to name a few) to Dublin? Well, you can thank Victoria Secret. The queen behind DraggedUp, they continues to get some incredible acts from the RuPaul’s Drag Race hall of fame over to Ireland. They also manage to organise, host and perform at these extravaganzas- 10s across the board girl!
Bunny
Bunny describes themselves as “the little porcelain doll that you just want to crack…but that would be manslaughter, so don’t even think about it!”
Every week they host “Win Lose or Drag” with drag king supreme Phil T. Gorgeous, a gameshow-esque night in the George that will have you wanting to jump up o stage to make fool of yourself just for the sake of being graced with Bunny in all their glory. Serving old Hollywood looks with a northern Irish accent, Bunny is one helluva queen.
Pixie Woo
Pixie Woo has become a staple of the Dublin drag scene. Serving up looks and killer lip-syncs is her game. One of Veda’s witches, her performance of Celine Dion’s power-ballad ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me Now’ is transcendent, wind machine and all.
Rusty Hinges
Hailing from Belfast, “Full Time Mummy” Rusty Hinges is a regular in Boombox as the host of ‘Bitch Please’ every Wednesday night.
Dolly Grip
Another member of The George family, the age-defying Dolly and her gal pals the Gripettes have graced the stage for many sickening drag performances over the years. She can also be found in Bow Lane on Sundays entertaining the hungover masses at Drag Brunch.
Regina George
Not only is Regina George famous for serving up body, but she’s a dancing queen like no other. And look at that face! She’s 1/4 of the DraggedUp team, so you can find her performing in the George or on stage with some of the world’s most fab queens.
Miss Taken
Miss Taken is self-described as “twice married, three times divorced, widowed, housewife from Dublin.”
Miss Taken hosted her own show for over three months this year in Chapelizod – and most recently put on a sell-out show in The Workmans.
She currently hosts a monthly club gig called Taboo – for the club kids and the alternative kids in the world.
Paul Ryder
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjnke_BADS-/?taken-by=rupaulryder
You might have heard of Paul Ryder from a little show called Ireland’s Got Talent. Ryder wowed the judges with his incredible performance making it all the way to the semi-finals. He even earned praise from the queen of all queens- Michelle Visage.
Check out her performance here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX2hbqs3Amw
Bradley Brock/Neon Love
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Like Kiki, Bradley Brock first came across drag in Galway as a teenager.
“It amazed me seeing this whole different character brought to life,” he remembers. “The sass, the glamour and the humour of it all just drew me in.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiZVTl3BDkJ/?taken-by=neonlove96
The 22-year-old is based in Ballina, Co Mayo. They have been doing drag for the past six years and now performs as Neon Love.
Bonnie Ann Clyde
Bonnie Ann Clyde deserves nothing but snaps for organising a GALA award-winning drag fundraiser for Chechnya last year. She serves glamour by the bucket load! You can (and should) catch her performing all over Dublin.
Sheila Fits-Patrick and Madonna Lucia
Sheila Fits-Patrick and Madonna Lucia are Limericks’ first Ladies of Drag. As self-confessed ‘Gulchies’ (Glamorous Culchies) these Queens are no strangers to a bit of Craic at a céilí. This stage partnership also carries over into real life where both are in what is effectively a marriage which happens in man-drag.
Julian Mandrews
GCN’s very own Eurovision expert queer commentator, Julian Mandrews has been rocking the Drag King scene for many years. She spoke to Radio 1 about how drag kings are finding it hard to achieve the mainstream success afforded to their queen counterparts:
“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.”
Heiress Blackstone
Infamously known for knocking out a man who tried to snatch her wig, Heiress Blackstone is a national icon with regular shows in Dublin and Galway. She has a YouTube channel which she teaches the children about drag names and makeup.
Shirley Temple Bar
Shirley Temple Bar has done it all (they even read the telly bingo). This queen is a pillar in the Irish drag community, and one of our all-time favourites. Bop along to their drag bingo in the George on Sundays for a chance to rub elbows with the mam, the myth, the legend.
Chanel
This hairy chested queen is on our ones to watch list. You can catch them giving their all in her performances in The George, often clad in everything from neon realness to Pearl beards. We can’t wait to see more of them!
Ariana Grindr
Tallaght native Neville Bradley Jr, better known by his stage names, Neville B & Ariana Grindr, graduated from D&B Academy of Performing Arts in London in 2016.
Since then, they have become best known for portraying themselves on E4’s scripted reality TV show Stage School, appearances on Alan Carr’s Grease Night on Channel 4 and Eastenders‘ Children In Need Special for BBC.
Dame Stuffy
The Ballymun bombsite herself. The ever fabulous Dame Stuffy Van Cartier was born at the bottom of a shute in the wonderful apartments of Thomas Clarke Tower in the concrete jungle of Ballymun. She has been a role model for session moths nationwide from a young age, shes fiesty, fit and FABULOUS!
Phyllis
Our list would not be complete without the magnificent, the legendary, Phyllis Lautner…
If you aren't familiar with Dublin's gay scene and it's iconic characters, then unfortunately you won't understand why this pic of the Taoiseach with the *legendary* Phyllis Lautner in Pantibar tonight is…
E V E R Y T H I N G.
I hope he knows what an honor it was.For *him* pic.twitter.com/vyafmM27gX
— Dr Panti Bliss-Cabrera (@PantiBliss) September 9, 2018
Who would you like to see strut their stuff on the Drag Race runway?
© 2018 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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