Illawarra – Welcome to your “Competitive Drag” era!
For the third year in a row, La La La’s and Wollongong Drag Icons – Ellawarra (@ellawarra) and Roxee Horror (@roxee.horror) are teaming up to showcase some of the most Charismatic, Unique and Talented new drag performers in the Illawarra in Drag Race: Down South.
For five weeks, with dates starting from the 3rd of May, these performers will be fighting tooth and nail in a myriad of challenges in an effort to be crowned the victor at Drag Race: Down South’s grand finale on the 7th of September.
This year’s crop of contestants include: Clara Form (@clara.form), Hank E. Panky (@hank.e.panky.drag), Honeymoon (@honeymoon.drag), Intergaylactic (@theintergaylactic), Kat Abolic (@kat.abolic), LexaBro Clymaxx (@king_lexabro_clymaxx), Miss Khaarah (@misskhaarah) and Natur’el (@natur.el.dq).
I was lucky enough to catch up with Ella and Roxee, and chat with them about all things Drag Race: Down South, along with the artforms importance in 2024.
You can get tickets to any of this years shows here!
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CAMERON: So, my first question is, what is Drag Race: Down South at its core basics?
ELLA: Yeah. So, I think for the everyday person that doesn’t know what ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ is, it’s a competition that tests pretty much every corner of a drag queens’ talent. So anywhere from: lip-syncing to acting, writing jokes, doing musicals, makeovers, sewing, makeup, dancing – a drag queen is a jack of all trades.
ROXEE: It’s a platform for queens, kings and things to be able to express themselves in a way that they don’t necessarily get the opportunity to do a lot in the Illawarra.
ELLA: Oh, 100 percent. Like we don’t even do the stuff that they’re doing in the comp.
ROXEE: No, literally!
ELLA: It’s honestly its own beast that will never be experienced anywhere else live on a stage.
CAMERON: Can you just differentiate for the readers what the difference between a drag queen, drag king and a drag thing is?
ELLA: So one, presents as a girl – a drag queen, one presents as a boy – a drag king, and a drag thing can be anything they fucking want. We’ve got one that’s an alien. They can be monsters, dogs, cats, animals.
CAMERON: Awesome, and so what are all the competitors really fighting for? What does the winner end up getting at the end of the competition?
ROXEE: Look there is a prize, but honestly – I feel like they’re competing for the title itself. To be like, they’re the winner, you know what I mean, that is at its core that what they’re all competing for.
ELLA: We’ve crowned a queen; we’ve crowned a king – in season one and season two. So, we will see, who steals the crown this year and gets the title. It’s kind of like they rule for a year. We’ve seen the winner of season one went on to then host Gayday at Heyday. The winner of season two, Magnus (@kingmagnusopium) is literally doing everything – they have their own trivia night at the Amari Bar.
ROXEE: They’ve won two over competitions.
ELLA: One was at Universal, which was up against all the Sydney kings and queens.
“The ones we got to watch grow throughout it, in such a short amount of time, they really do blossom within this competition”
CAMERON: It kind of gives them an extra platform?
ROXEE: I agree with that.
ELLA: I honestly think not even a platform, just the confidence to do it.
ROXEE: Yes, that’s the perfect way to put it. It’s not a platform – like technically it’s a platform on the night – one thing that I’ve noticed from doing these, at the start you can look at a queen, a king or a thing and see the potential in them. But by the end of the six months, they are a whole new performer. Like the ones we got to watch grow throughout it, in such a short amount of time, they really do blossom within this competition because they’re put to the extremities.
ELLA: Yeah. Except the ones that go home first, I’m so sorry. Sorry Lyla (@misslylajoyofficial) and Jay (@___jayonce___)
CAMERON: I’m actually glad you lead into this because previous winners of Down South obviously include queen Polly Tickle Powers (@pollyticklepowers) and king Magnus Opium, what are the qualities that this year’s competitors will need to showcase to take home the crown?
ELLA: We like to see a little bit of everything. We like to see a drag performer that is fully put together and have a look. People that also kind of bring a brand – I think we’re really big in our brands and how we present ourselves so that’s what we look for in the winner. So, Polly was very much that ‘dumb ditsy girl, quirky girl’ and she embraced that and brought that pretty much every time.
ROXEE: And Magnus is the true representation of a king.
ELLA: Like one of the best drag kings I’ve ever seen.
ROXEE: Literally, and Magnus totally brought that unique part to the last competition.
ELLA: And, obviously, they need to do well in the challenges. So, putting in the effort to make a nice outfit, learn the script to the musical they’re going to do, lean the words to all the lip-sync songs in case they need to lip-sync.
CAMERON: They need to be consistent.
ELLA: Correct.
ROXEE: If they’re consistent they’ll make it far, and if they’re not consistent they might not make it past the first or second episodes.
ELLA: I don’t think any of our winners have ever landed in the bottom.
ROXEE: Yeah.
“it’s now at the point that we have 30 something drag performers in the Illawarra. When I started there was 2.”
CAMERON: So Roxee, you’ve been performing since 2016 or 2017, is that correct?
ROXEE: That’s correct, 2016.
ELLA: That’s ancient.
CAMERON: How vital is it for queer audiences to have safe spaces like La La La’s and shows like what you guys are performing to go out to?
ROXEE: It is so important, and the reason why it’s so important is looking at myself – I’ll use myself as an example – when I started doing this, there was nothing. There was one event a month that happened and through that company, it was Unity, fantastic little non-for-profit company that’s been going for years, but through those there was one or two extra events here and there. But there was no monthly or weekly space that people could go to who were queer and could be themselves unapologetically. Once I started doing these drag events, and seeing that there was a need for it, and then I met Ella, and we pushed it and pushed it, it’s now at the point that we have 30 something drag performers in the Illawarra. When I started there was 2. So that’s freaking amazing to see that and that’s why it’s vital. For growth.
CAMERON: I’ve been here as a student since 2020, specifically the past two years, even speaking as someone who’s not necessarily in the scene – I’ve been able to see how big the scene has grown. And I’ve really loved seeing it.
ROXEE: That’s the driving force behind why I do this.
ELLA: I think we’re very proud to be the two ol’ bitties that kind of led the charge.
ROXEE: A hundred million percent – I’m happy to be the grandma.
“I think if it wasn’t for drag – I don’t know if I would have ever come out. So… drag is the most important thing in my life that led to me be myself.”
CAMERON: Now Ella, you recently came out as trans. How important is it to be able to express your identity through shows and the art of drag, especially in 2024?
ELLA: Yeah. This is a thing I have to explain to a lot of people. I always questioned my gender growing up, especially in high school. I was very in my head going through it all, at an all-boys school. Catholic, thank you Jesus. But it was my gateway – it was how i started, it was how I got to express my femininity and it led me to who I am today. And I think if it wasn’t for drag – I don’t know if I would have ever come out. So… drag is the most important thing in my life that led to me be myself.
CAMERON: It allows you to express the true you; the best version of you?
ELLA: One hundred percent, yeah. And ever since I came out, I’ve just been a monster.
ROXEE: She was a monster before, don’t worry, but even as someone who’s been there since the beginning of Ellawarra’s journey and now Ella’s journey. It’s amazing to have seen her find herself through this as well. And that’s another reason why drag is so important.
ELLA: They would tell me “You trans? you trans? you trans?”
ROXEE: No we weren’t.
ELLA: I would always say “no I’m not, no I’m not.” Turns out, “yes I am.”
ROXEE: We’re not surprised though.
“If we hated each other, we wouldn’t have been going on for four years now.”
CAMERON: What should audiences expect from Drag Race: Down South?
ROXEE: A wild ride of lots of fun, campiness – serving looks, stunting pretty.
ELLA: It’s gonna be a big variety of stuff they will never see at another drag show ever – pretty much ever. Because they’re gonna get a full live lip-sync, like we just had it on tv last week on Drag Race Season 16, like a lip-sync lalaparuza. We’re doing that live. Then the week after that we have a roast, they’re all getting up and roasting each other, the week after that they’re doing a musical, the week after they’re making over their friends – making over someone who’s not a performer. So, they have to get someone else to embrace drag. The makeover challenge is one of my favourites because it’s not essentially about the makeover, it’s about how they link together and create something to display on stage. Because if you don’t gel with each other you’re performing with – like if we hated each other, we wouldn’t have been going on for four years now.
ROXEE: Literally! I do hate her though.
ELLA: Yeah.
CAMERON: Now in previous years, the two of you have performed during some of your shows as well – should audiences expect you guys to be performing alongside hosting?
ELLA: Well last year we had a Lady Gaga musical, so I had to put myself in that. And then this year, we have the Roxee Horror Picture Show musical.
ROXEE: So I have to put myself in that one.
ELLA: It’s her turn this year.
ROXEE: Obviously, the show is not about us – we’re here to judge it. But we know that people know us down in this community – we are quite well known – so it’s always fun to put a little bit of ourselves in it. Never, ever stealing the show of these competitions – because it’s a competition first – but we throw it in there for fun because we love drag as well. We love doing it. We love to enjoy it and get on stage.
ELLA: We get to show the kids how it’s done.
“If they’re not up there having fun, we’re not going to have fun.”
CAMERON: My final big question is; if there’s one thing you could tell this year’s crop of contestants in the lead up to Drag Race: Down South?
ROXEE: The one biggest thing I would say for our contestants is – have fun! Like it’s literally about having fun. If you’re taking it so serious – you want to take it serious, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re taking it so seriously that you’re not enjoying it – you’ve lost the point of what this is about. So, yes. Take it seriously, but have fun with it. It’s all about enjoying the experience.
ELLA: Yeah. They need to have fun and they need to be themselves. I think it’s like, they see what happens on TV and they’re like “this person won this by doing this”. No. We want to see how you would win it by being you. I think it’s good we know everyone’s personalities going into it – so we will see through somebody if they’re trying to do something that’s not them. And drags meant to be fun. If they’re not up there having fun, we’re not going to have fun.
CAMERON: I would assume it’s also a rather stressful sort of situation putting themselves in front of all those people?
ELLA: Oh, one hundred percent.
ROXEE: Yeah, like I would struggle to do it. You know what I mean, I would do it but it’s a very vulnerable thing to do, because everyone who is watching the competition, is going to be judging you, your character, your drag.
CAMERON: I don’t think there’s anything more vulnerable that doing drag, honestly.
ROXEE: You get to put on a face, quite literally. But you know, it’s so important to have representation of people like us in these communities, because I was one of those little kids that didn’t have that representation. So, being that to someone else is huge. One thing I want to note too is that my favourite thing coming out of this competition is seeing what drag duo or trio or group is gonna be. In season one, Polly and Lauren (@lauren.order.dq) took over and did so many events together. Season 2; Magnus, Fancy (@the.fancyy) and Annie Holsagole (@annieholsagole) – they’re doing the Lonely Hearts Club, and they’ve started doing their own thing. I can’t wait to see what this season’s are going to be doing.
ELLA: They’ve really built a bond. Because like, we started a group chat to put stuff in for the comp but now they’ve started group chat without us in it.
ROXEE: So, they’re in untucked, we’re only getting half the story.
ELLA: They have the full story.
CAMERON: So, you’re sitting alone in VIP?
ELLA: Honestly, yes. We’re sitting alone behind the DJ desk, judging.
ROXEE: But I think it’s great for us because we get to see fresh exciting things, we don’t know about cause they’ve got their own chat.
CAMERON: Is there anything else you want any readers to know? Any details, how to support if they can’t make it?
ELLA: Donate to my GoFundMe. As soon as the comp finishes in September, is when I’m planning to go get surgery. And when we come back a new event is starting at La La La’s that’s not Just the Tip and it’s not Drag Race: Down South.
ROXEE: To what you just said about if they can’t make it, well – if you can’t make it, bad luck – you gotta be there to see it.
ELLA: Honestly, yeah.
ROXEE: Get your tickets, come in, bums on seats – we want to see people enjoy these shows. And if you miss it – you’ll have to wait for the next one.
ELLA: A majority of them sell out too.
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For all my queer and interested readers – I leave you with one sentiment:
Mama, kudos for reading this, for learning.
Feature image credit: @Ellawarra