Become a Drag Queen: 5 Tips for Embracing Your Attitude
Creating a drag queen persona can be both fun and hugely liberating. It’s a chance to showcase a completely different identity with confidence and flair. Here are five tips for embracing that all-important drag queen attitude.
1. Know Who You Are as a Drag Act
From Bianca Del Rio, season six winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, to the Barbie-esque act of Trixie Mattel, all drag queens are beautiful and wonderfully unique. That’s all part of the fun. So the first step to drag awesomeness is to create a strong identity. Will you be a glamorous diva that’s never seen without heels or a comedic queen that makes audiences roar with laughter? Think about your persona’s personality, characteristics, style and backstory as this will make it easier to become a convincing drag act that everyone loves.
2. Find Your Style
Having a style that’s different from other drag acts will make you instantly recognisable on stage and will help you to build a strong following. When you watch an immersive play in London, such as Priscilla the Party, you’ll see that the queens have a different sense of style. Play around with outfits, wigs, shoes and accessories until you feel completely comfortable. Are you a blonde or a redhead? Will you wear stilettos or platforms? Is your drag act a fan of a particular colour or pattern? How about a feather boa?
3. Perfect Your Makeup
Makeup is an important element of drag. It can take time to get it right, but every mistake is a learning curve. Start with a clean, moisturised and shaven face. You can then cover your whole face and neck in foundation and set it with powder. Be sure to put foundation over your eyebrows so you can draw new ones on. A sculpting colour palette can then be used to accentuate face shape, cheekbones, jawline and more.
Fake eyelashes and bold eye make-up are your friends, and you’ll also want to find a blusher and lippy that matches your persona. Finish the look with matching nail extensions.
4. Perfect Your Act
Whether you’re lip synching to a Diana Ross song, showing your best dance moves in the biggest heels possible or telling jokes, your act must be top-notch to keep an audience entertained. Preparation for show night can include writing and learning scripts, seeking feedback from fellow drag acts and taking classes to hone your existing skills. Immersive theatre in London featuring other drag acts could also give you inspiration, so it’s well worth getting out and about to see what others are doing.
5. Build a Supportive Community
It’s normal to feel nervous when you first enter the drag world, but by surrounding yourself with likeminded people, experienced performers and drag fans, you’ll feel confident in no time. Attend local drag shows, create a social media presence for your act and positively contribute to online forums to get your name out there.
If you’re looking for interactive theatre in London, don’t miss Priscilla The Party. A fun, engaging, sparkling show packed with entertainment.
