FESTIVAL FEATURES | Courtney Act ‘I slip into the heterosexualised world and then people think, “that doesn’t look too scary or frightening”’
<< ‘The gay community has had a sometimes tumultuous relationship with non-queer people coming to their shows,’ she explains, ‘because it was tourism, like using the queer spaces as a form of comic relief or entertainment. I think it’s really cool that Drag Race has created this space where so many different kinds of people can come together and socialise and have fun on equal terms. Drag can make you a little more fearless and I think girls especially love drag because they get to see somebody dei ne their own standard of feminine beauty.’
Though drag queens have long been a vital part of LGBTQ history, from the Stonewall riots of 1969 to the 90s New York club scene, drag has grown and evolved in ways that are unprecedented for a subculture. ‘You have to constantly pinch yourself,’ Courtney says, rel ecting on this extraordinary progression. ‘I always thought there would be one drag queen that broke into the pop music world but now I see that it’s actually like this convergence of drag queens surrounding heteronormative, mainstream media. There are just so many growing stems of this drag monster. It’s like a hydra, you cut off one of it’s heads and then ten more sprout out.’
Of all the queens that have appeared on the show, Courtney may be known best for serving sickening good looks and always on-point vocals. But behind all the i erceness and l air, she also has a knack for social and political commentary, as seen in her popular YouTube videos and social media channels. So with many different elements to her identity, how does one go about dei ning Courtney Act?
‘I guess, if Kylie Minogue was a little younger and was a millennial and also happened to be a boy,’ she jokes. ‘My style of drag has always been a little bit more moderate. I feel like I’m subversive in that I slip into the heterosexualised world and then people think, “that doesn’t look too scary or frightening”. And then I sing and I dance and entertain them and hopefully they leave my show thinking, that person actually seemed kind of normal and fun and maybe I could be friends with them.’
The Girl from Oz is a perfect reminder of one of the many functions of drag; to entertain in epic style. But it’s also a chance for audiences to experience and embrace an art form and culture that is transformational, both literally and metaphorically. Through their distinctive talent as artists and performers, drag queens have the innate ability to elevate and inspire. In a world that feels precarious and unsettling at the best of times, lipsyncs, sequins and colourful positivity may just be the answer that we’ve been searching for all along.
Courtney Act: The Girl From Oz, Underbelly Circus Hub, 17–26 Aug (not 21), 6pm, £13–£15 (£12–£14). Previews 13, 15 Aug, £7. 18 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017