The Sickening Performers We Want to See on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

Arts

Dec 21

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After ten seasons of the now herstory-making RuPaul’s Drag Race, four All Stars seasons, as well as one recent holiday flop-a-thon, Drag Race is crossing the pond for a second time after it’s first overseas version: Drag Race Thailand.

News came earlier this month straight from Mutha’s mouth that RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is in development and currently casting its first season, which leaves all of us queers wondering: which UK queens will we see on the runway and kiki-ing in the workroom?

If you’re hoping that Drag Race UK stands to be a whole lot more inclusive than it has been the last ten seasons, you’re not alone. After the backlash Ru faced for his comments regarding trans exclusion, he hopefully got the memo that drag is not just something enjoyed and performed by cis men. In fact, if you’ve been following Sasha Velour’s smart ass or know your proper drag herstory, you know that there is more to drag than what we see on Drag Race, even if it did bring the art form to a mainstream audience.

Regardless, a new season of Drag Race is my even-gayer Oscar season, and I’m giddy at the thought of an entirely new round of non-American queens. Can you imagine the Scottish reading that might go on? The tea and the t that will be inevitably spilt? The reckless abandon at which c--nt will be thrown around? God save these prospective queens and kings.

Freida Slaves (@freidaslaves)

A relative newcomer to the London drag scene, Freida Slaves has come up at a rapid pace in the past year. A dancer, designer, and maker of her own wigs (Miz Kracker vibes), Freida has quite a bit of talent in her arsenal. She even appeared in Blonde’s music video for “Me, Myself and I.” Bearded, black, and sickening, we hope Freida brings it to the Drag Race stage. We have a feeling she’ll be a forced to be reckoned with in lip syncs especially.

TAYCE (@tayceszuraradix)

Not seeing TAYCE on Drag Race this season seems close to impossible. The London (originally Welsh) queen has been sweeping the balls. Inspired by Grace Jones, Disney villains, and Prince, TAYCE has the lewks the judges are looking for and the drama and drive to put her easily into the top six, if not higher.

*Honorable mention for her drag sister and fellow performer, Cara Melle (an American queen based in London) who could just join her this season as a way for producers to create a fierce team of allies, or to turn one on the other (it will never be RuPaul’s Best Friends Race). Let’s hope it’s the latter.

Chiyo Gomes (@chiyogomes)

We won’t go another second without mentioning a drag king. For those unawares, there are cis women who compete in drag (often called afab queens), drag kings, and nonbinary performers who take on whichever persona or gender they choose. By our standards, they have just as much right to compete.

Chiyo Gomes’ performances explore these various gender expressions or lack thereof as well as other BDSM and societal topics in a more avant-garde form. We’d love to see what they would come up with on the Drag Race stage.

Sue Gives a Fuck (@suegivesafuck)

One of the most versatile queens on the list, Sue Gives a Fuck has a notable name on the London stage. She writes and performs her own songs, would slay the runway, make Ru laugh, and we would most definitely be living for her lip syncs (she was previously a winner of The Glory’s Lip Sync 1000).

Comedy queens are a Drag Race staple, and have included such legends and previous winners as Bianca Del Rio and Jinx Monsoon. We give a fuck.

Lewis G. Burton (@lewisgburton)

We need a big girl to win this thing. The children are thirsty for it. Lewis G. Burton, a performance artist and dj drag queen who is serving us “Divine as your mom in the murder house of American Horror Story before throwing a deep house techno party in the basement” fantasy could bring us the horror we haven’t seen since Sharon Needles.

*Honorable mention for horror queens would be the fabulous Felix Le Freak, who in addition to her horror-inspired looks (and other less horrific ones) is a comedy queen and original songwriter, as well as the absolutely terrifying and innovative Charity Kase. The looks she creates are actually works of art.

Meth (@methedragqueen)

We’d be shocked if Meth didn’t walk into the workroom. One of the most popular drag queens in the UK today, Meth’s makeup is clownish and flawless (reminiscent of Trixie Mattel’s), she’s funny af, and would be serious competition for the other queens based on her resume alone.

Rujazzle (@rujazzle)

It might be preemptive, but Rujazzle has what it takes not just to be a successful queen, but an iconic one. Based in Glasgow, she would be the thrower of the Scottish shade we so need in the workroom. No one insults better than the Scottish. That’s not to say she doesn’t seem nice. Quite the contrary. With a degree in art history, Rujazzle’s latest masterpiece was recreating herself as exemplary classical paintings. The photo series was aptly titled, “28 Days of Art Herstory.”

We’ll be waiting with bated breath for the lineup of queens that exemplify Charisma Uniqueness Nerve and Talent and a full English attitude. They’ll just have to remember one more thing: don’t fuck it up.

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Dakota is a poet, journalist, and right in the damn center of the Kinsey scale. Follow her on Twitter: @Likethestates.

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