Following on from the first part in the series, Chris Williams speaks with the Cardiff drag queens who make up the Drag group the International League of Dianas; they also host Hey Mary, an alternative and queer/inclusive club night.

Lucy Fur, 24

How long have you been doing drag? About four years, but only properly for about two and a half.

How did you get into it? I grew up with an older sister and a load of female cousins, so I was always dressing up. I properly started while I was working behind a bar and my boss asked me to work in drag. I wore a £10 dress, a wig I borrowed from a friend and some heels that I had for Halloween. To be honest, I still wear cheap dresses but I have my own wigs now.

Who are your influences (drag or otherwise)? Jennifer Saunders! Specifically in Ab Fab. I love funny, over the top women – Joan Rivers, Melissa McCarthy, Dawn French… my mum. Style-wise I like people who really commit and create a character, Divine, Lily Savage, Elvira, Madonna. I try to get a look to tell as much of a story as possible, the story is usually that I’m a rich divorcée who drinks too much.

How have you balanced drag with a day job? I barely sleep and like to do a million things at once (as I’m answering these questions I’m watching Netflix and making a tutu). I can balance lots of things at once so it’s fine.

What does your family think? They love it. My mum tells all her friends about me and shows them photos, it’s so cute. My nan does the same thing with her knitting club. People often tell me I look like my sister when in drag, neither of us take it as a compliment.

What have you accomplished through drag? I was in the Ab Fab film (it’s all I talk about, my friends are so bored of the fact), I met some of my idols and had a blast! Other than that I haven’t really achieved anything… Except starting two YouTube channels and starting an alternative Queer night (Hey Mary).

Where are you going to take being a drag queen (e.g. a career)? Hopefully drag will be my career, I have a five year plan. I’m not doing drag in the traditional sense, I’m pretty much exclusively online now.

Is drag more than a hobby? It depends how much you want from it and how good you are at it. Drag is escapism for a lot of people, life is hard, the world is awful, so why not throw on some glitter and become someone else for a night. But for some people it is a career and a very cool one. Drag is whatever you want it to be. As soon as you start to box it in its not fun anymore.

Medusa Repulsa, 23

How long have you been doing drag? A little over a year!

How did you get into it? Like every cliche, I started after binge watching (RuPaul’s) Drag Race and gained a massive respect for drag queens. Thought I’d try it out one Halloween and then I met my drag family shortly after (Lucy Fur, Polly Amorous and Lilith).

Who are your influences (drag or otherwise)? Anything dark, punk and twisted. Queens would be Divine and The Boulet Brothers and I’m also heavily influenced by metal frontwomen and men, mainly Marilyn Manson and Maria Brink.

How have you balanced drag with a day job ? With difficulty, especially since drag can be expensive, but hey, dressing like an alien satanic “woman” is worth it!

What does your family think? I thought they’d find it a bit weird but they’re my biggest fans (my only fans)! Most of them have even seen me perform.

What have you accomplished through drag? In the short time I’ve being doing drag, I’ve already accomplished so much! I’ve become a part of an alternative club night in Cardiff called Hey Mary. I’ve supported some big names in the RuPaul’s Drag Race scene and started a YouTube channel with my drag family (The International League of Dianas)

Where are you going to take being a drag queen (e.g. a career)? World domination, hopefully. I’d love to be able to tour the world performing as well as being on TV (just a dream at this point though).

Is drag more than a hobby? I suppose it depends on the person. That’s how it started for me but it’s evolved into so much more.

Lilith, 25

How long have you been doing drag? One year.

How did you get into it? I had always felt queer, but never found anyone around me I could relate to or open up with about how I felt, so I started doing drag to explore feelings I felt I was suppressing just to conform to societal norms and particularly, the views of the people around me at the time. I was incredibly unhappy at this point but what told me that drag was for me was a video of Jinkx Monsoon performing Popular from Wicked and it told me there was a community of people out there, somewhere in the world, I could get involved with and be more how I feel.

I got into it properly by going to the first Hey Mary where I met Lucy Fur, Medusa Repulsa and Polly Amorous; and they asked me to join their group. We don’t consider ourselves a Haus, we’re more of a family than a collective but we don’t really label it.

Who are your influences (drag or otherwise)? In terms of drag: Jinkx Monsoon and Lucy Fur. Both very funny with their own takes on what kind of comedy drag queens should be doing. Evah Destruction is also a performer I really looked up to when I was starting out. I think everyone knows her take on That Laughing Track (if you don’t you need to look it up).

How have you balanced drag with a day job? Quite easily as I only work part time, which doesn’t leave me with much money for drag but I’m not about looks. I’d rather develop the persona and add better aesthetics later.

What does your family think? My dad doesn’t care. It’s my mum I’ve had most problems with unfortunately. My sister has been real cool with it and regularly comes to support me; and my nan is cool with it too… but my grandfather doesn’t know.

What have you accomplished through drag? I now host Hey Mary, I’ve recently hosted Alyssa Edwards’ club appearance and will be hosting Courtney Act in June. I also do stand-up comedy in drag outside of the LGBT sphere, so it’s interesting to see how non-drag fans take a character like Lilith – I’ve had wonderful responses from people. I’ve had a few spots at semi-professional nights but I’m taking a break at the moment to concentrate on other projects and refine my character before taking the stand-up more seriously.  Lucy, Medusa, Polly and I make YouTube videos as the International League of Dianas. Sometimes they’re funny(!)

Where are you going to take being a drag queen ? Hopefully a mainstream comedian, like Lily Savage was able to do. I think what’s important to me is being able to take drag outside of the spheres where you’d expect it to be in an attempt to try and normalise it rather than look at it like it’s just camp cabaret you’ll only find at certain events.

Is drag more than a hobby? I’d like to think I could get it to a place where I’m making enough money from it that it could be a considerable source of income for me, so I’d like to push it to see how far I can go with it and how far it might take me. I’m trying to refine my hosting and comedic skills so I can make a good name for Lilith as a comedian. I’m also hoping that we can build the League of Dianas into something that people take notice of. There are some drag queens who have made great names for themselves with their YouTube videos so here’s hoping!

Polly Amorous, 23

How long have you been doing drag? I’ve been doing drag for a year.

How did you get into it? After playing around in my mum’s heels when I was a pre-teen, Lucy Fur asked to put me in drag makeup and I thought I’d give it a go. The rest is history.

Who are your influences (drag or otherwise)? Drag influences are Alaska, Adore and anyone with an alternative flair. Non drag are the girl crying in the club, my second stepfather’s first mistress and Rachel Berry (from TV series Glee).

How have you balanced drag with a day job? Finding a balance as an up and coming queen is hard because you have to fund your own progression until you maintain enough bookings to work drag full time. I tend to book days off from my day job after a heavy night of glitter and death dropping so as not to sabotage my main source of income.

What does your family think? My family’s reactions were varied. My mother initially did not like it although this stemmed from a lack of understanding as to why I wanted to do it. All of my family are pretty supportive nowadays though! Some even come to my shows!

What have you accomplished through drag? My favourite accomplishments in the past year have been winning Jolene’s Drag Race 2016, performing at Pride Cymru, supporting (RuPaul queens) Kim Chi, Delta Work and Alyssa Edwards. I’m also excited to support Courtney Act and Laganja in the summer… (and a few others of which  which I can’t spill details just yet!

Where are you going to take being a drag queen ? Hopefully to a club with a regular weekly booking! I’d also love to travel the world performing at different venues in different countries.

Is drag a hobby? Drag is drag. How you define it is up to you.

(Hey Mary is held every first Friday of the month in the Big Top at Ten Feet Tall)

words CHRIS WILLIAMS