Drag Kingdom: Proving You Can Have Fun And Make a Difference
Dec 13, 2024Drag Kingdom is a reunion of the Kings of Joy community. Imagine 40 Kings of Joy spilling through the doors of the Red Rattler with costumes, props and facial hair for days. This End of Year edition of Drag Kingdom on 14 November was no different.
With so many Kings of Joy gracing the stage, this has to be the largest, ongoing Drag King Show on the planet. As the King Coach, I’ve had the honour of coaching and choreographing 129 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020.
Hosted by Chase Cocks, this show featured 7 group performances and 7 solos/duos from the Kings of Joy community.
But rather than try and tell you what it was like, don’t take it from me.
Here’s what the Kings of Joy had to say about Drag Kingdom:
Q: Why is it important that you perform for the queer community, especially as a First Nations person?
“I think first of all, it's having First Nations peoples represented on stage and the community response to that. And then that relates down to the youth and the younger generation who are coming up behind us. The most important part for me about being part of Kings of Joy is that I've automatically got a social group and a networking community of people who accept me, love me, and support me. I can call up any day and have coffee with a large number of people.
To anyone wanting to do Kings of Joy, I'd say 100% get involved. Even if you're nervous at the start, you can't remember the words, just get on stage. Have fun. You'll walk away with an absolute high like you've just been at Dream World on the roller coaster and make amazing friends and community and supportive mentors for the arts. Thanks to Danica and Chris for creating this safe space for us and future generations.”
Housolad
“I'm so glad I took the leap and did it. I met some amazing people. I really leaned into my masculinity, and I found I absolutely love performing on the stage, and I love thrusting on the stage too. If I would definitely recommend anyone who's out there who's thinking about it, just do it. You have a ball, you have fun, you dance, you meet some amazing people, and you just get out there. Highly recommended.”
Max Thrust
“For me, representation is probably one of the biggest things that I want to push out when I'm on stage. I find that even outside of the Drag King and in the queer community, a lot of spaces are very white. And so I figured if I can be up there on stage and represent a culture that is POC, that can inspire future Drag Kings and creatives. If you're thinking of being a Drag King, do it. There's no need to think so hard about it. It's such a beautiful community. Everyone is so welcoming and so helpful. Even if you've had no experience doing dancing, singing, lip-syncing, whatever, just do it.”
Fine China
“I love Kings of Joy because it is an outlet for creative masculine expression. I'm someone who doesn't really do any creative work professionally, so this is a great, excellent outlet for me, and has been very pivotal in my personal gender journey. And I love the community. I got into Kings of Joy because I saw my friends doing it a couple of years ago, and I haven't looked back.”
Dildo Baggins
“I love being in Kings of Joy because it has truly given me the space that I needed to express this sort of posh, secretly gay boy fantasy that I've got going on. I love being inspired by Victorian England. I love being inspired by the dandies of old. It's a really wonderful place to explore that aspect of my identity and interests, surrounded by some other people who are like-minded and lovely and very supportive.”
Leonidas Everard Trevelyan, otherwise known as Dandy Leon
Let’s have a look at the impact we made by being part of Drag Kingdom:
36 Kings of Joy performed in groups and solos, and 4 took on volunteer roles for a total of 40 Kings (some took on both).
100 people in our community said hell yes! I want to see you on stage in your Drag King persona and bought a ticket to attend.
We raised $581.40 for our LGBT Ugandan refugee friends from Block 13 through 10% of ticket sales & merch, donations plus the food made by Chris. All food sales went to Block 13. They send their love, solidarity and appreciation.
5 future Kings now have a paid-forward place to participate in Kings of Joy Gold Stars. The Gold Stars is for first-time Drag Kings. These Kings of Joy get to perform at the Queers of Joy show.
100% smiles on faces.
This was accomplished with the support of many hands. Let me give a shout-out to:
* Our venue, The Red Rattler, is a cultural icon and hub for queer and POC events. This is my home away from home ever since Chris and I performed together in our first Drag King group in 2018. Shout out to the team, especially Kween & Sammi.
* Jim Junkie, Production Manager & Assistant Deputy King Coach
* Max aka TEABOI, Assistant Choreographer
* Lara aka Rainbowgan, Stage Manager
* Jen aka Roman Undercovers, Stage Hand
* Nyx aka Lord of Dance & Jace aka Nikki Sixxpack on door
* Tori aka Bob’s Bulges and Ev aka Kevin Hung, videography
* Sarah Malone, photography
* Alli aka Axl Rod and Kai on the hair and makeup team
* Jacob, Legend of Merch
* Our host, Chris aka Chase Cocks
* The Kings of Joy All-Stars who performed Don’t Forget the T by Josh Tenor and Boys & Girls by Blur.
* All the Kings of Joy performers!
And finally, a massive thank you to The Working Kind Collective for providing us with our palace for rehearsals, in-house events, and workshops. We love and appreciate you.
xx
Danica
The King Coach
P.S. Wanna be part of a community where you don’t have to try and fit in, you can simply belong? Join the Kings of Joy community.
Hello handsome, π I'm Danica Lani, also known as The King Coach. I'm here to empower you in your exploration of gender, sexuality, and performance. I have proudly mentored and choreographed 129 first-time Drag Kings since December 2020. Welcome to the joyous community of Kings of Joy, where we uplift and celebrate each other every step of the way! ππ€© Let's embark on this Drag King journey together! π€π #KingsOfJoy
[Photo credit: Sarah Malone]
