posted on
It may be held on April Fools Day, but the inaugural April Fools Drag Pageant is no joke, especially for fans of Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
This is because Belco Arts’ April Fools Drag competition will be hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star, Etcetera Etcetera, a Canberran-born queen who memorably first appeared on our screens as a smart AF cockroach and won fans around the world for serving impeccable faces and whip-sharp one-liners.
Etcetera Etcetera. Credit: Jamie Heath.
While the tickets to the party competition are now sold out (sorry!), The show will see creme-de-la-creme from Canberra’s drag scene fight for a crown and jewels from House of Priscilla, two VIP passes to As Watched TV with Art Simone and Etcetera Etcetera at the Canberra Theater Center and a Zoom Seamstress class with Bettie Rose Designs (as dragrace fans know is very, very important to any queen!).
The local queens in question are Ashtray Moona, Beige Root, Cassandra, Dionysus Sin, Faux née Phish, Hoedown Hank, Ravi Oli, Sparklemuffin, Yummy the Drag Thing and Zapp Backagain, and honestly allow the brilliance of these names us to forgive. there are no more tickets.
And when Etcetera Etcetera is a fan, you know you’re into a good thing.
“The local talent is so strong and the audience will be very impressed with what these competitors are bringing to the stage,” says Etcetera Etcetera. “I’m so excited to return to my hometown and host this amazing event.”
Etcetera Etcetera. Credit: Peter Hoyle.
For Chenoeh Miller, Live Programs Officer at Belco Arts and one of Canberra’s leading theater and performance programmers, the April Fools Drag Pageant was the perfect opportunity to call Etcetera Etcetera back to their hometown.
“We wanted to have some kind of live performance that would compliment our LGBTQI + exhibit Kaleidoscope, which opens throughout the gallery space on April 1st,” she explains.
“We called our dear friend Etcetera Etcetera to hear if they had any exciting ideas on their glittering sleeves. And of course they had no shortage. As it is a community run organization, the competition was easily the most exciting for us as it brings new people into the whole region. “
“We are so excited to fill our theater with sparks, talent and a large audience! We have become friends with the Boardwalk Bar next door, which regularly holds drag nights, and they will host the afterparty. I love it when people come together and share love and art this way. It will be a fantastic evening. ”
It’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Belco Arts 2022 program.
“We have a huge month in May with Bigger and Blacker – a simply divine cabaret with SBS’s Faboriginal Host, the beautiful Steven Oliver with Michael Griffiths on piano – and Become the One, a delightful and moving play that tells the love story between a locker room footballer and his overtly gay partner. Oh and REBEL! A live circus rock tribute to David Bowie. It’s definitely a great gay May! “
As for those who missed tickets, Chenoeh has this message: “We absolutely hope to continue running this again in the future … The drag audience told us loud and clear that this is something they will come across ! “
Find out more about Belco Arts’ events at www.belcoarts.com.au.