A fresh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is approaching, with “the Celts are coming to take over,” as stated by a groundbreaking competitor.
Bonnie Ann Clyde, who performs under the name James Keogh when not in drag, is poised to be the first Irish drag queen to appear on the runway.
But that is not the only one; the Dublin-born queen is involved in.
Accompanying him in the famous ‘Werk Room’ is west Belfast drag queen Elle Vosque, making this the first season to include more than one contestant from the island of Ireland.
Irish sisterhood
She, referred to as Evan Keating when not in disguise, mentioned that the two instantly connected through their “Irish sisterhood.”
“It was truly pleasant to have someone… as there is such a significant cultural difference,” James agreed.
Ireland and the United Kingdom differ significantly in terms of their comedic style and cultural references.
Evan mentioned that it provided the two with an advantage over the other competitors.
“We certainly have a somewhat different approach to drag and have had distinct experiences compared to the English queens,” he said.
It provided us with an immediate benefit in terms of standing out and being distinct.
A student from Ulster University has been portraying Elle Vosque in Northern Ireland for nearly five years.
He has recently taken a break from his textiles and fashion degree, a credential that would be extremely useful for design tasks on the program.
However, with a last name derived from Broadway performer Jessica Vosk, the music-related tasks were what Evan was most excited about.
“I am a queen who handles everything, but it was musical theatre that introduced me to drag,” he said.
I really enjoy performing.
‘A lot of pressure’
Evan and James mentioned to News NI that they formed an “Irish alliance” during the program, which includes 10 additional drag queens from different parts of the UK.
They gained a third member for their sisterhood in the form of Welsh drag queen Catrin Feelings.
“We were known as the Celtic Sisters from the very beginning,” said Evan.
“The Celts are here to take control,” said James with a laugh.
James has been portraying Bonnie Ann Clyde for nearly 11 years throughout the island of Ireland, in Gran Canaria, and currently in Manchester.
Even though he mentioned there are “no strict rules” about who is allowed to compete, when he relocated to Manchester, it seemed like the opportunity to represent the Republic of Ireland on the show was more attainable.
“I believe that everything you do as a drag queen, in the world where Drag Race exists, is driven by the question of whether this could get me on Drag Race,” he explained.
Being the first individual to embody the Republic of Ireland is “a significant amount of pressure but also a great deal of enjoyment,” he remarked.
More opportunities
Evan’s initial experience of performing beyond Northern Ireland was on Drag Race.
The experienced James mentioned that the drag community in Northern Ireland and the Republic shares many similarities, enabling them to form a special connection.
He added, ‘I believe the overall concept that drag is intended to be enjoyable is common between the two communities.’
I believe many individuals in Ireland begin drag as a way to enjoy themselves, since we aren’t solely focused on turning it into a profession.
Today, there is much greater access to accomplish that, and numerous more opportunities exist.
Bonnie Ann Clyde and Elle Vosque have organized several performances throughout the island of Ireland to mark the series’ debut.
Drag Race UK airs at 21:00 BST on Thursday, 25 September, on Three and can be viewed online.iPlayer.
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