Whether you’re into freak, glam, comedy, or someone who’s not afraid to own the stage with their musical presence, Felix Le Freak is the drag queen for you! From digital drag bingo, to Panic! At the Drag Show, Felix has certainly been keeping busy during lockdown. Felix is a self-described “general frootloop”, and regularly performs around London, mostly at The Old Nun’s Head. So if you’re after an up-and-coming London drag queen, boasting the title of Drag Idol 2018 winner, look no further than Felix Le Freak!
How many years have you been doing drag, and what made you want to start?
I’ve been doing drag in an official capacity as Felix Le Freak for just under 4 years. I only ever meant to try it for a laugh and never saw it as a potential career. In 2016 I had just been through a bad breakup and was bogged down in a boring office job. I’d studied drag from an academic point of view many years before at uni and I was watching RuPaul’s Drag Race so I decided to give it a bash. I suppose in many ways I’ve always been doing drag. My prize possession as a kid was my dressing up box and that was full of old dresses and face paint so I was always prancing about like a little pansy. I think the resurgence in drag’s popularity just stoked those embers!
Having recently performed at Panic! At the Drag Show Vol.1, how would you compare this to performing in real life?
Panic! At the Drag Show was a blast and I must commend the organisational skills of my friend Sum Ting Wong and Mynxie for dreaming it up and bringing it to life. It’s certainly very different to performing in real life. I usually perform long form live cabaret which means being on the mic for an hour plus and interacting heavily with the crowd. Being online means there’s more space for creative shooting and editing and is a lot more like making a music video as opposed to managing a live crowd. I enjoy both for different reasons. Making video acts is definitely preferable to doing live streams for me. I struggle with liveness and comedy when I’ve got no crowd to bounce off.
What is your favourite thing about doing drag?
The best thing about doing drag is not having a boss or a strict routine. I don’t fare well with authority or monotony!
You’ve worked with various ‘Ru-girls’, from Scaredy Kat and Cheryl Hole, to Manila Luzon and Latrice Royale. Do you find the dynamic is the same, or different to working with drag queens that haven’t been on Rupaul’s Drag Race?
I’m lucky to have known some of those girls before they were famous so I don’t find it particularly different. Drag is a very community oriented art form and the artists always tend to be well behaved and convivial. I find that a lot of the old pros have been at it for so long before they were on Drag Race that they tend to have a good head on their shoulders. The one or two diva strops I’ve witnessed have been from younger queens who got famous quickly so their focus is more on being a celebrity than on a genuine passion for show business.
And finally, do you agree that drag queens are needed now more than ever, to give a voice to the oppressed?
I’m not sure drag queens are needed now more than ever. We’re at an unprecedented stage in the art form where the world and its gay spouse wants to be the next drag superstar. What’s needed more than ever is a sense of the responsibility that comes with drag. We need to be carrying the torch of our history and remembering that drag is fundamentally about rebellion, protest and as you say, being a voice for the oppressed. If you’re not interested in doing that, if you just want to look pretty and lip-sync Ariana Grande songs, I don’t really consider you a true drag artist.
You can keep up with Felix Le Freak’s antics over on Instagram and Facebook, where you’ll be notified of all their upcoming shows, bingos, and whatever else they’re up to. Most importantly, be sure to catch Felix live once we can all get back to appreciating the art of drag outside of a computer screen again!
You can watch Felix Le Freak’s winning Drag Idol 2018 performance over on YouTube.
