The drag queens will be bringing their West End show to the Gaiety this month.
Season on season, RuPaul’s Drag Race has continued to grow and grow into one of the biggest worldwide phenomenons of recent years.
The stars from that show have also gone on to have huge international careers themselves, and we recently caught up with two of the biggest queens – Ra’Jah O’Hara (Drag Race S11 and All Stars S6) and Willam (Drag Race S4) – ahead of their arrival in Dublin later this month.
They’ll be two of the headlining stars for the comedy Death Drop, which they’ll be performing on stage at the Gaiety Theatre alongside Drag Race UK star Vinegar Strokes, and Holly Stars who both acts in and wrote the play.
When we chatted to the queens, we asked what it was about this particular project that drew them in.
Ra’Jah told us: “For me, this was a whole new experience, I’ve never done anything like this. So doing this particular project was a dream come true. It is testing all of my chops. So I’m just very excited to be a part of this, to be coming into this role, especially as a part of this cast, because this cast is super dynamic. It is just so great to be playing and bouncing off of these great entertainers.”
Willem added: “It is nice to have a job! After 2020, nothing. And then in 2021, its like… Bring it on!”
With both of the queens being such naturally funny comedians, did they find it easier or more difficult to work from the set script, rather than improving their comedy?
Willam said: “The writer is a drag queen and she’s in the show too, so she’s very open to all of our ideas, and she’s not precious about stuff at all. It is nice to work with people who have that collaborative spirit.”
We had to know, with so many funny people working together, was it ever difficult to keep a straight face and not completely crack when someone else is being particular hilarious?
Ra’Jah confessed: “There have been moments when we’ve all been laughing, when I’m thinking ‘Ohhhh, I can’t keep it together!’, but I think that also adds to the magic, because I think the audience will be having the same reaction. So it is great to be having the same kind reaction as everyone else in the room. Because if they’re laughing with me, then that lets me know that I’m on the right track and we still have a little bit more wiggle room to play in, so I can go even bigger if I want to.”
Ra’Jah has never been to Ireland before, whereas Willem was the first Ru girl to perform in Dublin (back when The Dragon was a thing), and when we asked if they’ve any big plans for when they get here, they are currently thin on the ground – Willem suggests “S**k some Irish dude and eat potatoes” – so if you do spot them around town, they’re open to suggestions!
Death Drop will be on in the Gaiety Theatre from 26 to 31 of October, and tickets can be purchased right here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsSgQUqxct/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
READ NEXT: Spending the night with Stauntons On The Green
