QTalks 2020 – Crayola the Queen
Crayola the Queen is one of the UK’s premier drag queens. A multi-skilled MC, Presenter, Actor, Comedian, Singer and Model, Crayola was also nominated Best Host and Promoter/Producer at the QX Cabaret Awards in 2019.
While she may be an immaculate entertainer, she’s far from doughnuts for dinner – smart, inventive, and politically engaged, this queen is on a campaign to spread compassion within the queer community and beyond!
In honour of Diversity Awareness month, as well as World Mental Health Day, Qubit was thrilled to welcome Crayola who did a live performance – a rocky horror show classic (with a musical number being a QTalk first!) and shared her experiences from within the LGBTQ+ community.
Designed to trip the team up with a few trick questions, Crayola had prepared an interactive workshop session with a handful of questions around LGBTQ+ to get us thinking, talking and learning. Touching upon mental health and how “it can be tough living in a society that some people still think you shouldn’t exist” Crayola spoke about her experiences.
“Ask me anything you have ever wanted to ask a drag Queen”
With a Q&A to finish we explored topics around gender fluidity, prejudice and self-acceptance, prompted by insightful Qubyte questions. We also got to learn how many wigs she personally owned, with a private tour of her home, as well as her makeup and hair styling secrets. Crayola also shared her time at drama school when she chose to perform her lip sync battles in drag and how Crayola Devil was born. Years later when Crayola realised she was more of a Disney Queen and not Cruella De Vil vibes, she dropped the Devil and Crayola the Queen we know and love was here to stay.
“I’ve been Crayola, you’ve been amazing!”
As quite rightly said in the performance at the beginning of the workshop “Dont get strung by the way I look, Don’t judge a book by its cover” Crayola truly touched upon her real life experiences and shared these moments with us. The audience has been left with a deeper understanding about a career in drag and has really broadened our thoughts, looking at significant life challenges from another person’s point of view.
Photo: Elliot Moody
