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It's about a whole lot of fun. It's about dressing up for me. Um, that's the main thing. And, uh, it's about a great bunch of people who all like to have fun. And it's our opportunity, I suppose, to have five minutes of fame for total amateurs. And, you know, it's quite unique. I think. Well, it's not unique. But for me, that's the perfect opportunity to, you know, just go out there, be outrageous, have as much fun as you can. Um, and it's for a good cause. So yeah, it's win win. How did you get involved? [00:00:30] I went along to the very first one, the queen of the whole Pacific because I had a friend competing and or participating, shall we say? And I loved the show. And so I just found out about it and and enter the next year. What was that first show like? I've never seen anything like it. Um I mean, it was a long time ago, so I don't really remember the details, but I just remember the atmosphere. I just remember the cheering and the laughter and the sense of community, I suppose. Yeah. Um, it is special [00:01:00] when you know people in it when you have friends in it. And I think you know, that's what another great thing about it. Because a lot of the crowd is our friends and family. And I think that really, uh, adds to the atmosphere that is created on the night because, you know, there's so much there's a not audience participation as much. But there's audience enthusiasm like, you know, like nothing. It's it's fabulous. The audience really carries the event, I think, in a big way as well, as well as our enthusiasm. You know, you're getting a lot of feedback, which is fantastic. [00:01:30] So that's how I mean, I can't remember the actual format, but I you know, I think it was probably pretty similar to how it is now. You know, you've got big opening numbers, big finale numbers, and you've got the individual, um, girls in between, you know, strutting their stuff and giving it all they've got. So when did it tweak for you that you wanted to be a part of it? Oh, probably when I saw that very first. Oh, absolutely. I mean, I. I love to dress up. I've always been a dress up, girl. I just You know, any party that's a fancy dress? I'll be there. Yeah. So, [00:02:00] um, for me, it was just like, Oh, my gosh, I wanna be You know, I wanna get up there as well. I mean, I was terrified the first time. Just terrified, but exhilarated as well. You know, it's just like anything that you do for the first time. I mean, I was high as a kite all night long because of the, you know, the adrenaline rush and stuff like that. I remember that very clearly. Have you done anything like that before? No, no, no. Definitely not, You know, tiny little bit of theatrics way back when I was 10 years old at school or something like that, But nothing in between. And it's really interesting the the whole concept of the show where [00:02:30] it's it's open to any gender and you've got boys being girls, girls being boys a mixture. That's quite that's quite special. Oh, absolutely. I love that about it. It's not exclusive at all. It's very inclusive, and I think that's essential. Um, in today's society, you know, we're not just a, you know, a queer community. We're a part of the wider New Zealand community. And, um and I also think that it's a great expression of all the variations on, um, people's not just their sexuality, but their expression, you know, because [00:03:00] and I love that about it. I love that we've got straight guys and straight girls who are totally comfortable and and and have the same, um, streaks of madness. I suppose you know can't claim it all ourselves in the queer community. Um, and, yeah, they're a great part of the show. And I think it, um um I think it's good for us to be inclusive like that. So the first year that you were part of the show What What were you doing? What role did you have the first year I was [00:03:30] Miss Mexico? I hope I get this right. Um, I was a Virgin of Guadalupe. I was Margarita Manita. Yeah, and that was the best. I mean, the first year was the best for me. Um, because I had a fantastic woman called Justine, and, uh, she did my costume for me. So I won miss pins and needles that year, so Yeah, I know. It was fantastic. And it was great for Justine. Justine for us. She had a great time. Um, and she made me this most fantastic, uh, costume. And, um, she went down to Wellington as [00:04:00] well, actually, because when we did it right, because I was living in Wellington then as well. So I got dragged out the costume. We put her on again, then yeah, and like I said, it was just, you know, the whole thing was just when you do it the first time, it's just such a a huge adrenaline rush and not just adrenaline, but, you know, all the learning, all those dances for the first time and, um, freaking out about the costume, you know, working hours and hours and hours and being totally stressed about that. I mean, I actually did it for stress relief because I was at university at the time. So busy, busy, [00:04:30] busy trying to, you know, with my thinking brain. And so this was a brilliant release from all of that, you know, just, you know, working your body and a tap dance. Well, not tap dancing, but, you know, doing a dance routine. So it was a really good change, I suppose. Stress relief. Uh, different kind of stress and laughter. It was great. So can you explain to me how you begin to to create this persona? This, um, because I'm assuming the persona wasn't there to begin with. I mean, I think like for a lot [00:05:00] of people, as soon as you put on, you know, a pair of wacky sunglasses and a wig, it's very easy to, you know, that's how performers I think a lot of the time do. It's very easy for us to change our persona, and I think a lot of people have that in them. I certainly feel like I do. I love to put on costume to be someone else. And so for me, that's what it's all about as well. It's It's very easy to do that. Yeah, And the Virgin of Guadalupe was great. She was very demure and all that sort of thing. So she wasn't out there, you know, she was quite quiet for a drag queen. [00:05:30] Yeah, so it's just it's It's for me. It's just part of putting on the costume. What about even the name? Where did that come from? Oh, well, That's great imagination. I mean, people. Some of the names have just been outrageous. You know, you should read through some of the programmes. They just off the wall. I love that. Yeah, Margarita manager, I think was my best name. Yeah, And in terms of garments and head gear, Is that something that you make yourself or you got a dressmaker to make? Oh, she wasn't a dressmaker, but she she was a costume [00:06:00] designer. Um, but she used to work on things like Xena and things like that. So, you know, she had she had the great vision, and, um, she sort of sent me in the right direction, and we started making it together, But then she wasn't really available, so I ended up finishing it off, you know, and I couldn't believe that you could turn a real estate sign into something as amazing as this, You know, it's great. Can you describe it? Um, well, you know, the vision of Guadalupe. She's the Mary, uh, with the radiating sun out around her. So, you know, that was just made out of real estate signs, you know, with stick on plastic for books [00:06:30] and things. She had a great imagination and she knew how to use, you know, really mundane things to to create a costume. Yeah. So and, uh, you know, one of the things I loved was they hit the halo was an old so with fairy lights stuck in it. I mean, it actually didn't show up that well on stage because the lights are so bright, you know, it was it was quite quite a work of art. I think in itself it was fun. Yeah, So I mean, and the range of costumes has been incredible. I mean, I don't know if you've seen the show last year, for example, but some of the [00:07:00] heat because it's originally it wasn't so much a head gear focus. It was just your whole costume. And then it shifted a little bit towards just head gear. Well, that's not just head gear, but that's the main focus. And some of them have just become, you know, totally amazing. Egypt's last year, for example, it was amazing. And head piece, it was beautiful. So with your head gear, how did you manage to kind of physically move with that? It was pretty tricky. It was it was a backpack. Basically, it was a frame. So I wore it on my back. Like a backpack. Yeah. And [00:07:30] it was It was that wide. So it was very Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I had to. Oh, yeah. Sorry. And I tried to duck down to get under doors and things like that or almost walk on my knees to get around the place, so it was quite tricky. It must have made a choreography quite tricky as well. No, because you're only wearing that for the for the parade of nations. So you're walking. Basically, you don't have to dance in the huge works of art. Don't. Well, some girls do, but I I didn't. [00:08:00] So how far out before the performance are you actually preparing for the show? Oh, well, I guess that varies a lot on on people's organisation skills. It should be a long time, but it probably never is. Um, as long as you Yeah, should. I mean, I'm always a bit of a last minute girl, so Yeah, but this year I'm gonna try and do it differently. I'm gonna try and be organised because it just adds to your stress levels. Really Yeah, and I don't want it to be stressful. I want it to be as much fun as possible. So But it does take months. Yeah, it takes months of [00:08:30] you to spare time because, you know, of course, it's just what you do at home in the evenings. In most cases, most people don't get professionals, and it's mostly we make things ourselves. And when you say stressful, What what kind of stresses are there? Well, for me, it's like I'm not a brilliant artist or anything, So I have to work out how to turn mundane pieces of object into something that looks fantastic, you know, looks like a you know, part of your your country's or, you know, part of the national dress of your country. [00:09:00] And so it's always a, you know, stress a stress as I'm trying to work out how to how to create something. So I mean, I like it, but it's it's still a job in itself. It's great. It's part of the creative process, isn't it? Can you describe, um, the rehearsal period? How how does that work? I love the rehearsals. Rehearsals are fantastic. Twice a week, normally in the evenings or the afternoon, Sunday afternoon, Wednesday night or something, And they're just so much fun. And [00:09:30] I love working with a group of people, you know, working out the dance routines. And the choreographers that we have come in and teach us are fantastic. And, you know, they're turning people who can't dance for shit, and, uh, something that people like enough on stage to, you know, pay money and laugh. Clap at the end. So you know all our hats off to them. They do a fantastic job, and we try, You know, we work hard. We do the best we can when none of us are professional dancers. You know, the occasional time that we've had. Um, you know, professional dancers in there. It's like, Oh, it's fabulous. We love them. We love [00:10:00] them. We just think they're so talented and want to stand right behind them. So follow the moves. So, yeah, I love I love the rehearsals. They're great. It's a beautiful way to get to, you know, get to know a group of people. Um, and I guess one of the kind of other sides of things is to me I love the uber femininity of it like I. I The reason I am part I want to be a drag queen is because I want to try to out the boys who are trying to be as feminine as possible, you know? So here I am as a woman dressing up as a man who's dressing up as a woman. You know, I don't [00:10:30] exactly do how to do all that, but, um, I love it. I love to try to be, you know, uber fare and just, you know, just over the top. It's fun. Can you describe some of the things that you would do to be that kind of personality? Uh, well, you know, I don't have to do that. Like I said, it's just part of, you know, dressing up and having fun and playing and playing. But, um, you know, I love it that, uh, that my tits are real, and these aren't they, [00:11:00] um, and I'm never as tall as them, of course. So that's always pissing me. I always try to get taller, taller shoes because they always out beat me on the height, and their legs are normally much better than mine, you know. But Oh, well, at least I've got real tits. What's the highest heels you've been in? Uh, I. I don't know what I I measured some, but I saw some at, um at first scene the other month that I Well, last year was the other month. It was quite a while ago that I was dead keen to get on, but I thought that that would actually be a bit dangerous. But, you know, you go for what? What's that [00:11:30] about? Yeah, Yeah. So yeah. Try and get 20 centimetres on Easy. But I'd still but they're all wearing 20 centimetres as well, So I mean, look how naturally tall you are and add another 20 seconds. I've got a chance. But, you know, that's why I guess that's why the headdress is so fabulous. Because you just get your height with the headdress. Fabulous wigs. Can you talk to me about the the whole kind of transformation going from everyday you to stage you? Is there a difference? Uh, [00:12:00] is there a difference? Yeah. Yeah, there is. I mean, I, I I'm very shy normally. And, you know, I don't I'm not a, uh, extroverted person. Like I'm quite an introvert. But like I say, I think in lots of us there are. There is a performer who wants to get, you know, yelling to get out. And so for me, that's an opportunity and a permission to do that. Permission to be, um uh, a little bit naughty and and sexy and extroverted. Yeah, so I like that about it. [00:12:30] But it only happens as soon as you step on stage. Really? Hm. So not in the preparation. Not in the makeup, Not not particularly. No, no. For me. It's just when you walk on stage and maybe maybe at the party afterwards, you you carry it on and play around with a little bit, but no, it's Yeah, it's a performance. Can you recall when you first took part in the show and that first moment of walking on stage? What was that like? That was it was terrifying. Yeah, my heart was racing [00:13:00] and, um, extremely, extremely high. Like that carried me all night long. You know, I didn't have to drink or anything like that. It was just, like, stayed up till dawn and just Yeah, a natural high. It was incredible. And I have to admit that I was disappointed in the second year because I didn't get it as much. You know, I was like, Oh, second year, it was still the rush and the fun and the adrenaline, but not to the same extent. I. I remember that. I remember being able to wear, you know, really having sore sore feet. Um, but not even caring that first year was huge. Um, so I [00:13:30] suppose you do get used to a little bit, but not not as much as it's like routine or anything now. But I do remember the adrenaline from the first year was incredible. Do you have any, uh, things like rituals before you go on stage that you do, Or, uh um, no, not I don't have rituals, but I suppose for me, it's like, um, you know, that whole thing less is more. It's like I. I go for the opposite of that. It's like you can never have enough. You know, you can never have enough lipstick. You can never have enough gels. You can? [00:14:00] Yeah. So pile it on. I just keep piling it on. Yeah, that is not a ritual, but it's just you know. That's sort of what my mindset on, Just like bring it on. Can you describe for me, uh, the day of the performance and actually going through getting made up costume? And how how does that all work? I love. I love that. That's part of the show that we know we get makeup and and and all that attention. It's fantastic. It's so nice of them. I mean, it's not not so nice of them. I mean, I know it's part of the show, but it's it's It's [00:14:30] like I say, it's another one of those treats. It's another one of those special things that you get from it because, I mean, and the other thing I mean, I've been I've been taught how to put on makeup by the boys. You know, I, I I'm not a particularly, you know, dolly girl, uh, day to day. So I like that. You know, I get I was I remember the boys teaching me how to put makeup on a few years ago. You know, I used to blush around here and shape up your face and all that sort of I had no idea. It's quite funny that the boys are teaching me how to do that. Does it take a while? The transformation? It always [00:15:00] takes longer than you think. Yeah, it's the girls are really great at the makeup, but, um, you know, they've got a lot to get through. So we, um I like to get into the early slots because then you can relax because they're going helpfully they at the end. It is a bit of a oh, absolutely, Yeah, yeah, yeah. The one girl does the foundation, and you move on. One girl does the lipstick and another does the eyeliner. Yeah, definitely a production line. But, you know, and and that and that makes our faces all look similar. So, you know, because we are a chorus, so this, you know, that works. The girls [00:15:30] who are going through the second stage, they often do their own makeup. But I'm glad I don't have to do that because, you know, I can't brush my you know, I can't wax my eyebrows down and all that. It's quite a professional thing. What about the moment before the curtain goes up for the first time and you're on stage, you can hear the audience in the front. What is that feeling like? Oh, I love it. I love it. It's the anticipation is fantastic. Uh, you know, but your nerves are on end as well, because you've got to try [00:16:00] and remember everything. Um, you're hyped up, and but you feel like you're part of a community, you know, and you're working together as a team. And I love that. I love that. You know, all of us are are part of the show that, you know, we are working as as one. Uh, I like the spontaneity of it as well. I mean, even though it's all rehearsed, you know, the dance, et cetera. You never know what what's gonna happen. Jonathan and, um, Kevin are fantastic in their roles. And, um, yeah, it's a great It's a great team spirit. If I'm pulling together and you know, playing their [00:16:30] part, What's Jonathan like directing? What's his directing style? Like? He's also I mean, I. I love how he is. Um, totally professional, but extremely relaxed, like, you know, he loses it every now and then. But, you know, that just adds to his charm. Really. Um, as to his mother, Uh, Yeah, he's got you know, he's got the big picture, but he's also flexible enough to let us be ourselves. And he wants us to be ourselves, you know? So it's a It's a great balance of keeping [00:17:00] it together enough so that you've got a cohesive show But letting us be the individuals that we are it seems to be quite special that something can last for, you know, a good number of years and 10 shows and people will keep coming back for more. You mean the crew or the audience or both. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it's great, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not quite. I mean, I'm not sure. I, I sometimes I wish I was part of the audience again. Um, but I couldn't [00:17:30] resist being part of the show every year. I think Oh, maybe that's it. But every year I'm like, Oh, no, Oh, no. I want I want to do it again. I want to do it again. I mean, it was the same with the hero parade. You know, as soon as you as soon as you were in the hero parade, you didn't want to just watch anymore you know why would you it? So much more fun to be part of the part of it. So what are the audiences like? I suppose they're out for a night of fun, which is great, because that's what we're out there for as well. And I love that a lot of people know, you know, a lot of people [00:18:00] who come and people who know people who are in the show because I think it it, um it lifts it, lifts the atmosphere a lot. Yeah, because we're all sharing it. We're sharing it on a personal level. You know, you're not just going to see a performance, you're going to see a friend who's out, you know, or a friend or a friend and all part of your community as well. A lot of the time? Not always. But so is that a big feeling in the production team, The idea of family and of sharing and connections [00:18:30] and community? I think I think so. Like, um, I was part of the Auckland swim team and so a lot of the people that I, some of the some of the boys who were on the show, were part of swim team as well, so that, you know, that was a really nice connection, because I knew them from outside. And But, you know, you get to know other people that you just sort of click with who you never know. You never know before, and I mean, I don't have close friendships with them outside the show, but I just love it when we see each other again. You know, you've got such a connection through the [00:19:00] show. So, um, I've made really, really close friends, but I, I do have great, um, feelings towards all the people who are in it. You know, you really feel like you're connected through the show. Is there much bitchiness or rivalry that goes on in? Oh, I don't know if there is seriously, but I mean, there is certainly superficially, but that's just part of the, you know, that's just part of the bickering and fun and the girls and the queens. And yeah, certainly I've never felt anything serious, but, [00:19:30] um, I haven't been part of the stage, you know, the second act. So maybe there's a little bit more serious rivalry there because it is a true competition you know, and I like that about it, too. I helped dress, um, one of the stage two, second stage girls, um, in Wellington and I. I loved that as well. I mean, her costumes were fantastic and Oh, I just, um I was devastated when she didn't win. She's so sort of. There's certainly been controversy about the winners. And I, you know, that's been that's been interesting, you know, because they are independent [00:20:00] judges and we've all got our idea of who should win, and it's not always the same. So the audience probably got quite that's right and have a different idea as well. So, yeah, Do you have any, um, favourite moments from the performances you've been in? Oh, definitely that. You know, some of the stage I keep saying Stage two, but they're not there. They're the the real competition girls who get through to Stage two. That's what I'm meaning and their shows [00:20:30] have been fantastic. That's and and and it's one of the tricky things is you've got to try and work out how to get into the audience to watch them because, um, you know you're meant to be backstage, but we have our ways and yeah, that's those are the highlights. You know, the amount of effort that they put in, um, to their costumes to the story and things like that and Miss Francis Show last year. And, you know, he went to such effort. It was fantastic. His costumes are amazing. And, um, II I really admire that. I really admire the, [00:21:00] um, amount of effort that they do and they put in and yeah, and some of them have just been fantastic. And Miss Scotland, you know, a few years ago, she was one of my favourites, and, um And then, of course, Miss Transylvania is one I missed. But I know I saw it afterwards, and that was just, you know, incredible. And lots of them loads and loads and loads. So the the second act is is to me the highlight, I think, as you know, from an external point of view for me, it's the song and dance and the dressing up. But when I think about [00:21:30] the rest of the show, that's those are the highlights. So what was, um, Scotland? Can you describe what Scotland was wearing and what they did? Well, she She has a classic tall beehive wig on, you know, about five stories high and, ah, I can't remember too much. But it was, I think it's David. Oh, excuse me, I'm wrong. But he has the best best face for stage. It's just so expressive and his personality shines out. So for me, it's his personality. You can just [00:22:00] get an audience, Um, right. Really engaged and right on his side, I think. And, um oh, he just pulls it off. It's just a natural. That's my highlight. You know, that's what I love about it. I can't remember the details. I don't remember the details, but I you know, I remember bagpipes and all. The usual Scottish, you know, Scottish themes. Yeah, that's the personality I remember. So coming up is the 10th and final pageant, and [00:22:30] I'm just wondering if you had any thoughts on that, Uh, I think it's important that things don't carry on forever. Same as sitcoms and things like that. You know, things do have a natural life. Um, you have to accept that, uh, and I'm not sure about, um, you know, everyone will be terribly disappointed as well, if it doesn't carry on. So, um, for me, I just like to take opportunities as they're as they're there. And, you know, this is, um perhaps [00:23:00] the final one. So that's why I couldn't miss out. Because I know that it's one of the most exciting and fun things in my life. Yeah, And so you know, for me, I, I want to give it all, you know. And I'm really looking forward to really going all out again or No, not all out again. I'm like, I'm all out because I, I do feel like I've slipped a little bit, you know? And I don't like that, you know, we want to do our best. So I'm looking forward to doing as much as I can as to put everything into my costume and to get as much out of it as I can. [00:23:30] Because if it is the final one, then I'll be sad. Yeah, but I also think, you know, maybe there's opportunity for something, uh, you know, new to come out of it. And we do need to keep reinventing ourselves. And the world is constantly changing. So, do you think for each performance the kind of bar has been raised. Oh, definitely, Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. And we, you know, we're always pinching ideas off each other and wanting to outdo each other. And, you know, it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. [00:24:00] Yeah. So, I, I totally think the bar is raised all the time. I like that. And to think now that performing in the centre where you might have 2000 people I don't think about that too much. I just you know, you can't see them anyway. It's just the lights. Well, that's an interesting point. You know, like, um, if you had something to say to all those people out there in the dark on the on that last show, what would it be? Oh, that's a good question. [00:24:30] Um, I guess I wanna say something like my life short. I don't know. That's part of it. It's just like love, short, have fun and and support and take care of each other. Yeah, because that's what I like about it. You know, we are. We are raising money for our community. We are having fun together. We are, um, and and I. I so admire Jonathan Jonathan for that. For all the work that he does to create the show and [00:25:00] the community. And, you know, it's an incredible legacy that he's created, and I just think he's brilliantly talented and love it. Love him. Yeah, I'm not sure what I'd say to the audience, but, um, I just want I just want them to know how much fun we're having and you know that they can have fun, too. And I hope I'm sure, people, everyone has fun in their own ways. But, um, I think that's what I like about it is like take the opportunities.
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