The title of this recording is "David Inglis - Queen of the Whole Universe". It is described as: David Inglis talks about being part of the Queen of the Whole Universe beauty pageant. It was recorded in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand on the 29th April 2012. David Inglis is being interviewed by Gareth Watkins.  Their names are spelt correctly but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document. The duration of the recording is 28 minutes. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast David talks about being part of the Queen of the Whole Universe beauty pageant. The content in the recording covers the 2000s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: This abstract summarizes a podcast interview recorded on April 29, 2012, in which David Inglis discusses their involvement in the "Queen of the Whole Universe" beauty pageant. The "Queen of the Whole Universe" pageant is a drag event held in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, that began in the early 2000s as a community and fundraising event, primarily to benefit the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. David Inglis describes the initial experience as a participant who had not previously performed in drag. They admit to being a thespian who, excited by an opportunity to return to the stage, joined as a cast member in what was then a new and raw adventure. The first rehearsals for the pageant were held at the Sky City Theatre, with about 40 participants ranging from seasoned performers to novices. The energy and excitement were palpable, especially for those newly stepping onto a theatre stage. The inaugural event set a precedent for the audience's enthusiasm, creating an electric atmosphere that was reciprocated by the performers. David highlights the transformative experience of performing, including the thrill of audience applause, the camaraderie forged with fellow participants, and the safe and inclusive environment that the event fostered. The warm and congenial dynamic among the cast members was notably devoid of negativity, contributing to a friendly and enjoyable experience. Over time, David contributed to the event in various capacities, from wearing elaborate costumes representing different countries to supporting roles as a "boy." Costume costs could be significant, with David having invested a substantial amount for an Act Two costume representing Greece. Many participants willingly incurred such expenses as part of their charitable contributions to the event. David differentiates the experience of participating in the pageant from traditional drag performance; while the former is viewed more as theatrical presentation, the latter is associated with performances outside of a theatre context. Each participant has the freedom to create their character, with guidance from the artistic team led by Jonathan and Kevin who bring in professional staging and choreography, even though the performers themselves are amateurs. The abstract concludes by touching on the significance of the audience, noting stark differences between cities – with Wellington's artistic community being significantly different from Auckland's community-based viewership. The interview underscores the profound appreciation for the audience's support over the years and the hope for the future evolution of the event. Overall, this podcast captures the essence of a unique community event that combined elements of drag, pageantry, and philanthropy, showing its significant impact on those involved and its audience. The full transcription of the recording begins:  So, what was your first involvement with the pageant? Uh, I actually had a friend around and, uh, to my place, and he was involved in the show. It was in the early stages. And, um he indicated that he was in this thing that was going to be happening at the Sky City Theatre. And I got really excited about that being a thespian from way back and not having done anything for a very long time. And, um, I went along, and it was just what I wanted was perfect at that point. Was this as an audience member or No, At that point, it was a cast member, and, uh, the concept was, um, about a beauty pageant. So they were getting together a whole lot of guys that were going to be drag queens. And at that stage in in 2004, probably the bulk of us had not ever put on a frock before. So there was this really raw, um, energy that was wanting to come through, and I think he succeeded. Um, of course, now, you know, nine years down the track, we've done it every year. It's not so raw um, it's just as much fun, but not so raw. So can you take me back to those first rehearsals for that first pageant? What? What were they like? Oh, Lord 2004, That's stretching the memory. The were, uh, exciting. Um, we were really fortunate to be able to have the Sky City Theatre for nearly every rehearsal, which is really unusual in theatre. And it was wonderful being back in a theatre for myself and probably, I don't know, maybe a dozen other people that had worked in shows before. To be working in theatre again was fantastic. And for those that had never done anything on stage, it was really exciting. And their excitement rubbed off on us. It was wonderful. Um, I actually don't think it's ever been regained. That same level of excitement, how many participants were there? 40 maybe. I don't know. Do do you know if it was easy to get participants for the for that first pageant that I don't know, either. Jonathan's never talked about that. Um, certainly, at the first initial reading, there was seemed to be quite a bit of interest. Um, and I gather that as the years have gone on and it's been as successful as it has been. Interest has has increased. Um, so, no, I don't know whether it was difficult or not. From my point of view, it wasn't because I wasn't gathering anybody in. I was just one of the worker bees. So that first pageant, what was it like on stage just before the curtain went up? Oh, everything that you could imagine it to be. Um, you were full of adrenaline. You were full of excitement. And I think what surprised us as a group most was the audience buy in even before they'd seen the first show. And the the level of excitement from an audience was was just amazing. And we just fed off that for the for the rest of the show. But as the curtain went up, you could feel it. And it was quite extraordinary, actually. So were there any highlights from that first pageant for you? No. Nothing stood out as a highlight. Um, it was wonderful to be in the theatre again. And the the camaraderie that was, um, that has come out of it at that Over a period of four or five years has been a highlight. But at that time no one knew what was gonna happen. So, no, I couldn't say that there was a particular highlight on the evening or in that first show. Hm. It was more of a It's It's what's happened after. There must have been something in that first show to make both participants and audiences want to come back a second time. What? What was it for you that you wanted to come back? Oh, what was it for me? It was the applause from the audience. It was working in a theatre. It was the smell of the grease paint. Um, it was, um, working in a show that was, um, really friendly. And, uh, and on another side, working with gays and lesbians, um, in a really friendly, safe environment where there was that didn't seem or appear to be at that stage. And I guess there there still isn't now. But there wasn't any, um, bitchiness or, um, backstabbing or it was just a really friendly place to be. Um, I really enjoyed that. How do you think that environment was set up was developed that I couldn't say, just from the it was. Maybe it was good. More good luck than good measure. Um, perhaps it was just the different personalities that were there. Um, maybe we were guided by, um, a strong artistic team in the in Jonathan and Kevin and, um, our backstage crew I. I really don't know. So So the artistic team, Um, Kevin and and Jonathan how do they work? Basically, they bring in, um, choreographers. And they, um, Jonathan is more of an artistic director, and, um, Kevin is his support. And over the years, um, has become more and more of a support. Um, but, see, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, so he may have been a driving force right from the very beginning, but from from the outside looking in, it's been Jonathan. And, um, yeah, he just has a really good team around him. He brings in experienced, um, staging crew, um, experienced, um, choreographers. And, um, on the night, of course, the theatre takes over. So you've got, you know, professional lighting and stage and tech crews. So and I think that has it's It's It's professional. We are amateur. Um, we're amateur because we're not being paid, but I think it's done professionally. It's interesting, though, isn't it? That to participate, you don't need to have necessarily reached any level of singing or dancing? Absolutely not. No. And, um, in fact, even on the night, there are many levels of singing and dancing and lip syncing and acting abilities on stage. It's not about that. It's not about, um, the quality of the performances that you are willing to participate and perform. Its main role was a fundraiser for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation in the very beginning, so it had a very altruistic, um, buy in by the participants and in fact, probably the audience. Um, that has since moved as it's become a little bit more professional. Um, QWU has become a trust, and they now give to 33 or four charities. Three, I think, um, all in the gay and lesbian community and AIDS or HIV related. But in the early stages it was a New Zealand AIDS Foundation charitable event, and that could have been, um, the cause for the buy in for both the audience and the cast. Why did you Why did you get involved Oh, I wanted to go back on stage. Really selfish. I know. And and, um, when I was there, it became obvious to me that it was going to cost, um, financially and Timewise. And so I then sort of thought about why I was doing it, and yeah, it was basically, it's the only It's the only charitable work I do all year. I don't give to many charities. Um, and this seemed a really good way of giving back, so it was a win win for everybody. Um, I got what I wanted out of it. I got a show, and yeah, and I was giving something back to the community. You mentioned cost. Can Can you talk about the cost? Both kind of financially and and and time wise? Well, financially, there is the cost of getting your own costume together. Um, Jonathan provides makeup and provides makeup artists. Um, which is really handy for most people that have never done it before. But we have to provide the costuming and, um, and the time, um, you know, 23 days a week, um, petrol to get there. Um, there. There's there's ancillary costs as well, But predominantly, it's your costuming. And how much on an average would a costume cost? Well, that would depend on how elaborate you want to go. Um, when I was an Act two girl, uh, I spent probably two grand on the outfit, um, one year, and that was that's probably at the high end of spending. But it's, um Yeah, that would for me anyway, that would be at the high end of spending. In which country were you? Uh, that particular country was Greece. And how did you How did you portray Greece? Um, by bringing on a lot of anonymous stories. Don't laugh. Uh, Kevin and Jonathan really enjoyed it. Um, it didn't win, and that's that's absolutely fine. But it wasn't about the winning. It was about, um, getting people involved. And the for me. Um, my my support crew were from act one. they were members of the of the team. Anyway, I've never subscribed to the idea of bringing in professionals because I didn't think that that's what it was about. I really enjoyed bringing in, um, other other crew members and team members that I've worked with in act one. the headdress that I created was the, uh and unfortunately, the guy that made it for me was not a costume maker. He was a set designer, so he built it. It was actually made out of wood. Um, very, very heavy. And yeah, um, anyhow, it it looked fabulous and was worth every cent that I paid for it. Um, I've still got it. And I may resurrect it for the next show. And you actually wore it. Oh, I did wear it. Yes, it actually fitted onto my head. I did need a sponge, and I couldn't wear it for more than about 10 minutes. And you're laughing. It's true. I had a headache afterwards. It was very, very heavy, but worked. And And then I went on, and the act two piece was, um, set in a, um so I had the smashing of the plates really stereotypically grease. And then, of course, the act two piece was, um, you know, went through from the Olympics because I needed some naked bodies on stage because it always goes down well and then straight through to Nana. And you were saying Greece didn't win that year? No, no, not at all it came forth. Having said that, there were only four participants. Act two is a true competition. Um, Act one is not. But that's because of the logistics. The Act two girls need to know that they are going through to Act two. Because of the rehearsal and the costuming and the staging. However, Act two is a competition, and there is a group of about five or six, judges in the audience, and they are looking for specific criteria. So, yeah, no one knows who's going to win. And in fact, a couple of years we've all been waiting backstage and it's been a bit of a surprise for people. So yeah, and it's not always the audience favourite. So how does that feel? How does that feel? What a leading. How does that feel? Um, to lose or you don't really lose it. You haven't won. Um, you've actually you still participated in the show and you've had a really good time doing it, and you've enjoyed doing it, so I actually don't see it as losing. I see it as, um as coming forth and not winning. If that makes any sense, it it wasn't about losing? Definitely not. Um, the the feeling of, um of just participating was enough. Yeah, to know that I'd participated. So had you done had you done kind of drag performance before? No. No, I hadn't, um, prior to 2004, I had, uh I had done drag for a charitable event. Um, in the Blue Mountains. Um, and I lasted for about an hour. At the time, my partner was a drag queen, and I was not. And he did. They care me into dressing for the for this function. It didn't last very well. It was a strange feeling, Um, and one that I never repeated again. So, no, I would have to say no. Um, but I don't look at this as drag. You see, I look at it as theatre, and the costume that I'm putting on happens to be as a woman, but I still don't look at it as drag for me. It's very much a theatre piece, a show, so it's costume and makeup. So what would your definition of drag be? A drag would be dressing up as a woman and going out on the town, um or performing in a bar or um, performing, uh, outside of the stage environment outside of a show environment. Um, since 2004, I have done a couple of shows, um, down at the Wellington, uh, gardens festival. I was asked down there a couple of times and, um, also with, um, another friend from this show. We were invited to do a piece at the big day out, um, in drag. And that was very much a drag performance. I guess it blurs. And I myself, for the outside person, it's drag for myself. I have a very set boundary, and that is when I'm in the theatre. It's a show. Um, and when it's outside of the theatre, it's drag. So for the pageant, have you done any other roles? Uh, yes, I have. I've been, um, an act one girl for the first year, Uh, an Act two girl for the next two years. Uh, then I went into the audience for the 3rd 4th year, and then I came back as a boy and just did the boy's role. And then the next year, I came back and I was a boy and supported an act two girl and that went down to Wellington. And, um, the next performance, I'm going to be an act one girl supporting an Act two girl. So the only thing I haven't done would be crew. And the difference between the parts of the boys and the girls are very little makeup. Maybe, um, the boys have become bigger and bigger as the years have gone on. I think the first show had two, and they were basically there, uh, just to move the girls around stage. Maybe it was an a requirement at the time, Um, not letting the girls fall off the stage when they had their head dress on. But the boys have become a part of the show. And in the last, I think the most he's had was 10. Um, they have their own routines, and while they still are quite instrumental in getting the girls around on the catwalk, um, they are They are also a part of the show in their own right. Can you take me through the process of transforming from you and your everyday life to being, uh, one of the the girls in as representing a country? No, I can't because I don't have any transitional period. Um, it's a it's a part that I'm playing. Um, I create a character as any, um, as any person on stage would. And when I go to rehearsal, I learn the steps and I learn the choreography. I learn the show, and then I go to the show and I'm that person. I'm that character for the evening. So there isn't really a transitional period that's any different from working in any theatre. So you're saying that as soon as you get to the theatre, you switch into this role pretty much, Yes. That afternoon. Um, you you sort of build up to that character and know how you're going to behave. And then when you get to the theatre, you you put the costuming and the makeup on. Um and you are that person for that two hours, three hours. Um, and then at the end of the show, you take it all off and you become David again. So the character that you go into is that created by yourself? Yes, it is. Yes. Um, all of our all of our characters are created by ourselves. Jonathan's pretty lenient with that. He gives us direction if we need it, and but pretty much gives us enough rope to hang ourselves as well. Um, he he does keep a pretty tight rein on what's going on on the show. He needs to, um he has sponsors to consider, and he has a paying audience to consider, so he can't let anything go out That isn't up to standard. Um, we charge, you know, we're not. We charge for tickets, so we've got to have a professional, uh, product. But we have as actors, we have pretty much, um, as much as we want in the development of our character. What have been your character's names? Oh, well, Miss Brunei, um, can't remember. That was 2004, uh, Italy. Hm. No idea. Um, my gosh, uh, Greece was Olympia Stadium, and then the boys were, um yeah, have no, I can't remember because I tend to forget one show after it's finished, because it's done and dusted, and I finished looking at the whole process. What is the highlight for you? Where where does that come of the process of a of a show of a particular show? The highlight would be the the night. The performance? Absolutely. It's all about the performance. Um, the highlight of the last nine years have been the people and the meeting of of some amazing, truly amazing and wonderful people. I would have to say the camaraderie and the friendships that I've made simply by being involved in the show have far out shown any any, um, euphoria from being in the show. Have you been involved with any other, uh, lesbian gay queer groups that have had that kind of camaraderie? No, I haven't. Actually, I've been only involved in a couple of sporting groups and yeah, we've become We know that the friendships involved that have been made over this show have have gone beyond the show and outlasted the show. And because the show is only on once a year, that's a very short period of time that we're all together. But the friendships that you make have lasted longer, and you're seeing people throughout the year. So, no, I would have to say it's quite unique. Um, for me, Anyway, in that area, I wonder why that is. Um that I don't know. It could be that it's such a short season that it's a a two month period and a one night show that people are more probable, Uh, probably likely to want to see you longer. I don't know. Um, whereas when you're in a in a sporting group, um, you're seeing each other every week. So maybe there isn't that need to form a relationship. I don't know. Can you take me through the rehearsal process? How? How does it actually all kind of come together? The rehearsal process? Um, we meet as a group. Um, we are introduced to the music. Uh, we introduced to the choreographers, and the choreographers have, um, obviously already planned what they're going to do for us. They then, uh, teach us the steps, and it comes together that way. Um, no different from any other show. Really? Um, the Yeah, and then you just rehearse. You rehearse the steps and rehearse the, um, the vision that Jonathan's got for the show. Um, a couple of things that aren't that aren't danced but are choreographed would be the, um, the catwalk, um, and other other areas where there's more than one person on stage. Um, so, yeah, the act that That's the Act one. And for the bulk of the show, the act twos are are quite separate and are all individual pieces. And so, if you're involved within an act two, then you do your own rehearsing, and you you write your own script, you source your own music. You, um, create your own costuming and create your own design and set. Gather together your own cast. Put together your own little show. You're actually putting together a five or six minute peace or show in its entirety. You then when you move into the theatre, uh, liaise with the theatre company, um, with regard to lighting and stage management and then on the night it all comes together. Hopefully, have there been things that have gone wrong? Yeah, yeah, they have the, um yes, I guess. I guess it must be very hard for a whole group of people to turn up to the theatre a couple of days beforehand and only have a couple of days before one performance. Yes, it would be, um, typically, you've rehearsed it on the same sized, uh, area as the staging. Uh, we've been really lucky and really fortunate with having the same theatre now for the last, you know, 56 performances. And, um so we know the theatre. And, um, the cast know the crew. The crew know the cast, so it's not as difficult as you might think. Um, going to Wellington was difficult. We'd never, ever seen those two theatres before. And but But at the same time that they are professional, the the the the stage crew and the lighting and the they all work the same way they they're all professionals. And so they know what to do. Um, and we just have to move as we've rehearsed, so no, it's not that difficult. Really? No. No. Is that an exciting time when you once you move into a theatre? Oh, yes. Oh, very exciting. Um, the rehearsals are a bit mundane and a bit monotonous towards the end. Um, and yeah, moving into the theatre. It just adds a whole new level of energy and a whole new level of excitement. What about the audiences? Have you noticed a difference between, say, like the Wellington audience and the Auckland audience? Oh, definitely. Wellington is, um is artistic Wellington audiences, um go to see a show any show. So our audiences down in Wellington, where Blue rinse little old ladies from Palmerston North that go to Wellington for every show that's on in Wellington, in Auckland, it's, um, a lot different in that it's more community based audience. Yeah, a friends and family or, um, gay and lesbian or friends of gay and lesbian or friends of the AIDS Foundation. Uh, people that know about the show know about the cause and are going to support that, Um, whereas in Wellington they were just going to a show. So yeah, it was a very different audience in Wellington. Um, they saw it quite differently. And do you get that kind of feedback? Because I know at the end of the show, you go and mingle with the public. We do go and mingle with the public. I however, um, take off my costume because I see it as a costume and my rule of thumb working in theatre was you never walk past the proscenium arch in costumes, so my makeup and costume comes off. So I'm often not recognised more often than not not recognised as part of the show. So it's quite interesting. Um, walking amongst the, um audience and not being recognised, which is fantastic. Um, whereas the girls, they want to stay in costume and come out, and that's fine, you know, for what it is. Um, it's not what I was brought up to do, but and and the audience is, um, most of them stay. There's always an after show function. Um, most stay And, um, yeah, it's a really good vibe. It's just a really good vibe. What kind of comments do you hear as being in kind of in cognitive and and actually that it's quite professionally done. And, um, for those that have been there for the first time, they were really surprised at how professional it was. So whether they were going expecting an amateur, um, production, Um, I don't know. I don't know what they were expecting. However, I think expectations were, uh, exceeded in most cases. From what I've heard, and you've also spent a year sitting in the audience, I have that was actually really exciting, and we got to the theatre and the buzz in the audience was electric. And it's not one that you feel from backstage until the curtain goes up. So to go to the bar and sit with everyone. And there were people that hadn't seen each other for a whole year that were coming to the show again and again that were meeting up again 12 months later. And they it was It was unbelievably exciting, actually, to be in the audience, and and the buzz before the curtain went up was, um, phenomenal. And I really think that everyone that's in the show should have actually been in the audience at one point. Hm. It was really different. It was not what I expected from A from a normal show. It's not. It wasn't the the normal buzz of a theatre foyer. So we're coming up to the 10th and final Show. What are your thoughts on that? Jonathan has, um, two catchphrases. One is no surprises on the night, and the other is It's always fluid now. It wouldn't surprise me if this is not the last performance. He has indicated that it's the last performance in this format. What that means, only he knows. And yeah, I. I would hate to think that we were going to disband completely, Um, because it's it does need to change. Things. Need to grow. Things need to evolve. So maybe he's got something else in mind. I. I have no idea. We're not privy to that yet. Um, at this stage, it's the last show. But he has said in this present format as a qualifier. So watch the space. Finally, I'm just wondering, if you had the opportunity to speak to all those people out there in the dark on on that last performance night, what would you Would you have any special message for them? No, thank you for supporting us. That's it. Um, the The show itself hasn't changed in format over 10 performances. Um, since 2004, and yet we are still filling the the house. Um, So the support is either for us or for the charities that we are raising money for. And I would just have two words, and that would be Thank you. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 2000s ; Aotearoa New Zealand ; Auckland ; Coming Up ; David Inglis ; Drag Queen ; Italy ; Palmerston North ; People ; Queen of the Whole Universe ; Space ; Toronto ; Wellington ; acting ; audience ; beauty ; change ; choreography ; community ; competition ; costumes ; dancing ; design ; difference ; division ; donation ; drag ; energy ; environment ; expectations ; family ; friends ; fun ; gay ; hate ; individual ; ladies ; lesbian ; makeup ; music ; nature ; normal ; opportunity ; other ; performance ; podcast ; prison ; queen ; queer ; reading ; scene ; singing ; straight ; support ; theatre ; time ; trust ; walking ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/qwu_david_inglis.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089196. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.