THE UK’S latest drag superstar is back with a bang, as well as a backing band and– of course – a beard.
Renowned drag performer Danny Beard has announced that they’re off on tour again, bringing an evening of laughs, live music, and lewks to venues around the country in their latest show, Straight Expectations.
Since their first taste of TV, when Danny made it to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent in 2016, they have cemented their place in the drag Hall of Fame by snatching the crown in the fourth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2022.
Now, with the drag world at their feet, Danny says they have no intention of resting on their laurels.
“It’s an old school drag comedy show, with live singing, anecdotes about being a Z-list celebrity– and picking on the audience, of course, so choose where you sit very carefully.
“It’s very interactive so every night is different but there’s a whole new set list this year with the band; all you need for a good night out.”
Danny explains that singing has been a huge part of their act for a long time: “At least 10 years– I grew up performing in all the gay clubs, which really have their roots in that old-school vibe, places like the Vauxhall Tavern, but this is going to be that on steroids… and with a bit more of a production budget.
“British drag is all of that, and I love to bring the old school camp with a new school style in mine.
“It’s evolved even since Drag Race– I used to be scared to be seen in a wig– but we don’t box ourselves in here.”
Danny adds that drag has a particular place in the cultural landscape of the UK, too: “Drag is very traditionally British– look at panto– and it has been misogynistic with its over-the-top stereotypes.
“But we’ve moved on, I think; I’m certainly not here to take the pee out of women, so I mix all of those masculine and feminine elements.
“I also have those elements like the white face, which reminds you that it’s a clown, a character, not male or female, just otherness.
“I can sit within that as a queer person and look out at life and take my view.”
This is where the show, Straight Expectations, also got its name.
“It’s about what’s expected of us as LGBTQ+ people, but also what do we expect of straight people?
“How do we see the world through our gay goggles.”
And that freedom is something that drag bestows on performers, which Danny says is one of its main points of attraction.
“People are drawn to drag because you’re looking at someone who has put on clothes and make-up to make a version of themselves that isn’t real– it’s more extreme, more silly, it’s the ultimate clown.
“Without being too political, that’s why it’s more important today than ever– you only have to look at how the government is throwing trans people under the bus to see how extreme things can get.
“It’s strange when those same people reading anti-trans rhetoric have been to drag shows, yet still haven’t managed to join the dots yet.
“If there’s work we can do through drag there, then that’s great, but fundamentally it’s entertainment.
“That’s true of my show too– if we can change a few people’s minds, great, but while there will be little elements of my own stances, it’s for all, and it’s just a bit of fun.”
That freedom also especially suits Danny: “You can get away with murder, and that’s my style.
“This is my second UK tour, and people would keep coming back last time.
“They’d move closer and closer to the front each time, hoping they’d be picked on, which is a real testament to the audience– they don’t take it too seriously, and I certainly don’t.”
Danny has appeared on a number of TV shows besides Drag Race, including contributions to some of the most popular reality shows of the last year.
They have thrown shade and enthused about their highlights in companion shows for both the recently-relaunched Big Brother and the second series of the UK version of The Traitors.
Speaking on their journey following their Drag Race victory, they said that they don’t ever tire of live audiences.
“This is what I’ve been doing for years, it’s my bread and butter, I feel like I’m coming home when I step on stage.
“I’ve always dreamed of being able to bring it to the extra level by bringing a live band, but if I had to go back to doing the pubs and the clubs with a 99p backing track tomorrow, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
“I’ve loved it, and I’ve learned so much, but I’ve always dreamed of doing it at this level.”
Danny co-hosts The Gossip Gays alongside best mate and DJ Billy Andrew, through which their signature sharp-wit, shade, and silliness runs like a stick of Brighton rock.
While live work is their longest love, they explain that having that exposure through TV and podcasts certainly comes with its perks, too: “You get a lot of new people, especially those who have seen me on TV, or through the podcast.
“And they say ‘oh s***, she can sing and tell a joke too’– people know you for one thing, but are often surprised.”
Of course, drag has not been immune from the explosion of the multimedia landscape which everything has undergone over the last few decades.
“People want that access to you in different ways: some like the live show, some will just like the podcast- different people tap into those different elements.
“But as an entertainer you have to hit all of those bits– you’re putting out 100%, but most audiences only engage with 10% of that.
“So keeping yourself in different realms for people, and it’s so nice when they want more– that always surprises me, actually.
After 16 seasons of the US iteration, as well as the fifth series of its UK counterpart and countless international versions, Drag Race has reached something of a saturation point for many.
But Drag Race is its own beast, Danny argues: “People can feel that the show can be a bit over-saturated, but there are talented queens who’ve cut our teeth and done this for a long time.
“I’m not shading anyone else at all, but there are a lot of queens who were in their bedrooms who’ve been given a whole new career.
“But there’s also a few who are presenters, or actors, we’re not just reality stars– it sounds so shady!”
But even then, they explain, TV alone doesn’t solve all of a queen’s problems.
“People think going on TV changes your life overnight, that you don’t worry about anything afterwards.
“It’s true to a certain extent; all of sudden you are in different circles.
“But you never really feel like you’ve made it– I never did, even though if five years ago I could see myself as I am now, I’d think I’d ‘made it.’”
“But when you’re there, you always think of the next big thing.”
It is something Danny touches on in their new show, too: “I do make fun of this never being happy, always wanting the next level.
“I think even Béyonce sits there and wonders what she’s gonna do next, so I do sit back and reflect sometimes about what I’ve achieved.
“But you always think of the ‘no’s you got, and those missed opportunities– the audience only sees the gloss, but the reality is that we still rock up to gigs getting ready in port-a-loos.”
“The reality is that the industry isn’t all glitz and glamour, and I find that juxtaposition really funny.”
But they explain that drag helps in transcending those feelings, even with just a cheap set of make-up.
“I think one would need to ask Divina [de Campo] about cheap make-up, though!”
Shade aside, they added: “But there are certainly people in our industry who still overlook us, or think we’re all the same– a drag queen is a drag queen, kind of thing.”
“Drag performers turn lemons into lemonade, but I’m so lucky to have the queer community and its allies, because they’ve given me a career.
“Lots of people get their moment in the limelight, but don’t get the support which has kept me going.
“I recently had a night out in Manchester, where you’ve got people like Bailey J Mills and Shania Payne, who are just so talented and busy and booked and blessed and funny.
“They exemplify what we do as queer people: we make our own celebrities, our own towns, and give them space to thrive.
“That’s the kind of drag I love seeing, and it all comes from one place: so many types of drag, bio-queens, kings like Louis Cyfer, who don’t get that mainstream appreciation.”
This, Danny explains, is the root of drag, however un-dyed it may be.
“Even then, though, I also love it when straight people come just to see the art of it; you don’t have to be queer for it to mean something to you.
“It can change someone’s life or just make them chuckle… they’re both victories, and they never leave me.”
Danny Beard is touring the country with Straight Expectations in the autumn, including a date at The Corn Exchange, Newbury, on Wednesday, September 4.
Tickets are available via: cornexchangenew.com/event/danny-beard
