Danny Beard on their alter ego: 'Daniel might think it but Danny Beard will say it'
Having conquered series four of Drag Race UK, Danny Beard is stepping out with their debut solo show. As part of our festival issue drag special, we discover a performer tearing up the gender playbook, and whose singular look has emerged from sheer inconvenience
‘We’ve been bloody everywhere. We’ve been up and down the country like a nun’s nightie!’ exclaims Danny Beard about their tour which will swing by the Fringe for five nights.
‘This theatre show is really ten years in the making. I’ve been a cabaret artiste (aka drag-queen-in-a-pub) for ten years. I’ve always wanted to do it at this level with amazingly talented people; the resumé of the band alone is much bigger than I probably ever will be.’
Any Drag Race fans will know exactly why this national tour has come about now. Mass TV exposure came when Beard won last year’s UK competition; what it showcased was not just an instinct for showbiz and inventive transformations but also a very sharp wit, which Beard credits their dad for.
‘I am basically a much cooler, much better looking, much skinnier version of my dad,’ they laugh. ‘I’m not even that skinny. He’s so quick-witted and funny, and I think growing up around someone like that . . . I’ve basically inherited it but made it much gayer.’
Consequently the show will be a mix of music, song and a lot of humour. ‘I speak about hetties (heterosexuals) and take the piss out of them and also out of celebs and a lot of the people in the room. I’m inspired by acts like Lily Savage and queens at work now such as Myra Dubois: that quick wit; she’s got such a character. Danny Beard is me but make-up allows me to take it over the edge. Daniel might think it but Danny Beard will say it.’
Drag Race has helped display the full range of drag out there, not just the hyper-real female look that many associate it with. Beard sits somewhere in between traditional gender markers, with plenty of colourful (sometimes feminine) make-up teamed with a beard. Having found wigs uncomfortable, and the constant close shave, it’s an inconvenience that led to a look. ‘Everyone has an opinion on gender now; what I’m doing is mocking all that. I’ve got a clown face, a beard, massive tits, and hips. I don’t have a gender: Danny Beard isn’t really a gender. The forefront of the show is comedy and singing; that’s what I'm good at. Really, Danny Beard is a thing; in a way that’s more powerful now than ever.’
Danny Beard And Their Band, Underbelly George Square, 21–25 August, 9.40pm; The Gossip Gays podcast, Underbelly Bristo Square, 24 August, 5.30pm.