The Art of Drag: A Practical Performers’ Handbook is the ultimate guide for all drag kings, queens and queers who want to bring their best to the stage.
Filled with a wide range of exercises and advice from working performers, this book is a guide and support for every working drag act, but also the drag-curious wanting to step a sequinned toe onto the stage for the first time. The book focuses on practical performance advice for creating new work, refining existing work, and exploring new skills and perspectives from the world of drag. It also includes:
- Practical performance guides demystifying live performance skills such as singing, lip-sync, impersonation, and comedy.
- Top tips on how to get bookings and make a profit.
- Advice on how to best communicate with an audience and create an unforgettable live experience.
- Interviews with seven sensational acts who discuss how they use the art of drag: Adam All, Simply Barbra, Ada Campe, Hugo Grrrl, Le Fil, Me the Drag Queen and Son of a Tutu.
Written by a drag act, for drag acts, The Art of Drag is an invaluable resource for new and aspiring drag performers, along with academic performance courses covering Drag, Cabaret, or Queer Performance.
Filled with a wide range of exercises and advice from working performers, The Art of Drag: A Practical Performers’ Handbook is the ultimate guide for all drag kings, queens and queers who want to bring their best to the stage.
Part 1: Getting on the Same Page
1. Starting Here, Starting Now - A New
Beginning
2. Being Good, Isnt Good Enough - The Business of Drag
3. Who Will
Buy? - The Economics of Drag
4. The Best Thing Youve Ever Done - Measuring
Success
5. Memory - Rehearsal & Development
6. As Time Goes By - Building a
Set, Range & Repertoire
7. Sweet Inspiration Inspiration Part 2: Craft,
Stages & Inspiration
8. Where Do You Start? - Basic Drag
9. It Had to Be You
- Alter-Ego
10. Being Alive - Making Choices & Finding a Voice
11. People -
Audience Experience
12. Anywhere I Hang My Hat Is Home: Stages & Spaces Part
3: Performance, Skills & Style
13. Tell Him - Talking On-Stage
14. Make Your
Own Kind of Music - Vocal & Singing Technique
15. Sing - Sing a Song
16.
Putting It Together - Editing & Creating a Track
17. Gotta Move - Performing
& Rehearsing a Lip-Sync
18. Send In the Clowns - Comedy, Reading & Roasting
19. Isnt This Better Parody
20. With a Little Help from Friends -
Impersonation; Celebrity Tribute & Parody
21. Where Is It Written? - Actings,
Script & Castings
22. Much More- Hosting & Solo Shows
23. Dont Rain on My
Parade Onwards Part 4: Praxis in Practice
24. My Man - Interview with Adam
All
25. My Name Is Barbra - Interview with Simply Barbra
26. Keepin Out of
Mischief Now - Interview with ADA Campe
27. The Way He Makes Me Feel -
Interview with Le Fil
28. Simple Man - Interview with Hugo Grrrl
29. Lets
Hear It for Me -Interview with Me
30. Mother - Interview with Son of a Tutu
31. As If We Never Said Goodbye - Finale
Michael Twaits is a drag act, actor and producer based in London. He is the creator and facilitator of The Art of Drag course at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which has run for over a decade and birthed over 200 drag acts. Michael is a prolific drag performer who has 20 years of performance experience; tiny clubs, huge Pride stages, films sets, theatres, embassies, trains and much more! Hes worked across the UK and internationally and can usually be found at his West End residency The Saturday Supershow at the legendary Phoenix Arts Club.
