Award-winning performer and Drag Factory host Donna Kebab is marking a special milestone this July and you’re invited to join her in celebrating a decade of drag with her upcoming event – Squash.
Appropriately named, Donna Kebab is the perfect accompaniament to a rowdy night out. Over the last ten years, Donna has become known for her blend of bombshell-inspired glamour, appreciation for all things high camp and outrageous on-stage antics.
I caught up with Donna this week to find out more about what inspired her to pick up the wigs, how to build an authentic career with your creativity and what we can expect from the Squash spectacular.
Reflecting back on the past decade, Donna explains she’s still coming to terms with the fact that drag has become something she can pursue as both a passion and a way to make a living.
“It feels like a dream I just haven’t woken up from yet because I love doing it,” Donna explains.
“I remember when I finished up at uni and I quit my day job at Cotton On. I went straight to McDonald’s and ordered three cheeseburgers and just sat there in silence eating them realising that I’d… just quit my day job.
“But it was do or die, and I’d rather do.”
After about three years of exploring the world of drag through local amateur nights, competitions and ad hoc gigs, Donna felt like she had the wheels in motion and it was time to “kick it into overdrive.”
Donna’s inspiration for pursuring drag as a creative outlet reaches back much farther. She recalls childhood memories with family growing up here in Western Australia.
“I always remember growing up watching things with Dad like Charmed and Xena: Warrior Princess and seeing femme fatales being boss bitches. As I got older, I was introduced to Pamela Anderson and Anna Nicole Smith. Of course, watching that with my dad for two completely opposite reasons…
“I was obsessed with the glamour and the hair and the lips. My mum works in hair and she’s always dolled up, so my mum’s a huge inspiration as well. I was always playing with my mum’s stuff because she’s such a glamourpuss herself.
Donna found the world of drag once she turned 18 and able to dive into The Court and Connections where up-and-coming queens were strutting their stuff – including RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: Versus The World‘s breakout star Hannah Conda.
“When I saw the likes of Hannah Conda up on stage and I just thought that’s what I want to do. That’s where I want to be,” Donna said.
“This is an environment where drag is so celebrated and it was just euphoric.
“So I transferred all of that femme fatale energy I saw growing up into Donna!”
A decade-long career is a feat for any performer. In an industry where artists are undervalued, funding is extremely competitive and opportunities are few, it takes tenacity and talent to stay in the game.
I’m curious to know what Donna believes is the key to making a drag performer stand out from the crowd.
“When the audience laughs!” she quickly exclaims.
“There was a performer who approached me once, who will remain unnamed and isn’t from Perth. She said ‘baby, you better go out there and you better dip and sweat and trick and flip and do all that because I want to be impressed’.”
“I just said okay, you know what I find impressive for a drag queen? Make an entire room laugh. Have that land a beautiful landing.
“It’s so hard to come by performers who have an arsenal of quick jokes where they know it’s going to land in any particular environment. A lot of girls have no idea what to do – as soon as they get the big magic stick in their mouth, they don’t know what to say!”
Noting a trend among artists who feel pressured to live up to the narrow expectations of some overzealous reality tv fans, Donna encourages emerging performers to make art their own way and enjoy the freedom that drag can provide.
“I think a lot of people do drag and do what they think people want to see, rather than just doing what they want unapologetically.
“It’s become a formula, and drag has been something that breaks down formulae and rips them to shreds. We don’t need it!”
If you’ve spent enough time at Drag Factory, Pop or around any Perth drag performers – you’re probably familiar with the relevance of the title ‘Squash’. For the uninitiated, I asked Donna to spell it out.
“It’s slang that has meaning that’s kind of personal to the local scene. It comes from killing it, doing a good job – you’re squashing! It’s very Perth language,” Donna explains.
“It’s kind of like our own local version of Polari. Language changes based on where you are geographically and it’s our queer extension of that. I’m not saying it’s exactly the same as Polari, but we have our own culture, you know?”
Donna says Hannah Conda is a prime example of what makes our drag scene special. The Perth export, now based in Sydney, Hannah appeared on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: Vs The World – landing in the finale on both seasons.
“We had the privilege of having Hannah Conda on Vs the World where she was bringing her drag to the world and that felt very cool. Even hearing someone say ‘sabo’ on camera was amazing,” Donna says, referencing another local drag vocabulary staple meaning ‘sabotage’.
“The Perth drag lexicon has a massive influence on the wider drag scene in Australia, so I thought why not run with that in my show!”
Digging into the meat of the show, Donna tells us audiences can expect something different from this anniversary party. Performers and friends – including Mary Lamb O God, Rhonda Civic, Sassie Cassie and Prism – will be donning Donna’s costumes to perform her signature numbers.
“I’d love to be an audience member watching a Donna Kebab show, I’ve never had the luxury you know?” she laughs.
“I think it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek to get someone to do what I usually do, while I’ll be doing all new stuff. I don’t want to be doing anything I’ve done before.”
Squash isn’t your typical production either. The event will see a collection of pop-up performances under the spotlight as the evening unfolds, with fellow queen Miss Cara bringing the groove on the decks.
“It’s not a dedicated moment for show time, it’s a big party where everyone’s invited and we’re drinking up and having a good time with spots throughout the night!”
Finally, I ask the queen whether after a decade of honing her craft, she could distill her performance down to its pure essence – what does a Donna Kebab show feel like?
“I always want the audience to feel like they can’t help but be watching this. It should be so wrong that it’s right. You can’t help but stare at what’s happening in front of you. Look at the state of her!
“Also curiosity. Kill the cat and cook it on the barbecue. I want everyone to be intrigued because I’ll die without that.”
Squash – A Decade of Donna Kebab is coming to The Court on Friday, July 18 from 7pm. For more head to Oztix.
