Poof Doof Sydney has revealed the first contestants competing in its three-week drag comp starting on Saturday.
Contestants include:
- Universal Slay 2 Stay season 4 finalist and Miss Universal 2024 runner-up Gothic Marika;
- People’s choice pick of season 3’s Wiradjuri Drag Pageant Oxy-Kodeine;
- Drag artist Gore jess;
- Creator and performer Josh Freedman (aka Jiggy);
- Drag queen storyteller Mary J. Warner;
- First-place winner of Stage Queen’s 2024 professional division and Slay 2 Stay season 4 runner-up Jackel Doll;
- Up-and-coming drag performer and recent winner of Ruby’s Royale Rumble monthly drag comp at the Imperial Hotel Cherry Payn; and
- Jake Paul Connell (aka Chaos).
There is $3000 in cash up for grabs, as well as a necklace, earring and ring set from Brisbane Drag Jewels.
We contacted performers to hear how they plan to win. They had this to say:
Contestant Mary J. Warner told GSN that they had been performing for more than 10 years “but found my own drag in 2020, which I would describe as sometimes sweet, sometimes sassy, sometimes sexy, but ALWAYS smart”.
If Warner won the competition they said they would Invest in costuming and upskilling their sewing skills.
Warner plans on winning through storytelling with a happy ending.
Jackel Doll said they had been on stage for the majority of their life but started performing in drag during Universal’s Slay 2 Stay comp last year.
“Everything clicked and I felt like, ‘Oh, this is what I am meant to be doing’,” Doll said. “If I won 1st place I would put the money towards my wedding so I can marry my partner!
“It’s so expensive and it would be a great boost to help us start booking a venue.”
Doll plans on winning “by staying true to my fun ideas, wearing gorgeous costumes & not letting the audience know my next move!”
Performer Cherry Payn, who has only been doing drag since April this year, describes their style “as if a black widow [spider] was a human or something dark sultry and tight usually (in black and red)”.
If Payn won first place they told GSN they would most likely want to save the money to move closer to queer-friendly spaces and venues or use it to further elevate their drag.
“I plan on winning the competition in any way I can, I am determined to give my best performance every time!” they said.
Gore jess, who has been doing drag for about a year, describes their style as “Halloween bimbo”.
If they won, they told GSN they’d buy “new tits”. They plan to win “by being the biggest bimbo and Gorejess”.
Performer Oxy-Kodeine has been performing in drag for about a year and a half, starting out and building themselves through the Canberra scene. If they were to win the $3000 they said they would invest it “straight back into my drag to grow as an artist and performer”.
“It’s not a cheap art form, so any bonuses really make a difference!”
Oxy-Kodeine’s plan to win?
“Showcase my authenticity and overall art to the stages, audiences, and queens of the Sydney scene in the hopes that they fall in love with Oxy as much as I have myself!”
Jiggy has been performing for more than two years. Their style is high-energy, high-camp and “gender-bendy shenanigans”.
If they win, they said they’d buy “nice parmesan cheese from Harris Farm, then save the rest”.
They plan to win by blowing the audience away “with my booty”.
Heat 1 of 2 commences this Saturday, with performances starting at 11pm upstairs at Arq Sydney. Results will be announced at 12.30am on the night.
The top 2 performers from each heat will progress to the August 17 grand final, where the 4 finalists will perform another spot before the final 2 progress to a “lip-sync for the crown”.
Poof Doof has previously said that all performances will be judged “via a mix of crowd response / participation” and by an expert judges panel.
The competition will be hosted by drag queen Danni Issues, who is also a judge. Other judges include drag performer and Poof Doof talent liaison Peaches Rosé (who is filling in for Tosh Lanyon as Poof Doof’s operations manager on the night), as well as the others who are booked to perform on the nights the comp is on. On Saturday this will include Coco Jumbo, Vybe and Ivy Leaguee.
Each heat will require participants to perform a spot of no more than three minutes.
Gay Sydney News editor