Vinegar Strokes is one of the London gay scene’s most promising stars. And it’s well deserved! She’s a lioness of a woman. When she’s around, no ketchup sachet, jagerbomb or leopard print jumpsuit is safe! In 2015, she won The Vauxhall Tavern’s prestigious Drag Idol! Which is no mean feat. Princess Diana’s been to the Vauxhall Tavern, and even SHE didn’t win it!
She’s splashed herself all over the place since, performing at exclusive events, private members’ clubs and homosexual haunts of debauchery all over the city. She’s a tour de force. Or at least, a tour de forks. Those little wooden forks you get with chips. At the moment, she’s doing a weekly quiz in a chicken restaurant round the back of Soho. Dylan Jones asked her about all that, and more!
Vinegar Strokes! We love your name! How did it come about?
Well first of all, I need to tell you what a “Vinegar Stroke” actually is, and trust me, you’ve seen many and had many! A Vinegar Stroke is the face a man pulls the second before he climaxes, so my theory was when people come to see my shows they would be laughing so hard they would be having their own little vinegar stroke in the auditorium.
Describe Vinegar Strokes in three words
Council House Girl
It was Valentines recently (sort of). What would be your ideal date?
A 30 min Uber ride home followed by a 5 star rating
What celebrity would Vinegar most like to stroke?
I’m quite partial to giving bald blokes a stroke. Spending the day stroking Patrick Stewart and Stanley Tucci’s heads would be a double treat.
Who’s your dragspiration?
I’m inspired by so many different acts from all over the place. From the Drag and Cabaret world, I’m really inspired by the likes of Kiki and Herb, Lily Savage, Bianca Del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon, Dixie Longate, Myra Dubois & Briefs. But then my stand up comedy is inspired by Joan Rivers, Lisa Lampanelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Burke, Mickey Flanagan, Eddie Murphy and Wanda Sykes, to name but a few.
What’s the weirdest gig you’ve ever done?
I recently had a gig co-hosting a speed dating night with Vanity Von Glow. When we showed up at the venue, the speed dating had been cancelled, so before singing a couple of numbers to entertain the punters, we took full advantage of the free bar tab, but just ended up looking like a couple of sad, but gorgeous drag queens who stumbled in off the streets thirsty for a swift half.
“Get out there and have FUN. People want to be entertained, so give them something to see!”
Talking of weird gigs, we hear you’re doing a weekly show in a chicken restaurant! Tell us more about that.
Yes I do! I’ve recently launched my own quiz night at a gorgeous little fried chicken restaurant in Soho called Ma’ Plucker. It’s called The Ma’ Plucking Quiz! For £24.50 you get a 3 course meal, a cocktail and fun quiz games. Every week we end the quiz with a Spice Girl Lip Sync Battle. The best Spice Girl wins a very special bonus prize…a signed picture of me!
What else have you got in store in the future?
I have my first full one-hour show coming to the RVT on April 15th. It’s called “Qualified Actress” and I’m mixing up stand up comedy with some of my favourite songs, hoping to show that to be a qualified actress in life and on stage, it takes balls, not a degree.
If someone played you in a movie, who would it be?
Pam Greer (she played Jackie Brown, in the Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown) would be PERFECT! She’s gorgeous, foxy, sexy and knows how to work a firearm. But if the budget’s low, Trisha.
What advice would you give to other queens starting out on the London scene?
Honestly just go for it! I’ve found drag to be the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, and every single opportunity that has come my way because of drag has been incredible. But definitely work hard on making your act the best it can be and don’t rely on your look. Don’t let fear or negative people stop you from pursuing your passion and always embrace a bad gig because you will learn so much from it. Get out there and have FUN. People want to be entertained, so give them something to see!
• Vinegar Strokes’ Ma’Plucking Quiz is every Sunday night from 7pm at Ma Plucker, 75 Beak St, London W1F 9SS.
