Sissy That Walk!

It’s been a busy few years for proud scouser Marcus Collins, from X Factor fame to becoming a musical theatre maestro. After a hugely successful UK tour of Hairspray, he recently made his West End debut as Sissy Elliot in the dragtastic musical everyone is talking about, Kinky Boots. Jason Reid caught up with Marcus this week for a chinwag, over a bowl of piping hot scouse.

 


Hey Marcus, how’s Kinky Boots going?

Kinky Boots is a DREAM to be a part of. I had seen it on Broadway last Summer and loved it instantly. Total dream come true for me.

You play Sissy Elliot, who’s one of Lola’s Angels. What’s the story with her?

Sissy works at Lola’s club and is part of a group of five drag queens. I actually created her persona myself; she is sass-mouthing and fabulous in every way, and more importantly she is FULL OUT.

Is this your first time ‘dragging up’ for a role?

YES! It’s no easy task.

What were the hardest aspects to get used to?

It really is a delicate balance of walking in heels, re-negotiating the proportions of your face in thirty minutes, eight times a week and managing to remain poised, feminine and sharp.

I read somewhere, you had a few problems with *ahem* tucking…

Yeah, well I’ve got a lot to try and hide! And a lady never tells her secrets! You’ll be asking me my real age next, Jason.

Now that would just be going too far. Would you be tempted to take Sissy on the road as a solo act when Kinky is finished?

Never say never. I’ve been talking to Velma Celli and I think we could manage a double act.

Who on the drag circuit do you admire?

Definitely Bianca Del Rio. I got to spend some time with her last month and she was exactly what I expected; hard working, to the point and she delivered. After being in drag for seventeen hours, flying here and there, she still stayed up until 5am signing autographs with fans and didn’t complain one bit. It’s not all feathers and glitter, its hard work and sacrifice to make a name for yourself.

I love Bianca too. So back to the show. Most people know the film for being a British feel-good classic. How does the musical compare to the original?

The original film is great, but for me the stage show rounds the true story off beautifully and you feel like you get to know something personal about each individual on the stage. So, yeah, it’s much more personal, and the costumes and music are by far superior.

“It really is a delicate balance of walking in heels, re-negotiating the proportions of your face in thirty minutes, eight times a week and managing to remain poised, feminine and sharp.”

Which are your favourite numbers from the show?

My absolute favourite number is the boxing scene, and funnily enough that is my solo in the show, so I get to run my sassy vocals full pelt. Also the finale because the costumes are KILLER and we get to walk a Milan runway, which is magic.

You’re always up for a laugh so it seems. And recently there were a few rumours circulating about you going into Celebrity Big Brother. You know how these people love a gossip. But would you do it?

It’s not something I’m looking at right now but I reckon it would be a laugh until someone crossed me and I turned into dragzilla.

Dragzilla?! I know a few of them already. So hypothetically then, if you did do it, who would you definitely not want to share the house with?

The absolute worst would be anyone who’s homophobic or unhygienic. Hate it.

And who would you love to be in the house with?

The best compatibility would be Michelle Visage or someone with an open mind, and a broad spectrum of life experience and lessons. Someone I could learn from and have a laugh with.

Since X Factor, you’ve carved out a pretty solid career. What are your future ambitions?

I love design and getting my hands dirty so maybe starting another business and buying a few more properties. It’s a dream of mine to perform on Broadway too, so you never know. Watch this space.

We actually have something in common (which we often joke about on Facebook), don’t we Cathy? We’re both huge fans of the Julia Davis comedy Nighty Night.

Oh my, YES! Nighty Night is cringeworthy at its core. I think what makes it so good is that it’s relatable and designed to make you think. Jill Tyrell reminds me of so many delusional people I’ve met in my previous life as a hairdresser. Sooo funny.

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