Cabaret correspondent Jason Reid meets the violet queen with a heart of gold.
We love firsts! And this is surely the first time we’ve featured an artist whose name was inspired by Greek mythology and pagan deities, and why not? Performing as a drag artist is about being unique and standing out from the sea of Karens.
This week, Jason Reid got to more about the new queen with the big heart, Thalia Ostara…
Who is Thalia Ostara?
Thalia is the Greek muse of comedy and Ostara is the pagan goddess of spring. I wanted a name that encapsulated my different sides of comedy and always thinking outside the box. It was a coincidence that it sounded pretty!
How, when and why did you start performing as a drag artist?
Two years ago I worked in theatre and we were creating a play exploring gender and hedonism and I was tasked with being a drag queen. At the time I had no experience so had to learn fast. It surprisingly went down a treat! My boyfriend at the time suggested I try out for a club night in our local town – and I got the gig! Around the same time I started drag, I went through a very traumatic experience. The after effects left my mental health in tatters to the point I was suicidal. Doing drag and being part of a drag community pulled me through the darkest times of my life to date. I have a lot of drag people that I’d call family and I can never repay what they did for me, so I vowed to use my drag to do what they did for me and spread kindness and support in the community.
Describe your performance style in three words.
Glittery, gobby and glam.
What are you listening to?
I go from Bach to Stormzy to Britney in the space of ten minutes. Currently the songs that are on repeat on my phone are React by the Pussycat Dolls and the stage version of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This is the chaos inside my head at all times!
If you were PM for a day, what new law would you introduce?
I think the most important thing to battle is ignorance, which we should do as early as possible. So I’d make it a mandatory law that all schools MUST teach, and all children MUST attend classes in LGBTQIA+ history/culture/inclusiveness/sexual health. These are so important for people to understand our lives and help empathise with our struggle. And end HIV/AIDS stigma.
What makes you happy?
Making other people happy. Simple! If I can make someone smile or forget about their troubles for five minutes then I can leave feeling great. Happiness is free. Spread the joy!
Favourite song to perform and why?
My parody of Poor Unfortunate Souls titled Poor Unfortunate Hole – mainly because it requires a willing participant to become my BDSM slave. And it’s camp as tits.
What’s the drag dream?
I’d love drag to be my full time job so I can dedicate my artistry to it. I’d love to go on a tour with it as well. Travel the world, having far flung lovers in exotic locations. Failing that I could open a drag funeral parlour. Reckon there’s a market somewhere?
Who or what would you banish to Room 101?
The Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet – the play was bad enough, but he really took the biscuit.
If you won a million, what’s the first thing you’d buy?
I’d buy my own cabaret bar. Something like the Moulin Rouge, not a grotty basement. I want the full vaudeville experience.
Top three drag inspirations?
Virgin Xtravaganzah, Taylor Trash, Lily Savage.
One piece of advice for new queens starting out?
Never, ever compare yourself to other queens. Your journey will be completely different. Also wash your goddamn tights.
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I’m actually quite an open book; not many people know I do pole dance classes and that I have previous experience in trapeze and silks, so if anyone wants to go hang upside down sometime, hit me up.
You can see Thalia Ostara performing on Monday 2nd March at Halfway to Heaven, 7 Duncannon St, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4JF
