‘Eleganza extravaganza’: investigating the appeal of drag theatre in South Africa

Abstract

Theatre, in dramatic arts, relates to art in the form of live performances where the action is deliberately planned to stage a show or performance (Chaillet, Guthrie, & Davis, 2019). The word ‘theatre’ derives from the Greek word ‘theaomai’, meaning ‘to see’ (Chaillet et al., 2019) and typically refers to a configuration in which performers tell stories or put on a show for an audience (Ali, 2016). The foregoing points to the importance of performers and audiences to theatre productions, with the latter serving as the focus of the study. Hill, O’Sullivan, and O’Sullivan (2012) state “the audience is an integral part of an artistic experience ...[o]nly when the public experiences what the artist wishes to communicate is the creative process complete” (p. 36). However, in a competitive post-modern society, traditional theatre genres such as inter alia satire, plays, orchestras, contemporary ballet and dance, opera, and musicals, battle to attract audiences as a result of a myriad of more modern entertainment and leisure activities (Passebois & Aurier, 2004). In recent times, however, in contrast, it appears that cabarets in the form of drag entertainment are growing in popularity (Brennan & Gudelunas, 2017; McCormick, 2019; Sidi, 2018) with several entertainment venues across South Africa (and elsewhere) competing for this niche audience (Grootboom, 2019). Drag performances have however only become an accepted part of mainstream arts and culture during the last decade (Roschke, 2018), arguably due to the influence of RuPaul Andre Charles, the most respected and well-known drag artist in the world; the only one to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Mahanty, 2018). RuPaul is widely recognised for revolutionising the portrayal of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community (Brennan & Gudelunas, 2017), largely due to the award-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race television show which has close to 1.2 million viewers for each episode (Petski, 2018). The show is described as a show business phenomenon that educates many people otherwise unfamiliar with aspects of LGBT culture (Rimalower, 2015) and has been so well accepted that it has become a remarkable international hit television series with catchphrases like “condragulations”, “lip sync for your life”, “sashay away” and “Eleganza Extravaganza” which all left an impression on popular culture (https://rupaulsdragrace.fandom.com/).