This winter, while the rest of the world is clutching its pearls over yet another live-action remake, chaos curator and Drag Race darling Kate Butch is sharpening her wit (and her hunting knife) for Tuckshop’s fifth annual all-drag spectacular, Snow White. Starring alongside Kate will be Drag Race royalty, Kyran Thrax, Kitty Scott-Claus and Tayris Mongardi, playing London’s Emerald Theatre from 15th December through to 5th January.
Fresh off a victory on Celebrity Mastermind dressed as a dragon — as one does — and having completed her gloriously unhinged Wuthering Shites tour, Kate is now stepping into the role of the Huntsman and co-writing a panto that promises more camp per square inch than a Brighton seafront B&B in peak season.
Loverboy caught up with the self-professed theatre queen, literary meddler, and professional line-stealer to talk panto politics, diva allegiances, and why even Gal Gadot should be worried.
So, Kate, been wuthering any heights of late?
Actually, I’ve been recording a song! It will be out next year. It ties in to a secret project coming, but I have to keep schtum about it for now.
Ok, we won’t pry! Last time we spoke, you were glamming it up at the Royal Albert Hall? What have you been up to since then?
Oh lots of things! Obviously, I’ve completed my tour Wuthering Shites which was wonderful, won Celebrity Mastermind dressed as a dragon and of course panto!
Indeed! Can you tell us a bit more about Snow White?
I used to perform at this venue, do you remember Her Upstairs? A lot of the people involved with that like Kitty have been part of Tukshop and since my star turn on Drag Race i get invited to do a lot more things.
Celebrity pulling power?
What can I say?!
Out of all the camp-as-tits pantos, why Snow White?
I could say for the love of the story, but to be honest, it was given to us to rewrite?
Did you have to be careful about not upsetting The Disney Corporation? Stepping on the mouse’s big feet?
Not Disney, but I heard Gal Gadot can be pretty litigious, so we kept that in mind and kept jokes about her to around 10.
You co-wrote and star in the show. Was that driven by your love for panto, the story, or getting the best lines?
All of the above and more. If someone had pissed me off during the day, I would send a video to the Whatsapp group of me crossing out their lines. So also for the power.
You play The Huntsman who is the henchman of the Evil Queen, if you had to pick one diva to be a henchman for who would it be?
Oh, good question. Do you remember the gay chef / house keeper in the pilot episode of Golden Girls? Him! I mean if you aren’t killing for Bea Arther are you even doing drag?
Which literary great is next on the chopping block for queering up? Walt “With-Men”? The drag queen or king, “Virginia Woof”? She would be a bearded queen, obviously.
Ohhh you put me on the spot, something with “dick ins” for sure.
Would you consider yourself a theatre queen? Or do you prefer not to pigeonhole yourself?
I don’t think there is anything wrong with the term “Theatre Queen”. I think drag is inherently from the theatre and look where theatre queens have got! Jinkx is playing starring roles, and now La Voix is Miss Hannigan so I would be proud to call myself a theatre queen.
Lastly we are named after the biggest selling single of 2001 and always ask a Mariah question. So we wondered if you had a favourite Mariah Christmas moment?
Oh, I think the one in the Rockefeller Centre. I think it was 2014 when everything went wrong and she didn’t give a shit. She just shrugged and acted like, ‘The show must go on.’
Snow White is on at London’s Emerald Theatre from 15th Dec-5th Jan
For tickets and more info see www.tuckshopuk.com
Interview: Ed Westbrook
