Legendary scene diva Dusty O gets her moment in the spotlight next Wednesday at RVT, as some top cabaret divas take the mic to give our Dusty a good-natured roasting – all in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust. We sent Lee Dalloway for a cuppa and a chinwag with Miss O to tell us more…
LEE: So, you’re the subject of the next Drag Roast. Are you worried at all about what they’re going to say?
DUSTY: Not at all. Those old bitches have trouble remembering their names, so I’m sure they wont surprise me too badly with tales of old. I have dirt on all of them, so they better watch out. As Joan Rivers said “mud will be flung” and it will be! Seriously though, I honestly do not give a shit at the best of times and, as this is for charity, I’m sure I can put up with whatever they wanna bring to the stage.
Which of the divas do you think will give you the hardest time?
Probably Kandi! She is one evil, twisted, Yanky bitch. Rose is too stupid to say anything funny or intelligent, and even if she did no one would understand her with that accent. I don’t think Kimberley will be much of a problem as no one remembers her anyway, so she doesn’t count.
Already building the goodwill, nice one Dust, haha! So, which of the cabaret divas are you looking forward to roasting the most and why?
Probably Kim. We were archrivals in the 90s but became great friends a few years back. We used to “snub” each other continually; her press book gave me a nervous breakdown, too, but I always have a great laugh with her… and quite often at her! I have a lot of genuine affection for her, so I’m sure it will be great fun slagging her off in public for once as opposed to behind her back .
Tell us more about your solo show, The Dusty O, Show after the Roast. What can we expect?
It’s at Trannyshack and I have a live four-piece band, and am doing 5 songs and a bit of banter, obviously. Rose Garden is joining me to do a song and the amazing diva Lucyelle Cliffe is also doing a couple of tracks. It’s all very camp and very theatrical; the band are super hot, too! I just wanted to do something absolutely live, music as well as vocals. It’s like rock and roll but in a wig.
That’s a whole evening on stage, you’re either going to be big-headed from all the attention, crushed at all the roasting or just shattered from such long hours…
I am used to it now. We were doing three shows a day at Leicester Square Theatre all over Christmas. The secret is no alcohol for me, I’m afraid. I’m sharper that way.
Your recent foray into theatre with the pantomime seems to have revitalised you, would you agree?
Well, it gave me a bit of confidence and I’m proud of the great reviews we got and the good ones I got personally. I think I was going through a bit of a low patch and was a bit bored of work to be honest. The show was a challenge and it stretched me. It also stuck a great big two finger salute to certain people who thought I was “over”, too. We did 75 shows in 6 weeks and it was hard going but great fun. It gave me my mojo back and I lost two stone in weight, which was pretty good, too!
What’s next for Dusty?
Well, we are throwing a big Trannyshack-East party at East Bloc on the 16th of March; hopefully that will go monthly. Trannyshack at Madame JoJo’s takes up a lot of my time. We are 9-years-old and still strong, I’m proud of that. Then there is Summer Rites to look forward to; hopefully there will be a Trannyshack tent this year. Every Sunday I am at Circa, the best bar in Soho bar none. I have signed to do 64 shows at the Leicester Square Theatre, again, later in the year for another round of panto and am also hosting a monthly variety show there in September called “The Dusty O Variety Experience”, which I’m really looking forward to. There is a new Trannyshack book coming out in summer with Gozra Lozano. I have plenty to keep me occupied for now!
RVT
