Who are you/ what’s your project?
I go by Dorian to anyone but my mother these days. In drag my pronouns are he/him with the stage name Dorian T. Fisk. Any other time, any pronoun is fine.
My main creative project right now, in addition to producing my own digital drag acts, is called Shut Up & King – a Glasgow-based platform for Scottish drag kings everywhere – which I launched recently as a way to connect, grow, and promote the Scottish drag king scene. You can follow it on both Instagram and Facebook. Together with several other Scotland based kings, I’ve been developing a whole program of online workshops, kicking off in October.
These workshops run the gamut from the essential basics of drag king artistry and performing (both on stage and online), to more in depth and specialized looks at some of the key skills involved…such as creating a unique persona with stage presence, character makeup and prosthetics, costuming and getting crafty when you’ve very little money and can barely sew on a button, being funny and, y’know…stripping! 😝
Each workshop will be run by some familiar faces in the Scottish drag king scene who will be sharing their diverse talents and revealing some insider tips and tricks. You can choose from self-contained workshops, or sign up for an entire series. We will even have a selection as videos on demand. Open to everyone with internet access and Zoom, for now at least – and you don’t have to be a drag king and you don’t have to be in Scotland, we’ll take anyone’s money 😉
What’s your gender identity?
Genderfluid
What’s your art?
I’m a drag king – creatively speaking, I’m originally from Shanghai where I’ve spent most of my life, and I’m now based in Scotland.
I share my art by way of live stage and digital drag acts and running workshops. My previous drag king workshops have spawned several drag babies including the award-winning Mitch Bitchpleaser (Shanghai) and Scotland’s hottest drag king boi band, The Tackleberries which debuted at the Glasgow drag awards earlier this year.
How does your queerness influence your art ( if it does)?
It influences it insofar as my art is a creative space for me to express my masculine side, and to explore queer themes in some of my acts. For example, I have a gay rights Jesus act which is a Xmas favorite. 😆
How has lockdown/ quarantine influenced your artistic creation?
Lockdown has been the reason I have started to create content purely for the digital realm. At the start of lockdown, I created a 6 part web series called All Dragged Up & Nowhere To Go which asked the question “Can the everyday person find in their immediate neighborhood, all the things it might take to be a home drag king in these times of isolation?” (SPOILER ALERT: All you need is a little bit of ingenuity). I did it as a way to stay creative (read: sane) between applying for benefits and job hunting. The series showcases one of my drag characters each week and also offers tidbits, insights and a behind the scenes look at the life of an out of work drag performer with very little talent for much else.
