4 days Ago
Ginger Johnson admits her new show is an opportunity to bring a childhood fantasy to life. The reigning champion of Ru Paul’s Drag Race will be heading to Manchester on Friday with show which features magic, daredevil stunts and ends with her being fired out of a cannon. Ginger Johnson “The show was inspired by a time when I went to the circus when I was about 11 and I saw the most glamorous woman I have ever seen called Zsa Zsa,” said Ginger.
“She climbed into a giant cannon and got fired across the circus ring and landed in a huge net and I thought it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. “So when my dream of winning Drag Race came it true opened up an opportunity for me to chase a new dream. I was reminded of this visit to the circus and I just thought ‘you know, why not? If not now then when will I ever do it? Let’s go for it,’.
Ginger Johnson Blows Off was a major hit at the Edinburgh Festival and is coming to Home in Manchester after a run in London’s West End. It follows Ginger and the improbable things an artist will do for the applause of an audience. It’s one thing coming up with an outlandish idea – like being fired out of a cannon – it’s a whole different thing to make that a reality.
“My producer took a very deep breath when I told him what I wanted to do that’s for sure,” said Ginger. “But then he knows me well and that when I’ve made a decision about doing something there’s no stopping me. He just had to suck it up and work out how we were going to do it.
” Ginger has written the show with acclaimed cabaret duo Bourgeois and Maurice. “The whole team involved in the show have been amazing,” said Ginger. “I’m lucky that over years of making shows, I’ve collected various people around me who are up for the challenge of the next ridiculous thing that I want to try.
Ginger Johnson “This show is definitely a culmination of all of that time I’ve spent with these people and we have had a shared goal of making an unforgettable night for people and I think we might have achieved it.” Ginger became a major celebrity en-route to winning Ru Paul’s Drag Race and success in the show saw a new wave of fans jumping on the Ginger bandwagon. “For years I’ve been knocking down doors trying to get myself into a position where I was able to do a tour like this,” said Ginger.
“Being on Drag Race and then actually winning it meant that I could.” Much of the inspiration for the show comes from the TV variety shows which Ginger used to watch when growing up. “Those Saturday night light entertainment shows brought all of these different exciting things together like magic and music and puppetry and comedy,” said Ginger.
“I’ve got to say Brian Conley was a major influence.” Magic and illusion features prominently in the show. “Being fired out of the cannon is not the only death-defying thing I’m doing in the show.
It’s a series of escalating ridiculous and dangerous stunts as I build my way up to living out my dream of following in the footsteps of Zsa Zsa.” One thing is clear, Ginger is having just as much fun in the show as the audience. “I get a lot of feedback from people saying ‘you really are enjoying yourself aren’t you?’ But drag is supposed to be fun for all of us, me and you,” said Ginger.
“I’m absolutely loving it. I have very much leaned into the silliness on purpose. I think the world is quite terrifying for a lot of people, especially queer people at the moment and if my show can offer an escape from that.
If people can come to the theatre and lose themselves in my ridiculous story for an evening, then that’s my job as an entertainer done.” Ginger is to star in her own TV series – Ginger’s House – to be shown on BBC iPlayer. “I can’t say too much about it but people will not have seen anything like it before that’s for certain,” she said.
“It’s absurdist and plays into tradition of sitcoms I watched when I grew up. It’s not a sit com but is definitely influenced by that. There are shades of Hyacinth Bouquet in there and shades of other classic sit-com matriarchs and it also features some other amazing sisters of mine from Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
” RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner Ginger Johnson But the job in hand is preparing to be fired out of that cannon on a nightly basis. “I, more than anybody else, have been astounded being able to make a living out of doing these ridiculous things with my life,” she said. “I feel so grateful for that.
Having been given that opportunity, why not go at it full tilt? Let’s just see how much fun we can all have together.” Ginger Johnson Blows Off, Home, Manchester, Friday, November 22. Details from www.
homemcr.org.
