I caught up with the fabulous and extraordinary, Alfie Ordinary; a global drag phenomenon, an award-winning performer, and the Drag Prince of Brighton!
Alfie regularly hosts at Proud Cabaret, and performs at all your favourite queer venues in London and Brighton. Read on to steal a glimpse into the jester’s sequined star-studded life!
Who is Alfie Ordinary?
Alfie, like most drag, is an example of a person free from the shackles of gay shame. He is loud, camp, joyous and loves nothing more than a good brunch and a sing-a-long.
What/who inspired you to do drag, and who continues to inspire you to this day?
I’m really inspired by clowns, and not just the red nose big shoe type! A wise man once said, ‘If you can’t laugh at yourself, how in the hell are you going to laugh at somebody else?”
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
I recently met Adele when she came for a night out at a show I was doing. She was so gorgeous, kind and a good time gal, but I’d probably say the highlight of my career is yet to come!
I enjoy every day I’m able to keep working and performing in drag. It’s such an honour to be able to call this a career, and six year old me would be very pleased that I get to put on platform boots and sing Spice Girls songs for a living.
What wisdom do you have to impart to other creatives and aspiring performers?
Work hard, be nice and be unique! It’s so important to find that thing that makes you stand out from the others. Drag is about celebrating our differences and relishing in our uniqueness, so find that thing that makes you different and make entertainment from it!
What/who inspired you to do drag, and who continues to inspire you to this day?
I’m really inspired by clowns, and not just the red nose big shoe type! A wise man once said, ‘If you can’t laugh at yourself, how in the hell are you going to laugh at somebody else?”
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
I recently met Adele when she came for a night out at a show I was doing. She was so gorgeous, kind and a good time gal, but I’d probably say the highlight of my career is yet to come!
I enjoy every day I’m able to keep working and performing in drag. It’s such an honour to be able to call this a career, and six year old me would be very pleased that I get to put on platform boots and sing Spice Girls songs for a living.
What wisdom do you have to impart to other creatives and aspiring performers?
Work hard, be nice and be unique! It’s so important to find that thing that makes you stand out from the others. Drag is about celebrating our differences and relishing in our uniqueness, so find that thing that makes you different and make entertainment from it!
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve just finished maybe the biggest project of my life. Last year I produced and hosted an online chat show called Living Legends where I interviewed iconic members of the drag community who have had long and interesting careers.
I’m so inspired by my drag elders, and people that are carving their own ways in life. Some of the people I interviewed have been doing drag for over 30 years, which is longer than I’ve been alive.
We talk about some really important moments in our LGBTQ+ history, like the AIDS crisis, Section 28 and the racism within the gay scene, all within the context of drag! Each artist I spoke to has their own fascinating and unique story, from being a closeted military officer, to narrowly avoiding 9/11 and becoming a drag queen as a result!
It’s candid, honest, camp and full of joy and celebration! And it’s available on my YouTube Channel and across all podcast platforms. Just look up Living Legends Drag and you’ll see all 7 episodes, which are available for free!
What will your mark on the world be?
Sexy Tinky Winky!
What change would you like to see in the LGBTQIA+ community?
This is such a broad question! I just hope as a community we can stay together, keep uplifting and supporting each other, and keep fighting for the rights of all members of the community.
Even though gay men and women have so many more rights than we did 20 years ago, there are many members of the community who still face prejudice and intolerance, and some members who are having their human rights seriously threatened.
Being queer might be widely acceptable, or just blissfully ignored in places like Brighton, but there are still people that fear being themselves because of deep rooted societal norms favouring a straighter, whiter existence.
Visibility is so important in normalising queerness, although the idea of normalising queerness is a challenging oxymoron as it is, but that’s a topic for another day.
Are there any political causes, social movements, or charities with a special place in your heart? Why?
This is so hard to pin down to just one or two. There are always political causes, social movements and charities that need awareness, support and funding, and for different reasons. It can be really daunting to know which causes to support and I know some people feel like they need to support them all and save the world, but that’s just not possible.
I’m currently supporting a homeless youth charity called Centrepoint, because 24% of all homeless youth are LGBTQ+. Even though we have come such a long way with LGBTQ+ rights, there are still some families who just cannot accept a queer child, and so many are simply kicked out onto the streets.
I also recently discovered an LGBTQ+ book shop and cafe in York that is maybe the best stocked queer bookshop I’ve ever been to, plus it has a cute little café upstairs, where I saw queer teens just hanging out, talking, and feeling comfortable and safe.
This sort of thing just didn’t exist when I was growing up, and so I bought two books and some coffee. It’s so important to have these spaces available to queer people and I love supporting local independent queer businesses like the Lunar Café.
Thank you for your thoughtful answers Alfie.
Originally published in Only In Brighton magazine.
Without The Fear 