AN INTERVIEW WITH...

Whilst local queen Killya Darling is certainly a drag powerhouse, she radiates a genuine kindness and elegance at odds with the cutthroat competitiveness of drag show biz. During our time together, we spoke about everything from her personal style, to the wider Devonshire drag scene.

How would you define your drag?

Killya stresses the importance of women in her drag, incorporating pop icons such as Charlie XCX, Doja Cat and Ashnikko into her style. “I draw from classical drag styles but mainly sit in between campy and modern […] I pull inspiration from stuff that I think is cool, to be honest!”

Despite not wanting to commit to a specific character or aesthetic and using the form to explore, she feels there is a certain consistency to her outfits: “I definitely fit into a box, I’m just not sure where that box is!”

What inspired you to start doing drag?

Though she acknowledges the role of RuPaul’s Drag Race in shaping her understanding of drag, Killya is reluctant to be labelled as “one of those queens that only does drag because of Drag Race.” She explains that once she was exposed to drag in the mainstream, she was then influenced by other areas of her life.

“I think it’s very British to be like ‘Haha, I’m a man in a dress’ – and that’s fine, but it’s never really been my vibe. I’m not trying to look down on that kind of drag but it’s interesting to think about where that stems from in terms of wider patriarchal structures. [...] I want my drag to be a celebration of women, especially queer women- I want it to come from a place of appreciation.”

As a Devonshire drag queen, do you consider the queer scene in Exeter to be reflective of its attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ people?

“I think reception to drag is a lot kinder than reception to queer people. In saying that, I do feel that tolerance has gotten a lot better in Devon. When I was studying at university three years ago, Exeter was not a great place for queer people – in my experience anyway.” Killya added that the drag scene in Exeter can sometimes feel as if there is “no one there” with all but one gay bar and about eight local queens. She noted a knockback in tolerance with people expressing frustration at “boredom in lockdown”, but celebrates the “overwhelmingly positive” reception of her drag and looks forward to seeing how the scene will develop.

What have you learnt since starting drag?

“A lot! You don’t realise how much there is to learn until you start actually doing drag - I think you have to have a certain sense of cockiness to start in the first place, but that’s why I love it!”

Differentiating between doing drag for fun versus professionally, Killya emphasises the sheer amount of skill, patience and practise required for success within the professional environment.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race projects this mentality that anyone can do drag, which is great- anyone can and should do drag if they want tobut that doesn’t mean it’s super easy.”

Despite this, Killya deeply appreciates the help she receives from her community. Her ‘stepson’, Marlowe Darling, constitutes an important familial aspect of her drag, “It’s really nice to be able to involve your friends in what you do and use that to bring out their skills as well. Massive shout out to my friends and partner for helping me because holy shit- even getting into drag I need so much help!”

How do you navigate alcohol culture within the drag scene?

“Drag isn’t necessarily the best place for people to explore their relationship with alcohol”. Acknowledging the issues of substance abuse within the queer scene, she argues, “alcohol culture is exaggerated in drag.”

“I’m glad that I made the commitment to be sober before I started drag”, Says Killya, “I can only imagine the mess that might ensue otherwise!”

What advice would you give to those starting out?

“Two things - one, just fucking do it. Two, practice first.”

“That doesn’t mean waking up every day and doing drag” she argues, “but consistently learning and practising all the skills needed definitely helps [...] cause holy shit it took me so long to learn how to glue my eyebrows down!”

If you could say one thing to your younger self, what would it be?

“Walk in heels more- please! No, but seriously, I think I’d say, ‘drag is going to be more fun than you think.’”

“At the start, drag was a lot about trying to change who I was. What emerged as a product of me not being entirely happy with how I looked, eventually became an alternative way to express myself”.

Watching Killya’s set at The Vaults a few days after having spoken to her, the hard work and drive behind her art was clear. If you’re looking for a refreshing and fun drag experience in Exeter, I would recommend seeing Killya Darling – you can catch her at Cavern’s BeYou night in January.