UK's first dwarf drag queen wants to be next Lily Savage

UK's first dwarf drag queen wants to be next Lily Savage



Inspired by a female impersonator who took Eurovision by storm, the UK's first dwarf drag artist has vowed to become little people's answer to Paul O'Grady's alter ego, Lily Savage.



At just 4ft 8in tall, what Jamie John lacks in stature, he says he makes up for with his massive personality.



He's already earned an army of fans performing as his alter ego Miss DQ, who blends lip syncing with stand-up comedy.



Jamie, 29, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, who was encouraged to start his cross-dressing act after adopting the outrageous character to hand out flyers for a charity fair over a decade ago, said: 'People kept stopping me, saying I should go for it and start a drag act.



'A little while later, I watched Eurovision at they had a drag queen as one of the acts. I absolutely loved it, and thought to myself that I could be up there doing that one day.'





Carrying on a family tradition like his dad John, an actor - and also a dwarf - Jamie has a gift for being on stage, recently completing a three-year stint performing on the Spanish Canary Island, Gran Canaria.



He continued: 'It was an absolute blast. Now I perform full time, and change up the show depending on the audience.



'I do a mix of lip syncing and stand-up comedy. I wanted to bring back that idea of a variety show.



'People are always so positive, they tell me I was born to be on stage.'





But, even though he has thousands of adoring fans, Jamie has been taunted by cruel strangers.



He said: 'I'm a dwarf, a drag queen and gay, so I almost tick all the boxes, so to speak.



'I'll get sly remarks about my height, or have people not understand why I dress as a woman. There's a common misconception that I do this because I want to be female, which isn't the case. I just want to entertain.



'Wherever you go in life, there will always be some negativity, though, so I just try to brush it aside and be proud of who I am.'



Before his first gig, performed in London around ten years ago, Jamie remembers being 'incredibly nervous,' but he soon wowed his audience and, as they cheered and laughed, his anxiety melted away.



Now, as his reputation spreads thanks to word of mouth and social media, he plays to packed houses all over the country and abroad.





'It's lovely to see how accepting and encouraging people are. These days, it's becoming far easier to be who you are,' he said.



Professionalism is everything to Jamie, who spends up to two-and-a-half hours painstakingly transforming himself into Miss DQ.



He begins by shaving, before applying foundation, which he then contours to make his cheekbones look sharper.



Next, he applies eyebrow pencil and eyeshadow – which has to be very pigmented, so he can stand out on stage – before finishing with lipstick and false lashes.



'I use all sorts of make-up brands,' he explained. 'It can be expensive, though. Foundation alone can cost up to £40.



'But my family and friends are really supportive, and often help out by buying me makeup or other things for my act for Christmas and birthdays.



'I absolutely love MAC eyeshadows, they're brilliant and really bright, so I might put some of them on my wish list for this year.'



Jamie also explained how his achondroplasia dwarfism, which he was diagnosed with at birth, means he has to have many of his costumes specially made, costing between £100 and £400 a time.



'I don't have a favourite, but I love anything to do with feathers,' he continued. 'You can't beat a good feather.





'I also have lots of wigs, between 20 and 30. Some are specially made, and some are just brought from wig shops. I've got some really great ones, like a lace one.'



Now so popular on the drag circuit that there have been fan pages set up of him on social media, people even show up to Jamie's gigs wearing t-shirts with his face printed on them.



His friends and family also regularly come along to his performances to lend support.



And Jamie – who is playing Groover in the Snow White & Seven Dwarfs panto at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley, West Sussex – now hopes his success will help inspire better representation of disability within the entertainment industry.



He said: 'I hope what I'm doing can help inspire both little people and gay people to go into showbusiness. There might be other little people out there wanting to come out, but too afraid or unsure about how to do so.



'I want to show them that being different is something to be proud of. I'm planning to keep going with this, and keep building my fan base. One day, I'd love to be the next Lily Savage.'