Ignored, misunderstood, and barred from participating in RuPaul’s Drag Race, Drag Kings are taking their turn in the spotlight in the biggest all-King showcase Melbourne has seen in almost ten years, since the Kong’s Kings showcases of 2016.
Starting in August of 2024, Genesis is a monthly community event for Drag Kings and Things (gender non-conforming performers). It emerged out of necessity – non-queen drag performers have less access to resources, to the experience and expertise of community elders, and to stages to perform on.
Now, Genesis has expanded to become a haven of support and freedom of expression for those performers who are marginalised even within the queer community.
Anything goes at Genesis. Performers are encouraged to push boundaries and explore facets of drag performance that feel authentic to them. Attendees come to laugh at surrealist comedy, to be entertained by caricatures of hypermasculine archetypes, to connect with each other over queer joy and queer rage. We also do drag hobby horsing.
Hosted by Randy Roy, the Genesis: Drag King Megashow aims to bring those performers out into a bigger stage, to a wider audience. It will especially spotlight drag performers who are trans, gender non-conforming, BIPOC and disabled. The night is split into an earlier line-up of “up and coming” performers.
The first set will consist of performers who came to drag through Genesis, or have been mentored and supported by the event. Later on in the evening, the Genesis regulars take to the stage: established Drag Kings and Things who have had a crucial hand in keeping the scene alive with their explorations of all things masculine and gender-bending.
Genesis: Drag King Megashow
Howler, 7 – 11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Event: Sunday 7 December 2025 – 8.00pm
Bookings: www.moshtix.com.au
Image: Genesis: Drag King Megashow (supplied)