(00:00)
- funky background music plays softly -
Crystal Lubrikunt: Y’alright? My name is Crystal Lubrikunt, I’m a camp drag performer and international potato from London, and welcome to my podcast; What Are You Like?! Each episode I’ll be inviting a fabulous special guest on and we’ll be finding out what they are REALLY like… it could go one way or another but prepare for good vibrations, good conversations, and most of all… campery. So start strolling, or grab your cuppa’ tea, wherever you are in the world, whatever you may be doing, just make sure you’re comfy, relaxed and ready for some fabulous discussion, let’s go.
(00:37)
African drag queen extraordinaire, London legend & fabulous activist; I am blessed to be joined by the British Nigerian diva, Son Of A Tutu. An iconic pillar of the U.K. Queer industry, Tutu has been performing all over the country for just under a decade to adoring audiences of all paths of life, but what tickles Tutu’s taste buds? What would they banish into obscurity? Lets find out as we discover what Son Of A Tutu is REALLY like…
Crystal: Hi Tutu how are you?
Son Of A Tutu: I am well thank you (um), Crystal how are you?
Crystal: I’m doing okay I’ve had a bit of a dodgy stomach this morning, I’ve got a bit of peppermint tea going.
(01:22)
Tutu: Is it something you ate or something that just doesn’t sit well with you and has been percolating away?
Crystal: I think it’s something to do with me just existing Tutu.
Tutu: Well that’s not meant to give you a dodgy belly, your hates maybe but not yourself!
Crystal: First & foremost thank you so much for doing me today-
Tutu: Pleasure.
Crystal: -it’s such a pleasure to have you, you are to me such a legend of the U.K. drag scene and you’re something that I grew through the scene always seeing you on the stages, in the pubs, in the clubs and then being able to share those stages with you, especially stages like Bristol Pride; I think we both have a very loyal Bristol audience, and whenever I see you at Bristol Pride I’m always (just) smitten with your incredible talents, and your joy, and your energy so it’s an absolute pleasure to have you on the podcast today Tutu!
(02:13)
Tutu: Well thank you very much, it’s a pleasure to be here or- at least I think it’s gonna be a pleasure but that little opener you gave me made me very-very uncomfortable because this is a-
Tutu: -compliment adverse zone.
Crystal: You can not take it can you?!
Tutu: Well not compliments.
- Tutu cackles
Crystal: Ooh no, oh no. It’s a Sunday Tutu!
(02:39)
Tutu: Well I do thank you very much indeed and it does mean a lot and I have to say that yours is one of those voices that I appreciate and absolutely listen to, because (um), you are fair, objective, and also very-very balanced, and unlike a lot of people who do what we do - and I’m not just talking about entertainment, I mean about ‘speak up’ about issues etc etc. - (you-), what I like about you is that you own - like myself - (you know) the mistakes that we’ve had in the past and don’t present ourselves as being perfect, we are all work-in-progress, and we use (and-we-um-), we use that mindset, and knowledge, and responsibility, and ownership of our past & present in order to make things better in the future, as a result your voices is one of the voices I really like, and I love your work, (um) love your work ethic, and yeah! Love everything about you.
(03:42)
Crystal: That means so-so much to me Tutu, thank you so much I feel like I’m the luckiest doll in the world right now thank you.
But first & foremost Tutu, and this (er) is just an open question, I just want to ask you; what are you like?!
Tutu: I don’t know I hate talking about myself which isn’t the kind-of person you want on a podcast like this but I don’t know-
Crystal: It’s the perfect kind of person I want on this podcast.
Tutu: I guess I’m just, what you see is what you get with me (um), I’m an open book, and I say I’m an open book but I’m a very shy, private person, I’m not actually a person that volunteers myself and my being, and my thoughts unless asked, when asked I give (um) I give honest answers. (Um so) I don’t have anything to hide, but I mostly prefer listening to other people, and other people’s stories (um) and if I have the spotlight, which invariably we do doing the job that we have, I try to light it on other people, shine it on other people, and (you know) their challenges, their wants, their desires, their- whatever it is that they feel comfortable sharing within the spotlight, is for me to help them do that in a way that makes them feel comfortable, happy, and invigorated (um), and even - it’s such strange thing - being on stage, being in that spotlight, having that fabulous gown or the not-so fabulous gown, or the beat face, or the beaten-up face which my make-up sometimes looks like!
It is for me (you know-), getting that platform, using it to just (you know) explore other people.
(05:37)
Crystal: Would you consider yourself an extroverted-introvert or an introverted-extrovert?
Tutu: Oo! I don’t know the difference but I am one or maybe both of them, I am- I have both sides and - funnily enough - in my previous life when I was working in the corporate finance world, (there-there-) I don’t know if they still do it these days cos that was many moons ago, there was a (um)… a little tool they used to use called ‘The Myers Briggs Test’ which analyses personalities & preferences. And so it says ‘are you an extrovert, introvert? Are you a judger or an intuitive person?’ (um) I forget the other things but it literally breaks down your profile into four things and one of the things that came up in mine was extroverted-introvert, when you did the test, and I looked at it and looked at everybody and thought “this is not meant to happen”, and (you know) the moderator explained to me that it actually is a thing where you have introverts who have an extroverted side to them and it surprised everybody else in the team as well as they all had me down as an extrovert, because (you know) when you’re in that place, in the job that I had (you know), it played to my extroversion but they didn’t realise that I am actually also a deeply introverted person. (Um) When I am at home I don’t speak to anybody, I like to be alone, if I’m not expecting you? Please do not ring on my doorbell because you won’t (you know) get an answer from me that you will like! Because I have to plan for you being there, I (um) prepare myself for my extroversion, I have to get into that mindset, switch-(um) flip the switch, go out there and do it! And then when that particular event or episode is concluded I invariably retreat back into my introversion, and so I don’t know if that’s an extroverted-introvert or an introverted-extrovert, but it’s one I’m sure you can tell me.
(07:46)
Crystal: I identity as an introverted-extrovert because the extroverted side of me is the drag performer, the entertainer, the person that (um) - unlike everything else in my life - if you were to (just) message me and say “we need someone to fill-in tonight” I’ll go and do it because I feel that drag is my therapy it is the place that I escape to because as entertainers we work in so many people’s play, so it’s difficult for us to find our own sources of play, a lot of our play is involved in our jobs but I am very much- listening to you just then I very much align myself with a lot of your (um), I will say personal boundaries, I’m very protective of my personal life, I’m very protective of my family, and (you know um-) it’s very much Crystal and it’s very much my private persona, are very separate people though they share the same entity, so I very much appreciate your words and I definitely see myself as an introverted-extrovert that takes pride in differentiating the two sides.
(08:52)
Tutu: What I found really interesting is that; when I (um) became an entertainer I find that the demarcations between my extroverted side and my introverted side became a lot more pronounced, and I think it’s because the side of me that is the entertainer that goes out on stage takes 100% of my extroversion so when I am not that person, I am then completely introverted in my private life whereas in the past it was less pronounced the differences, it was all embodied and rolled up into one person and go through - for lack of a better phrase - mood swings where one minute (where you know) I can be up and bright and next minute quite quiet and introverted, however now it’s like ‘night and day’, if I know I’m going out (um) to (you know) either to perform or to do anything in Tutu, in the perform-a-sphere, I know that the extroversion will kick in. And it’s not a chore for me to be that extroverted, it is an innate part of me so it’s almost like a side I flip into though when I come home I revert back to the introversion.
(10:07)
Crystal: It’s energy levels and I think that’s something that lockdown really challenge because - we found that for a short while, for many a long whole and for many the entirety of it - what do we do with the energy that we would use in our extroverted selves, and I think that is why lockdown really took a toll on a lot of people because our energy levels suddenly went from a strict routine, - even as our routines as entertainers are a bit discombobulated - we found ourselves (you know) lost and I think that’s something that (I think) every entertainer that has taken on lockdown and though we are slightly easing out of it something to be proud of is to be able to say that “we got through that” because it’s difficult for us to direct our energy elsewhere being introverted people-
(11:03)
Tutu: Mmm.
Crystal: -and conserving so much energy can sometimes make you feel like you’re going to combust.
Crystal: And we don’t want that, we don’t want (erm) glitter remains all over the country.
Tutu: Oh no darling, what would CSI do?
Crystal: Oh they would have a couple seasons to sort it out. But Tutu it’s so good to hear from you now we’re going to go into our first section of the interview which is; ‘7 Things’.
(11:38)
Crystal: Now ‘7 Things’ is a section where I get a loved one, a friend, a peer to describe my guest in 7 words and we have the fabulous Divine DeCampo from RuPaul’s Drag Race (UK) season 1-
Crystal: - and good friend of Tutu, to describe Tutu in 7 words, now we’ll get through this- I know you do find this excruciating and I thank you so much for experiencing this but we’re gonna get through them quick & swiftly for your benefit, are you ready Tutu?
Tutu: I’m as ready as I’ll ever be so go for it baby!
(12:11)
Crystal: The first word that Divina has described you as is; ‘Funny’, do you think you’re a funny person?
Tutu: Oh god, in ways I suppose I can be funny I’m not a natural comic to be honest (um), but I like to see humour in most situations so I suppose that’s where my funny comes from. (Um) Also I like looking at situations - well I don’t like - I just naturally look at situations from a different perspective as most people would because thats what interests me in life, if there’s an area thats been covered by everybody (it’s like)”Oh great!” but then it leaves room for me to see a different perspective and in that I suppose comes out my funny, so (you know) I’m not one of the greatest comics (um) in our industry but I manage to find funny in situations from my own warped perspective.
(13:12)
Crystal: I think it’s really interesting when talking to people that use their voice for important matters that are also comical enter- (like) drag entertainers - do you find it is mandatory to be able to laugh at some scenarios when you should feel like you can laugh?
Tutu: Absolutely, humour is a thing that dispels and takes away the hard unease about very-very hard subjects and if you want to explore something you have to - first of all - diffuse all the things that are scary & monstrous about it and humour is a great way of doing that and once you do that then it’s a great way to explore it, and through that (um) process of diffusing (you know) the scary about it you can then get (er) a close-up look at it and figure out (you know) what needs to be fixed - if anything - and how to go about doing it.
(14:16)
Crystal: We’re gonna go straight to the second word; the second word Divina DeCampo has used to describe Tutu as is; ‘Questioning’.
Tutu: My favourite question as a kid was always “Why?” and whenever anyone told me anything it was always “Why? Why? Why?” and I think I drove all the adults in my childhood absolutely bonkers.
Crystal: Good.
Tutu: And because of my “Why’s, why’s, why’s, why’s, why’s?” I don’t- I can’t take credit for it, it’s just something that is within me (um) to just- I like connecting the dots and anything thats a dangling random that doesn’t fit in with something or doesn’t (you know) seem to have a correlation, I can’t leave there- I can’t leave it hanging or I will not be satisfied with answers like “It’s just dangling because that’s the way it has to be” My question will always be “but why?” And until I can figure out a ‘Why?’ to it-it will absolutely bug me to death which is why I suppose I have that innate questioning nature. Divina is right I do like to question everything, especially when it comes to (you know) why things aren’t equal for everybody or why things aren’t fair? And I will always ask “But why?” What can we do in order to make it fair? I don’t believe that any body or any group of bodies, or any group of people has all the right answers or has all the right righteousness (on their-on their-) on their side, but then we all have to question (you know), what are the things that are wrong within and then try and figure out a way to move beyond and redeem that… I suppose that’s why I’m questioning.
(16:20)
Crystal: Now the third word that Divina DeCampo has used is; ‘Kind’.
Tutu: Sorry that’s my nervous laugh, whenever anyone says anything nice about me I either laugh or have a meltdown.
Crystal: I share that 100%, (its-) for me it’s if someone compliments I will insult myself straight away, straight away. I think- you’re clearly a very kind person as someone that’s (um) watched you and (er) always looked up to you and seen your stances on - as you just said - about questioning (um), on equality, and in the drag world, especially in the commercial drag world you’re very much are very prominent on the London scene that you are working a lot with (er) those that are of the RuPaul’s Drag Race entity, and it’s so amazing to have you rub shoulders and work with so many of those people and be affiliated somewhat with that brand and have the voice that you have, I think that’s very important and it takes someone that is very kind to have the consideration of others.
(17:31)
Tutu: Well I thank you for that, I-I just believe that (you know) we could all do with a bit more kindness, I mean… I like people even though I’m a introverted-bit of a hermit, I like people, I like watching people, I like to see (you know) people grow and I like to see them flourish, and I like to see- the joy that comes out of (you know) people just being their good selves and being their real selves and hitting their potentials as people, and I suppose that’s where the kindness comes from, I also believe in (you know) fairness and that we all have a responsibility to look after each other, to have each other’s backs and when you have a relative strength in one area of life whether it be beauty, intelligence, wealth, knowledge, whatever it is - that you have a responsibility to use that strength to uplift people who have a relative disadvantage in that area. Nobody has it all, we all have relative advantages in one area and another, as opposed to what drives me mad is when people use that relative advantage that they have to suppress people who have a disadvantage in order to boost their own ego and their own prominence, I say “No” just use it to uplift them cos I get joy & pleasure from seeing everybody just get along and helping each other. Have my back and I’ll have yours, I suppose thats where the kindness comes from and I must say that; (you know) one of the greatest compliments that anybody can (um) pay me is to say “Kindness” cos I really treasure kindness, I don’t care if you say I’m talented which I ain’t, I don’t care if you say i’m “this”, I’m “that”, “beautiful” which I ain’t, “rich” which I ain’t, but tell me I’m “kindness” and you just have my- spirit just soars cos that’s just one of the things that I-I am and I treasure.
(19:43)
Crystal: And it’s priceless.
Tutu: It’s priceless, it is priceless treasure.
Crystal: It’s ever-flowing as well and I think that’s- I think we (um) I think a lot of people crave the opposite of those that is materialistic, people crave emotion, and they don’t realise it- people crave that kindness and crave that authenticity, and you definitely bring that! Which leads me to the fourth word - which you’ve already just said - and it’s; ‘Joy’.
Tutu: I love joy; I just joy is just- (you know) Joy is happiness, (um-hmph) I’ve always maintained, and always believed and lived my life by the principle that there’s only one goal in life and that goal is to be happy, (um) to find your happiness, it has a caveat and the caveat being that as long as (in the pursuit of you finding your-) in the pursuit of you finding your happiness you do not go out of your way to deprive somebody else of theirs! Then you are doing a good job because so many people do that, they love to (like) take from others, they like to encroach on other people’s joy they like to do that and so that happiness (um) is something that (you know), I love and I love to see in others, and I love to use the platform that we have as an entertainer to actually bring joy to other people. There’s nothing more satisfying than (you know) being on a stage and seeing people respond (um) to a joyous energy, I absolutely love that, to see the joy in people’s faces even if it you just say something and it brings joy, it is it’s own reward just that (you know) minute, or fraction, or two minutes of seeing that joy come out from them, thats where I get my joy from, in seeing the joy in other people and being able to use whatever platform I have to (you know) help bring that out or to help amplify it, or to help stimulate it.
(21:49)
Crystal: It is again, priceless to be on a stage and when we use our voice (and), when we are performing at a show and we either (just) give people some words of love or some words of wisdom that have helped us-
Tutu: Mmm.
Crystal: -or we talk about inclusivity, or you look at everyone in the room and say “everyone can do drag” (like) you see people’s faces get that lightbulb because though they know that they can they need someone (just) to give them a little bit of a mental shove in the right direction-
Tutu: Mmhm.
(22:18)
Crystal: - (it’s also so-) again, it’s so joyous and it (just) comes from a place of kindness, and it comes from a place of (just) wanting everyone to experience joy & kindness because - again - it is free! And it is priceless… One, two, three, four- the fifth word!
Tutu: Oh did she run out of nice things to say about me did she?!
Crystal: The fifth word that we have is; ‘Complex.’
Tutu: How did she know that?
Crystal: Listen we all have an identity crisis, we’re all very complex people.
Tutu: Ooh Divina DeCampo we’re gonna have to have words, (um) I’m a mess okay?
Crystal: Me too.
(23:00)
Tutu: I am one big giant mess, I am complex, do you know what this feels like therapy do you charge for this?
Crystal: I don’t but I am glad that it feels like that.
Tutu: It feels like therapy, yeah, we’re all complex (I mean-we are- you know), every human being is a cluster of millions and billions of Midi-chlorians, no sorry, DNA cells -
- Tutu chuckles -
Tutu: (-and so) And in that when all those come together they form a complex human being. (I-) Maybe it’s because I’m an extroverted-introvert, manic depressive? I don’t know, (I-I-) I am complex, I like looking at things from a different perspective, (I-eurgh-) I can be moody due to all the aforementioned, (um- I do-) I don’t know, I don’t wanna say my background or experience (um) is such that it was (um) trickier than anybody else and so therefore (um) it made me more complex than others but we are our experience, and so (you know) my background is very, very complex in someway.
(24:21)
Crystal: Because you used to live in (er) was it Nigeria?
Tutu: Yeah well I was born British and even when born British (um) back then in the 60s & 70s, the (um) commonwealth immigrants, the young ones that came over then (um) who were young & studying, and had children (um), the most affordable form of childcare for them back in the day, was a system of voluntarily putting your kids into foster care and the phrase- the term that was use for it was ‘Farming’, as in they had to farm out their children, and- so it wasn’t something that was due to Social Services coming in and (you know), taking your kids off you but if you opened the newspapers back then and look in the Classified section you’d see people advertising to foster (um) children, (you know) you’d drop your children off there, they’d live with them and then you’d pay them a fee for (you know), the (um) purpose of doing that- somebody actually released a film a couple of years ago called Farming, that (um) explores that particular issue which (I-um-) I haven’t watched because I’m still resisting watching it cos it’ll bring back memories of that period of time, and so during that period of time I lived with - at different times - three separate families all of whom were white caucasian and so, it wasn’t until my parents were moving back to Nigeria when I was about 8 & a half years old, that for the first time I went to live with them, so my entire background up until 8 - and in those very-very key formative years - were through the lense of somebody completely separated from their own culture (um) and so I was brought up for those first 8 years White, in White culture and then moved to Africa to live with a Black family and so that brought it’s own degrees of complexity (um) because it took a while for me to actually (you know), accept my parents as parents, not in name but in spirit because everything that they did or said was very alien to me, and I didn’t realise how pronounced it was until there was a day I saw one of my sisters eating something and my niece went up to her and took the thing that she was eating out of her hand, and then took a bite of it and then gave it back, and that was very-very significant for me, because it took years of me for me to be able to eat something that my mother had eaten that you know like as kids you don’t eat what somebody else has eaten you know? You get germs etc. etc, but when it’s family you don’t have that barrier, but I had been so far removed from my own family that it was a chore for me to do and so all of those things and (I-I-) then the journey beyond that point (you know), then growing up being gay in a country that (you know) will kill you if they realise that you’re gay, (you know) being an extroverted-introvert, (um) on top of all that having the bad experience of doing the Farming because that was a horror especially with the last family that I lived with, that was an absolute horror for me which then exacerbated my (um) own sense of going inwards to protect myself and building up walls (um), and so all of that led to (you know) the mess that you have speaking to you today.
(28:11)
Crystal: so “Yes Divina I am complex”
Tutu: Shut up Divina you know too much!
Crystal: But what a journey, what a journey and what a story (like) it’s something to be so proud of and you clearly wear your heart on your sleeve as well it’s so- (it’s just) it’s just awesome.
Tutu: Well I thank you very much, you know i’d be very proud of it if it was anything of my own doing but I can’t take credit for it, we are who we are.
(28:39)
Crystal: 100%, and the sixth word - which I think is very-very true - the sixth word that Divina DeCampo has described Son Of A Tutu is; ‘Insightful’.
Tutu: I-I think I am? (I-I-)… (It’s prob-hmm), again my nature is ‘sit back and watch’ I believe, I like to see other people at play so I’m a great observer, I’m one of life’s great observers (um), there’s also that (um) saying that “70% of communication is listening” and I’m an active listener, I like to sit back and listen - not just at what people say but- to everything that’s going on around me and when you do that, when you spend less of your energy talking - even though I CAN TALK! As people know because sometimes as people know sometimes I say too much but - I spend a lot more time than I do expressing, I spend a lot more time observing and actually taking things in and like I said before; I don’t like to see dangling bits, I like to connect the dots ‘Why is this thing this way?’ and I suppose that provides insight.
(29:46)
Crystal: I think a lot of White performers find you insightful because you have been one of very few prominent Black performers in the drag industry, specifically the Trad drag industry, the pub circuit and the Pride circuit, (you are-) I do find that you are (um) for lack of a better word; victim to tokenism a lot and I think people really listen to your words and really listen to your perspective of things because the way that you deliver it is in a way thats so digestible for even the most ignorant people, and think thats why I think Divina’s partly used the word ‘Insightful’ because you’ve been doing your thing amidst so many different changes through time.
(30:27)
Tutu: I can accept that actually, I think that’s a very-very good way of actually looking at it. I think the fact that I came to drag relatively late helps as I started my drag in my 40s, whereas I should’ve start it in my 20s- 20 years earlier, and as a result haven’t lived a different life and then had (you know), all that experience, those life experiences, and then come into drag as a drag baby, whereas I wasn’t a drag baby I was (you know) advanced middle age! So to speak! I think that helped, and also like I mentioned before I believe that we all should (you know) have each other’s backs and that does include supporting each other’s learnings, and so I’m less prone to be judgemental (you know-um), point a finger, scream, shout etc etc, even though I think that there is a place for that, (um) people who are built to do that have every right to go out and do that - not just every right, responsibility to do that, (um) my DNA however is one of building, and nurturing, and helping people to learn, grow and moving things along, like in all (um) major reconstruction endeavours I always say; first of all you need the bulldozers to go in and clear away the bad, the things that are out of date, the things that (you know) need to be taken down, and when they do that then it gives space for the builders to then come in and then build the new, and as a result we all have our parts to play in accordance with our DNA and my DNA is one of the builders - not necessarily the bulldozers - and I like teaching, I like helping people and to help people through learning, and supporting their learning is my role in life and I know who I am to that extent and so I embrace it and go with it.
(32:45)
Crystal: I find it really interesting as someone who started drag when they were 18, as time has gone on it’s really interesting that age really is non-existent when it comes to drag because I have met people that have just started drag and they’re in their mid-to-late 40s yet they feel like a 16 year old.
Tutu: Absolutely.
Crystal: It’s all about spirit
Tutu: It’s all about spirit and something that you know you want to do, something that’s innate and you have to do it, and (you know) even if you come to your 40s or 50s - as I’m sure some people will - as long as you follow your heart- yeah it may seem a bit anachronistic because all the peers-all your peers - I suppose - in your class, (you know) you are the class of 2020 are probably people young enough to be your child-your children, (you know) it’s adult education in different ways so you just have to go with it but thats probably why I ended up in what you refer to as; the Trad scene, and the Trad drag scene in that (you know) the drag of my generation is the traditional drag circuit and so thats probably why I ended up there, but then because I had that whole life experience that I went off and did other things in my youth I have a different perspective to many of the others who went straight into it from when they were young and so my journey in to drag has been- (you know) has it’s own uniqueness and that is reflected in (kind of) the queen that I am I suppose.
(34:27)
Crystal: I definitely think that you are one of the most versatile queens on the scene so I don’t want to pigeon-hole you into the Trad drag circuit, but you definitely are prominent on the Trad drag circuit, you’re one of the names- you’re a household name in that circuit because it’s something that I believe I share with you is that we definitely- (er) we’re like switch-hitters we work in different circuits, (we can-) we can adapt ourselves to different shows for example you do (um) stuff down at Heaven which not a lot of people do, you do the pubs, the clubs but you also do these amazing benefits and Pride’s, you really have you- you have your fingers in lots of lovely, delicious pies.
(35:06)
Tutu: (I-I-) I love that and I love that aspect, the fact that I can do that- you’re absolutely right I am most prominent on the Trad scene but then (you know) I do (you know), Duckie one week, (um you know) doing a little theatre thing another week, Edinburgh Fringe Festival one week etc etc. I always say that I will go anywhere that is open to listening to what I have to say and I don’t care (um you know) what kind of sector, what kind of sub-genre it is, I am there if they want me, (um) I’ve been around enough of them to know that they all have (um) the things that are brilliant about them and they all have the things that I absolutely loathe about them, (um) in all sectors across the board, and one of the things I hate is is when people one side think that (you know) the people on the other side is not doing something particularly well or doing it correctly, or doing it how it should be, or just (you know) dismisses due to a lack of understanding of what they’re doing (you know), there’s good and bad in all sides and I just like working in all of them.
(36:24)
Crystal: And that’s the way to do it, that is the way to do it. Now I’ve saved this last word because I find it the most entertaining, because I’ve seen it myself being present at (er) Porn Idol in Heaven, the last word that Divina DeCampo has used to describe Son Of A Tutu is; ‘Naughty.’
Tutu: I’m a good girl I am! I’m a good girl.
Crystal: You bloody aren’t I’ve seen you on that microphone!
Tutu: But yes, (I am-) I am a bit saucy I suppose but why not? I mean (you know) sex is one of those things or sexual situations is one of those things that you gotta laugh at it in order to embrace it so yeah I’m naughty!
(37:06)
Crystal: I find the seriousness sometimes - and when I say “seriousness” I mean (like) the… The somewhat role-playing in people’s- being impacted by Hollywood and film, and television with what sex should be, sex needs to have a chunk of humour involved with it.
Tutu: The wonderful Michael Twaits - who I hope you’re gonna do one of these things with-
Crystal: Love Michael.
Tutu: (-Has a) Said something once when they were (um) I think judging (um) a heat of Drag Idol, and it’s something she’d read in a book and (you know) if you know Mr. Michael Twaits she loves to read a book or two!
(37:50)
Crystal: She likes to read a queen or two as well.
Tutu: Don’t I know it! And (um) he said; “the thing to do with drag is to-“ (um) take a - I’m paraphrasing now cos I don’t know of the exact words she used - is to take a serious topic and make it ridiculous? Or take a ridiculous topic and make it serious, and within that if you use that framework you can do some great work in art and I really loved the way she said that (you know), take a serious subject and just make it funny & frivolous, and taking (you know) something that’s frivolous and turn it all serious & dark and I absolutely love that, and I suppose the same goes with sex.
(38:40)
Crystal: Absolutely, well what a lovely end to our ‘7 Things’, the 7 things are over Tutu!
Crystal: Now we’re going to go on to our next section which is called; ‘True Love’.
- a slow guitar jingle plays as notable American television personality Thorgy Thor saying “Ok i.. am OBSESSED with mustard, I can’t believe I said that out loud’ is played over it -
(38:53)
Crystal: Now ’True Love’ Tutu, is (basically) a section where tell me something that you have always been in love with throughout your entire life, that you still love just as much today, is there something you can think of that resonates with-
Tutu: Oh music, music I- (you know) love music and funnily enough - even though I’m terrible at it but it has been the bane of my life - singing! I am an absolutely atrocious singer I can barely hold a tune in a bucket but I’ve never been able to stop singing, never been able to stop singing. As a kid, I remember being in school once and I remember we doing something in the performance class and they were recording it, and they kept saying; “There’s a voice on this recording that’s distorting” and all of sudden they found out it was me-
(39:50)
Crystal: Oh my god!
Tutu: - so they moved me to the middle of the class, so that it wouldn’t pick up so loudly on the microphone, tried it again, they could still hear me, moved me back further, could still here me- by this point I was out of the room they-
(40:10)
Crystal: Oh my god.
Tutu: I always used to characterise my singing as being loud & unpleasant, however! Because (you know) it’s been one of my greatest passions in life I’ve always believe that anybody can sing as long as you have the equipment to do it, (um) and (you-) you just have to learn how to use that equipment, (now-) like any other sphere of life and (you know) physiology, some people were innately born knowing how to use their equipment, to do it and produce a pleasant sound and then some of us have to work like dogs.
(41:00)
Crystal: Work like dogs.
Tutu: Work like dogs, and (I-) my work - as in, I didn’t actually start having my first singing lesson - didn’t happen until I was in my mid-30s and my first teacher said to me “It’s gonna take about 20 years to make a pleasant sound” - I went “Why would you say something horrible like that?!”, He went; “Because we have 30 years of bad habits to get rid of.” And I stood out and was in protest but he was absolutely right, he was absolutely right because (you know) the younger you start learning the quicker it is because you don’t have bad habits to get rid of whereas (you know), probably because I was always told to “Shut up!” And being the belligerent person that I was, didn’t shut up I always continued singing, I didn’t take that step of actually doing something about it until I was in my mid-30s. Now I have never been a Whitney Houston-
(41:58)
Tutu: - (um) but I don’t feel that I make a loud, unpleasant sound anymore but I’m still not gonna be great but I am a million miles better than I ever was.
Crystal: I’m exactly the same and I think singing - half of it is selling it, half of it is selling it because as long as you’re happy and you’re enjoying it yourself, that’s half the job done.
(42:21)
Tutu: You’re absolutely right actually and the reason I’ve got away with being a non-lipsyncing drag queen - as in one that sings in my work - for almost 10 years now despite not being a great vocalist is the fact that even though I did not know how to sing I knew how to tell a story and connect, and so- now I’m not Bob Dylan by any stretch of the imagination but Bob Dylan himself can’t sing but he was a great poet and you listened to every word he said, and so as long as you can connec- singing is a form of expression, it’s just a form of expressio- and as long as you know how to express - obviously the more skilled you are at it the better the expression - but as long as you can imbue it with truth & honesty and people can understand what you’re saying, then you can get away with murder, which I have.
(43:12)
Crystal: Oh yes-
Crystal: - always… Always, always, always. (I just-) I think what comes with drag with singing is we can get away with murder and it’s even better if just before the song you go “Get ready for a live murder on this stage!” And you go and try and attempt to sing (you know) something by Adele or Beyonce and it’s just- it’s just entertaining regardless.
(43:35)
Tutu: But you can carry that off as well because you’re a great dancer and let me tell you Tutu don’t dance.
Crystal: Tutu moves.
Crystal: And on that note Tutu we’re gonna take a little break.
Crystal: Tired of using crap, overpriced make up? Done with using products that aren’t cruelty free and vegan? Wanna go out and look bloody gorgeous?! Then get yourself some GIVE FACE COSMETICS; direct from the UK Give Face Cosmetics are an independent queer brand that have an array of gorgeousness from eyeshadow palettes to foundation, neon pigments to liquid lipsticks, flash palettes and all the glitter you could ask for! And at extremely affordable prices. My personal favourite is the blinding highlighter powder phwoar! Better yet!Their entire range are vegan and cruelty free! To get 10% off your purchase at check out use code ‘CRYSTAL’ for money off! So go for it, what are you waiting for? Check them out at GiveFaceCosmetics.co.uk
(44:35)
Crystal: And now Tutu we’re going to go straight into our next section which is called; ‘Topic Of Choice’.
Crystal: Now ‘Topic Of Choice’ is a time for you to talk- well I time for us to have a discussion about anything that you wish to talk about whether it is something serious, something silly, maybe it is a film you’ve watched, a television show you enjoy, anything you want or wish to, lets talk about it. Do you have something in mind today?
(45:04)
Tutu: Oh my god I have several things I could talk about but then we don’t have that much time, I could talk for days about Game Of Thrones, I could talk for days about Whitney Houston or Bette Davis, I could talk for days about RuPaul’s Drag Race but I feel I’ll just have to choose one and the one I’m gonna choose is the (um) current civil rights movement known as Black Lives Matter.
(45:28)
Crystal: What a movement and what a day it is to be alive.
Tutu: I love how you put that because one of the things I say is that (you know); there’s something special about reading about history and always being part of it, being in the eye of the storm of history, and thats what’s happening now, we’ve all read about The Stonewall Riots and The Gay Liberation Movement, we’ve all (read-er-) heard about (you know) emancipation of slavery, or the decolonisation of (you know) most of the world, we’ve all read about the civil rights movements of the 60s & 70s, but now we are actually writing the stories for the future and it’s so amazing to be part of that in a time where the (health-) public health conditions would suggest that we shouldn’t be but despite that we’re going out there and this is happening, I just think it’s incredible.
(46:30)
Crystal: And doing so safely!
Tutu: Absolutely, doing so safely but also factoring in the fact that yes there is harm (um) and risk associated with going out and fighting whether you’re doing it on the street or doing it behind your computer, at this point in time in this present climate, but then the risk of not doing it in a moment that is right for doing it are far more greater than the lives you save from remaining silent, too much has gone on for too long that has been wrong, that has been bad and- do you know what? (You know) I’m in my 50s (um), this is a movement that has been spear-headed by the millennials but then every millennial of every generation - whether they’re called millennial or not which we- I wasn’t when I was that age - we all have a fight of that generation, my generation fought the statutory (um) bigotry of (you know) you can’t work here if you’re gay or you can’t this if you’re Black etc etc and then when our generation wrapped up the world and a new generation came along and we handed that world over to our kids - as in the next generation - they take it, they look at it and went “Thank you: - some of them don’t say thank you some of them say “Oh my god you’ve messed all of this up! How did you let this happen? Here’s what we’re going to correct cos this is the fight of our generation.” And each successive generation when they inherit that mantle, takes it a step further, and the generation that gave it to them feels a sense of; “No you can’t do that! Thats not wrong please stop criticising us, that was alright, this is how we’ve always done it.” But then the new generation - as it’s there world - will always fight that as eventually the fight that they’re fighting to the extent that is good & right will always prevail, and so I’ve just loved-loved-loved-loved- some of the times & tones jar with me because “Oh thats not my nature” but then I will not stand in the way of progress because I know that it’s progress that needs to happen.
(48:57)
Crystal: I think it’s incredible to think about when my generation - that is millennial - will be older and will be looked after by generation- I think it’s ‘Generation Z’ or ‘X’? I’m not sure but - I find it very exciting.
Tutu: You’ll get it too, your generation will get it too, that new generation that will succeed you will come up and say; “Whats all this?” and “Whats all that?” and they will find the things that (you know) are wrong that we either do not see right now or do not have the bandwidth to tackle because you’re so busy dealing with these other demons that you’re slaying and then they will take that on and they will do that as well. It’s change and you’ve got to remember there’s always phases of change; the first phase of change is denial, then the second is resistance, then the third phase I think is (umm errr-) I forget the correct word for it but it is when you first look at it and then you reflect, and then you start to actually make the change and then you have a commitment where it embeds in, and so everything that I’ve say now people say “No you can’t do this” or “You can’t say anything, anymore, anyday-” blah, blah, blah, blah, I look at it and go “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” If you look at the life cycle of change, everything you’re saying is predicted, I know what this is this is the denial phase or the resistance change but after that - thats the word - exploration is the third phase where you then explore and look at it and try to make the change and then you move into to commitment where you move forward and that change becomes the new.
(50:40)
Crystal: Well I look at people like Greta Thunberg… And her stance and her being so young, and being a part of - from my perspective - the next generation or maybe even the next-next generation, and even her energy and her words and how impactful and (um) inspiring she’s been it’s so tremendous and I feel be that may be the case when our children’s children (um) confront us for the issues of the world I feel like it’ll mostly be environmental?
(51:15)
Tutu: Mm it will be environmental, or God knows what it will be but the reason our activists are getting younger, and younger, and younger, (um) and I didn’t read this anywhere but as I said I like to connect the dots; is that when I look at my generation, a large part of my generation forgot how to bring up kids, as in; kids were pretty much left to their our devices and as a result the kids when one of two ways, they either went completely feral because they were not being brought up, or they brought themselves up and had to learn to become adults very, very young and as a result (you know) the young now - far more earlier than they have in previous generations - are the ones (you know) telling the parents what to do and actually telling them whats right and whats wrong because they had to learn very, very, very quickly and you see that dynamic of not bringing the kids up in so many spheres of life be it from education to educate- (you know) you look at people (you know), kicking off at immigrants “for taking all the jobs” etc etc and I go “Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on” When I was young and - like I said before - I am a kid of the commonwealth students who came over then who were at a clear social economic disadvantage to their White counterparts (um) because they were far left behind in technological advancement, (um) Our parents made it mandatory, there was absolutely no question about it, you HAD to get an education, you were not left to decide as a kid on your own, you HAD to get an education, and the repercussion of that is that you now have a (you know) whole generation of (um) second, third, (um, um) generation immigrants who are very well equipped, very well educated, doing jobs- professional jobs - and then a lot of our White counterparts who - not only parenting - but also successive governments had failed to invest and own their training & development are now without jobs in a complete wasteland when it comes to opportunity don’t know what to do and then demagogues come a long who then pray on that already bad, sad situation as opposed to helping them actually get through that they then (you know) start (you know) talking about racism and fear of immigrants etc etc and it’s not that, lets actually take a better and a more active role in training & developing our youth and the ones that even aren’t young, train & develop so that they then have the skills to go out and do this etc etc and so I just think - in the west especially - my generation forgot, we forgot how to parent and bring up kids.
(54:40)
Crystal: It’s so important because (you know-) your words there saying that (um) “young generations but also older ones” because it is never too late it is never too late to learn anything, it’s never too late to gain a more open-minded perspective in so many different areas and it’s not only in belief, in kindness, in acceptance and progress, but also in the world of (you know) jobs, and parenting, and analysing where things may have gone a bit pear-shaped, it’s so important to have that (um) open-mindedness in that area because everything has been brought up to think that it is their way or the highway.
(55:19)
Tutu: Absolutely and in their defence I have to recognise the fact that we all have a different varying of degrees of capacity to (um) accept and go with change, (um) just like my singing teacher said “it’s gonna take you 20 years to become a decent singer cos we have 30 years worth of bad habits to get rid of” When you’ve been conditioned in a particular way (um), that this is the way to do things it’s hard for people - especially an older generation - if they are risk-adverse and change-resistant in order to make that change which is why it is very important that (you know) people and governments who have a responibility to help people through that do so responsibly with a dedication to see it though no matter how long that takes instead of praying of the fears for their own political gain.
Crystal: Tutu for prime minister!
Tutu: Never!
(56:27)
Tutu: I am too lazy and too much of an introvert to go out there and be a politician, (you know) I know my role in life on my own, and my own shortcomings, I could never be a politician.
Crystal: Now we’re gonna move on to one of my favourite sections, it goes straight after ’Topic Of Choice’, it is; ‘Pet Peeves’.
(56:55)
Crystal: Now in this section Tutu I am opening up the floor, we can talk about anything that’s grinding your gears at the moment from something that’s super small to (maybe) a big issue, anything that’s really pissing you off or annoying the hell out of you, lets talk about it.
Tutu: Okay number one; Zoom- just kidding.
Crystal: You know what, I got through the entirety of lockdown without doing a single Zoom quiz.
Tutu: I haven’t done a Zoom quiz, I’ve done events but I haven’t done Zoom quizzes.
Crystal: Aw I don’t know how you’ve done it, well you’ve done it for money but yeah-
Tutu: I’m a Zoom whore yes I am.
Crystal: You know what we are babe? We’re fucking Zoom destroyers aren’t we.
(57:43)
Tutu: ‘Pet Peeves’, which one can I talk about- I know what I wanna talk about and it really grinds my gears, people-
Tutu: -people are gonna hate me for this- people who get stuck overseas due to quarantine rules-
Crystal: OH MY GOD.
Crystal: What made Becky think she deserved a fucking holiday?!
Crystal: (They’re all-I just don’t-) Oh I’m so with you, I am so glad you’ve said this, I’ve been thinking about this so much and it’s literally been - as far as we are aware - it’s literally been British people popping over to Spain, Greece (you know), being like; “Oh we’re going over for a week” and they pop back and they just shrug their shoulders at the fact that they’ve gone back into quarantine.
(58:30)
Tutu: Oh they start moaning and blah-blah (and-), you turn on the evening news and it’s (like) “there’s a rush to get people home” and I go; What the hell are they doing there in the first place!? Why the HELL did they go overseas in a pandemic!?
Crystal: D’ya know what Tutu? Do you what really makes me want to go to Disneyland Paris? A pandemic, you know-
Crystal: -it really just (you know) really makes me wanna go see Mickey Mouse in a mask.
Tutu: Or to WaterWorld or whatever it’s called and get in the swimming pool.
Crystal: D’ya know what really makes me wanna go and see a drag show at Jackie O’s in Mykonos, a pandemic, a pandemic.
Crystal: I’m so glad you said this, I’ve wanted to get this out of my system.
(59:12)
Tutu: Oh my god it has been driving me absolutely mad, the people that moan online about “Argh can’t go on my holiday this year!”
Crystal: Explore the U.K! We’ve got some beautiful spots-
Tutu: Exactly!
Crystal: I’m dying to go to Cornwall!
Tutu: Exactly! It’s like “Oh my god” If you have the money for a holiday? Stay-cation baby, (there’s-) people come from all over the world to explore these-our lands, and when would you get another opportunity where by the conditions for you exploring your own land are so- (you know) so good and (you know) just go out and explore! Go Cornwall! Go Scunthorpe! Go anywhere!
Crystal: Anywhere!
Tutu: Just go somewhere!
(59:56)
Crystal: (It’s just-) It’s mind-blowing that people just think that- and also save the money and spend it (like-) in a years time, go on a big holiday next Christmas, whenever we’re gonna be able to but (just-) Scotland, Wales, Cornwall… High Wycombe!
Crystal: But we’re going to go into one of our last sections Tutu which is; ‘Somebody To Love’.
Crystal: Tutu ‘Somebody To Love’ is a section where we dedicate the conversation to someone that has kept you going (er) this year, throughout lockdown, or just in general someone that entertains you, that you enjoy, (um) someone- whether it’d be a musician, an artist or an entertainer, or a person- or a personal (um) friend, or loved one in your life, (lets just-) it’s a time for you to (talk-) talk about them and lift them up, and (you know) praise them.
(1:00:50)
Tutu: Oh wow, I think I’ll have to go for my (um), my mother of choice, so to speak, somebody that has been my best friend for- Oh god twenty five or so years, the lovely Michael Topping, (um) Michael Topping (um) has now retired to Blackpool because (er) I think two or three years ago (um) he had a stroke (um) which meant that he had to retire from (you know) our world of entertainment, but before that he was known for being one half of a duo called Topping & Butch.
(1:01:27)
Crystal: Oh my goodness.
Tutu: And before that he used to-
Crystal: Oh my god!
Tutu: Are you- do you remember or had you forgotten?
Crystal: (I think-) Are they normally dressed in er-
Tutu: Rubber.
Crystal: Oh my god! Of course! I just had the biggest flashback, they were at my very-very first - I used to be in a drag troupe with Lydia L’Scabies & Rococo Chanel and one of our prizes at Pride’s Got Talent in Brighton 2013 was to be at the Brighton Pride Cabaret Stage and they were there and they would always be performing in Brighton (er) whether it’d be (you know) Legends, Queens Arms, and I’d see them every now and then, and you just completely taken me back.
(1:02:06)
Tutu: Yep!
Crystal: Legends, absolutely legends!
Tutu: Yup! I’m friendly with both of them but Michael - as in Michael Topping - (um) has been my drag mother since, not drag mother but Gay mother- this is long before I did drag- from (I suppose) the early 90s when we first met (um) in the back room at The Two Brewers.
Crystal: Ahhh…
Tutu: (And um-) Haha I know! And before he did Topping & Butch he was (um) he used to work with Dave Lynn and he & Dave Lynn had a double act called ‘Dave Lynn & Malitza’ where (um) he used to be Malitza in drag, and then before that he had done quite a few other things before that as well working with Hinge & Brackett etc etc, his life story has been (um) parallels and mirrors of the progression of drag entertainment in the U.K I suppose from the 60s onwards, and (you know), he’s in his house in Blackpool- the house he grew up in that he inherited when his mother passed, that was quite a few years ago (um), and so (you know) even when I lived in America (um) late 90s-2000s, he was one person I would always speak to at least once a week on the telephone and so he’s just always been my special friend for life in the most significant, and the most supportive relationship in life and as a best friend (you know) he helped me see life - especially from coming from a community that did not offer any kind of support or guidance for a young, Black, Gay man, (um) he was there- not for telling me how to do things but just for being an example and I’d look up to him and I’d see how he did things and through that I got to find my own self, and (you know) even now keeping him at home during lockdown was a challenge because he wanted to go out on his little scooter or have people come over and- (you know) endless days of shouting at him having him realise that he’s within the most vulnerable group, that he mustn’t do this but (you know), it’s just been a joy - not just through lockdown - but through my entire adulthood of knowing that man.
(1:04:25)
Crystal: What a wonderful-wonderful story, that is- throughout this entire interview there’s been points where I forget that I’m interviewing you and I’m just sat listening to you and you… You are (just), you embody so much that I look up to and want to be and that story alone with (er) Topping & Butch, Michael Topping, (just-) it’s again when you first said those names it took me back and it resorted me back to being that young Queer kid, I remember going in to G-A-Y Heaven as an 18 year old, newly Gay (um) little idiot and going into the clubroom and - I still have the picture, it’s not on my phone but it’s definitely on this computer - and the first drag queen I met was Myra Dubois.
(1:05:15)
Tutu: Ah!
Crystal: I’m just gonna say the make-up hasn’t changed much.
Tutu: But the mouth hasn’t either!
Crystal: Oh no but it takes me back to those times that you really do have to respect & appreciate where you came from and whose been with you and whose never let you go - I don’t like to say ‘never let you down’ because we’re humans, we make mistakes - but people that have never let you go and always stuck by you and been there and when you spoke about Michael Topping it makes me think about Cherry Liquor and she’s one of my bestest friends on this entire planet and you think about that kindred spirit connection and it all trickles down to the world of Queerness and cabaret, and drag and it’s part of our passion as Son Of A Tutu & Crystal Lubrikunt, that when we are faced with oppression and exclusivity (it-it’s kind of) it’s our anger and our frustration comes from a place where that passion is rooted because you want everyone to share that passion, and share that connection, and that (you know) - it doesn’t take much, and you are someone that embodies so much love, joy, kindness & naughtiness!
(1:06:35)
Tutu: Stop it.
Crystal: And I’m so appreciative of everything that you do and I’m so thrilled to be able to know you and to have worked with you and will work with you, and I just think that you’re fucking incredible Son Of A Tutu.
Tutu: And I say the same about you to; you just give me joy, you give me life and I just love the uniqueness of your voice, really I love it- I love unique voices- I love all voices but unique ones really stand out more to me because it’s something nobody else-everybody else isn’t saying or in a way everybody else isn’t saying it, and I thank you for that… Talking of Myra Dubois; (um) Okay we’re both going to be in a film that’s going to get released sometime soon when this (um) pandemic is over-
(1:07:23)
Crystal: Oh of course Jamie the musical!
Tutu: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie the musical, but a little unknown fact about Myra & I is that Myra was the first drag queen that I ever did a show with-
Crystal: As if!
Tutu: -yeah!
Crystal: How crazy is that!?
Tutu: I had my first gig after winning Drag Idol was at Halfway To Heaven, and Myra - either as Myra or as Gareth I can’t remember - was doing the tech cos (you know) she used to DJ back in those days, and afterwards she came up to me and had a conversation and just said “D’ya wanna do a show together?” and I went “Yes” And we did a show together at Halfway To Heaven, which was brilliant, and then we said “lets do another one together” and we did another one together and it was an absolute disaster!
Crystal: Lightning only struck once!
(1:08:19)
Tutu: Exactly! Well I’ll always remember that Myra was the first drag queen that I ever worked with when I was straight out of the Drag Idol (um) gates to the scene that we call our little industry.
Crystal: It is such a joy to be a part of such a (though we-) though every industry, every industry, every community has it’s cracks that need to be fixed and (you know)- but I do take so much pride in the U.K community and how supportive of each other, and in all circuits and in all styles of drag, we are very supportive and we are very proud of each other and in climates like today it’s been incredible to see people really come together, there of course - as I said - there are cracks, there are things that (um) that need to be spoken about and conversations that need to be made, but for the most part our community is something that I for one am so-so proud of and look forward to seeing how with progress further in future.
(1:09:21)
Tutu: I couldn’t have put that any better myself, well not even just in our community, even when talking about RuPaul’s Drag Race, - I’m not gonna go off on another tangent - I know I’m known for being quite critical of that franchise as are you but then I always love it in the sense that I see the good it’s doing as far as drag & LGBTQIA+ visibility concerned, and making an industry that’s better and more (um) economic for all of us, it just needs to make sure that it is inclusive for everybody and everybody is allowed on the highest table to be able to join-enjoy the benefits because people are watching, people- there’s so many millions of people that are seeing drag for the first time through the Drag Race lense and they are getting misinformed by only seeing a restrictive, (um) exclusive perspective of what drag is and so yeah we’re not perfect drag like any other system whether it’d be at a Drag Race level, or our community level but do you know what? We have to make sure it stays alive and we have to make sure we improve the things that need fixing.
(1:10:33)
Crystal: 100% I agree with everything you just said (um) we just gotta keep on-keeping on and I don’t dislike the players, I dislike the game.
Tutu: Absolutely.
Crystal: (And I hope-) I want the game to get an upgrade.
Tutu: Sorry I was just lighting up a cigarette.
They both laugh -
soft, mysterious lounge music starts to play in the background -
Crystal: Very dramatic but we’re gonna end this interview there Tutu, thank you so much for coming on and being a guest on my podcast it means the absolute world, I look forward to seeing you in this new normal being as fabulous as you always are, do you have anything to plug that is coming up for yourself?
(1:11:04)
Tutu: Ooh I don’t know when this goes out but next Wednesday or this coming Wednesday I’m doing my first live show since lockdown-
Crystal: Yes!
Tutu: -at The Two Brewers, which I am calling ‘Post Viral Tutu’ yes! Well it’s 8 o’clock on Wednesday, it is a book only event (um) because- (um it-) it’s free but you have to reserve tables in order to see it and we only have a few tables left so if you want to see it? Please come and see it cos (you know I-) I as a CoVid survivor, and when I say “CoVid’ its the two and a half weeks of active infection were bad, but not that bad, it’s the what feels like 3 years of this post-viral fatigue have been absolutely excruciating which is why I’ve called it ‘Post Viral Tutu’, thats on Wednesday, and on Thursday we have the return of G-A-Y Porn Idol which we are calling ‘The Masked Stripper’.
(1:12:05)
Crystal: Oh jesus christ.
Tutu: Pun intended! (Um) And that is on Thursday, this coming week so please come and see that as well.
Crystal: That all sounds fabulous and of course go and see Everyone’s Talking About Jamie: The Movie when it’s finally out!
Tutu: And if I’m rubbish? Please be kind. Rubbish! Please be kind! I’ve never seen myself act before.
Crystal: If you’re rubbish we’ll call you Sandra, if you’re good we’ll call you Son Of A Tutu.
Crystal: Thank you so much for joining me Tutu, I wish you well and sending you nothing but love my darling.
(1:12:39)
Tutu: Likewise darling, much Tutu love… much Crystal love!
Crystal: Ooh! Thank you so-so much to the absolute legend that is Son Of A Tutu for joining me for another absolutely brilliant episode of What Are You Like?! With me Crystal Lubrikunt. If you wanna hit up Son Of A Tutu then hit them up on Instagram & Facebook @SonOfATutu, thats S-O-N, O-F, A, T-U-T-U, if you wanna hit me up on social media it’s @CrystaLubrikunt on Instagram that’s C-R-Y-S-T-A-L-U-B-R-I-K-U-N-T, and Facebook, thank you so so much for listening and I’ll see you in the next one, goodbye! Mwah, oh and stay camp, stay fabulous, all that shit you know what I mean? It’s a Sunday… FUCK. It’s a Sunday.
End of episode