Drag with a difference

SSONet.com.au

Substance and style come together in the outlandish shows of New York drag artist and Sydney festival performer Taylor Mac.

New York performer Taylor Mac wants to be the opposite of cool.

?My show is kind of a reaction to cool,? he says. ?I wanted to break away from this rock star and fame thing and really get down to what it is to be a theatre artist and what it is to really want to make a connection with other people.?

As other performers strive for style, Mac prefers substance in his experimental shows. Riotous costumes, buckets of make-up and a sea of sequins are a major part of his performances, but so are pointed political statements and the ukulele.

For Mac, who performs his one-man show at the Sydney Opera House as part of Sydney Festival this month, is a drag queen with a difference.