On Point With: Lady Camden

She brought beauty, bravado, Britishness and a bevy of wit to our screens as a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 14 finalist… not to mention one of the great stunt-reveals of the show’s history! And this weekend, New Yorkers have a chance to be in Lady Camden’s court up close and personal.

Thotyssey: Thanks for talking to us today, Lady Camden! So many Pride seasons across the world have now come and gone… how many did you see while touring these past few months?

Lady Camden: I’ve been in a million cities over the month of June, and they were all up to their rhinestoned eyeballs in Pride festivities. I have more cities to go to throughout July and August, and I know they will be celebrating Pride, too. It’s a crazy time for me right now, but I love seeing Pride being recognized not just during the month of June!

One such stop on the tour was NYC’s Pride weekend, where you performed with your Drag Race season’s other top performers for Voss Events‘ “The Fantastic Six!” How did New York treat you?

New York is always a wild ride. I flew in from Chicago that morning, rehearsed my number on stage once, and learned a finale number in minutes with my sisters before performing in front of a packed house full of crazy New Yorkers. It was magical! Such a hectic day full of “make it happen” moments followed by an early morning flight to Austin the next day. Crazy, and so worth it.

Have you had a minute to absorb and enjoy your new level of fame and success, or is everything still a blur?

No babes… there is literally no time to breathe. I went from finding out I didn’t win in NYC, lol, to Copenhagen the next morning to join the European leg of “Werq the World.” Once that tour was over I went straight into Pride month, and now I’m answering these questions with a glass of wine at Phoenix airport. I have a day at home before I fly to London to perform at the first gay club I ever snuck into with a fake ID. It’s a full circle moment, for sure. While there’s no time to breathe, there’s always time for a cocktail!

It’s hard to produce a real gagworthy moment after 14+ seasons of a reality show, but that fake runway trip of yours that revealed your Freddie Mercury “chaps” look broke the sound barrier with the screams of gay viewers across the world! I bet watching that play back on TV for the first time was a wild moment.

Oh my God, you have no idea what was going through my mind waiting for that episode. The crazy part was doing a phone interview with Entertainment Weekly about the reveal before I had even seen it on TV over here on the West Coast. Joey Nolfi was warning me about the Twitter tidal wave that was coming from the East Coast. I made sure to be at my home bar in San Francisco so I could see my friends lose their goddamn minds in person. A night I will never forget.

That fall looked super real, by the way! Were your classically trained dancing skills in use there, or was it just luck that it looked so good?

No, I’ve been practicing that infamous model catwalk fall that we’ve all seen on YouTube where she’s wearing intimidatingly high platforms where she starts to teeter, lose control and completely eat it while looking fierce and stunning at the same time. Falling came naturally to this little gay boy, who has been practicing that at the back of the ballet studio. I’ve always loved making other dancers laugh at the back of the room when we’re supposed to be working and refining our designated choreography. I’ve been waiting to scare everyone on TV for real for a while.

Did you otherwise have a favorite moment regarding the show, whether it was something we the public saw or didn’t see?

For me, the moment that really shifted things was after I did my first take of “Daytona Winds.” I never got interrupted or told to “cut,” and so I just kept going until I got super lost in the moment. RuPaul looked at me with such surprise and my sister Deja yelled out at me that that was amazing. I think that was the first moment I realized I could trust my instincts. The fall followed shortly after, and after that I knew I wouldn’t waste time not believing in myself anymore.

You’ve been a Cali queen for a while now, but obviously your roots are in the United Kingdom. Have you known most of the queens in Drag Race UK?

I began my drag life in San Francisco after having already lived in California for about seven years. Since Drag Race I’ve gotten to know a few of the queens from the UK series, but I was never a part of the UK scene prior to my season. The UK huns have been so sweet; I’ve gotten really nice DMs from lots of them showing support. I just can’t wait to go over back there and get drunk with all of them.

Regarding the current season of All-Stars, whose team are you on to win?

I’m currently team Jaida, Yvie and Raja. I fell in love with Jaida and Yvie on tour in Europe, and I’ve always looked up to Raja. Seeing Raja reinvent herself through fashion while also being the most chill AF human being is so cool to me. It’s less about the talk, and more about the action–which is something I’ve always believed in. I love seeing The Vivienne there too, because it lets the world know the British queens are strong AF, too. She is not only painted incredibly with good taste, but I’d say she has the most versatile range when it comes to impersonations. Incredible.

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👑FRIDAY July 15! 👑RuPaul’s Drag Race S14 Runner-Up, LADY CAMDEN, lands in Brooklyn for the first time ever to headline PRINCESS NYC! Get ready for the ultimate drag spectacular featuring the fiercest performers from San Francisco, NYC and beyond! Two massive shows, 4 epic drag acts, a royal photobooth, the gayest music ever and so much more await you at our disco wonderland. Combo tickets for both shows (6pm & 10pm) Meet and Greets w/ Lady Camden are also available!

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And speaking of Cali, there’s an epic party there called “Princess” at the Oasis Nightclub that the iconic Tito Soto produces, which features disco beats and legendary drag performers. This Friday (July 15), the Princess crew will be here in NYC–specifically at Brooklyn’s 3 Dollar Bill–for a very special edition! Well, two special editions that is, with full shows 6pm at 10pm! San Francisco’s Kochina Rude and Lisa Frankenstein will be hosting alongside our own Merrie Cherry, and you’ll be performing with some of New York’s and San Francisco’s top talent! Have you performed with this party before… and what do you think we can expect from this night?

I recently headlined Princess at the Oasis here in SF, and it was the best homecoming I could have asked for. I actually asked Tito and Nicki Jizz to sign a poster of it for me, and I’m about to go and pick it up from the frame shop today! Princess has been killing the game in San Francisco, so it’s about time we see the East Coast edition, baby! I’ve never performed at 3 Dollar Bill, but I’ve seen so many Instagram stories of performers I follow performing there. I can’t wait!

What else is coming up for you that the children should be aware of?

I thought you’d never ask. This year for me is mostly going to be spent on stage with club appearances and tours. I’ll be joining the second half of “Werq The World: North America,” followed by the Top Five Tour across the UK, Australia, and possibly more. In addition to all this, I’m super excited to start working on a podcast with my baby Angeria, and when spooky season is here I’ll be releasing my first ever single! Lots to get excited about, babes.

And finally: will you come back as Queer Shakespeare for your own theoretical All Stars “Snatch Game” return, or might you try someone else this time?

Oh, darling… Shakesqueer will live forever, have no fear. But next time I think I can find someone a little crazier… maybe with an American accent? It’s time I have revenge on everyone who’s ever impersonated my accent!

Lol, thanks Lady Camden! See you Friday!