Meet our favourite guys from London’s biggest drag king competition

We’re in love with these drag kings..

Tonight is the grand final of MAN UP 2018, London’s major annual drag king battle.. and we’re loving some of the lads! 

London’s drag king scene has boomed in recent years, bringing together amazing female, trans and non-binary performers, drag kings take the mick out of masculine stereotypes while also embracing masculinity in surreal and sexy ways. It’s edgy, absurd, gender-wizardry and we’re here for it!

While Ru Paul’s got his knickers in a twist over gender and drag, East London is ahead of the curve – as always – crushing out on drag kings! The gender revolution is unstoppable, so just surrender and enjoy yourself.

Ahead of tonight’s big final, we asked East London venue The Glory (who create MAN UP) and Baby Lame (who co-presents it this year) to pick out some drag king pin-ups for us. The boys arr back in town… 

1) Elliot Hunter

Not only is Elliot incredibly easy on the eye, this cunning linguist (see what we did there?) wooed everyone with a slick spoken word piece… now please, talk dirty to us immediately! Elliot is your 21st century Casanova, he’s a triple threat, bringing you words, rhythm and sexy eyewear.

2) Benjamin Butch

 

They are MAN enough, they are TRANS enough and frankly they have got us CRUSHING hard on them! Benjamin Butch has been around the drag king block, watch out – he’s a player who takes no prisoners!

3) Oedipussi Rex

Just when beards are starting to look a little 2017, Oedipussi Rex came into our lives! An excessive beard enthusiast who takes facial hair to the max – he has beards that  light up, change colour and get bigger! Take us Oedipussi.

4) Orlando

Orlando is the twinky dark horse in this year’s contest! He’s a non-binary drag king riding the wave between art and pop… confused? Good! Orlando’s name references Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same name all about time, and gender. 

5) Mac Chismo

This king it taking you back 12 years and to a time when Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger were bumming in a tent. A cowboy king with dreamy looks, thigh slapping attitude and pony riding skills that put Ashley Ryder to shame – yee hawh!

6) Wesley Dykes

We’ve nicknamed Wesley “The Sauna” because he has the whole bar dripping in sweat (and potentially other fluids) with his steamy sensual performances. He smashed it in his heat with Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre’

7) Dora

Ok so Dora’s not technically a drag king, more an icon on the drag king scene. Tonight’s MAN UP final is sold out, but if you go to The Glory’s Facebook at 9pm Dora will be guest presenting a bit of Facebook live stream for you, tune in and get your eyeful of MAN UP 2018. 

Good luck tonight lads. DRAG KINGS RULE!