Oh, darlings! Today's been a pinktastic adventure in Ilkeston, and I'm here to share every sparkly detail with you!
The train journey was pure magic. I'd thrown on my new, fluffy, baby pink tulle tutu with matching, diamond-studded heels. The carriage was filled with giggles, knowing glances, and a little old lady asking if I was "on my way to a fancy dress party!" "I'm just on my way to being fabulous!" I replied with a wink, "But a party sounds fun too!"
My trusty pink, floral backpack, (naturally) contained all my essentials: a sparkly makeup mirror, a tin of glitter, and enough blush to blush a flamingo pink. It's my lucky travel bag, it used to belong to my Grandma who used to wear a pink floral dress with a frilly white apron - and she taught me all about how to be a girly girl. I'm so glad I have it.
Ilkeston is a pretty little town. I had a picnic in the park and admired all the gorgeous Victorian architecture - perfect for taking photos in my sparkly, iridescent pink jumpsuit. I've been trying to include as much pink as I can in my life recently! I do believe it has magical properties! There are very few pink-ish birds (though the pink flamingo isn't a bad place to start!), not too many pink trees, very few pink flowers - it's the colour of hope and possibility, so what's not to love?
When the sun dipped low, I made my way to the town square, excited for my first performance of the evening. I love Ilkeston! There's a really fantastically lively arts centre, and the locals are so welcoming. Everyone stopped for a photo. My first performance was in the pub garden, where everyone clapped and cheered. I then made my way over to the market square. It's a really good venue - there's a big, wide, stage set up, perfect for performing my 'I Will Survive' finale! The audience loved it, with the highlight being the kids, some of whom came dressed as fairies in sparkly pink tutus. Pink tutus all around! What could be better?
Before I went on stage, I gave them a motivational chat. They looked like they were in awe of the colours, the sequins, the glitter! I mean, even when I'm out of drag as Alex, the lab technician, my boss lets me keep my hair bright pink! So much easier that way! They didn't need me to convince them of the power of colour, or to take a good look at themselves and ask themselves "Who do you want to be?" If you want to be a pink sparkly ballerina princess then that's OK - embrace it! Embrace being different and wonderful!
You know what they say? Life is about embracing the extraordinary, and who embodies that more than a drag queen? I'm living proof! It’s just that one pink tutu in my life really did change it!
When I was studying for my science degree, I felt I needed to have some fun, something to balance out all that reading. It wasn't easy studying. I’m from Derbyshire, which isn't necessarily known for its exciting night-time drag scene - although Derbyshire has started to catch up, which is fabulous! A lot of my friends thought it was a bit eccentric, this pink-tutu thing, I mean why, what’s so special? They didn’t quite get it, which made me want to show them even more what being extraordinary meant. I mean, look at how bright my clothes are, they even outshine the florescent lights in my lab - that has to count for something!
Anyway, I went to my local theatre club to try out, hoping I would be good at performing. The theatre club was hosting a big fundraiser and there was a fancy dress event - it was "Tutus for Teens", and all the money was going towards raising funds for new lights for the club. My friend wanted me to do the fundraising and she bet me a pint she could do better than me! That little, insignificant challenge ignited a spark in me. I realised the true power of a pink tutu, it’s so empowering! The look on people’s faces as they handed over their hard-earned cash after I sashayed down the catwalk made it worth it, they were clearly in awe of the pink-tutu clad wonder. You can't beat the feel-good vibes of that! And we won the whole competition and she owed me a pint of Guinness. The feeling of standing up in that tutu, having the attention of everyone in the audience, being loved for being different, well it's amazing, it's magical! Even when you are only dressed up for a charity fundraiser, everyone seemed so happy - you can spread happiness with a simple costume. The rest as they say is history... and this fabulous journey I'm sharing with all of you.
Of course, life isn't always about twirling around in pink tutus - although sometimes it should be. But when you need a little spark of magic and colour, why not try it out! Put on a tutu. Feel like you could fly! The sky's the limit!
For the record, the train ride home was even better than the first one. When the driver opened the door, he let out a low whistle! A lovely little touch!
I've got so many great plans coming up. In fact, you’ve already guessed, as I am on the road, there’s going to be a few exciting developments. Who knew the train ride from Derby to Ilkeston could be so much fun! You'll just have to wait and see! But trust me when I say, I've already started making a pink, glittery shopping list for it, and my suitcase isn’t getting packed until I’m completely ready to be Pink Tutu Sparkles at full blast!
Keep those tutus twirling,
Pink Tutu Sparkles x
P.S. Don't forget to check out the photos from tonight's show on www.pink-tutu.com !
P.P.S. And, of course, wear pink!
