Lazy Susan: Drag Race Down Under's not just spot numbers, it's stupid creations too

Lazy Susan brought a suitcase of stupid creations to Drag Race Down Under, celebrating creativity in all forms ahead of the finale.

Lazy Susan’s done drag her way since she burst onto the scene eight and a half years ago, sharing her creative Down Under journey with QNews ahead of the Grand Finale.

One of the worst-kept secrets is how much you’ve wanted to be a part of the Drag Race franchise, and you certainly come prepared this season.

If they thought my makeup was bad now, they should have seen it a few years ago. I think I was gifted the opportunity to not be on the show earlier, wasn’t I?

You’ve put a lot of thought into your look and execution, creatively stamping your brand on the runway. How intense was putting all this together a few weeks before filming?

A lot. Thankfully my background is in short-turnaround creative output work for advertising or low-budget filmmaking. So I’m used to having two weeks to make a giant bowl of Froot Loops, that kind of stuff. So you get used to it.

I got used to not second-guessing and to just barrelling through. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to spend thinking about what each look was going to be, so I would construct the idea and then go full steam into that. Because you only get three and a half weeks to get your materials, your fabrics your team and get everything built.

I set a high bar for myself. If I was going to go on television, I want to do everything to the best of my abilities. I used it as an excuse to spend the kind of ridiculous money you would never normally spend on a Thursday night gig.

You’ve had some viral Drag Race moments, what’s it been like seeing all the online love for your runways, not just in Australia but around the world?

I’m so proud of that work, but also, it’s just the kind of shit that I love. When you like the thing you do, there’s nothing better in the world. I did like winning that little dance challenge on the show, as that’s not my wheelhouse. That was a fabulous treat. But when people enjoy what I genuinely want to be doing with my life, that’s incredible. I don’t think you’re going to see me in a lot of choreographed spot numbers from now on though, but you will see more stupid creations.

We’ve got the final this week. What was it like for you to be in that top four and now performing this massive choreographed number?

I think one of the things that can trip girls up in the competition is that they think they have to present a certain version of themselves to get through the challenges. For me, that’s kind of a non-negotiable. I don’t have dance talent at all, but I have exactly what I bring. So I give my version of a show, which means I clown it up and serve the character for comedy. Thankfully, in the final, I have very generous stage partners who allow me to be weird. To be working with people who are trusting and generous with their space for you to be such a klutz and silly on stage was really lovely.

The cast of Season Four have a wonderful energy and seem so supportive of each other.

We really got along and it’s a super organic thing. We’re obviously incredibly different types of performers from very different lived experiences. But there’s a lot of respect for what each other does. Every single person in that room was excited to see the other succeed because what they did was cool.

We were arriving at season four and I don’t want to tell tales out of school or anything, but you know, the reputation of the show hasn’t been great. People were side-eyeing Down Under at this point. I think when we got on, we were the girls that were still left who really wanted to get up there and show our stuff. So we felt more like we needed to prove something as a cast than as individuals.

Ohhh just crown it already … lazy Susan’s mind and execution is just on another level ‍ #DragRaceDownUnder pic.twitter.com/3BGdea604O

— The Celestial Sentinel (@DnellyBPD) December 7, 2024

How has it been having former Drag Race Down Under peers advising and judging this season?

It’s been incredible. I’ve done competitions before, winning my first competition Dragnet at the GH back in the day. Then I also did Drag Nation where I flopped abysmally. But there is something about being judged by other drag queens that is unlike anything else. Because they understand the pain, the struggle, and the attempt. Sometimes our distinguished celebrity guest judges don’t necessarily understand the references, the ideas or the sheer amount of pain you may be in.

A lot of the incredible things came from our drag sisters on the judging panel. When the camera wasn’t on us, they’d ask if we could take their shoes off. It’s that kind of shit where they’re just doing everything they can to try and support you in this moment. And it shows on screen. Even if you’re not hearing every word or seeing every moment in the final edit.

Your artistry hasn’t just been on the runway, it’s also shone in your merch with amazing badges and videos. You’ve set a bar that no one who’s been a part of Drag Race before has.

One of the things that’s a classic pain of my life is that if I do something, I want to do it in the most exuberant or silly way I can. When we started speaking after the show in group chats, all the girls were wondering how we could people excited about us all, not just one of us. Vybe said it best, we are the Spice Girls, not Destiny’s Child.

We each have our special abilities, and we wanted to do something that would accentuate those. I was the one who got our badges combined into a heart manufactured, got us in touch with the designer, and did all that stuff. But it wouldn’t have happened unless every girl did it together, paid for it, and made it happen.

There were so many times at which it didn’t seem like it was going to work getting things manufactured. I was in Italy talking to our manufacturer asking if it could be done and he didn’t know. So thankfully they exist, they are together and I’m so proud of that.

Who would you say is Miss Congeniality of this Down Under season?

I think it’s got to be Vybe to be honest, she could get the crown and be Miss Congeniality. That’d be great. You notice on that episode that she was having a rough week with low energy, it affected the entire cast. She was a cheerleader for every single person on set.

She would wake us up in the morning at the hotel and keep tabs on everyone. You can tell that she’s a queen that’s worked in dressing rooms with a lot of other queens because she doesn’t bullshit. She’s not laying it on thick or anything. She’s just there and a consistent source of joy and light for everyone. And a loud bitch.

If you were in the bottom going up against this season’s lip-synch assassin Max, what trick would you have under your wig?

Oh God, I think I’d just run into her with my holographic fan, and she’d go down easy. Looking back I think Brenda did something incredible for campy queens in her lip-synch with Max. She just showed out and did her absolute most, and it was the absolute best.

I think as a camp lip-sync; she did something fabulous. And I’m a huge fan of a camp lip-sync. At a certain point, if you find yourself on stage against Max Drag Queen, you just do a Hail Mary and pray for daylight. She’s an unstoppable force of nature that beautiful young ingenue!

What would you like to say to all of the #TeamLazy supporters who have been with you on this journey?

Thank you so much for your support. It’s not going unmissed unread. I have my boyfriend monitoring my socials, so I see it all, and I’m so thrilled. The thing that we’re all excited about is the moment after this. We’re going on tour in March together, and are so thrilled for what comes after when we get to stop being in a competition setting and start being just silly girls.

Has creativity been key for Lazy in the competition? find out Friday when the grand final airs only on STAN.