Meet the drag kings and things of ‘GENESIS: Emerging Artists Showcase’

Meet the transgender and gender-diverse performers pushing boundaries and exploring facets of drag that feel right for them at GENESIS: Emerging Artists Showcase.

Naarm is experiencing a boom in drag kings and gender non-conforming drag.

Genesis started in August of 2024 as a monthly community event for Drag Kings and Things (gender non-conforming performers). It emerged out of necessity when award-winning drag artist Randy Roy saw a gap in the art form that needed filling.

“Drag Kings were given small opportunities,” Roy told QNews. “Performing at Baby Drag or the like, but there wasn’t something to really celebrate the culture that exists in a big way that it should.”

Genesis emerged out of necessity, giving space and life to non-queen drag performers. It has now expanded to become a haven of support and freedom of expression for those performers who are marginalised from stages and spaces.

Now it has taken on another evolution.

Producer Randy Roy shared that the Emerging Artists Showcase was conceived as yet another way to support this incredible generation of drag kings and things.

Funded by Transgender Victoria, eleven participating emerging performers will receive ongoing support in developing their acts, workshops from industry professionals, plus a large, theatrical, professional stage upon which they can really spread their creative wings.

Related content:

• Meet the kings competing for the inaugural Mr First Nation title
• Melbourne’s biggest Drag King showcase in a decade
• Behind the Zip: Australian Drag King culture in the spotlight

Anything goes at Genesis

In the cast is one of the competitors for the inaugural Mr First Nations 2026, the winner of Thursgays Pride Pageant 2026 and the winner of Slay of Origin 2026.

Hosted by Dragon Yutahell and Johnny Cocksville, the Emerging Artists Showcase is also entirely made up of transgender and gender diverse performers.

Even within the drag industry, performers can often feel limited by the ‘acceptable’ and ‘established’ visual language of drag, and feel pressure to make their performances palatable and more broadly appealing.

This showcase aims to uplift and nurture the authentic voices of our trans and gender-diverse performers, especially as these are all artists at the start of their respective journeys.

Performers are encouraged to push boundaries and explore facets of drag that feel right for them, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Anyone attending can be guaranteed to be presented with new and exciting ways of performing, but more importantly, of living, feeling, and being.

Ur Dad Daryl and Joey Rexion

Ur Dad Daryl is a Kanolu drag king with a bad back & a heart of gold.

Debuting in 2025 with the Motherless Collective, this funky father figure is all about camp, chaos and groovy tunes. Daryl is also one of the competitors in the inaugural Mr First Nations contest in 2026.

Gracing stages from Stink Tank to It’s Camp with daggy disco dance moves, Daryl proves it’s hip to be square as he lives out his 80s popstar dreams!

Joey is a king who can most often be found rocking a suit and tie, but is best known for his character performances! He debuted on the Genesis stage a year and a half ago, and has since established himself as a beloved member of the drag king community.

Discovering drag as a way to explore and play with gender was life-changing and has helped him discover new facets of himself that would otherwise never have had the chance to shine.

Mr Misty Eyed and Miss Gender

Mr Misty-Eyed is a drag EVERYthing who aspires to be the perfect blend of king, queen and thing all at once.

Over the past 2 years, Misty has used drag as a medium of gender identity, exploring what it means to be masculine, feminine, both and neither through costume, dance and clownery.

Mr Misty-Eyed shaped the gender identity and expression of his human counterpart by giving him the space to transcend both his gender dysphoria and the gender roles he feels suffocated by in everyday life as a transgender man.

They were a finalist for the 2025 Thursgay Pride Pageant, a finalist for the 2026 MEDEAs Melbourne’s Favourite Drag King award, and winner of the first season of Slay of Origin 2026. They also discovered their love for costume design through drag – and are now studying to pursue a career in costume. 

Miss Gender is an autonomous exploration of gender and culture. A draglesque king and/or thing, depending on the day, who isn’t afraid to get a little weird.

This blend of genderfuckery, drag and burlesque has landed him as the winner of the Thursgay Pride Pageant 2026, top three in Slay of Origin 2026, and a finalist for Naarm’s Rising Burlesque Star in the MEDEAs.

His costumes are a labour of love, his dance moves are always sharp, and you can feel their stage presence from the back of the room. Miss Gender is gender euphoria embodied.

Mike Rush and Rory Whorey-Alice

Gliding his way into the scene and your heart, Mike Rush is ready to make your head spin. Known for his dreamy eyes and glam-rock stylings, Mikey boi is a (mostly) smooth operator… no, but seriously, sometimes he’s a bit dizzy and his body don’t work so good.

Wildly ‘chalant – this lover boy invites you to take up space, take in wonder and swoon. Get ready for your crush, our crush, Mike Rush. Fresh to the drag kingdom but no stranger to the stage, Rory Whorey-Alice is a silly little boy with a mind for mischief.

On the scale of king to thing, Rory lands somewhere between the coordinates of “confused” and “clown”. He sees the stage as the ultimate playground to make the impossible possible, and draws from his background in circus and theatre to bring whimsical characters to life.

Drag gives Rory the license to explore gender free of limitations and judgment-basically, everything society told them they couldn’t be. He sees it as both a rebellion and a celebration of queer anarchy.

Rory has toured with award-winning circus shows across Australia, and in their first year of drag, they were a finalist in the 2025 Alt-imate Showdown Naarm.

Sid Ferocious and Scott Balls

What the fuck is Sid Ferocious anyway? King? Thing? Creature? A compilation of art, emotion, & gender thrown onto the stage with ferocity and flair, Sid wants it all.

With over a decade of experiencing the Arts, Sid Ferocious is an exploration of what it means to be alive; blurring the creative boundaries between real life and drag, he asks what is life if not drag.

Either a cautionary tale or a neon sign, Sid will guide you into the fray and ensure you have a good stay. With its mischievous antics and full-bodied support for its fellow king & things, Sid wants this scene to thrive.

Scott Balls calls himself the love child of Freddie Mercury and Vivian from the Young Ones. This Aussie King, Rock’n’roll Fling brings high energy and intense facial moves to every performance.

As a disabled performer and late-to-the-game ADHDer, he has a lot to be mad about! Originally from Karna Country (Adelaide), Scott Balls has a background in musical theatre and composition, and incorporates these elements to give you a performance that is balls to the wall!

Rick R. Mortis and Si Banshee

Rick R. Mortis is Naarm’s newest wannabe glamrocker.

Since he stumbled onto the scene, Rick has been using drag as a medium to figure out what exactly masculinity means to him, and just how glittery he can make it.

Though he is still figuring out his style, he’s guaranteed to give 110% to every single performance, even if he leaves the audience even more confused than when they walked in.

Si Banshee is a drag creature from the Door Garden. It dwells in the gap between ethereal and otherworldly with world-building performances, cultural influences, and straight camp.

Si Banshee debuted in BODIES NO BODIES for Midsumma Festival, and has been active in the drag/performance art scene ever since, appearing in ITS CAMP, Genesis cultural day, Platform Present’s International Womxn’s Day exhibition and many more.

Si Banshee invites the audience to question their understanding of queer safe spaces and how they serve Trans Women Of Colour.

Sir Hades

Sir Hades is an old-time lover boy with a penchant for consuming flesh and losing blood on stage. His drag incorporates 1950s ragtime, absurdist gore, cannibalism, and puppets (plus a little bit of satirical Catholicism from time to time).

Hades, the character, is a more flamboyant, eccentric, dapper gentleman version of his creator’s relationship with masculinity. Performing in drag shows has given them a lot more confidence in self-expression and connection to more gender queer people.

The first time they put on the contour, they couldn’t stop looking in the mirror because of the gender euphoria.

Catch the GENESIS: Emerging Artists Showcase on September 19 at Brunswick Mechanics Institute.

Grab your tickets and find out more here.

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