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Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Meet Australia's youngest drag queen Candy Featherbottom — challenging perceptions at the local bowls club - ABC News

Logan Kelly is not your average teenager.

The 13-year-old Ipswich boy is a singer, dancer, aspiring actor, black belt in karate and Australia's youngest drag queen.

"It was just a spark that flew in me … it's just another way of acting and performing for me," he said.

Logan made his drag debut at the North Ipswich Bowls Club, south-west of Brisbane, at just 10 years old.

The space doubles as a family-friendly drag club called Taboo where once a month for the past 10 years, drag queens perform to sold out audiences.

Logan Kelly dressed up as Candy Feather Bottom
Logan Kelly's drag persona came about after he was asked to be involved in an on-stage challenge at the bowls club drag show.(

Supplied: Flickchicks

)

Logan used to watch the show with his family until one night, he was challenged by one of the queens to walk across the stage in high heels.

"A lot of the people thought I was going to do the little walk strut back but I wanted to do it properly," he said.

That's when Candy Featherbottom was born.

"Candy is a very … unique character, she is really strong … she definitely feels energetic, excited," Logan said.

Bowls club turned drag scene

Karl Eastaughffe smiles.
Drag show founder Karl Eastaughffe says while people used to call him a freak, performers are now enjoying entertaining crowds of all ages.(

ABC News: Rachel McGhee

)

Karl Eastaughffe started Taboo more than a decade ago when the bowls club was on the brink of going out of business.

He said bringing a drag show to a bowls club in the outer suburbs was risky, but it had paid off.

"I wouldn't have expected the reaction we got, for a little bit there … we were getting those sly comments," Mr Eastaughffe said.

"I feel confident now that people in Ipswich know who we are, what we do, what Taboo's all about.

Taboo is one of the only family-friendly drag clubs around.

Mr Eastaughffe said the audience was filled with all ages, spanning from children to the elderly.

"We didn't want to hide what we do from children … because it helps them develop and grow up," he said.

"[It] helps them understand that we are all people."

Since the show began, the queens have performed to sold out audiences with people coming from all over to attend.

"When Taboo started, I was only giving it two to three years max … but 10 years later, we're going absolutely strong," Mr Eastaughffe said.

Logan Kelly applies lipstick in the mirror.
Ipswich boy Logan Kelly made his drag queen debut at the age of 10.(

ABC News: Rachel McGhee

)

Mr Eastaughffe and the other Taboo queens have become mentors to Logan as he learns the art of drag.

"Logan used to sit in the audience … and he was just mesmerised by what we do," Mr Eastaughffe said.

For Logan, drag is yet another skill to add to his long list of talents.

"The platform is really for Candy … Candy loves drag, she's always going to love it," Logan said.

"Logan's dream is to be an actor and that's my biggest thing — I don't want to be pigeon-holed as a drag queen because that's what Candy is.

"I do NIDA [National Institute of Dramatic Art], screen acting workshops on Sundays and Queensland theatre.

"I do a lot of stuff for acting but I also do things for Candy, like dance … but dance really helps my acting because my dream is to be a triple-threat actor."

Logan Kelly puts make up on.
Aspiring actor Logan Kelly wants to become a triple threat in the performing arts industry.(

Supplied: Flickchicks

)

Mr Eastaughffe said he was amazed at the Logan's drive as a young performer.

"I bow down to him — he's amazing. We're out of a job if this is what the young ones can bring on stage, we've got no hope," he said.

'The golden age of drag'

Over the past decade, the art of drag has become more widely understood and accepted.

"Thanks to shows like Ru Paul's Drag Race, and people like myself branching out to the suburbs … we're showing what we can do and everyone just loves it.

"No-one bats an eyelid anymore."

Logan said his classmates at school asked him about being a drag queen but it wasn't a big deal.

"The kids at school have got no problems with me and we don't talk about it because at school I'm Logan," he said.

"We are in the golden age of drag … where being a drag queen doesn't matter.

"All the younger drag queens need to look up to the older ones because they're the ones that made this path for us, for us to be able to be free and perform.

"Back in the olden days, this would have been absolutely frowned upon.

Katrina Kelly and son Logan Kelly.
Katrina Kelly says parents should encourage their kids to do what they love.(

ABC News: Rachel McGhee

)

Logan's parents Katrina and Stephen are incredibly supportive and proud.

"He's just a really happy, vibrant kid who just happens to do something a lot of kids don't do," Ms Kelly said.

"He just loves everything to do with performing."

Ms Kelly said some people still had preconceived ideas of what being a drag queen was but at the end of the day it didn't matter.

The drag shows at the North Ipswich Bowls Club attracted the attention of a Brisbane-based filmmaker who made a documentary, which was released on SBS on Demand.

The director said there were now plans to turn the story of Australia's youngest drag queen into a feature film.

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Meet Australia's youngest drag queen Candy Featherbottom — challenging perceptions at the local bowls club - ABC News
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