Titty Kaka’s Double Ds are built right into the title of her new book, Delusions of a Decade in Drag. In fact… that’s Triple D’s. We’re already seeing how extra she is, and that’s before Kelly Robinson even mentions the front cover, where Titty serves double-page-spread glamour in her pink panther bodysuit encrusted with over 100,000 rhinestones.
Commissioned as part of multi-artform festival Queer Amusements, which has brought together events, workshops, performances and more, all showcasing and celebrating queer culture in Blackpool and beyond, Delusions of a Decade in Drag sees Oliver Gregory (Titty) share details of his private life, performances in drag, and a practical guide for those looking to follow in Titty’s size-10 wide-fit heels.
Part memoir, part guide to developing your drag persona, whether you’re a Queen, King, or Thing, it’s absolutely brilliant for those who are looking to start their career in drag, performing arts students, anyone who fancies a peek behind the scenes, or those who simply hope to discover what we all want to know about – where does it go and how is it done (this tidbit is tucked away on page 108…).
Oliver encourages body positivity while giving tips on how to accentuate, or hide your own features for your alter ego, and even if you’re not one for the stage, it’ll do for those of us who want to look less like a bag of broken biscuits on Instagram photos.
Delusion highlights Titty’s career over 10 years, from being the new girl at Blackpool’s Funny Girls, to being the resident Diva and launching ships with (allegedly) padded hips, of the Virgin Voyages fleet.
Telling stories of how Oliver was a Disneyland Paris Prince by day, to Titty being a Parisian cabaret princess at night, the duality of drag is hilariously recounted with memories of getting a sick note from being ‘friends with Goofy’, dancing at a Vogue gala for A-List celebs, carrying out the perfect crime involving kids and static electricity, surviving the Covid lockdowns with sourdough and sewing, comedy podcasts, learning Japanese for an Eartha Kitt cover, and becoming a tap dancing carrot.
The book is broken down into short, easily digestible sections, illustrated with candid photos and inspirational quotes from other iconic performers.
The titles of many of the chapters are a cheeky wink to camp culture, including ‘Slave to the Algorithm’, ‘All About That Base’, ‘Like a Rhinestone Cowboy’, and one that may resonate to those of us that grew up in a certain era of the internet in the early 2000s – ‘OMG Shoes’.
Writing this book, it could have been all too easy to only include the good stuff, but Oliver isn’t shy about sharing the ‘not quites’ of his journey, including his experiences with RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Great British Sewing Bee. Thoughts and prayers are with the unfinished embroidered lobster at this difficult time.
Other hiccups (the ones not involving too many Prosecco bubbles) include falling off a revolving floor, destroying stage sets with a netted cape, sending sh*t in the post and surviving an assassination attempt with a handbag. These are contrasted with Oliver’s hoorahs, such as Titty’s image being projected onto the side of the Blackpool Tower, and his own curated shows being installed on the Virgin Voyages cruise ships, including one called ‘Resilient Lady’. Which is fitting – almost as fitting as the infamous rhinestone full-body pink panther catsuit.
Oliver encourages you to get involved and create your own drag persona, with practical guides, how-to’s, product recommendations, styling tips and step by step tutorials – with plenty of pictures and diagrams for those who can’t be arsed to read.
With me being a chubby, depressive, baldy, anti-social wet-wipe with a generalised anxiety disorder and newly discovered vitamin D deficiency, shoving testicles on sticks for a living and whose idea of a great night is watching livestreams of Lyme Regis Harbour on YouTube into the early hours of the morning, I was a bit wary that this book wouldn’t be relevant to someone like me.
Turns out it bloody well is. Well, parts of it.
Oliver encourages body positivity while giving tips on how to accentuate, or hide your own features for your alter ego, and even if you’re not one for the stage, it’ll do for those of us who want to look less like a bag of broken biscuits on Instagram photos.
Oliver is generous in sharing his hard-earned knowledge, letting the reader know more than the basics, including tips on make up, wigs, costumes, shoes and music. He even outlines physical workouts and recommends vitamins and supplements to keep yourself healthy as a performer. He gives pointers on how to set up and develop social media, branding, networking and other business bits and bobs to progress in your own career – things that would take months, even years for a baby Queen, King, or Thing to discover on their own.
Because I was a tightarse and didn’t pay for this book (even though to be fair, it’s deffo worth every penny and more, if only for the secrets of singing through a straw) – I thought I’d go all method actor involved with this review, and you know, give it his trip a road test…
While you’re more likely to find me in the Magistrates Court listings of the Blackpool Gazette rather than the pages in The Stage newspaper, using Titty’s guidance and advice, I’m happy to introduce…
Freya Bentos: Beefy and Queefy.
From the Blackpool shores to the Pacific waves, Oliver cruises through his experiences in drag while sharing hints, tips, and behind-the-scenes industry gossip along the way.
Exposing both trade secrets and his innermost feelings, he shows vulnerability, vigour and vitality in this part biography, part drag bible.
Titty will help you discover a name, what performance style to go for, and what looks to explore and discover, while encouraging you to find your own style.
Supportive and inclusive, through Titty Kaka’s Delusions from a Decade in Drag, Oliver has created a drag mother in literary form.
If you want to get your paws on a copy, you can either pre-order here or head to Titty’s book launch and signing at Aunty Social this Friday evening from 6pm.
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