‘I’m crafting the perfect Eurovision entry’: Courtney Act teases future bid while celebrating Princess Diana on stage (EXCLUSIVE)
The Aussie bombshell is set to star in The Diana Mixtape alongside fellow drag royalty at London's Outernet and Salford's Lowry from 29 July
By Dale Fox
Drag royalty meets actual royalty in The Diana Mixtape, a new London stage show blending iconic pop anthems with the life story of Princess Diana, reimagined through the voices of five international drag stars.
Featuring Courtney Act, Priyanka, Rosé, Divina De Campo and Kitty Scott-Claus, the show serves live vocals, big looks and a whole lot of heart.
Ahead of its London premiere at HERE at Outernet this summer, we caught up with Courtney to talk about working with her drag sisters, honouring the People’s Princess, and why she’s quietly plotting a Eurovision takeover.
Tell us about The Diana Mixtape.
I chose to get involved because I think this is going to be so much fun on stage – and that’s going to translate to the audience. People are going to come along and have such a fun night listening to five drag performers who are all live singers performing some of the greatest pop songs of our generation, whilst telling the story of Princess Diana.
What’s it like working alongside such an iconic cast of UK drag divas?
I mean, not just UK drag divas. We have international drag divas: Miss Priyanka from Canada, Rosé from the US, me from Australia. We’ve had a few publicity days together already and it’s just been so much fun. Like, the egos were not ego-ing. We were just having fun and laughing, enjoying our bus driver Diana wigs and looking forward to bringing the show to UK audiences.
What do you think Diana’s reaction to seeing the show would be?
Oh gosh, that is a good question. I think she’d love it. I think she’d have such a fun time, because she loved to get down with her gays – her Elton, her George Michael. She would’ve chuckled her way through the show, enjoyed being honoured by five drag queens. It’s a big love letter to Diana, and I think she would have appreciated that.
What’s your all-time favourite Diana quote?
Oh gosh… the obvious one comes to mind: “there were three of us in this marriage.” But another I love is, “you can’t comfort the afflicted without afflicting the comfortable.” And this: “Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be doing what I can.” That’s why we love Diana – she genuinely cared and wanted to make the world a better place. And: “Carry out a random act of kindness with no expectation of reward.” So many good quotes… I’ve probably failed answering this question!
Would you ever perform an Australian Eurovision entry? What would your performance look like?
To be honest, this is my personal belief: I am the host of Eurovision on Australian TV and I’ve been there the last two years, studying, taking notes, and I’ve been crafting the perfect Eurovision entry this year. I feel I have more understanding – I’m filling up my Eurovision cup – and hopefully one day in the not-too-distant future I will be able to represent Australia at Eurovision. But in the meantime, I’m just learning, absorbing, crafting so I can create the ultimate Eurovision entry.
The Diana Mixtape plays at HERE at Outernet in London between 29 July and 10 August – tickets available here. And at the Lowry in Salford from 19 to 21 August – tickets available here.