A late-night viewing of the Cabaret star\u2019s appearance with Kermit and co set me on the path to the West End. I even have a tattoo of her on my thigh!<\/p>\n
Bronzed, with winged tips and doused in Le Male, I clamped the baby pink GHDs to my hair until they sizzled and singed it. Emerging from a cloud of cheap hairspray, I was ready for the dancefloor. I was 18 and had grown up in Blackpool, a place synonymous with hedonism and fun. I came out in high school at the age of 14 and from 16 I studied performing arts at a local college. Underage, I was smuggled into clubs and in my spare time I watched shows in our many beautiful theatres. The bright lights of the illuminations, the showgirls, the feathers, sequins and rhinestones were intoxicating. Blackpool really was \u2013 and still is \u2013 extraordinary.<\/p>\n
When the bar closed, a new adventure would begin. One night, as the sun was coming up (and as was I), a drag queen took me back to her place. I didn\u2019t know the significance of what I was about to experience, but I was to receive an education no university course could ever match.<\/p>\n
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