In a small upstairs studio in downtown 91原创, a stage once vibrant with underground shows holds the glittery accoutrements of a highly regarded drag queen.
With colourful wigs lining shelves, racks of bright and intriguing costumes, and a makeup station lit by a glowing ring light, the room still holds that early energy.
It hints at the decade of work well-known Canadian drag queen Jimbo (also known as James Insell) has invested in costume and set design in both film and theatre, building up to her latest grand venture 鈥� Jimbo鈥檚 Drag Circus.
Her small home city features a fringe community of DIY artists who make things happen. Backed by that and an incredibly supportive audience base, she felt the ability to explore, be herself 鈥� even if a little weird 鈥� and make people laugh.
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鈥淒rag is all about uniqueness. It鈥檚 all about who we are as individuals, and really about diving in, bringing it to the outside and sharing it with people. Drag really should be fuelling yourself, your own creative excitement, fuelling the curiosity and it should also be about sharing it outward with people, inspiring people.
鈥淒rag and drag queens are about inspiring entertainment,鈥� she said.
A drag clown steeped in theatre, this one-queen show is Jimbo鈥檚 longtime dream come true.
鈥淚鈥檓 a clown so I鈥檓 really into being funny and having a sense of humour with everything I do,鈥� she said from the sparkling upstairs studio in Chinatown. A lover of improv and character work, the latest show features six original characters based on historic figures such as Shirley Temple and Joan Rivers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all really surprising. It keeps you guessing, it keeps you wanting more and it keeps you laughing.鈥�
Decked out in towering shoes and adding a final touch of makeup for photos, she鈥檚 home for just a stint between the U.S. and Canadian legs of Jimbo鈥檚 Drag Circus World Tour.
The last four years are a blur of travel, competition and one significant crown 鈥� twinkling from its special stand in a corner 鈥� earned by winning RuPaul鈥檚 Drag Race All Stars season 8. Jimbo previously competed in the first season of Canada鈥檚 Drag Race and was in the first series of RuPaul鈥檚 Drag Race: UK vs. the World. She spent the last year travelling and performing in 17 countries.
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Jimbo鈥檚 Drag Circus is her biggest tour to date, with two buses packed with sets, six quick costume changes and a full crew of 20. Time was the biggest challenge 鈥� from crafting the story and creating costumes to organizing logistics in short order.
鈥淚t鈥檚 this amazing combination of years of work.鈥�
Jimbo鈥檚 Drag Circus hit the road May 16 with shows in communities large and small, including places with LGBTQ2IA+ communities, but not a lot of events or spaces for queerness.
She鈥檚 excited to provide that opportunity for people to be themselves, sharing that fortune and support she鈥檚 found in audiences worldwide. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really important for me to go into smaller communities where they don鈥檛 get shows like this often,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople can come and be their authentic weird selves, which they maybe don鈥檛 have the opportunity to do because of where they are.鈥�
Canada鈥檚 crowned clown brings her acclaimed circus tour to 91原创 with two shows June 12 (sold out) and 13.
Visit for details.