Drag star David Sweeney wants to get into music business
by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express
STUDENT David Sweeney has his sights set on a life in musicals and is using DRAG to get in on the act.
David, 17, slips into a garish pink frock and matching wig to transform into his stage persona Lily Minogue.
And his act went down a storm with the audience at a recent charity fundraiser in Paisley Town Hall, which raised £6,500 for four good causes.
Former St Andrew’s Academy pupil David is doing an HNC in Acting and Performance at Reid Kerr College.
He told the Paisley Daily Express why he flips from his usual jeans and T-shirt for college life into flamboyant Lily, explaining: “I am hoping to get into performing in general, but would like to be in plays.
My influences, people I look up to, include Tim Curry and Meryl Streep.
“Lily Minogue came about when I was at high school and people found out I could do a good Lily Savage impersonation.
“For the school talent show I pulled together a skit and some comedy. I can hold a note, but I can’t sing so I generally stick to comedy.”
David’s alter ego turned heads at the recent Renfrewshire’s Got Talent night, which raised cash for Macmillan Cancer Support, the ACCORD Hospice in Paisley, The Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow and Maggie’s Centre.
The fundraiser was organised by friends of Paisley gran-of-four Katie Speirs, 51, after she started the road to recovery from breast cancer.
He said: “The talent show was great fun and I met a lot of brilliant people. I have dragged up just for fun before as Dr Frank N Furter for the The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which made Tim Curry so well known, and as Kylie Minogue when I went see her at the SECC in Glasgow.
“People always ask where I get my outfits and ask if they can have their photos taken with me. This is my way of getting noticed and it reflects my personality.
“The Town Hall audience was great. People said I looked fantastic and I was asked for my autograph and photographs! The way I look is really experimenting to see what works for me.
“At St Andrew’s I had support from some of the teachers, who got my humour. At college people are quite open-minded and they are more accepting of people being different.”
David’s favourite stage musicals are Mary Poppins, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and The Rocky Horror Show. He hopes to be treading the boards for a living in the future but, for the meantime, is happily using Lily Minogue to help develop his skills.
