Le Gateau Chocolat: in drag I get to distract people from the ‘taboo’
WHEN Nigerian-born and London-raised entertainer Le Gateau Chocolat dons a sequined dress and heels, it鈥檚 an expression of gender fluidity more than it is drag.
鈥淚 grew up in Nigeria with religious parents knowing from a young age I was gay but not knowing it was called gay 鈥� just that something was 鈥榳rong鈥� with me,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut being in drag I get to misdirect or distract people from this thing in my society that鈥檚 still so taboo.
鈥淢y drag isn鈥檛 about female impersonation or gender, it鈥檚 more about misdirection and the fluidity of gender.鈥�
Le Gateau said there was no lightbulb moment or cathartic experience that propelled him into the world of drag and entertainment, he simply began frequenting a London nightclub that featured a late-night cabaret he soon became a part of.
Since then he鈥檚 often used his performance art as a platform to raise awareness around issues that are important to him, something he feels is a necessity.
鈥淢y solo performances are about commonality,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in a time where it鈥檚 easy to see what makes me different from you 鈥� my colour, my size, my garb, how I look 鈥� but in a Trump world my work underlines that we are the same.
鈥淚mmigrants don鈥檛 abandon land and put themselves and their families in danger for the sake of it, and the campaign that was run in the lead up to the UK voting to leave the EU was incredibly xenophobic.
鈥淎t the end of the day we all have the same aspirations, we want to be lives and to dream, and we want to find the means to accomplish those dreams.鈥�
Le Gateau added that he feels a social responsibility to use his platform as a means to raise awareness.
鈥淚t isn鈥檛 a matter of whether I 鈥榗an鈥� use my role for this, I think I must use it,鈥� he said.
鈥淧eople came down on Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes for using her acceptance speech to talk about Trump but one, he鈥檚 now president, and two, it鈥檚 absolutely her responsibility to do so.
鈥淧eople look up to her around the world 鈥� and she doesn鈥檛 just perform for people on the left, she speaks to Trump supporters as well.鈥�
As part of this year鈥檚 Midsumma Festival in Melbourne Le Gateau will join long-time collaborator and friend Jonny Woo for , a show that sees the pair belt ballsy ballads, delightful duets, and slaughtered show-tunes.
Le Gateau and Woo have known each other for around 12 years, and the current show was born out of a mutual love and respect for musical theatre.
鈥淚f you want to see an earnest musical you have a plethora right now in Australia, but if you want to let your hair down and break the theatrical construct, we invite people to revel,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an hour of pure escapism, you get the ability to join in and go back to when you were a child singing at the top of your lungs in your bedroom.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an hour of escapism watching two grown men being absolute idiots, and I hope that engenders an intense sense of idiocy from those that attend as well.鈥�
A Night at the Musicals is playing at the Arts Centre Melbourne now until January 22. For more information and to buy tickets .
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