Behind the Curtain with the Fuccbois
Drag King Corner: Touring with ‘Fuccbois’ & Bridie Connell
Our regular Drag King update brings the one and only Bridie Connell, writer and creator of “Fuccbois Live in Concert.” We hear about the madness of touring drag king theatre from Edinburgh Fringe to London, the joy (and chaos) of pop star satire, and how drag makes tricky conversations possible... with a touch of glitter and a lot of fun (32:11).
Cast left to right: Megan Walshe as Tyler, Bridie Connell as Brandon, Clara Harrison as Also Brendon and Vidya Makan as Brendan
Photographer: Anna Kucera
Boy‑band chaos, drag king brilliance, and the gender‑bending musical taking over stages
Welcome to Drag King Corner. They sing, act, dance - and together they are the Fuccbois. Fuccbois: Live in Concert is a comedy boy‑band musical that unfolds as a real‑time concert, performed entirely by female and gender‑diverse actors. Armed with a VIP backstage pass, we go behind the curtain with the cast fresh from their Edinburgh and London tour.
We first sat down with Bridie Connell, creator and writer of Fuccbois: Live in Concert, who also stars as Brandon. We asked Bridie what inspired her to bring the Fuccbois to life.
The origin story
BRIDIE: Some years back I encountered a run of Fuccbois in my dating life in very quick succession, and I was fascinated by the performative nature of the hyper‑masculinity I was seeing. My background is mostly in satire and musical comedy, so I started writing funny songs as a way to vent my ire at some of the behaviour I’d encountered. Eventually, those songs turned into a show.
You turned a rough dating patch into a hilarious musical - a true queer alchemy. When did the idea of using drag kings come into the picture?
BRIDIE: The drag element didn’t come until later in the writing process, when I realised a) I wanted to be in the show! and b) casting female actors meant we could go darker and bite‑ier with the material. We cover some pretty confronting behaviour - a male cast would change the flavour of the toxic masculinity we’re satirising and be a notch too close to reality. With our cast, the audience immediately gets the elevated, exaggerated tone and lets us push the absurdity.
Building the boy band
The show features a multi‑talented cast. How did you bring this group together?
BRIDIE: Our cast is unbelievable! Two of our cast were part of our first proof‑of‑concept production at the New Works Festival in 2024. I later teamed up with director Richard Carroll, who had a few actors in mind that he thought would be a brilliant fit for Fuccbois 2.0 - and that’s how our cast came together.
You truly assembled a powerhouse. Are any of the performers kinging for the first time?
BRIDIE: I’ve done drag twice before for theatre shows, but both were short runs. Fuccbois has let me explore drag much more deeply. As for the rest of the cast - here they are now!
MEG: Yes, Fuccbois is my first drag project!
CLARA: Yes - first time! And hopefully not the last!
VIDYA: Yes and no. This is my first time in official “drag,” but honestly, dressing up as Brendan doesn’t feel that different from transforming into any other character. Sometimes wearing a corset and heels feels like more of a transformation! Playing a Fuccboi has been liberating - I never realised how easy it is for men to take up space. I’m confident and extroverted, yet I discovered I had even more to give. Every person should try dressing up as a drag king - it’s EXTREMELY liberating.
Performing masculinity
How does performing in drag differ from your usual approach?
VIDYA: Normally when I sing in musicals, it’s an offshoot of my own voice. In this show, you never hear “Vidya’s voice.” Brendan is distinctly different. Playing with masculinity has been really fun.
CLARA: In previous roles, performative elements often felt tied to heteronormative expectations. But here, drag is integral to the show’s purpose. The audience knows they’re watching women and gender‑diverse performers playing men - which completely changes how the material lands. It lets us explore uncomfortable behaviour through humour and satire without it feeling as confronting as it would with cis men.
MEG: My cabaret/burlesque persona (Songbird Siren) is feminine, but Fuccbois unlocked a new power - taking up space and tapping into masculine energy. Blending feminine and masculine power has made Songbird Siren even stronger. It helped me unlearn the expired notion that women should stay meek and quiet. Embodying the Fuccbois let me finally tell the patriarchy to go f** itself. And honestly - the show calls for silliness. With the world feeling dark, bringing joy feels important.*
Memorable moments
Looking back, what has been your most memorable moment?
BRIDIE: Audience members coming back the following week dressed as our characters!
MEG: Rehearsing the hydraulic lift. Watching Richard and Clara figure out how it would work was one of the funniest moments of the entire show. No spoilers - you’ll have to see it to understand!
Will Australia get to see the Fuccbois?
BRIDIE: Yes! We’ll be performing in Sydney at Darling Quarter Theatre from 27 October to 14 November.
Where can readers find more information?
BRIDIE: Follow us at @fuccbois_liveinconcert on Instagram for all updates.
A superfan is born
I recently listened to the Fuccbois: Live in Concert album on Spotify and, without warning, became an absolute superfan. Naturally, I responded in the only reasonable way: front‑row tickets to five shows. Excessive? Absolutely not. Financially questionable? Perhaps. But when the bois call, you answer.
This boy band cannot be missed.
For more about the Fuccbois, listen to The Drag King Corner segment on The LOTL Lounge Podcast.
Long live the drag kings.
