Feature Friday - Ad'Horrible
Name
Ad'Horrible
Pronouns
They/Them
Bio
A Chinese non-binary drag artist, who has confused audiences internationally - because of the times they went to the USA. Your sleep paralysis demon come to life, don't call them cute, they're Ad'Horrible.
Instagram
@adhorrible.mtl
Where in Montreal are you located?
I currently live in Côte-Saint-Luc!
What do you love about that neighborhood?
The quiet! Off stage, I am a deeply private and introverted person. I need the quiet to be able to recharge after a long day. Sometimes scaring my elderly neighbors when they see me in drag is a great bonus though.
What’s your favourite art space in Montreal and why?
The Chinese Community and Cultural Centre in Chinatown was a place where I really got to connect with the elder artists of the Chinese community here and create one of my favorite looks, but truly nothing beats my own couch and living room.
What do you do on stage? Tell us about your work!
I'm a drag performer! Specifically leaning towards Drag Thing/Monster, as I tend to do horror inspired numbers, but I also do clowning in drag.
Describe your art in your own words.
My art is really just a reflection and exploration of my own connection and relationship with gender and more recently, my cultural heritage as well. A lot of people think of drag as "boys dressing as girls" or "girls dressing as boys" but I'm not either of those so what do I dress as? I feel like my style celebrates the feminine and masculine, while also poking fun at some of the more absurd notions society has about both. On the other hand, I also just like being scary and exploring the different ways I can do that.
What have you been working on recently?
Oh that's a secret, you'll just have to catch me on stage if you want to see ;)
What drew you to the stage?
All of my closest friends growing up were theater (or theater adjacent) kids, I've been singing and dancing with groups on tiny stages since I was a kid. It really only felt right to continue to do so my own way as an adult.
Who are some of your favourite stage performers?
In Montreal? Oh the list is LONG. I have never had a bad time watching Uma and Selma Gahd on stage. Hercusleaze is a HUGE inspiration and great friend. If you can catch Prudence or Val The Freak, they are incredible artists as well! Huge shoutout to the incredibly talented Drag Kings that I love as well: Charlôt Bean, Sir Vergon, Casanova, Jay Show, Rock Bière and RV Métal. I can't forget my drag wife, Korra Anarchkey either! I feel like I'm rambling and can go on and on about these incredible people, so I'm going to stop myself here.
Tell us about your BEST or WORST performance.
It's really hard to say what my best performance was, I'm super critical of myself all the time, but one of my favourite performances is hands down was when I (along with my co-producers from Under Kingstruction) performed All Stars as the opener to our Shrek themed drag show. I feel like if you asked some of my friends though, they would say my best performances are either when I performed Shakira as a burlesque rat or my Call Me Maybe Preacher mix. My worst performance though? There's one I did years ago as part of an open stage where I completely forgot my words, both my tricks didn't work and I tripped on stage. It was embarrassing but I laugh about it now.
What’s your favorite Montreal stage and why?
My favourite, specifically drag, stage is probably Cabaret Mado. The tech is always great and there's something so dramatic and enticing about being able to either pop out from behind the curtain or have them open to reveal you. Otherwise, I recently had the opportunity to perform at Thrash Can and while the stage was small, the crowd was ELECTRIC and they were so much fun.
