After an unexpected double shantay at the end of episode one, Drag Race Down Under Season 4 has this week officially sent home its first queen, Olivia Dreams. In conversation with Not Safe For Queers, Olivia discusses her time on the show, her annoyance at being perceived as the ‘quiet one’, and the pressure she felt being the first queen to showcase Wellington’s drag scene on the global stage.
From the moment she walked in the workroom and uttered her entrance quote, Olivia Dreams was pinned as the quiet one of the group. And though she may have spoken a little softer than some of the other queens, Olivia says that this reticence was a ruse to assess her sisters.
“It did irk me a little bit—that I was shoved into that box. Because I was like, well, no, I’m not quiet, I’m just sizing the rest of you up to see how you gals work,” she says, slyly.
“Honestly, I’m considered loud here in Wellington. But this was my first experience with Australian drag, and I can say y’all are loud as shit. It was, like, almost a harrowing experience walking in, doing my little pose, going over to the table, and having four or five queens (at the top of their voice) being like, ‘so what’s your name? where are you from? what’s your drag?’. I was like, woah, woah, woah, one at a time please,” she laughs.
Yet, all of these questions—especially about Olivia’s drag—were top of mind for viewers, too, because for many of us, Olivia Dreams is the first glimpse we’ve ever had into the world of Wellingtonian drag. And that’s something she was very conscious about.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be representing Wellington on Drag Race Down Under,” Olivia says. “But, like, being the first one, it was such a burden, almost. Because this is the first time the world has seen Wellington drag. This is the first time a Wellington queen has gotten on to a show like this.”
“And that’s a lot of pressure that I put on to myself that I really wish I hadn’t, because I think it’s what led me to my downfall. That’s what led me to being a quiet one, a reserved one, because I was limiting myself. I was like I’m the first; whatever I do sets the bar for the rest of Wellington.”
Despite these pressures and these fears, Olivia still performed at her very best, strategically showing Michelle Visage (and the other judges) another side of her drag by rapping during this week’s girl group challenge.
“It’s really funny because I was actually really excited for the girl group challenge,” she laughs. “So, to be sent home on the girl group challenge was a little bit like oh damn. But, no, I really wanted to push myself, and I really wanted to get outside of my comfort zone. Because I could’ve just sat there and sung, but I thought, no, like, what’s the point of difference that I’m gonna do? I’m gonna rap. It’s something that I’ve never done before. It’s something that’s different because none of the other girls are doing it.”
Ultimately, while Olivia’s performance was a strong one, other queens decidedly performed much stronger than her, landing her in the bottom.
“I’m happy with how everything landed, and I’m really proud of what I presented,” she says. “Y’know, I didn’t get bad critiques, it’s just that everybody else was a bit better. And that happens sometimes.”
Episodes of Drag Race Down Under Season 4 stream each Friday—only on Stan.