Winner of Halfway II Heaven’s It’s A Knockout, extremist Felix Le Freak wants to travel into space and plumb to the deepest point of the world’s oceans.
Where are you from originally?
Born in North London, raised in the stifling mediocrity of suburban Hertfordshire, hurried back to the capital the minute I was out of short trousers.
And where do you live now?
I reside presently in lovely Brighton with a fluctuating sense of self-loathing and a lovely waiter housemate who brings home lots of leftover gyoza.
What do you love about London?
London is one of the few cities in the world where it feels like anything is possible if you just believe. Unless you want to believe in a world free from Pret A Manger.
What was the first gay venue you visited?
Fuck me, it was Popstarz at Scala back in the mid-Noughties. I had never even snogged a boy before that night but I limped out at dawn a certified veteran. What an absolute baptism of fire. I can’t say any more, my parents might read this.
Favourite club/bar/venue in London and why?
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is just dripping with magic and history. It always feels like a great privilege to be on that stage.
How would you describe Felix to an alien scientist?
Felix is very much intended as an extrapolation of the child I was, were they allowed to develop without social pressures or norms, which might be confusing for an alien with a delineated, holistic sense of time. You see, on Earth we have all these peculiar ideas about what it means to be male or female. Nothing like Tralfamadore.
When you are editing dialogue etc for a mime show, what is it that attracts you?
I can’t really force tracks out and when I do they’re rarely my best. So I just keep my ears out for inspiration and every now and then it clicks. Most of my mixes are happy accidents.
What is your guilty pleasure?
The only things I feel guilty about are personal failure or hurting others and neither of those are particularly pleasurable. Anything I enjoy, I enjoy with relish or an equivalent condiment.
Best gift you’ve ever received and why?
A bicycle from my parents a few years ago. I think cycling is about as close as one can get to flying without breaking the bank or enlisting the help of illicit substances.
What has been the highlight of your career so far and why?
I’m really proud of the two monthly revues I’ve created in South London and Brighton. Performing for applause is a great short-term high, like a sugar rush, but producing and promoting an event that consistently sells out feels more like a wholesome achievement. And being able to pay people feels great!
If you could go back in time which year would you choose and why?
1967, the Summer of Love. The bohemian fashion and radical anti-capitalism of the era really appeal to me. Plus the average house price was only double the average annual salary so I could be anti-capitalist in a fucking palace.
What’s the best party you’ve ever been to and what made it so good?
Some of my happiest, if not healthiest, memories were forged in the early years of Secret Garden Party, before it succumbed to the yuppie crowd. I just remember rampaging around in the most nonsensical of outfits, joyfully embracing strangers, climbing hay bales and staging impromptu performances in the woods. Festivals always fall victim to their own success though. They’ve cancelled that one now because the numpties found out about it.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Don’t answer everything irreverently; it’s jarring and impersonal.
Who is your LGBT+ hero and why?
The usual suspects: Quentin Crisp, Judith Butler, The Babadook.
Who are the most entertaining people you follow on Twitter and why?
Shon Faye is bitingly funny isn’t she? If I won the lottery I’d just pay her to slag me off all day.
Where in the world would you like to visit before you die and why?
I’m absolutely desperate to go into space. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying or wonderful so I really hope that’s an option within my lifetime. Failing that, the depths of the Mariana Trench at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Eek!
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?
There are no grown-ups. It’s all an illusion. Life is terrifying and pointless and you just have to make it up as you go along.
Felix will be at the Admiral Duncan this Friday (10 Nov).
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