The King Coach’s Speech at Drag Kingdom June 2025: Celebrating Queer Joy, Power, and Community Awards

Welcome to Drag Kingdom—the world’s largest ongoing Drag King show. In this Pride Month edition, hear live from The King Coach and discover which Kings were honoured with a Community Award for their contribution, courage, and joy.

Chris aka Chase Cocks  0:00  

Tonight would not have been possible. This whole community would not have been possible. This last 138 Drag Kings, over four and a half years wouldn't have been possible. And I might have seen my wife a bit more but it wouldn't have all been possible without this person here, my wife, Danica, Lani, The King Coach, who gives everything to this community, Choreographed and produced this whole event tonight, pretty much single-handedly.

So, now I've let you get your breath back... Okay. Oh, just that, all right. Oh, and a microphone. Sorry - She gets to speak as well.

Danica Lani  0:43  

Thank you very much. Thank you so much everyone. It's such a pleasure, pleasure, pleasure seeing you all here. Listen, when I first started as a Drag King in 2011 I had the performance background, but makeup... I looked like a one of those street urchins, you know, like the muddy face.

 Anyone done Drag King makeup before? And your first time you end up looking,-  yeah, we've got a few raised hands in the audience there. I'm not alone.

And costumes? I always outsource them. 

But that was back in 2011 and listen, the only guaranteed way to fail at something is to stop. So I didn't stop. I kept going. And this is how Kings of Joy started. 

So Chris and I met through a mutual friend who was a Drag King, who asked me to choreograph a group Drag King number and and that's how I met Chris. Chris was one of the other backup dancers, first time Drag King, and in true lesbian style, we started dating on the second rehearsal. 

It was at the second rehearsal that they did a Patrick Swayze slide on their knees across the floor, and that was it. I was a goner. So that's how I met Chris. Then we got married, and then they went on a gender journey. 

Anyone else here being on a gender journey? Yes. So they started Queers of Joy, which was a night for trans and gender diverse artists to showcase them, and so they (the artists) would get paid. 

And they said to me, “Listen, we had so much fun doing that Drag King group together. Why don't we have a group of first time Drag Kings? You can just choreograph something, can't you?” I was like, Sure. Okay. 

So we started in December 2020, and since then, as you heard, we've had 138 first time Drag Kings come through (The Kings of Joy program). 

And this is what I this is what I do. I love what I do. I wake up thinking of Drag Kings. I go to sleep, waking thinking of Drag Kings. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking up Drag Kings. (It’s cos they’re hot!) It's cos they’re hot! 

My whole purpose is to empower LGBTQIA+ people to break free from constraints around gender and sexuality and self expression, so that we can be 100% at home in our own skin.

So Drag Kingdom is the space where we're out to prove that you can have fun and make a difference at the same time. So who here has had some fun tonight?

(Cheers)

Danica Lani  3:39  

So before we finish up for the night, I have some people to acknowledge. And it's a new category called the Kings of Joy Awards. This is the Awards Night section. So here we go. I'm going to acknowledge some Kings who have been a contribution. The first person that I want to acknowledge, and please come up to the stage if your name is called. Natalie Reid aka Rex McCooch.

(Rex, Rex, Rex, Rex!)

Danica Lani  4:27  

Yes, Rex, you were hilarious on stage, by the way.

Natalie aka Rex McCooch  4:32  

Yes

Danica Lani  4:34  

Works as a Private I. Had too much coffee, hasn't had enough sleep. This is a Certificate of Gratitude, and this is awarded to you for your incredible behind the scenes work as Kings of Joy’s Creative Projects and Admin Assistant.

Natalie aka Rex McCooch  4:58  

Thank you. I’m on fire tonight.

Danica Lani  5:01  

It's true. Oh, you’ve got the socks to prove it. But your support plus your cheer has made such a world of difference to me this year. So I really want to thank you.

Natalie aka Rex McCooch  5:19  

Yeah ditto. Thank you so much for making my life about a million times happier. I'm not great with words. I've demonstrated that. So I'll quit while I'm ahead. Thanks for Kings of Joy and this community and all the amazing experiences that have come with it. Thank you.

Danica Lani  5:45  

Natalie does have a way with words, and would always sign off emails or text messages with “terrific”, or answer things with “terrific”. And I was like, Yes! More people saying terrific. I love that. Thank you.

Danica Lani  6:01  

I would like to acknowledge and provide a Certificate of Excellence - can you tell I didn't bring my glasses on stage? - to Kaz Therese, please come to the stage. Oh, Brad. sorry, Brad is here tonight to accept the award on behalf of Kaz. And this is awarded to Kaz, aka Brad Armpitt, for your visionary collaboration with Kings of Joy through Werewolf Productions bringing They Will Be Kings to life in a sold out season during Qtopia’s Mardi Gras program.

Kaz aka Brad Armpitt  6:55  

Thanks. Well, exactly - oh, just drop out character! Exactly what Rex said. It’s made my life a lot happier, and my gender journey and yeah- you guys are the best. Thank you. That's really nice.

Danica Lani  7:15  

Thank you Kaz. By the way, we're looking forward to another season of They Will Be Kings. So if you didn't see our play, our theater performance, then keep an eye on our socials. 

Kaz aka Brad Armpitt

Werewolf, the Werewolf…

Danica Lani

The Werewolf Productions. Thank you. Give it up for Brad. 

Danica Lani  7:43  

Katie Lambert aka Randy Rootrat.

(Randy, Randy, Randy!)

Danica Lani  8:02  

Here he is, and he's got his name tag on too. So useful. This is a Certificate of Leadership, and this is awarded to Katie aka Randy Rootrat for leading the way and doing the heavy lifting to complete our home at the Working Kind Collective - our beloved home and Palace - honoring what we created there together.

Katie aka Randy Rootrat  8:31  

Thank you very much. I really appreciate this community. Sound a little bit more (inaudible) than I am, but I really do appreciate all of you and thanks for Randy - thanks for letting Randy be Randy.

Danica Lani  8:52  

Thank you Randy. We love you. Okay, I would like to acknowledge Kai, aka Butch Rider.

(Butch, Butch, Butch!)

Danica Lani  9:09  

Oh there you are! This is a Certificate of Appreciation. Surprise! And this was awarded to Kai for generously supporting new Kings with their hair, particularly their hair and make up, helping them feel confident and stage ready as they step into their Drag King.

Kai aka Butch Rider  9:31  

Thank you so much. Yeah, this is - I only debuted at the not the last one, the one before. But I've been back there a while. And yeah, I like to give back to the community, and maybe it's the butch in me. I like helping. (to audience: Oh gladly) Thank you so much.

Danica Lani  9:59  

Finally, this award goes to someone who's not in the Kings of Joy community, but is a Drag King in the Sydney Drag King scene. So Mads aka Manish Interest, who couldn't be here tonight, but I'd like to ask Jay aka Holden Cox to come up and receive this Community Contribution Award. This was awarded to Mads for their outstanding leadership in organizing the 2025 that should say, Sydney Drag King Mardi Gras float.

Jay aka Holden Cox  10:36  

Yes, I am not Mads. But thank you so much to Mads for helping organize this year's Mardi Gras. We had 80 Kings for Drag King Sydney and they're all from all from all over Australia. So if you want to participate next year, please let us know. But thank you so much Mads for helping.

Danica Lani  11:00  

So I have a saying, ‘Acknowledge and Grow.’ Acknowledge people around you, and they will grow.

I want to thank some people. Max aka TEABOI, our Assistant Choreographer. You have worked tirelessly with rehearsals, with choreography, with me, and I so love you and appreciate you and your partnership.

I'd like to thank Becks aka Jim junkie, who's our Assistant Deputy King Coach. Again, for contributing so much with rehearsals and empowering and developing other Drag Kings. 

I'd like to thank Renee aka Aftercare Bear, who is our Head of Makeup for your long standing artistry, your generosity and your unwavering presence. You've helped shape the face literally, of Kings of Joy. So thank you, Renee.

I'd like to thank AJ aka Ragnor the Ravishing. Thank you for giving us a home at The Working Kind Collective. And thank you to Bambuddha Group as well for the impact that you've made. Look around at the difference. So really appreciate you. Thank you. 

I'd like to thank the Red Rattler. This has been our home for Kings of Joy since December 2020, but even before then, with my previous dance group Show Ponies. We used to perform on here. So thanks to the Red Rattler. Thanks to the bar crew at the back. And I'd like to acknowledge particularly Sammy, one of the managers here. I was speaking with, if you’re here Sammy, I was speaking with Kween, your partner. And Kween said you've seen so many Drag Kingdom’s now that you could probably step in for me and fill my role. So I might take you up on that offer at some point.

(Audience: I’ll take the job!)

Danica Lani 12:49  

Okay, great!

Lachlan, our techie, please give it up for our techie, who’s been doing the sound and the lighting. Thank you. 

Sarah Malone, our beloved photographer who just captures the heart and soul of Kings of Joy and does such a great job. Thank you for your generosity. 

Tonight's team has been:

Max aka TEABOI as our production manager. 

Jules aka Golden Boy Brad as our hype man. That's a role. 

Renee aka Aftercare Bear as tonight's lead makeup artist.

Mel aka Jackson Bollocks on makeup. 

Kai aka Butch Rider on hair and makeup.

Lara aka Rainbrogan and Jay aka Kel Supreeze as Stage management.

Our Food Team, Keito aka Cherry Packer, Natalie aka Pasha Dicocky, Claire aka Cyber Prince. 

And on merch, we had Tasmin aka Mr. Jones and Jacob.

I'd also like to thank on the door, we had Sasha aka Mr. Loverman and Sara aka Disco Dave.

And of course, last but not least, our hosts and MCs for tonight, we had Chris aka Chase Cox and Brad Armpitt. Come back to the stage.

Danica Lani  14:13  

Oh, I dropped a packer. I’ll save that for later.

Chris aka Chase Cocks  14:17  

All right. Thank you so much. Thank you. Give us a kiss.

Chris aka Chase Cocks  14:32  

Awesome. All right, thank you so much Danica.