INTERVIEW: The drag queen of drag queens and star of stage and screen, Dave Lynn on becoming a celebrant, MAFS, Paul O'Grady and "pretty police"

Ladies and gentleman, theys and thems, welcome to the Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating our city’s bold drag artists and boundary breaking performers! I wanted to create a series that goes beyond the glam with our legendary and local queer performers so we can all get to know the real people behind the personas because erm, why not?!

This week, we’re joined by the drag queen of drag queens and star of stage and screen: Dave Lynn.

If this is the first interview of the series that you've stumbled across and you want to read more don't panic, you can catch up with more juicy convos centrestage HERE and next week we're welcoming international cabaret performer: Billie Gold.

But today, it’s all eyes on Dave Lynn so let’s dive in head first!

Hey Dave! For anyone who hasn’t had delight of meeting you yet, can you give us a little intro and let us know what pronouns you go by, both in and out of drag?

Well, I'm the drag queen of drag queens! I’ve been doing this for five fabulous decades now and I’m still going strong. He/him or Dame Dave Lynn.

What first sucked you into the world of drag and how long have you been doing it now?

I was 16 and taken to The Black Cap in Camden Town, they had an amateur talent night and I was dared to enter. From a very early age I knew I wanted to be in the business.

There’s a lot of buzz around Peter Tatchell’s Apologise Now! campaign right now calling on UK police forces to own up to their past treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s even got backing from the late, great Paul O’Grady. You were performing in drag during the 70s and 80s, what was that time like for you personally?

It was a fun scene, there was an element of the police force which were called the pretty police, they were underdogs spending a lot of time in gay pubs, especially in the toilets!

I always remember one night at The Vauxhall Tavern, right in the middle of a Lily Savage performance, they made quite the entrance marching in wearing bright yellow marigold gloves. Without missing a beat, Lily stopped the show, stared them down, and demanded to know why they were wearing cleaning gloves. “Are you here to scrub the toilets or what?” she snapped, absolutely furious. It was a moment of pure cabaret defiance and the crowd loved every second of it.

I’ve always found it interesting that you’ve kept Dave Lynn as both your real name and drag name?

There was never a grand plan or dramatic moment behind choosing my drag name, it honestly just sort of happened. At the time I hadn’t even given it much thought.

My first name is Dave, of course, and Lynn came from two of the most important women in my life: my mum and my nan. It felt like a natural tribute to them and it just fit.

Back in those days, drag names weren’t always about shock value or elaborate puns. You often went for something simple, memorable, and easy to say. Ideally with as few letters as possible so it could roll off the tongue and stick in people’s minds. Dave Lynn ticked all those boxes.

Now, more than 50 years later, it’s still the name I proudly go by.

You’ve popped up in loads of TV shows and films-EastEnders, The Weakest Link, Beautiful Thing, and Birds of a Feather and I’m a BOAF fan so I really want to ask how did that cameo come about and did you love it?

I have been very lucky in my career to have been offered some wonderful parts. BOAF came about as the casting director contacted me personally, I had a great time filming and the girls were as camp as tits.

You’ve seen drag go from underground cabaret to prime-time TV, how do you think your work on screen helped shift how people see drag?

I would say Beautiful Thing and Faking It were the two programmes that affected my life, many people viewed gay life and drag differently after watching. Also doing Faking It (Channel 4) changed me, I had never had proper training or helped train anyone so there was lessons learnt on both sides.

Would you say the drag scene in Brighton leans more toward activism, pure entertainment or a delicious mix of both?

The Brighton drag scene has a delicious mix of everything. I have been living in Brighton for over 35 years so it is my home turf I feel very comfortable in all venues.

Do you have any personal favourite Brighton queens?

Some of my favourite Brighton queens well that’s a question! We lost two of my favourites over the last couple of years, Maisie Trollette (David Raven) and Miss Jason (Jason Sutton).

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A post shared by Dave Lynn (@dame_dave_lynn)

I think all the queens in Brighton are fabulous and I absolutely love working together but very dear to me is Scott Burey aka DWNN. He is very special. I also love to support my nieces, the wonderful talents of Portia and Snow White Trash.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in drag-any golden nuggets from your years in the game?

I do think it’s easier to start out as a drag queen these days as you can get anything with just a click online; shoes, wigs, outfits, makeup etc. Any advice well I would say respect, niceness and hard work.

You also officiate weddings, right? Tell us more about that side of what you do!

I became a celebrant after a truly heartwarming experience that changed the course of my life. I had the honour of hosting a wedding ceremony for two wonderful women who due to the laws in their home country, weren’t able to legally marry there. Witnessing their love, commitment, and the joy that radiated throughout that day was incredibly moving. It made me realise how powerful and meaningful it is to help people celebrate love in all its forms.

That moment stayed with me, and I knew I wanted to be part of more stories like theirs. So earlier this year, I took the leap and enrolled in a celebrancy course. It felt like the natural next step for me. A way to channel that joy into something lasting and purposeful. Now, as a qualified celebrant, I get to help couples create ceremonies that reflect who they are, no matter where they come from or what their journey has looked like. It’s been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made.

Do you watch Married at First Sight? Be honest.

No I have never seen MAFS....maybe one day though I’ll dive in and see what all the fuss is about!

What current pop artists are you loving right now?

Raye is my favourite and I love Lady Gaga.

Where can our readers catch your next performance?

The easiest way to stay in the loop is by following me on social media (HERE). I always share updates about my upcoming shows there!