Luc Provost, translator of Madou Lamothe, looks at a crucial passage from True Nature

Quebec has an incredible craze for drag queens. They appear in all performances and all events, and attract crowds: Rita Baga, Barbados from Barbados, Giselle Lullaby, Mona from Grenoble and, of course, Madou Lamotte. For more than 35 years, the latter and her changing personality, Luc Provost, have paved the way for a new generation of drag while shattering the prejudices against them.

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“I don’t like to take credit for leading the way and social acceptance. I’d rather say that this is, among other things, due to Madou rather than thanks to her. She certainly opened doors by leaving the village, appearing on TV or playing bingo across Quebec. For many, she was Drag queens are just weird buggers, part-time artists. Today people, seeing all the work that underlies our art, realize that we are artists in their own right,” explains Luc Provost, creator and renowned artist of Madou Lamotte. This artistic discipline requires mastery, dedication, and sometimes a huge investment of time and money to reach the higher levels, Locke asserts. “It takes rigor, discipline and talent. It’s not just about putting on makeup, putting on a dress, wearing a wig. When you create characters, that is, celebrities, you have to do research to be as similar as possible. If you’re doing humor, you have to write your scripts. And it’s important, of course, to master Make-up artist, and you often have to make your own stage costumes.You have to be creative, designer and artist.

A matter of tolerance
Although our society is more open and more inclusive, there are people, especially on social networks, who are outraged that we entrust drag queens to reading children’s stories, for example. Moderately and accurately, Locke answers them. “It’s ignorance. They don’t know the difference between a tavern’s drag show at 10 p.m. in front of an informed audience and one that arrives at 8 a.m. to tell a story to children. Even comedians adjust to their audience. When the doors open, others try to close them.”

He tells how he became immune to rejection and prejudice. “It always felt good to be who I was. My parents and I never had to talk about it. Before they saw me in drag, I told them I worked at a bar. It was true, but they didn’t know I was Girl shoot! The first time they saw me at Mado’s was at the Just for Laughs festival, playing bingo in the Old Port. Eventually, my mom told me she thought I was funny, and my dad walked away crying. It was very emotional. He was proud of me. My comedic side comes from it. As for my 97-year-old mom, Pauline, I inherited my extroverted, epicurean and extroverted side from her. Since last year, after the release of true natureShe brags about being my mother and Madhu in her house! (He laughs)»

Before this show, he had always refused to be normal. “I always wanted Madou to be an entity in itself.” As a result of his passing, something unexpected happened. “In interviews, they’re always asked about how long it takes to prepare, what it’s like to be a burden, etc. But Madou can’t answer these questions. She’s not a drag queen, she’s just Madou! She’s an actress, singer, and dancer. I wanted people to tell the difference. Between me and her To true natureI expressed my desire to one day be able to play in the theater as Luc Provost. This fall, I’ll be part of the cast Hosanna or poor Scheherazade At Le Trident Theater in Quebec. a .mash From two plays by Michel Tremblay. I will play Hosanna, he says, adding that in mid-October his movie “Madography” (biography) will be released.

she and him
Don’t believe Locke wants to put Madou aside; On the contrary, he adores what you gave him 35 years ago. “When I see rooms, even in the area, full of people shouting his name, it is exhilarating. Unlike other characters, Mado is still loved and widely followed on social media. But success is never guaranteed: you must constantly hone your talent and renew yourself.” I try to keep Madou up-to-date. It’s hard, because I have two types of audience. Young people don’t have the same references. They don’t know Dalida, Michelle Richard or the great classics. Their humor is based on the moment and current events. After two weeks, the joke is out of date, but we can educate people says the artist, who is also the owner of Cabaret Mado, who just celebrated his 21st birthday.

Located in the heart of Montreal’s gay district, the venue, which has a regular staff of 30 and has nearly 50 drag queens, has become a must for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the party atmosphere. Seven days a week, it welcomes people from everywhere, of all ages, from all strata of society. “In the beginning, the club was mainly frequented by the LGBTQ+ community. Then, gradually, while retaining its older clientele, people from 25 to 40 – more couples, singles and women than men – began to flock. Since the pandemic, due to the ban Touring, the late night show hour in the club, which was 11pm, has been moved up to 9pm. People come to the show and sometimes stay to dance. I never would have thought that one day I would be able to sleep before midnight!” he said. Happy with this change of pace. If Madou was only 35 years old, his interpreter couldn’t be any younger than him. Did he see himself bowing? “You can drag for a very long time. Gilda did it until she was 88. I plan to live to be 100. Around 75, I’ll start doing less!”

Le Trident Theatre Hosanna or poor Scheherazade From September 12th to October 7th.
We learn about it Mado Cabaret.

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