Mado Lamotte, the flamboyant alter ego of Montreal francophone Luc Provost has been active in the gay community for 20 years. Starting as an UQAM student and worker at Lezard, Lamotte’s over-the-top drag queen persona has earned her recognition. Lamotte is a magazine contributor, an entrepreneur, club co-owner and local celebrity. Her sharp tongue and wit spills into everything from her interviews to her role as an emcee during Saturday night cabaret evenings. Lamotte was also kind enough to sit down with me for a dressing room interview prior to her cabaret performance.

Why did you open Cabaret Mado?
I started in the nightlife scene as a gogo girl and a cigarette girl. I also did bingo. It all led me here [Cabaret Mado]. I wanted to create something different for the village. Mado has become a “neighborhood bar” where people can go and have fun. We have regulars here. We have heterosexual women, men, lesbians, gays; everyone is welcome. We recently celebrated our sixth anniversary.

I understand you have a personal stylist. How did that happen?
Daniel Serrurier is my stylist. When I started out as a drag queen, I had to search for things at Village des Valeurs. There are only so many prom dresses that you can wear onstage. I knew a couple who did costumes and that is how I met Daniel, he’s been making my costumes for three years. Hopefully that makes me eligible for a discount on some dresses sometime soon.

What challenges do you and your stylist face when dressing your character “Mado” for a performance?
It’s not much of a challenge, in fact it’s easier than dressing a regular woman. With women, they need clothes that fit perfectly, clothes that flatter, clothes that beautify. With drag queens, the clothes need to be ridiculous. They are supposed to be too long, unflattering and outrageous. Mado’s clothes are like haute couture, people look at them and think it’s outrageous and impossible for an ordinary person to wear.

You’ve said that drag queens are like clowns, what do you mean by that?
Drag queens are like clowns because they are ridiculous. They are extreme and they are eccentric. They are comedians. Drag queens aren’t trying to satirize a woman, but rather create a character.

Mado’s top ten drag queen accessories…

1. a swarovski crystal microphone
2. Dior’s plastic electric red lip gloss
3. Timbuktu perfume from “L’Artisan Parfumeur”
4. a Hello Kitty fan
5. glitter, glitter and more glitter
6. pink Sally Hansen Nail Polish
7. the longest false eyelashes possible
8. light almond oil makeup remover
9. black stockings
10. my 50 pairs of shoes

photography supplied by Mado
interview by Julia Mahon

previous WORN ASKS:
Jen Anisef of Toronto Craft Alert
Amy Johnson of Wooden Apples
Lola Lamb, Montreal Burlesque preformer

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