Doctor Who star Jinkx Monsoon on playing 'zany' villain Maestro

10 May

A character in an elaborate costume sits at a piano, looking at someone or something out of shot with something like disdain. They have a hand placed on top of the instrument at each end, giving us a glimpse of their elbow-length fishnet gloves. They wear a black jacket with an oversized collar printed with a piano key pattern. They wear a large silver chain around their neck, and their red hair is styled in an Elizabethan perm. — Image caption,
Jinkx says costume reveals have given "the implication that my character has something to do with music"

By Eleanor Doyle & Manish Pandey

BBC Newsbeat

The Daleks, Weeping Angels and The Family of Blood. Just some of the fierce enemies Doctor Who has encountered over the years.

But now Ncuti Gatwa's incarnation of the Time Lord is facing a new adversary and perhaps the most powerful villain yet.

Maestro.

American drag queen Jinkx Monsoon, who plays the new nemesis, tells BBC Newsbeat her "dreams have been granted in a wonderful way".

Jinkx is known as the "Queen of Queens" after winning a regular and All Star season of RuPaul's Drag Race.

And she says moving to the world's longest-running science fiction show felt like a natural progression for a self-described trans queer actor.

"Sci-fi has always been queer. Anyone who tells you otherwise is delusional," she says.

"There are prominent writers, directors, producers who are queer in these fields. And it just hasn't really been able to be talked about and a lot of them nowadays are done being silent."

She adds there has been "so much queer progress" in society, but feels in the entertainment industry "there's still been this thing of queer people behind the cameras".

"And only certain palatable society-approved queer people get to be in front of the camera.

"What I really love about this Doctor Who season is it saying: 'To hell with that'."

A man in an immaculately cut navy coloured suit complete with red bow tie speaks to a villainous character who wears a cape-style garment decorated with a piano key pattern on the oversized collar and interior lining. They have red hair in an Elizabethan perm, and wear various pieces of silver jewellery. They are leaning in towards the man, listening with intent. The scene has a slightly comical, pantomime feel.

James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios

Jinkx hopes the latest round of episodes will draw newer fans to the show

Jinkx praises the show and the crew for the way she was made to feel right at home.

"Being a trans feminine performer who's known as a drag queen, it's like they wanted me to feel comfortable and well-represented in all of the costumes."

She says she "loved everything" the design team came up with.

"They definitely took into account that when you're a drag performer, people look at your costumes with a magnifying glass.

"Because that's a big part of how we work - our presentation.

"So they knew that everyone was going to really have high hopes and expectations for this character, and they all really delivered."

That's not to say Jinkx was shy about putting her own stamp on the character's look.

She says: "I did the actor thing of saying 'yes… and what if we added this?'"

"And they were really receptive."

A villainous character wears a floor-length blue dress with ruffles on the lower half and elaborate gold stitching on the top that is reminiscent of Napoleon-era costume. She's standing with her back to an orchestra rehearsal room, with neat rows of chairs and sheet music stands in a v-shape formation. A boom microphone hangs from the ceiling. The character is posing side-on, their chin tilted upwards, with one hand on their hip and the other hand raised, palm up, as if encouraging applause or adulation.

James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC Studios

Drag Queen Jinkx Monsoon describes herself as an "internationally tolerated drag superstar"

When you think of a typical villain in TV shows, there can be a certain menace attached to evil characters.

But Doctor Who often does it differently.

"What's really exciting about this episode is that it's not jam-packed action, but it's zany and musical… almost like Doctor Who directed by Bugs Bunny.

"There's surprises and lots of music. It's a fun premise, the villain is over the top - just like everything you want in a powerful villain.

"We also see how important music is to our world. We get a glimpse at what life could be like without music and how sad and dreary that would be," she says.

Jinkx has come off a run on Broadway in the US, playing Matron "Mama" Morton in its longest-running show Chicago and breaking box office records in an extended eight-week run.

"As an actor, I had a list of things I wanted to do in my lifetime," she says.

"I wanted to play a Disney villain and have magical powers."

"Of course I know I've put in the work through the years. So it didn't happen out of nowhere, but the fact it's happening at all is just surreal and magical."

Doctor Who may already have a passionate and dedicated fanbase, but Jinkx is excited about the possibility of bringing in new fans with this latest version of Doctor Who.

It's the first set of episodes since the show's partnership with Disney+ and a push to get more American viewers.

"One of the great things about the Doctor changing, is we get to see this character we love and know, but through different perspectives throughout their journey," says Jinkx.

"So I think the way we keep things fresh is by changing the perspective.

"For anyone new, it totally welcomes you in and gives you everything you need to know.

"The lore of Doctor Who is deepening, we're getting a whole new layer of the universe opening up to us. And anything's possible really."

Back-to-back episodes of Doctor Who will air on BBC One on Saturday 11 May from 18:20

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

Doctor Who star Jinkx Monsoon on playing 'zany' villain Maestro

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