By: Daniel P’ Lopez | Photos by Fernando Cysneiros | @thedragseries
Jimbo the drag queen, also known as Jimbo the drag clown (James Insell), is known as a RuPaul’s Drag Race queen. Jimbo also competed in the Canada Drag Race, UK vs the World, and won RuPaul’s All-Stars season 8. Now Jimbo is working on a tour with Werq the World event and is super excited to work with the girls and do their impersonations.
In an interview, Jimbo explained that Drag clown or clowning is an art form and a performance style. Jimbo took her history and training as a clown and applied it to her drag performances. “My drag is always with a kind of cheeky sense of humor, and it’s sort of very big and over the top. I love the themes of the carnival and the circus.”
Jimbo grew up in London, Ontario, near Toronto, Canada. Sixteen years ago, Jimbo moved out west to Victoria and started working in film and theater as a prop and costume set designer. Eventually, she moved from behind the scenes to the stage, performing as a puppeteer and a clown. She then became a drag performer and started working in films as a costume designer in Hallmark films.
Once Jimbo was on set and working on films, she transitioned to becoming a TV star, working in various drag shows and competitions. Today, Jimbo is now a famous drag clown and travels around the world performing in various countries.
Jimbo started doing drag as a little kid, at about five years old, but admits that it was very embarrassing and shameful at that time, not something that boys should do. It wasn’t until later, when she started to work in theater and became a clown, that she began to experiment with her love of feminine things and playing drag and playing in her mother’s clothes.
“I started to allow myself to be ok with that and not to feel any shame or feel weirdness about cross-dressing and dressing in drag and having fun playing with things that you were taught you’re not supposed to do.”
Jumbo admits that he didn’t come out till he was about twenty-five. After allowing herself to open up and try different things, she leaned into the love of drag.
Fast forward many years, and now Jimbo is one of the hosts of Werk the World, the biggest and best drag show in the world, explained Jimbo. It brings together all the best and biggest drag stars on an international tour. Earlier this year, they did a different cast in Europe and Australia. Now Jimbo gets to join the cast as a co-host, visiting different cities in the USA and Mexico.
Other well-known drag queens will also host the event, and each queen will perform in various themes and impersonations. Jimbo will be doing Shirley Temple, Dolly Parton, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, and Iggy Azalea, as well as her famous Joan Rivers, which is looked at as a strength according to Jimbo. Many queens will also be doing duets and solos in addition to their many different extravagant performances and talents.
“Werq the World is an event that brings people together for love, inclusivity, LGBTQ visibility, and rights. Since at the moment, queer and trans rights are being challenged and taken away,” explained Jimbo. “So now more than ever we need to be supporting queer art and supporting our queer communities, and still showing up to the shows and not be afraid of the hate and bigotry and the control in the government to demonize and ostracize performers because of their sexuality or physical presentation.
Drag makes people smile and laugh and is all about love and joy, self-expression, celebrating individuality and uniqueness; I’m so grateful that I’m able to do that myself as a performer as an artist and that I’m able to use my art to inspire other people.”
Jimbo is always working on tour and drag and just finished a residency as a showgirl in Las Vegas with Drag Race Live, at the Flamingo hotel on the Vegas strip. Jimbo loves to travel and enjoys sightseeing in different parts of the world. She also loves to work on her costumes, new acts, and rehearsals. She also loves to go to the gym; life is always about work for Jimbo.
To learn more about this event and buy tickets for the shows, you can visit werqtheworld.com. To learn more about Jimbo and to follow her, you can visit houseofjimbo.com
Instagram, X, TIKTOK is @Jimbothedragclown.