John Waters once said ‘Dina Martina goes way beyond drag into some new kind of twisted art!’. Twisted art? Really? Coming from John Waters that's pretty thrilling if Twisted Art is your thing. Which, incidentally - it so is. From Seattle to London via NYC - here comes Dina Martina with her latest show 'Moribund'. We've been primed that it'll be absolutely packed with ludicrous song and dance, overburdened costumes and wonderfully horrifying video - loaded with jaw-dropping pathos and mind-blowing comedy. Run Riot caught up with Dina for a quick-fire Q&A. She gave it to us hard and fast. Moribund is at Soho Theatre, Tue 23 Oct - Sat 3 Nov.

RR: Do you find London romantic at this time of year?
DM: London really is romantic any time of year; I think it comes from The Gherkin.

RR: Who are your greatest influences?
DM: Gosh, there are so many. Fatty Arbuckle, Bigfoot, Ke$ha…Ashford & Simpson.  When I was first starting out as an entertainer I was very inspired by Shakespeare. He used to do shows.

RR: You have the most iconic lips of all time. Do they steal the show?
DM: Thank you. My mother used to say I had child-bearing lips, but after looking through our family photo albums I realised that I was actually blessed with my grandfather's lips. He was an Ubangi.

RR: Do you have a warm up ritual before coming on stage - if so, what is it?
DM: Every night before the show, I gargle with a simple solution of bleach and ammonia.

RR: Would you describe your latest work, Moribund as a melodrama about death?
DM: I like to think of it as a cautionary tale; a fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever. When money's no object, it's really worth it.

RR: Can we expect a rendition of Chaka Khan's I Feel For You?
DM: No.

RR: What would you like your audience to walk away with after the show?
DM: Anything they bring into the venue, I'd like them to take with them when they leave - except maybe umbrellas.  I lost mine.

RR: Could you treat us to a Dina Martina London anecdote?
DM: One time I went to Madame Tussaud's.

Dina Martina
dinamartina.com
@dinamartina

Soho Theatre and Tim Whitehead Management present
Dina Martina: Moribund
at the Soho Theatre
21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
Tue 23 Oct - Sat 3 Nov (no show Sun/Mon), 9.30pm
For more info and tickets: sohotheatre.com