As soon as I saw Jimbo the first time, I was in love!!!! Jimbo is one of the talented queens who manages to bring everything he enjoys and loves- clowning, drag, performing, make up artist, set design and costume design into one and bring it to the stage. The resumé of this Victoria, British Columbia queen, and trained clown Jimbo — which includes building a giant, 700-kilogram plywood peach for Kaleidoscope Theatre’s production of James and the Giant Peach and contributing to the glammy esthetic of Atomic Vaudeville’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Rocky Horror Picture Show — makes him suitably prepared for a queen and to get on Canada's Drag Race. He's always been on my radar, his looks always surprise and shock...never disappoints, and can deliver a performance you won't forget. Over the years Jimbo credits being friends with artists of a great skill level that he was able to put together something really impressive that really showcased his skills, talents and performances and what he is able to bring to the his acts and eventually to the drag race competition. Like Manchester in England, the Victoria drag scene is so diverse and so cool, because the performers and artists in this town have this incredible drive to showcase their art, and Jimbo does just that.
Jimbo is a well-known personality around Victoria — as is James Insell himself. His quasi-legendary Chinatown studio and home, is where he creates costumes for myriad film and theatre productions is just as famous as his personality, and in April he put his skills to work in another area: making masks in an array of designs to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Jimbo, his partner Brady Taylor, a wig designer, and fashion designer Sarah Runnalls have sold hundreds of their non-medical masks during the pandemic, and have matched every purchase with another mask donation to someone living on the streets in Victoria, to keep all protected, while the money went to the community to help out with other needs. There is some talent on Canada's Drag Race to be sure, but Jimbo is so memorable, so creative, and has such a fun and a not so serious take to drag that's refreshing. He makes me feel like when I was a kid and went to see the circus, And when it's over, you had those feelings of delight at seeing something great and fun.
I wish him luck on the win.
And can I just say for a minute just how incredibly adorable Jimbo is? Oh yes. .....
Here's Jimbo with his partner Brady Taylor. Yep. I would totally be the butter between their bread!!!!!!
