River Medway (drag queen)

Last updated

River Medway
Born
Dexter Clift

(1998-04-08) 8 April 1998 (age 26)
Medway, Kent, England
EducationMillennium Performing Arts
Occupation Drag queen
Television RuPaul's Drag Race UK (series 3)
Website river-medway.com

Dexter Clift (born 8 April 1998), [1] known professionally as River Medway, is an English drag queen who is best known for competing on the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2021.

Contents

Career

In 2021, River Medway was announced as one of the drag queens competing in the third series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK . During her time on the show, River Medway's runway look inspired by Thomas Fletcher Waghorn gained comedy attention on social media. [2] [3] She also discussed her mother dying from COVID-19, and revealed that she received a call for the show not long after her death. [4] [5] River Medway was eliminated from the competition following the Snatch Game episode, alongside Choriza May after a lip sync to "Shout" resulted in RuPaul deciding to eliminate both of them in a double elimination. [6] [7] [8]

In 2022, River Medway embarked on the RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official Tour alongside her fellow cast members. [9] [10] Later that year, River Medway joined the cast of the show Death Drop: Back in the Habit, alongside Drag Race alumni Victoria Scone, Willam Belli, and Cheryl Hole. [11] The show played at the Garrick Theatre followed by a UK Tour in 2023. In October 2023, it was announced River Medway had been cast as Ariel in the parody musical "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch". [12] The show played for 10 weeks at Southwark Playhouse and embarked on a UK tour to 20 cities in 2024.

In July 2024 River Medway was announce as the Mistress of Ceremonies in House of Cleopatra due to play at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. [13]

In November 2024, River Medway will appear as Jem in the world premiere of Here & Now, a jukebox musical based on the songs of Steps at The Alexandra, Birmingham.

Personal life

Dexter Clift was born in Medway, Kent. The name of his drag persona comes from the River Medway that flows through his hometown. [14]

On July 25th 2024, Dexter was awarded with an Honorary Doctor of Arts (HonDArts) by the University of Greenwich recognising his outstanding commitment to the Medway area and exceptional representation of the LGBT+ community (as River Medway). [15]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleNotesRef
2021 RuPaul's Drag Race UK Contestant Series 3 (6th/7th Place) [16]

Stage

YearTitlePromoterLocationsRef
2022RuPaul's Drag Race UK: The Official TourVoss Events / World of Wonder Ipswich, Oxford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bournemouth, Southend, Manchester, Sheffield, Blackpool, Llandudno, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Plymouth, London, Derby, Bristol, Bradford, Aberdeen, Southampton, Stockton, Brighton and Newport [9]
Death Drop: Back in the HabitTrafalgar Entertainment/TuckShop Garrick Theatre [17]
2022-23Death Drop: Back in the Habit [UK TOUR]Trafalgar Entertainment/TuckShop Bromley, Dartford, High Wycombe, Cardiff, Crewe, Brighton, Sheffield, Leicester and Aberdeen [17]
2023 Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch Wildpark Entertainment Southwark Playhouse - London
2024 Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch [UK TOUR]Wildpark Entertainment Salford, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Crawley, Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Peterborough, Oxford, Glasgow, Cardiff, Blackpool, Southend-on-Sea, Exeter, York, Bromley, Nottingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Southampton and Wolverhampton
2024 House of Cleopatra [Edinburgh Fringe] Alchemation / Nathaniel Hill Edinburgh Festival Fringe [13]
2024 Here & Now (as Jem) Steps / ROYO / Pete Waterman The Alexandra, Birmingham [18]

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References

  1. ↑ @river_medway (8 April 2022). "thank you everyone for the birthday messages! today i'm 24 years old and very grateful for my life and proud of all my accomplishments" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "Queen's Thomas Waghorn drag is 'iconic'". Kent Online. 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Drag Race UK's River Medway couldn't do original Snatch Game choices". Attitude.co.uk. 1 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "BBC Three - RuPaul's Drag Race UK, Series 3, Episode 4, You've helped so many people, River Medway". BBC. 18 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Drag Race UK's River Medway opens up about losing her mum to Covid-19". Attitude.co.uk. 15 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "Drag Race Debrief: River Medway on her shock elimination and the challenge she missed this year". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "How Choriza May & River Medway Felt About Their Double Elimination". www.out.com. 1 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Drag Race UK's River Medway on "BDE", backstage drama, and living her truth". Digital Spy . 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  9. 1 2 "RuPaul's Drag Race UK Tour". Voss Events. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Exclusive: River Medway "loved every minute" of shock Drag Race UK exit". GAY TIMES. 29 October 2021.
  11. ↑ "Drag Race's River Medway and Victoria Scone to join the cast of Death Drop: Back In The Habit | London Theatre Direct". www.londontheatredirect.com. 30 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  12. ↑ https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/unfortunate-the-untold-story-of-ursula-the-sea-witch-reveals-cast-for-new-london-run-and-uk-tour_1538129/ [ bare URL ]
  13. 1 2 "House of Cleopatra musical announces complete casting". 20 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  14. ↑ "River Medway reveals all following drag race elimination". Kent Online. 1 November 2021. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  15. ↑ Haggis, James. "Dame Zandra Rhodes among Medway cultural figureheads awarded honorary doctorates". www.medway.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Who is River Medway? Meet RuPaul's Drag Race UK star and Hannah Montana super-fan". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Drag Race stars sign up for Death Drop: Back in the Habit tour". Digital Spy . 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  18. ↑ Stephen (4 September 2024). "News: Full Cast Announced for the World Premiere Of Here & Now, featuring Steps' most beloved hit songs". The Theatre Cafe. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
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