While its critics are legion, television has proven time and time again that it can steer society into a positive trajectory when guided by skilled hands. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is a prime example of this. Entertaining, enlightening and often inspiring, this production’s UK iteration is already a massive hit. Elaine O’Brien is immensely proud of what the cast and crew of this production has achieved. As a producer on series two, she’s also basking in the congratulations of a BAFTA and National Television Award nominations the show has already garnered. Elaine is no stranger to BAFTA recognition as she was also a member of the team on the recent BAFTA Award–Winning The Big Narstie Show. A program like RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is remarkable because the level of creativity so inherent in its approach is incredibly high, making the demands on a professional such as Elaine equally profound. Revelling in the challenge-meets-creative opportunity of the show she declares, “There is no costume, prop, or artist I won’t secure to make my shows stand-out and delight audiences in the most exciting ways. I was already such a huge fan of the show and I would commit my entire life to making it a huge success whenever necessary.”
You only need to watch one episode of this series to comprehend that creativity is off the charts. This originates from the unique personalities featured in the show and allowing this to appear as part of the actual character of the show rests on the shoulders of those like Elaine. While this typically occurs in the early planning stages of a production, the fact that a show like RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is built through the momentary inspirations of its cast makes the demands upon a producer far more substantial than most productions. Elaine O’Brien notes, “Working across a reality series with contributors who have such strong creative ideas and ambition is unpredictable and challenging. This meant we had to be flexible and reactive, open to new ideas and different approaches, while managing the budget and schedule with the expectations of the editorial, production, and commissioning teams. Supporting the task teams and accommodating their often-last-minute needs and requests required an ambitious nature and preparation to go the extra mile to meet creative ambition, even when it felt impossible.”
An unparalleled moment in season two of this series, and a testament to the realized imagination of its cast and crew, is the musical episode known as the “Rusical.” A huge undertaking that involves elaborate costuming with the dance music numbers, this mini-musical occurred within a twenty-four-hour turnover period. Boasting beautiful and complex choreography, the “Rusical” is a lavish musical theatre production within a reality competition series.
The Snatch Game is a fan favorite episode from season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. A challenge game centred around impressions, personality and freedom for contributors to be as outrageous, bold, and charismatic as they wish, Elaine perceived that the success of each performance necessitated the most secure of environments during development. She painstakingly worked to carve out the time and location for each participant on a separate set to realize their ideas and approach, a tall order on such a constricted schedule. In many ways, an excellent producer is both fixated on specific data and the emotional psychology of the creatives. Elaine remarks, “These people need to have some alone time to breathe, connect with themselves, and remember that yes, it is a television show but that they are also real people with feelings and emotions. I strongly believe that this created not only a competitive tone in terms of the overall competition, but also impacted for good mental health in them knowing that their care was always at the forefront of my mind.”
The sophomore jinx is a widely accepted concern in any creative endeavour. Elaine O’Brien and her fellow collaborators have proven RuPaul’s Drag Race UK immune to this concept in their creation of a second season that builds upon season one and in some ways, even surpasses it. The aforementioned BAFTA nomination and National Television Award should be more than enough to pique curiosity about it. This season is entertaining, inspiring, and unforgettable.
Writer: Basil Thomson
Punit