Midgitte Bardot’s performances are renowned for their chaotic energy. Now, Tamm Reynolds – the artist behind Midgitte Bardot – is confronting prejudice head-on with a new, intensely provocative act. While most performers seek attention only when on stage, Tamm Reynolds consistently draws it, even when not embodying their alter ego, Midgitte Bardot, in fishnets and a push-up bra. Reynolds humorously adds, “I also like having my bush and ass out.”
Before our meeting at Woolwich station in London, where Reynolds generously offered to pick me up in their car, they sent a text: “I’m assuming you know what I look like.” Indeed, Reynolds is distinctive. As a non-binary trans drag queen with dwarfism, they represent a truly unique intersection of identities. However, to define Reynolds purely by these terms would be a significant disservice, as they are also a formidable powerhouse in writing and performance.
Three years ago, during Travis Alabanza’s queer cabaret revue, “Sound of the Underground,” Midgitte ascended a cherry-picker. They performed a daring blues rock tune titled “Hot Piss,” dramatically brandishing a jug of frothy yellow liquid. The audacious finale, too explicit for a general audience publication, elicited an unprecedented roar of approval at the Royal Court, overshadowing even the most iconic moments of productions like “Jerusalem.”