Die Tollie & Manila Show is now streaming on Showmax

Showmax has just dropped the first episode of Die Tollie & Manila Show, a bold and unfiltered talk show where South African celebs join drag queens Tollie Parton and Manila von Teez for an evening of conversation and games… in drag.

The all-star lineup of up-for-anything guests includes Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance, actors Celeste Loots, Francois Jacobs, Frank Opperman, Jarrid Geduld, and Rob van Vuuren; television personality Soli Philander; and musicians Craig Lucas, Jack Parow, Loki Rothman, and Valiant Swart, along with online personalities Aletta Francina de Kock and Rynhardt Schoeman - all as you’ve never seen them before!

The first episode features actor Jarrid Geduld, known for his roles in several shows and films, including 10 000 BC, Ellen: Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies, and Boy Called Twist. In this hilarious episode, Jarrid steps into drag for the first time, and it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen!

To celebrate the show’s premiere, we sat down with Manila, who spilled the tea on being a drag queen, finding the perfect outfits, and so much more.

Interview by Gen Terblanche.

How do you find shoes?

It depends on your shoe size. Because I'm a dainty woman, it’s easier for me to find shoes since I wear a size six, the most common size for women. However, for those with larger feet, Woolies sells up to size eight. In drag, if you have a size nine, you can often make a size eight work by choosing styles with an open front and open back, which allows you to serve a little bit of a cliffhanger - just not too much! Fortunately, places like Heels2Heaven sell sizes up to 13 or 14.

How do you hack your shoes to avoid a heel breaking mid-performance?

There have been times I felt like a heel was going to give out on me! To prevent that, it’s important to be light on your feet. One trick is to use a silicone patch inside your shoe around the ball of your foot, which alleviates pressure on the heel. Sometimes, it’s actually the arch of the heel that causes the most pain, not just standing in them. But, at the end of the day, we all know the saying: suffer for beauty, right?

How do you find tights in your size?

I prefer opaque tights, which are much thicker than regular pantyhose. I wear a full step-in underneath to create texture; the more texture, the more realistic the look. This adds a nice effect, especially if you want to give the illusion of smoother skin.

How many pairs of eyelashes do you stack?

I consider myself quite a lady, so I don’t do a lot of stacking. However, I do love a big lash! I might use up to three pairs, depending on the lash length. If you stack too heavily, it can cover all the hard work you’ve done on your eyes.

What many don’t realise is that our eye shapes differ from the standard lash shapes you buy. They’re typically made for larger eyes, so it’s important to trim the lash, whether by chopping it in half to overlap in the middle or trimming from the front or back, depending on the lash shape.

What is your padding made out of?

My padding is made from foam used in couches, mattresses, upholstery, and headboards. It’s essentially a piece of foam that you carve to your desired shape. I like a thickness of about four to five centimetres. You carve it out to resemble the shape of Africa, creating a fuller hip area and then tapering down to look like a muscle and a bum. The back part of Africa [the bulge] represents your bum, while the tapering down creates the hip area. You can find this foam at mattress shops.

You have to carve it down yourself, and I think every drag queen probably has an old carving knife - like the electric one used for carving meat. Every queen should have one! You never know when your padding might tear before a gig, and you need to fix it quickly. Using scissors can be cumbersome and painful, so a carving knife makes it easier.

What drag queen essentials do you go through a lot of?

Glue! I use a purple Pritt glue stick. When you apply it to your eyebrows, it’s purple, and when it turns clear, you know it’s dry. It’s water-soluble, so you can wash it off easily, and it holds up better against sweat than regular Pritt glue. I also use olive oil hairspray on exposed skin areas to prevent looking dry or flaky.

How is your oldest wig doing these days?

Well, we visited the funeral site a few weeks ago because she’s dead! When I started, lace front wigs weren’t available. I used to go to Chinatown and buy wigs without natural hairlines. I can’t remember my first wig, but my first lace front was a black wig - its whereabouts are a mystery. I still have a blonde wig I wear to this day; it was my second lace front. I had to re-ventilate the lace, though. She’s in ICU, but she’s hanging in there. We just check in on her now and then to make sure she’s still alive!

How do you store your drag, and how much space does it take up?
It’s crazy! I add to my drag almost every week, so I have to hang everything up. I have two clothing railings that I pull open, creating a sort of walk-in closet. It’s a dream come true! However, it’s getting a little too squeezed now, so I need to think of better storage options. I like hanging everything so I can see it all visually. When I’m choosing an outfit for a performance, I can say, "Okay, I haven’t worn you in a while - what song can I pair with that garment?"

When a drag queen passes or retires, what happens to her drag?

I’m not sure, as I haven’t had someone close to me pass or retire from drag. I believe it gets passed on to other queens. It’s important for the legacy to continue. If you’ve had memorable moments in a garment and no longer feel that drag is for you, why not let someone else experience that? We should think about this as a community. There could be a space where we store all our drag, and on a specific day, new queens can come in and pick something they like. This way, you know your legacy continues.

What would you consider a uniquely South African kind of drag?

I think we have a rich history of drag that we’ve curated over time. The advent of RuPaul’s Drag Race shifted many perspectives on what’s possible for us queens. Our history is vibrant, especially among queer people of colour, who excel at showcasing their culture. For instance, artists like Belinda [Qaqamba Ka-Fassie] beautifully represent their heritage in their performances.