Dean Arcuri is no stranger to performing on the Shepparton stage, becoming a staple of the OUTintheOPEN festivals, but how did he begin his life in the spotlight?
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You may know him as the fabulous Frock Hudson, drag queen and entertainer, but he describes himself a little differently.
“The reality is I am a man in a dress,” Dean said.
“I’ve been performing for many years as myself and also as Frock, so some people think they have to say she/her, some people say him, I say whatever you want to use I'm comfortable with, as long as you do it with respect.”
He began his theatre career performing cabarets across Victoria and admiring drag queens from the sidelines.
“Drag was always something that I enjoyed and I loved supporting and really loved the art form and watching it and as time was going on, I just started exploring who I was as a performer,” Dean said.
“I’m not a spring chicken any more, so at a certain period of time when my hair started going a little greyer and my waist started getting a bit wider, I started questioning what does entertainment look like for me?”
He felt that a gay cabaret comedian who’s starting to lose his hair was not his desired title.
But instead of accepting his fate, he added a feather to his cap and Frock Hudson was born.
“Once the name was found, the rest kind of came,” Dean said.
“When Frock started, Frock was a man in a dress, I wasn't trying to pad my body or anything.
“My very first look was a rubber tuxedo and a spiky blue wig. Frock was a queerer alter ego for me, it didn’t have to be about a gender or anything like that.”
Dean had found another love in drag performance.
“I have many friends and entertainers that do the club and nightclub circuit, but for me, it’s always been festivals and cabarets and hosting events and children’s events,” he said.
“I still do shows as Dean and I still do shows and things as Frock. There’s a balance. Neither has replaced the other.
“I started coming to OUTintheOPEN in its second year, but that was when I was a journalist, not an entertainer, and that was because I loved what it was.”
He put his hand up to be involved if organisers needed anything, and that offer was taken up.
“Sometimes it was just doing a number or hosting an event and other times I’d just come and watch,” he said.
“There is literally nothing else like it in Victoria, let alone Australia, and I think it’s really special.”
The 2023 OUTintheOPEN festival had some interrupted events due to safety concerns.
“There were some events that were cancelled and one of those was the library story time because of certain misinformation from a member of police and council had to do the right thing, which meant cancelling events,” Dean said.
“But the community came and we created a pop-up event at the front which was absolutely amazing.”
Dean said it was “a shame” that people weren’t supportive of the festival.
“It's a shame that we live in a time when people try to politicise something as simple as reading a book for kids,” he said.
“While people might get in the comments or scream about it being about sex and gender, it’s really just about a fun story and letting people feel entertained and welcome.
“Last year was a hard year because it was a year that unfortunately had a highlight on far-right extremism.
“People are allowed to feel how they want to feel, and people don’t have to agree with things, but that doesn’t mean they need to, you know, create an environment that doesn’t mean other people can’t enjoy them.”
Despite the shadow of a lack of acceptance, Dean said it was a great show of community support and that was a privilege to see.
“It’s great that the community were able to come together and create a safe and welcoming environment, not just on that day with the pop-up event, but with all the events that happened,” he said.
“It’s a really wonderful thing to create a space where we all get to celebrate the individuals and the whole community.
“It's being able to be a part of the community, hear people’s stories and talk to them.
“I think something wonderful about both Carnival Day and Fryers St Food Festival last year as well was just to be able to hang with community, chat with them.
“There is a wonderful rainbow community that exists in, you know, not just the Goulburn Valley area, but beyond and there’s something really special about the space that they create for young and old people.
“I love being able to chat with people, perform for them, but also find out about them and just have a really great time.”
Dean will be heavily involved in three events on the 2024 program.
“I'll be hosting Carnival Day again,” Dean said.
“We're also going to be doing a story time as a part of the day which is going to be really wonderful as well as hosting.
“It’s kind of exciting this year as well with this great push on local artists and local performers.”
This week will feature a queer quiz hosted by Frock Hudson and DJ Cliterally, as well as a neon sparkle party.
“We just thought, let’s dress up in colourful clothes and give an excuse for everyone to just come together, have a nice meal, a bit of a boogie and just shake their tail feathers,” Dean said.
“The more space we can create for everyone to come together, the better, and why not bring a little bit of colour and sparkle as well?”
The queer quiz will be held on Friday, November 8, from 6pm to 10pm at the GV Hotel.
Carnival Day will be held on Saturday, November 9, from 10am to 3pm at Queen’s Gardens.
Finally, the neon sparkle party will close off Saturday with a bang from 8pm to 11.30pm at the GV Hotel.
Cadet Journalist