YORK drag diva divine Velma Celli is putting on a series of shows in the city.
The Velma Celli Show is coming to Impossible York bar, on the corner of St Helen's Square on Friday, September 30, Friday, October 14 and Friday, November 4 for Equinox - a Halloween and Bonfire Special.
Known as 'The UK’s Queen of live vocal drag', Velma has been charming audiences across the globe for the past 13 years.
Velma is the alter ego of West End star Ian Stroughair who has appeared in hit musicals Cats, Fame, Chicago and Rent.
Last year Velma’s A Brief History of Drag entertained audiences across the globe on a tour which included Australia (Best Cabaret Nomination in Perth), 54 Below in N.Y.C, a sell-out U.K tour ending in a smash hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2015 Velma was invited to appear on BBC’s Eastenders for a very special guest episode playing herself, starred opposite Danny Dyer in the music short Nebraska, performed with pop icon Anastacia and West End and Broadway legends Ruthie Henshall, Kerry Ellis and Frances Ruffelle to name but a few.
She can also be spotted in American comedy series I Love You and on the silver screen in The Night of The Lotus.
She won the Best Cabaret Award for her hit show Me & My Divas at Perth Fringeworld in 2020 and appeared in the Olivier award-winning circus show, La Soiree, fronted the McDonalds 'we are awake' campaign, was nominated for a Great British Pantomine Award and even performed privately for royalty.
The headline act for the BBC’s Best Of the Fringe closing night concert at the Edinburgh Fringe and the winner of the coveted Three Weeks Editors Award, a two-year long residency at The Hippodrome, London There isn’t much our Velma hasn’t done.
Ian has enjoyed a varied career in television, film and musical theatre, starring in the West End shows Cats, Fame and Chicago. He shot the feature film Night Of The Lotus for release in 2016; and has played the lead role of over-the-top cabaret singer Irish O'Flanagan in Charles Busch's Christmas fairytale, Times Square Angel, at the Union Theatre, London.
In 2014, Ian co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning Divallusion at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he earned the coveted spot of the closing act on the BBC's Best of the Festival concert.
The Velma Celli Show was the very first drag show to be given a residency at the London Hippodrome, one of Britain's most prestigious cabaret venues. Velma was nominated for best vocal act in the 2013 and 2014 London Cabaret Awards.
Velma's self-titled album is available on Itunes and Spotify now.
Show tickets for the Impossible York performances are available priced from £15 here.
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