GenQ - For the not so straight individual

GQ: What have you been getting out of it so far? What has your experience been like?

iOTA: Ah... it's been a real head fuck and it's been a real trip. its kind of unbelieveable. I just never thought... it's hard to explain. It's something I always wanted to do but just never knew how that was going to happen and now its just sort of fallen in my lap and I had a feeling that I'd be able to do it but wasn't sure. It seems like I was right and it's just awesome I mean I'm living in an apartment next to the theatre. Sleep all day, do the show. Have beers and a joint at night and that's my life... and i get fuckin paid for it. It's wild! I'm just having the best time. I just can't wait to see what happens next.

GQ: You obviously knew the show before-hand and had seen the movie etc. Did you feel like you had big shoes to fill?

iOTA: Yeah! Fuck yeah! Huge responsibility. Like if I went to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch I'd be a bit concerned. Just hoping that it's going to be good. I thought I'd be able to do it and do a good job of it. But it took a while. I did a bit of acting coaching, the director [Craig Ilott] and Blazey [Best, co-star] is always suggesting stuff and helping me out.

GQ: It must be weird for you, who's never acted before, to get up infront of someone as established as Blazey and go "I'm gonna star in this show and be the headliner"?

iOTA: It was! So true man. When I first met her we were just singing around the piano so that was fine, but when it came to actually rehearsing and I had to act infront of her, it was just like you said, it was totally weird! I didnt do it but I was going to go up to her and say "Do i suck?" but i didnt. Its pretty intimidating because I've never done it and just doing it infront of anyone. The first show that we ever did in Katoomba at this little 100 seater place called the Clarendon, I was just shitting myself! I was standing backstage ready to go on thinking "what the fuck have I done?! What am I doing this for? I'm so used to playing guitar and this is so scary!" But it's so worth it now!

GQ: Having read the reviews from Sydney and the USA, people were going expecting a drag show, then you completely blew that out of the water. What was your experience with that? Do you feel that you were becoming a drag queen per se?

iOTA: I guess I am a drag queen. I was thinking that the other day. I would definitely qualify as a drag queen! I do it for 7 shows per week and 8 this week but interestingly enough, the way to know if you're a fully fledged drag queen is if you see glitter in the toilet bowl!

GQ: And do you see glitter in the toilet bowl?

iOTA: [Laughs] I have my wings... yes I have my drag queen wings!

But yeah... it's not a drag show and I think that's the only thing that I'd be concerned that people wouldn't go because they think its just a drag act and it's so not that. And she's not a drag queen either I don't think, she's a person.

GQ: Is that what attracted you to doing the show?

iOTA: Yeah... I just love her. I wish she was real! She's a fuckin mole but you wanna hang out with her.

GQ: How is it wearing high heels every night?

iOTA: It's fine.
GQ: For me, the biggest part of it all is the music.

iOTA: Yeah the music is so powerful, and it's put together with a great story. I think that's probably the good thing about it that one of the big attractions is that, especially if someone goes to see it and they've never heard of it before, you just wanna go back to hear the songs at the very least apart from the show being very good too!

GQ: Do you have a favourite song in the show? Or a favourite moment?

iOTA: I like when I get to spack out coz I know the show's over and I think everywhere from [sings] "I was born on the other side" that last Hedwig's Lament. From there onwards I really like coz I don't have to talk anymore, I can just scream my cunt off and jump around and be silly and sing Midnight Radio. But I also like the entrance and the opening song. It's just a great way to start a show.

GQ: You've come from a background of writing music, and playing in bands and stuff. Are you going to continue with more acting?

iOTA: Fuck yeah! I feel like I've found my thing. In a big way, I'm really spinning out over it. It's taken me all these years to realise it, that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I was just looking for it in a different place. I still like playing music and stuff but this is a completely different thing. This acting thing is just stretching me in so many different directions artistically. I feel so satisfied after each show. There's nothing I have to do, and there's nothing that I feel I need.

GQ: Have any of the songs in Hedwig inspired you with your writing?

iOTA: If they have, I haven't noticed it yet. They probably have. I'm sure they have. Yeah they have. Of course they have! You know, because I did alot of acoustic gigs and rock bands and whatever, but a couple of years ago, I think after I saw Hedwig and got into it was when I decided to stop playing guitar and just sing when I get to jump around and stuff. That was inspired by Hedwig.

I don't know because I've just begun to write all these acoustic suicide ballads [laughs] like really really sad jumping under the train kind of songs.

GQ: Well you've gotta have an outlet for your dark place somewhere. You're just lucky you've got the knack to write songs.

iOTA: Oh yeah! And Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell must be so stoked. I just love the story about how they met.

GQ: What would you do if they came to see the show in Melbourne?

iOTA: Um. It'd be really great. I wouldn't want to know when they were going to be there, but I'd meet them afterwards and then they can take me to New York to do it. That'd be fuckin great! [Laughs] I'd go too!

GQ: When I was in there the other nigh, I was saying that the Ath would be perfect for a revival of Rocky Horror. It's got the dingy old run down theatre sort of feel. Alot of reviews are calling Hedwig the Rocky Horror for this generation, having the same freeing message. I mean, that was the whole message of Rocky Horror was, "don't dream it, be it" and Hedwig gives us the same type of message.

iOTA: Yeah for sure. Do you think the message comes across?

GQ: The message I get out of Hedwig every time I see it or hear it is about the search for the other half of yourself. I mean, I watched it when I was going through a hard time with a partner or whatever and completely bawled my eyes out but someone else might watch it and go "Oh I can come out and be myself now because Hedwig's so strong about being who she is that that's what I can do." So there's different messages in there for different people which is the good part about it.

What's the emotional high point for you? What stretches you most as an actor to bring out emotions and things?

iOTA: It's all that last sort of stuff where she's starting to fall apart. When she's talking about "he's the one" and "the one that went away" when he runs out the back door and all of that sort of stuff I suppose that stretches me the most. I guess coz that's the only bit where I have to cry so I dredge things up that I'd rather not think about to get it out. Its a fuckin weird thing to be doing! Standing up in front of people and baring your soul!

GQ: I'm still trying to get my head around the ending. Like I know you become Tommy and everything, but where does Hedwig go? Does she disappear or..?

iOTA: I think that's the thing that even John Cameron Mitchell has said. It's kind of left open to your interpretation.

GQ: The way I saw it was that they became one. Is that how you see it or do you interpret it differently?

iOTA: I guess I either see it like that or I don't know. It's a hard one to pin down but basically she finds some kind of peace in becoming a whole with him or just being comfortable with who she really...