We interview Sab Samuel, creator of Drag Queen Story Hour UK®, on his persona Aida H Dee, the importance of Drag and reading stories in a nursery

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Sab Samuel, I’m 26 and I started something called Drag Queen Story Hour UK®, which takes Drag performance as the fun, interactive, pantomime performance it is but thrusts it into the world of education by teaching children about people who are different.

When did you first become interested in Drag as an art form?

I first performed when I was 15 years old at an all-boys school. At a boys’ school, doing drama, somebody’s got to play the female character. There was a play where there was an evil villain and I was like: “Yeah, I do that. I’ll do that. Sounds pretty fun, actually.” While I was at school, I was really badly bullied. I had the police involved, I was spat on, I was called a feminist. It was gay bullying before I even knew I was gay. Regardless, I still chose to perform in Drag. The day after one of the bullies came up to me and said: “You did Drag in the school play didn’t you? Fair play, mate.” I remember that moment, it was an eyeopener. Sometimes being yourself and letting yourself go can be ten-times more powerful than hiding in the corner.