Photography & Art Direction Mettie Ostrowski
Set Design & Art Direction Janelle Krone
Creative Direction Robbie Manulani
Stylist Heidi Cannon
Makeup Veli Sadiku
Hair Davey Matthew
Photo Assistant Zach Bergen
Set Design Assistant Miwa Sakulrat
Hair Assistant Jet Keefe
Assistant Skye Warding 
Produced by Witch House PR

Comedy and tragedy have always lived side-by-side for Jinkx Monsoon. One moment, she’s commanding a stage with the cosmic camp and razor-sharp wit that saw her become Drag Race’s first-ever two-time champion, and the next she’s immersed in the devastating final chapter of Judy Garland’s life in End of the Rainbow. “We need both,” she tells Gay Times of laughter and heartbreak. “I had this aversion to more sincere, heavier material because I like to combat the heaviness in my life with the levity that I put out in the world. [Now] I'm finding a lot of empowerment in embracing the darker aspects of myself, in effort to tell a beautiful story and tell a story truthfully and honestly.”

A revival of Peter Quilter’s production, End of the Rainbow plays at Walthamstow’s Soho Theatre from 14 May until 21 June 2026. “Pulling back the curtain on Hollywood’s sweetheart and revealing a life lived under the relentless gaze of fame, where every triumph and heartbreak is played out in technicolour,” Monsoon says the play has deepened her understanding of womanhood, fame, addiction and survival. 

Monsoon’s magic, however, lies in her multitudes. After End of the Rainbow, the internationally tolerated redhead will conjure chaos across the UK with her Speaking of Witch tour, blending stand-up comedy, storytelling and live musical performances to deliver the inside scoop on “being a perma-stoned trans drag queen from America in 2026”. Then, she’ll trade the stage for a “futuristic space-themed rock opera” with her upcoming EP, which will serve as the second chapter in her Virgo Odyssey trilogy. 

Jinkx Monsoon discusses all of the above with Gay Times, alongside her mission to continue blazing a trans trail pioneered by icons such as Laverne Cox, Hari Nef and Angelica Ross, and what it means to feel more powerful than ever as a “woman, witch and artist right now.”

You’re deep into rehearsals for End of the Rainbow – how has the process been?

Really wonderful. It's heavy material, but everyone in the room – cast, crew, direction and production – we're all just pretty lighthearted people doing a fairly heavy play, but that's the way you got to do it. The story feels important to tell, but you can't let it weigh you down because we're all here and we're all still loving life.