Queen of the makeup van

by TERRY LARDER

There’s always a starting point -“ one moment in time that seemingly changes everything. From that there is then a reference point for everything in life that follows.

For Strykermeyer that moment came in March 1995. Stryker and the recently retired drag legend Cindy Pastel were living as drifters.

They had a nomadic existence living out of their suitcases and other friends’ houses, while performing nightly at the Albury Hotel.

Stryker recalls receiving a phone call early one morning from the production company behind the film Priscilla -“ Queen of the Desert.

Stryker, you’ve won, you’ve won! For Stryker had indeed won in Edinburgh that night, the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for Best Make-up for the film.

The ground-breaking Australian movie was based on Pastel’s remarkable life. The film’s writer-director Stephan Elliott met with Pastel and was fascinated with his story and drag life while bringing up his son, Adam.

The script was written in 12 days. It was very easy. So many of the lines fell out of drag queens’ mouths or when people attacked me when I got too pushy. It actually wrote itself, Elliott said in the documentary Ladies Please.

Stryker was contacted by Elliott to be part of the make-up team.

I arrived at the casting director’s interview and was asked to produce a resume of my work. I replied I did not have one. My work is already out there. Just ask anyone on Oxford St who is the best make-up artist in town, Stryker said.

Feeling that I had flunked out, I put it behind me only to be told a couple of days later that I was hired. I was given the title of Hair/Make-up/Drag Consultant and responsible for Guy Pearce’s [Mitzi’s] look. We did two weeks of pre-production and six weeks on location travelling on the bus.

There were some great moments on the set, some punch-ups involving stars, but the most touching were the scenes between Terence Stamp [Bernadette] and his love interest, Australian actor Bill Hunter.

But there were more challenges to come.

Not trained in make-up, I learnt my craft, copied and watched others before developing my own style, but I owe a lot to Miss Audrey Woodstock-Rose, Stryker said.

However, as I was already a known Sydney drag queen and the drag queen consultant for the actors, this created certain tensions in the make-up van.

But despite the difficulties behind-the-scenes, the film is now legendary not only among the gay community, but across the globe. Its groundbreaking costumes earned it an Oscar and it is still among the highest-grossing Australian films of all time.

Indeed, Strykermeyer and all those who worked on the film can hold their heads high, for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a unique testament to high camp culture and without a doubt one of the most proudly Australian feel-good films of the last decade.