Pioneering Sydney Drag Queen Robyn Lee Has Passed Away

Legendary Sydney show girl Robyn Lee has passed away.

One of the founding members of Sydney’s drag scene and beloved by the industry, Lee passed away Monday August 4 at 10:30pm.

Lee was a regular performer at multiple venues around the city, including Stonewall, Newtown Hotel, and Oxford Street’s Albury Hotel. She brought high camp energy and over-the-top costumes to the stage, and will be remembered for her word perfect lip-syncs.

She was inducted into the DIVA Hall of Fame in 1991, in recognition of her profound and long-lasting impact on Australian entertainment and drag industry. Lee was only the second performer to ever receive such an award, a testament to her legacy as a pioneering figure in the Sydney gay community.

Famously, Lee was involved in the production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, where she taught Terrance Stamp how to adopt the mannerisms of a drag queen for his role as the Bernadette Bassenger. She even accompanied Stamp on his first night out on Oxford Street, with the actor dressed in drag to practice.

“That was very exciting for me, just the fact that I was going to meet him [Stamp], let alone work with him! And I thought, what will I wear?” Lee said in an interview for the 2015 ABC Priscilla documentary, Between a Frock and a Hard Place.

Lee was officially credited in the documentary as the “Tranny Trainer”.

The Facebook page for the iconic Playgirls Revue, starring Simone Troy and Monique St John, broke the news online today (August 5), sharing a collection of photos of Lee throughout her time performing.

“Very sad news of the passing of the beautiful Robyn Lee… one of the original showgirls in Simone & Monique Playgirls Review,” their statement said. “RIP lovely Robyn. Sincere condolences to family & those nearest & dearest.”

Friend and fellow showgirl Doreen Manganini met Lee in 1984 through the Playgirls Revue, and talked about all the fun they had together.

“One of the things I’ll always remember is how she used to walk up to me every time and say, ‘you, I never liked you’, and she’d push her hand on my forehead and push me over. And then we’d laugh and go at the bar together,” Manganini told Star Observer.

“She had brilliant laugh — and her smile. You know, she was out on stage… the way she could dance and do a high kick on stage. She was always fun.”

Showgirl Penny Clifford told Star Observer that Lee was a kind and beautiful friend, and an incredible performer.

“Whether I was standing at the side of the stage or in the show with her, her showgirl arms and hands and fingers were always just something that mesmerised me,” she said.

“She was cheeky too, and if you if you got in the way of her after a few scotches, and she decided she didn’t like someone, everyone would run. Luckily, I was never one of those people,” laughed Clifford.

Sydney LGBTQ+ community remembers an icon

Stonewall Hotel‘s Glenn Hansen told Star Observer that Lee was not only as an incredible performer, but a “fabulous friend to Stonewall.”

“I was lucky enough to work with her as Candy Box and share a stage, but having Robyn at Stonewall for Birthdays and events was always a pleasure and something we will cherish,” he said.

The DIVA Awards extended their sincere condolences to Robyn’s family and her sister showgirls.

“Robyn was arguably the ultimate showgirl over an incredible 6 decades. She was referred to as the showgirl’s showgirl and will be greatly missed but fondly remembered,” they wrote in a statement on Facebook.

“Sometimes you hear that a performer has worked everywhere, this was the absolute case with Robyn. There is no doubt she was a true trailblazer of the showgirl community.”

“Robyn performed in many of the big spectacular Mardi Gras party shows including the famous ‘I am what I am’ anniversary shows. In the late 80’s Robyn took to the RHI stage for a 6am show, where alone on stage she held the room in the palm of her hand, doing the Taylor Dayne anthem of the time. The place went wild, and she entered Mardi Gras folklore.”

Tributes have been flowing for Lee on social media, with friends, colleagues, and admirers sharing their love for the performer.

“Before I joined the fold of the imperial group I used to watch her perform at the Newtown Hotel,” wrote drag queen Farren Heit. “Robyn was a force on stage, ethereal to watch and was always so kind and funny and warm (even to a newbie as I was back then).”

Robyn Lee leaves behind a legacy as one of the first legends of the Australian drag community, and as an ultimate showgirl.

A memorial will be held in Robyn’s honour at Stonewall on Saturday 23 August, at 2pm. Details here.