It’s a glamorous job, the 'Trolly Dolly'. At least on Pam Ann Airlines it is. There are no pretences on Pam's VIP jet. No need for the PC terminology of Cabin Crew, Attendants, or Flight Staff. After all, the “boys”, male Trolly Dollies to you and I, don’t even wear shirts during service. There's an abundance of champagne and grand pianos. Leo Sawyer may even voice the tannoy one day. The girls of Britain’s Next Top Model the next. Five course meals are even served with electric knives - not in economy, though. They don't get any cutlery. It's all finger food. But they’re still treated to the delightful musical numbers about oral sex, littered with glitter, sparkle, over-sprayed bouffants, and all things jazz-hands. It’s a glamorous job indeed.
In Pam Ann, comedienne Caroline Reid’s larger than life air hostess with big hair kept in place with an ever-present can of hairspray, the art of Trolly Dolly is, well, an art. Her show is overtly camp. Camply camp. Camp to the nth degree. The Sandra Bernhard-inspired, sex-obsessed hostess-with-the-mostess, is never far away from a musical number, double-entendre filled sketch, or decidedly tongue-in-cheek (pun intended) cock joke. Very oo-er missus. Very Carry On. "They taught me everything," she says of the gay community. No wonder its often described as “fabulous”. With lots of glitter, sparkle, and audience participation - in the first week of her Mile High Club routine she wanted, and attempted to, put hot boy Justin Melvey in a suitcase - the show does feel like mile high Mardis Gras. Though it’s not for those easily offended. “My dad’s a fan, but can you imagine simulating a blow job and wiping cum of your face in front of your dad?”
It all started with a dress-up theme for a birthday. Caroline, then a young Melbourne resident just outgrowing her Goth teens, decided to dress as an air stewardess of now defunct American airline Pan Am. Why Pan Am? “They were the first airline to fly 747’s, and James Bond of the Sean Connery era flew only Pan Am.” Some drunk girl, slurring her words in the wrong order, called Caroline Pam Ann. And it stuck. It was back in 1986 when travel in Australia was just Qantas and Ansett - nothing like it is today, and Pam could really see the draw for a comedy sketch about flight attendants. She started in a small club reading a safety manual. Her first trip as Pam was to Beijing, where her guests were seated beyond first class in the VIP section. It was like being hijacked - the whole show was a simulated flight. She regularly upgraded and degraded people ad whim. A few drag queen friends saw the show and gave her a few tips. It became something far more elaborate.
Now, her act is honed to perfection. The show is superlative high-camp, first-class comedy all the way. In her Christopher Becker body-con two piece, old school drag queen thick make-up, grandiose wigs and extravagant outfits, she imitates an Italian hostess, squawking, “Ciao, arrivederci Donatella Versace”. Her British “very horsy” attendant Mona, growls “Whateva, minger” to patrons, and her Australian, Gloria, a mannish “mix between Deborah Hutton and Sandra Sully” literally services those in First Class. It is an act that has led to sold-out performances at The Hollywood Palladium in LA, The Public Theatre in New York and in London at Wembley, the West End and the Royal Albert Hall. She even performed at the 40th birthday extravaganza for David Furnish, Elton John's partner. She stayed the whole weekend with them and went to their party, and a big lunch the next day in Venice. Diners included Donatella Versace, Victoria Beckham, and her now BFF celebrity milliner Philip Treacy. It’s taken a while, but she’s finally living the life of a gay icon drag-queen-but-not-drag-queen.
Hynam Kendall: Hi, how are you today?
Caroline Reid: Jetlagged. I just got in from NYC. It wasn’t the travel that made me jetlagged, it was all the parties.
HK: I think what I love most about Pam Ann is the clothes. Your Christopher Becker outfits are outlandishly kitsch and glamorous. Fashion seems an integral part of the show. Can you explain to me the process of designing your outfits?
CR: I am inspired by 1960’s designers such as Emilio Pucci, Courreges. I will have a certain look for about a year and use different colour combinations. Next year I will have a new look entirely, still 60’s, but brand new. The next Pam Ann uniform is inspired by Lufthansa from the 1960’s. It’s very exciting. Braniff Airlines is another great reference for me. But Emilio Pucci would be my favourite, and he designed the uniforms for Braniff’s flying colours campaign.
HK: Didn’t he design those retro outfits that were basically what people in the 60s thought the future would look like? You know, when they all thought we’d be living on the moon by now?
CR: Yes - Emilio Pucci designed the Perspex helmet. It was so futuristic, it was designed so the air hostess’s didn’t get their hair wet or messed up when they went from the terminal to the plane. Hot!
HK: So is fashion an interest of yours personally, as well as for the costumes in the show?
CR: Very much. I started in fashion when I was 17 years old for Louis Feraud in Melbourne, and I worked in the fashion industry for 10 years. I loved it. Back in the late 80’s early 90’s I was totally obsessed by a French designer Martine Sitbon. Just obsessed. I even designed jewellery with a trannie friend of mine... But that’s a whole other story.
HK: What is it about the way Trolley Dollies dress?
HK: Do you think air hostesses have lost their fashionable edge? Arguably, it was better forty or so years ago?
CR: Absolutely, times have changed. The 60’s and 70’s were the jet set era and women and airlines made more of an effort back then! Unfortunately that era has gone. The only airline crew that look amazing are the Singapore girls they are flawless and Icelandic Airlines crew still wear their Balenciaga uniform. But most airlines are so boring when it comes to design. Airlines like Austrian and KLM just haven’t moved on.
HK: If there were no constraints, who would you get to design your Pam Ann outfits?
CR: The Blonds - they are way out there. Or Karl Lagerfeld. I would like a contemporary designer to take Pam Ann to another level still keeping the style of the 60’s. Oh and I love Hussein Chalayan and my darling friend Philip Treacy for hats of course! Oh and Gareth Pugh - he is fucking brilliant. He is amazing, absolutely. Can you arrange it?
HK: Or you could go Thierry Mugler. Very old school Air France.
CR: Oh I love Thierry Mugler. I had one of his jackets from the late 80’s it was designed in the shape of a flame with clear plastic cuffs and collar it was amazing. Love him and love that idea!
HK: I could see Pam in the super hero gown Thierry designed for Naomi Watts at last year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala
CR: Did you see this years Costume Gala? I loved Rhianna’s tux. She looked fierce. I would’ve worn something with big shoulders in a print with matching and not matching prints everywhere with YSL chunky square toed heels. Madonna just looked like a hot mezz and what was with those bunny ears it’s not Easter. I love her but she did not do it for me. Oh and she really should put those thigh high boots away.
HK: Speaking of Madonna, she is a big fan...
CR: From one gay icon to another. What can I say to that?
HK: What is it about you, and these other women, that screams out to the gays?
CR: We all love to dress up and show off!
HK: You are very camp. Are you a gay man in a woman's body?
CR: If you look deeply into my eyes you can see a gay man screaming to get out. I am sure I must be a gay portal for gays to travel from one to the other like in that film Being John Malkovich.
HK: You’ve often been described as a drag queen. Johnny Woo wrote an article about new drag and even said, “Pam Ann is a woman doing a drag act.” Is this offensive?
CR: Not at all... The drag queens and trannies are always the hottest girls anyway so it’s a massive compliment.
HK: You had your doubts about the email inviting you to tour Britain with veteran popstar Cher didn‘t you? Even your mum thought it was Cher the tribute act, not Cher the icon.
CR: I didn’t believe it at all. It was for her farewell tour. It was great. Scary as fuck, but amazing. Cher was very cool, I met her a couple of times the first time I was totally star struck. What do you say to Cher?
HK: You could tell her that her best song is Gypsies Tramps and Thieves?
CR: I Got You Babe is the one for me... and I’ll let you in on a little secret, I used to dress up as Cher! My friend Michael was Sonny and we entered a lip sync competition in a Melbourne club and won. The judges thought I was a man back then and I was only 21. Nothing’s changed!
HK: She's another gay icon.
CR: The ultimate gay icon.
HK: Your new Comedy Channel TV show, which blends stand-up comedy, set pieces and celebrity interviews, bears a resemblance to her TV show in the 70s.
CR: I loved the Sonny and Cher show. She certainly did inspire my new show. I have 3 costume changes in a 30 minute show, she had 50 in a 60 minute show.
HK: I hear you’re also a fan of another gay icon - Dame Edna?
CR: Massive fan. Dame Edna inspired me from the moment I saw him. Growing up in Melbourne she was part of our lives. My mum and dad took me to see Dame Edna and that was it for me. I wanted to do exactly what he did. He is so brilliant and paved the way with his comedy. No one can top him/her.
HK: Why does Australia churn out so many gay icons?
CR: I guess the camp ones need to get the fuck out of Australia because it’s so sport orientated, so the camp ones leave and come here where we are accepted as normal people.
HK: Are gay fans better than straight?
CR: Fuck, of course. The gays are my family nothing will ever come between me and my gays.
HK: Is it hard to mix the persona of Pam and the reality of Caroline?
CR: Oh fuck who knows who I am!! Half way through this interview I didn’t know if I was answering as Pam or as Caroline or just being a gay man!
HK: How do you know when to do an interview in character and when to do an interview as the comedienne Caroline?
CR: If it’s radio I can be Pam and still be in the studio as Caroline. But if its face to face I speak about Pam in the third person. Very Britney Spears of me.
Finally - surely Virgin stole the funniest possibility for an airline name?
CR: Very clever, yes, but sometimes I feel like all the crew are going to break out into a musical number from High School Musical.
The Pam Ann Show is currently on The Comedy Channel, and Caroline will tour the UK as Pam Ann at end 2009.