New documentary announced to celebrate the life of The Vivienne
A new documentary has been announced to honour the life of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner, The Vivienne.
The 32-year-old – whose real name was James Lee Williams – sadly passed away earlier this year, with their publicist announcing the heartbreaking news on January 5.
Williams’ cause of death has yet to be released to the public, and an inquest into their death has been adjourned until June.
Now, as the drag community continues to mourn the late star, the producers behind RuPaul’s Drag Race have announced that they are producing a documentary film about The Vivienne.
World of Wonder’s documentary, which will be titled Dear Viv, will "sensitively trace James's journey from humble beginnings in North Wales to their meteoric rise on RuPaul's Drag Race UK".
The film will feature everything from archive footage and letters from fans, to interviews with The Vivienne's fellow drag stars, Baga Chipz, Michael Marouli and Danny Beard.
In a statement, the co-founders and executive producers of World of Wonder, Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, expressed how important it is to them to honour The Vivienne’s legacy.
"We want to celebrate The Vivienne's extraordinary life and work so everyone can experience her incredible talent, sass and enormous heart," they stated.
"Although her stay here on Earth was far too brief, it is with tremendous admiration and affection that we share her legacy in Dear Viv," they added.
James was born in Wales, and chose the drag name The Vivienne as a tribute to fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. After winning Drag Race UK in 2019, The Vivienne came third on Dancing On Ice in 2023, and recently starred in the West End as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz.
Dear Viv is set to be released on streaming service WOW Presents Plus later this year.
