Donald Urquhart was born in Dumfries, Scotland. When he wasn't admitted into Glasgow art school he moved to London in 1984, in the middle of the performance-art and drag-club scene of the 1980s.

Urquhart established friendships and collaborative role with contemporary Leigh Bowery, an Australian performance artist, club promoter, actor, pop star, model, and fashion designer. Urquhart embraced the heady drag-performance scene of which Bowery and his circle were pioneering innovators.

In the 1990s Donald launched his own night club, The Beautiful Bend, co-hosted with friends Sheila Tequila and DJ Harvey. This club was no mere disco; it spawned his short stories, poetry, drawings, performances, radio and stage plays as well as a...