Meet the Reigning Supremes!
Drag is fast becoming a popular form of entertainment outside of the queer scene, and drag artists are breaking out into the mainstream. Reigning Supremes is an ongoing series that profiles drag artists of all kinds, showcasing their stories and their art.
Next up is a killer drag artist who might not turn you to stone uponon eye contact, but they can certainly slay the stage. It's Serpentina Medusa!
How did you start getting into drag?
Drag had been something I was aware of, be it through pantomime or theatre, cartoons or films, so it was a seed of an idea that had been ticking away in the background, though I didn't have a name for the concept early on. I always knew I was different growing up in both my gender identity and sexuality but didn't quite know how to put the pieces together. I'd become interested in drag when I saw Rocky Horror live for the first time as an impressionable queer teen and my interest resurged seeing the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race (especially with Nina Flowers) when I gained an understanding of what it was and could be. It helped me understand my gender identity and my sexuality.
I never felt I could participate in drag owing to being female (though I identify as genderqueer or non-binary), but I decided to try drag at a low point in my life after watching Dragula and meeting the Boulet Brothers. They were very open and positive about people who weren't cisgender gay men taking part in drag and I really identified with the show's aesthetic and vibe. I decided to give drag a whirl a couple of months later in a trash hard front wig with Nike ticks for contours and here we are a year after that! I see drag as a way to explore my gender identity, to express myself and marry together my different interests, as well as have fun and (hopefully!) entertain people.
Who and/or what are your drag influences?
I feel like this question has the potential to be an entire essay but I'll do my best to keep it brief! Generally speaking I find myself influenced by my own life experiences and interests, mainly art, literature, video games, science and history. First and foremost though, I'm a huge music fan and I'm definitely influenced by a lot of older bands and musicians. The music as part of a performance is my priority, and then I'll put a look together to go with it. My favourite eras tend to fall between the '70s and '90s - I was raised listening to the John Peel show and all of the great bands and musicians that came with it, but I'm also a really big metalhead. There's a mixture of goth, synth and rock and that definitely colours my drag.
If I had to boil it down, I'd put myself somewhere between Siouxsie Sioux, Elvira, Bugs Bunny and Bjork, but I can't deny the influence of Hedwig and the Angry Inch or The Rocky Horror Show. I sort of see Riff-Raff and Magenta as being the two sides of me. I love anything gaudy, campy, spooky, trashy and glamorous, and anything angry, punk or rock and roll gets a "hell yes".
. How would you describe your drag aesthetic? I'm in a transient state with drag at the moment so this is slightly tricky to answer. Serpentina is a very loud creation. She's trashy, somewhat glamorous, definitely weird and bordering on scary, but I don't ever want to emulate femininity. It's very exaggerated and almost cartoon-ish, but I pride myself on having a distinctly identifiable paint even if it isn't pretty. I liken Serpentina to being a parody of a person, like a doll that's had the paint melted and warped by acetone. I'm exploring darker territory and slightly different ideas and I'm excited to see where that takes me. Keeping it all under wraps for now though! I've also just started exploring boy drag. That's something I've wanted to do for a long time, even more so than being a queen because I don't really get the opportunity to present myself as male or androgynous. I feel he's going to be more of a character than extension of self - probably a spooky goth boy (what I wanted to be growing up), but maybe with new romantic/80s vibes. And leather. Definitely leather. Or pleather because I'm on a budget!
How would you describe your performance style? It's a touch lacklustre and something I definitely need to work on. Admittedly I do have issues with chronic pain as I have fibromyalgia, and I'm not a dancer by any stretch of the imagination. Otherwise, I like to think of my performances as emotive. I really like to feel a connection with the music and the audience, opening up just a fraction to let them get to know a little piece of me and see the person underneath the paint.
What's your ambition with your drag?
Right now drag is a reason for me to dress up and escape my every day life, but I feel I should be doing more with it than simply putting on a wig and a new face. I'm working on my anxiety and confidence levels and I really want to push myself to do more this year. I think ultimately I'd like to have a residency somewhere, or possibly a more successful show (Serpentina briefly ran the Glasgow show Life's a Drag last year). Maybe longer term, I might apply for Dragula if I decided I'm ever good enough. Admittedly, that will probably be never, but it gives me something to work towards.
One other thing that's very important to me is the creation of accessible spaces and shows for queer people. We don't have many in Glasgow - oftentimes shows and venues are quite accommodating and friendly, but it's not well publicised as such and you often have to ask the organisers privately. I feel there are a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community with mental and physical health issues, and it makes me sad because it sort of gets brushed under the carpet (more the latter, given things like the existence of Mental Health Week) and isn't really talked about. I'd be very interested in doing a survey to see what people in the community would like and what kinds of barriers affect people going out to enjoy drag or other forms of queer entertainment. I'd definitely like to try and make a network of other performers or drag fans with health issues so we can all help each other. Community is very important to me.
What's been your favourite moment in drag so far?
Another tricky question but one of my highlights has to be from when I ran my own show. Anyone who attended will probably agree that it was a mess, but I did a number by Soilwork (heavy, depressing power metal for the uninitiated) and I felt free for the first time ever performing drag. I need more of those moments. Otherwise, I think the aftermath, though not really a moment, of competing in Strictly Come Drag at Trigger Thursdays has been key. I've met so many fantastic and lovely people with similar interests and I really feel like I've come into my own after being closeted and never going to queer venues for so many years. There really is a space for everyone, and if there isn't, just (respectfully) make one for yourself!
Have you got any upcoming gigs?
Not currently. I went on hiatus for health reasons and I'm taking things in a new direction, putting together some looks and performances and I'm hoping to surprise people when I make a return. There's also the possibility of me bringing my own show back. I'm absolutely horrendous as a show runner but I had so much fun with it, so I'd really like to think about that alongside being booked elsewhere.
What's your future plans for your drag?
Improve? Get better? Try not to have many more existential crises? I joke, partially. My priority at the moment is to sort out my looks and put together performances doing things I want to. I've been very guilty of doing what I think other people will enjoy rather than being true to myself, and I think if you visibly enjoy what you're doing the audience tends to respond more to that. I'd like to try and get more regular bookings once I have things figured out, and maybe try going outwith Scotland. I definitely want to get better at show running and hosting - mad respect for people who do that on the regular! Otherwise, I'd like to expand my skill set so I can do more than lipsync and the same paint job over and over. I think it'd be cool to do some SFX makeup, play an instrument, juggle knives or something wild, so why not?
Comments