INTERVIEW: Tayris Mongardi pays tribute to black female pop culture and announces post-Drag Race homecoming show at Revenge

Ladies and gentleman, theys and thems, welcome to the Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating our city’s bold drag artists and boundary breaking performers! I wanted to create a series that goes beyond the glam with our legendary and local queer performers so we can all get to know the real people behind the personas because erm, why not?!

This week, we’re joined by the Titan of Brighton: Tayris Mongardi.

If this is the first interview of the series that you've stumbled across and you want to read more don't panic, you can catch up with more juicy convos centrestage HERE and next week we're welcoming punk rock queen of the Brighton drag scene and the 2024 winner of the Brighton Big Drag Pageant: Ex-Girlfriend.

But today, it’s all eyes on Tayris Mongardi so let’s dive in head first!

Oh heyyy! For our readers who haven't met you yet or maybe aren't tuned into season seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK-feel free to introduce and just to check, what pronouns do you go by in and out of drag?

Hello my hunnies! My name is Tayris Mongardi, the Titan of Brighton! I prefer she/her pronouns in drag and he/him out of drag.

What first initially drew you to drag and how long have you been doing drag for?

I've been doing drag for 9 years now, but truthfully it was always in the periphery of my creative life. I was someone very immersed in the theatre industry prior to drag, and ultimately what led me down this creative avenue was the freedom and autonomy! I am very much someone who delves into my artistry headfirst and benign able to hustle and create more unique and enriching opportunities for myself really spoke to my soul!

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What’s the origin story of your drag name hun?

So it's very much just a love letter to my passions! The name Tayris is half Taystee from Orange Is the New Black and half Iris from Pokémon Black and White which are both nods to my very geeky interests, and the surname Mongardi is actually the surname of a man I thought was gorgeous...and I'll leave it at that!

Some people still feel unsure or intimidated by drag, what would you say to help shift that perspective?

Ultimately it is a case of self-reflection. What is the confrontation or the challenge to you? As someone who grew up in poverty, as a queer plus size person of colour in a very white space, every move I've made as an artist has been about the celebration and the championing of my identity.

You cannot be all things to all people in any walk of live, but what I strive to do is be an example of excellence for those who need to see themselves be recognised and valued. If you cannot see that that in me, that's inherently because I'm not the person you need to see, but I hope you find that person.

Brighton’s drag scene is iconic. What do you think makes Brighton stand out from other cities you've performed in or visited?

I think Brighton has a wonderful intersection between cabaret and new wave aesthetic. We are lucky that Brighton is a city that is arguably the most liberal in the nation in regards to queerdom, so there are countless venues and outlets to express yourself really allows individuals to find their niche, cultivate them, and celebrate them! There are so many immerse yourself in the queer world as not only a performer but also a supporter.

Everything I do is a love letter to my community and the people who support me and helped to make me, so thank you!

Would you say drag in Brighton leans more toward activism, entertainment, or a delicious blend of both?

I would certainly say both. Drag is inherently political, and whereas being visible and vocal is an excellent starting point, I know Brighton is very much a place where the community will endeavour to go the extra step. Whether it is fundraisers, marches, protests, political performances, there's a beautiful marriage in Brighton between art to entertain, art to challenge, and art to uplift. And the best shows in town include them all!

How would you describe your signature style in drag and do you design your own looks?

I consider my sense of aesthetic style to be the elevation of urban contemporary street wear through a theatrical lens. It's about the richness of afrocentric culture and visual identity while having the proportions and the malleability to see it on the proportions of a drag artist! It's also an acknowledgement of the excellence in black female pop culture.

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Whether that's Doechii, Lil' Kim, Janelle Monáe, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Grace Jones and so many more to be said! I try to always have a hand in at least the design if not also the creation physically of my looks, because how can they speak to signature myself without my own involvement.

Do you have any favourite venues or events in Brighton that feel like your spiritual home on stage? Oh and which Brighton queens do you really vibe with or look up to? 

In Brighton I would very much argue that we're spoiled for choice.

Revenge and R-Bar gave me my very first opportunities almost a decade ago, as they have done for tens if not hundreds of drag artists throughout my time there so I am very much indebted to them!

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Brighton Spiegeltent is another absolutely worth shouting it, it truly feels like a powerhouse hub of theatre and cabaret and it's a gift any time I get to step onto that stage! Oh, and lastly I'd say the Ironworks Studios! It's not often I get to perform there but a venue that has a fabulous team, sound system, dressing room and lighting are few and fair between and they consistently deliver.

What advice would you give to someone just stepping into the world of drag-whether they’re curious, nervous, or ready to slay?

Trust your passion! I remember struggling to thrive in the wider theatre industry when I first started, but when I found drag as a young adult I saw the potential, the love and the artistic catharsis and I had to dive head first! And now after a 9 year career of performance in drag, I have had so many opportunities to showcase my passion.

From international shows in Cairo, Vilnius, Oslo and more, to television appearance on Strictly Come Dancing and Night Coppers, stage work, MUA hires, and of course Drag Race UK! I knew I owed it to myself to pursue what I love. So to any upcoming performers, I would say do what you do with love, verve, professionalism and fire, because things that are meant to be yours will come to you!

Who's your crush of the day?

I would currently say Gus Kenworthy.

If the Winter Olympics Games was enough to rent him in my life, his performance in American Horror Story 1984 turned me into a full time buyer!

Current fave pop song?

Any Doechii choses to release ever, point blank period. But if I have to pick one of the moment, let's go with Jump by Blackpink!

Where can our readers catch your next performance and what can they expect from a Tayris Mongardi show?

I've got a few different venture coming up in Brighton, from my soon to be announced homecoming show post season at Revenge, to cabaret sets at the Komedia, Charles Street Tap and so on with new creative partnerships and more.

A Tayris show is a celebration of theatre, vulnerability and power, and whether it's my classical vocals, tap dancing, emceeing, lip syncing, burlesque and more, expect to be challenge, uplifted, and mesmerised baby!