INTERVIEW: The look queen of the Brighton scene, Mary O'Kart discusses finding drag, living in a fundamentally queer city and Ready Player 2? EP

Welcome to my Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating the city’s bold drag artists and boundary-breaking performers. This week I'm joined by the sensational Mary O'Kart.

If you missed it, catch up on my interview with the legendary Joe Black from last week HERE. But now, all eyes on Mary O'Kart so let’s dive in head first!

For our readers that don't know you yet, can you introduce yourself oh and what pronouns do you prefer in and out of drag?

My name is Mary O’Kart and I’m the look queen of the Brighton scene and the modern gays girl. In terms of pronouns, she/her in drag and he/him out of drag but honestly, you can call me whatever you want. 

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

I have been doing drag for about five years now. But, looking back on my life I feel like drag has always been a calling for me, it just took me a while to answer that call.

One of my earliest memories is of me sneaking in to my mum’s bedroom when she was out and being fascinated by her lipsticks.

I would try all of the colours on and then wash them off before she got home. I’m sure she knew I had been using them because they would have ended up looking like badly sharpened crayons by the time I was done with them.

@mary_okart Stream my music 😜 Link in bio #maryokart #readyplayer2 #newmusic #ep #originalmusic #drag #dragqueen #rap #newartist #fyp #brighton #brightonpride ♬ original sound - Mary O’Kart

Every time there was an opportunity to play a female character, be it in a video game or in a play/production/Halloween/any occasion, I was there. So I feel like drag has been omnipresent for me in my 32 years on this earth.

It was only when COVID hit in 2020 that I decided to answer that call. Prior to this I had been a dancer/dance captain on various cruise lines (Princess Cruises & P&O Australia) and I was very content with just doing that for the foreseeable and using Halloween as my drag outlet.

But COVID hit, cruises stopped and it was in that time that I had a sudden realisation of what I actually wanted. I wanted to be in control of my art. I was no longer satisfied with just following the steps of another persons artistic vision. I realised that this art form of drag encapsulated everything I found interesting.

Make-up, wigs, costumes, glamour, performance, comedy, high campery etc, these are all the things that gave my belly that feeling of… frankly being alive…and so I decided that I was going to finally follow this passion.

I found drag by just listening to my heart and I wouldn’t change that for the world. 

Spill the tea, what’s the origin story of your drag name?

The origin of my drag name is inspired by the video game Mario Kart. I have always been a nerd and video games always provided a sense of escapism and fantasy that I often needed. Nintendo has always been my go to brand for gaming. From Pokémon to Zelda to Super Mario-I have always been drawn to Nintendo as a whole.

So when I was thinking of a drag name I didn’t want anything generic and I wanted it to ring true to who I am outside of drag.

I played around with various iterations of Pokémon characters-Ashlene Ketchum for example, but nothing felt right or stuck. And honestly it just hit me. Mary O’Kart! The Mario Kart franchise of games has been a constant throughout my life, from playing it on the N64 as a kid to having full on physical fights with my two brothers when one of (them) lost a race. It just felt correct. And indeed it is. 

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

This is a hard question because on one hand I want to be like “Don’t be intimidated or unsure drag isn’t that serious” but frankly I don’t think I would want to change people being intimidated by drag. I view drag as the ultimate evolution of being queer.

Drag queens are pillars of our queer community and we are usually at the forefront of most protests. We are given platforms to speak and perform to so many people and I think with great responsibility comes great power.

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A post shared by Mary O’Kart (@mary_okart)

If people view the power of drag as intimidating then so be it, I don’t think I would want to change it. I don’t believe drag should be universally liked by everyone, the essence of drag is to be rebellious and against societal norms and I think to try and make it a universally accepted art form just dilutes a part of what drag is at it’s core.

If you’re intimidated and unsure about drag, that is fine, just have a jacket ready because it must be cold in the shadow of all of this beauty. 

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

You’re right, Brighton’s drag scene is truly iconic. We have some of the best performers in the country right on our doorstep. To make it as a drag queen in Brighton takes balls. I don’t necessarily think Brighton is particularly different to any city I have performed in, there are excellent drag artists up and down the country in each city. However I do feel that Brighton has a wider range of acceptance for drag in venues/places than a lot of other cities.

We are very blessed to live in a fundamentally queer city that has a degree of acceptance everywhere we go and I think other cities only have small little pockets of acceptance in areas. 

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

I think some drag queens will lean more towards one than the other and vice versa. However I do believe it is important to be an activist as a drag queen. When I say activism, I don’t mean re-sharing a post on Instagram or Facebook because it gives you likes and online clout, I mean physically going out to marches/being involved in local fundraisers/talking and listening to the community etc. So I believe it should be a delicious blend of both. But if you’re more inclined to do one than the other, it doesn’t make you any less of a queen. 

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

I would describe my signature style as pop culture couture. I draw a lot of references from video games/movies/cartoons/comic books etc and put my own drag twist on them.

I like when drag has a point of reference for people to “get” and if they don’t “get it” then it’s just gorgeous to look at. I design pretty much all of my looks. I have the pleasure of working with some amazing designers (Dannie Aston) for example. I will send over a rough…really rough…sketch of my ideas and we will collaborate and work together on bringing my vision to life. 

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?

It’s impossible to pick a favourite venue because they all pay my bills. I look up to a lot of the queens who have paved the way before me such as Cosmic, Davina Sparkle, Dave Lynn, Mrs Moore, Sally Vate and Rose Garden.

A continuous inspiration of mine will forever be Miss Jason because I truly believe she was one of a kind and there will be no one like her again. But I also don’t just spend my time looking up to people, I also look down on people hahaha.

No I am constantly watching drag content or thinking about drag or thinking about what’s next for me etc and so I feel like I'm constantly taking inspiration from everywhere all the time. 

Do you have any words of wisdom you'd share with someone just stepping into the world of drag-whether they’re curious, nervous, or ready to slay?

My biggest word of advice is to have thick skin. This is not a job for the fainthearted. It’s a lot of hard work, dedication and determination.

I would advise someone to look at what is being done on the scene currently and see if they can find a pocket or a lane that isn’t being done yet. I would advise someone to take drag seriously but not take yourself seriously, you have to be prepared to be read and have the piss taken out of you. There’s a weird rhetoric that all drag queens are nice and that couldn’t be further from the truth! Go see shows, ask advice from other queens, practice practice PRACTICE! 

Who inspires your fashion and performance style-both in drag and in everyday life?

I honestly don’t have a single source of inspiration when it comes to either of those. I’ll usually just see something and then my mind starts to reel and it ends up being a creation. 

We’re curious about your 2024 Ready Player 2 EP-what sparked its creation, and can we expect more music in the future?

What sparked the creation of my EP was honestly my best friend Peggi Eighteen. We constantly send each other rap verses about nonsensical stuff and just make each other laugh and one day I was like, do you know what i’m going to write some songs. And so I got in touch with my friend/producer Alex Lodge and we just started collaborating.

I’m super proud that you can go on to any streaming platform and hear my music and to be completely self-funded and self-written is something I’m also very proud of. I’m always writing songs to be honest so I reckon in time there will be some more stuff coming your way. 

Who's your crush of the day?

A porn star called Jordan Brandt. 

Current fave pop song?

Sports Car by Tate McRae.

Where can our readers catch your next performance and what can they expect from a Mary O'Kart show?

Oh I’m booked and blessed tired and stressed my love, just follow me on Instagram (HERE) to find out where and when my next performance is. 

Ready Player 2? is on all streaming platforms now and like Ms O'Kart said, follow her on Instagram to find out where to catch her next performance.

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