Carmen Sutra is one of Liverpool’s most profiled drag queens.
The performer, who prides herself on being an “intersection of dad jokes and complete utter chaos”, can be found in a host of LGBTQ+ venues around the city and whether she is hosting, DJing, lip syncing or “causing murder” with the audience, guests are sure to be entertained. However, just over four years ago, the 25-year-old, whose real name is Adam Bennett, could have only dreamed of being a successful drag queen full time.
The former drama student, who lives in the Baltic Triangle, told the ECHO : “I started drag as a hobby nearly four years ago and only started taking it seriously in around 2018/19. It happened after I went to a drag night at my university and I enjoyed it so much that I went to the next one in drag. After the buzz I got from that evening, I decided to continue pursuing it to the point that it's now my full-time job.
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“When I first started, because I looked like an extra in The Nun, people definitely did not give me the light of day. Until last year when I got my first weekly DJ residency, I definitely think I was overlooked in favour of more established and polished-looked performers. As of now, however, I think regardless of Carmen's aesthetic I've proven myself to be a hard worker and a capable performer which has resulted in me being able to do it full-time.”
It’s not just Liverpool that thinks highly of Carmen’s talent as she has made a name for herself at Manchester’s equivalent of the city’s Pride Quarter, Canal Street. Regardless of where she goes, one thing that comes with her is her newfound confidence which came about after she started performing and continues to grow in spite of being subjected to homophobia.
She said: “I'm definitely a lot shyer around new people when I'm out of drag. I find that Carmen can approach anybody and feel confident in leading that conversation, yet Adam is a lot more reserved and doesn't necessarily have the same confidence that Carmen has. But I easily stand out because my drag is a mix of old and new. I'm really inspired by traditional British cabaret queens who host hour-long shows and make everyone laugh regardless of whether they have a polished aesthetic or not.
“I've been heckled a lot though, called homophobic slurs on many occasions when on public transport to my gigs. The response to both myself being gay and being a drag queen is mostly overwhelmingly positive, but I definitely do get the homophobic interactions when I'm out in public as Carmen.”
While she does manage to ignore the homophobia, one thing Carmen cannot turn a blind eye to is the impact of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She said: “I do look towards where drag is going based on the wave of RuPaul's Drag Race's influence. Newer queens definitely take a sharper focus on aesthetics and appearance, whereas drag in Britain used to be solely for entertainment. I don't necessarily think however that it's a bad thing that drag is changing and updating. I love the influence drag is having on mainstream fashion and entertainment industries.”
Whereas many queens dream of hearing RuPaul announce “condragulations you are the winner of this week's challenge,” Carmen has her eyes on a different end goal. The well-rounded entertainer wants to follow in the footsteps of local drag queen Shania Pain, and get booked as a touring UK cabaret queen.
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