Arran Shurvinton won the spectacular first Big Drag Pageant staged at the Spiegeltent, during the Brighton Fringe with his magnificent gothic creation – Nosferatu.
KINGS, Queens, Club Kids and Exhibitionists shared the stage for an intoxicating night of talent, innovative acts, and wigs styled for the gods at the Pageant during the Brighton Fringe.
Have you any regrets?
In the famous words of Edith Piaf, ‘I DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH’. Also; “Non, je ne regrette rien”.
What really makes you laugh?
I tend to lean towards tragic or dark comedy, which very much informs my work. Shows like League of Gentlemen or Inside No 9. The perfect balance between cynicism and darkness and tragic innocence but also dark dark dark shouldn’t really laugh at it hilarity.
What was your first queer consciousness raising experience?
I think being bullied, as so many children are, for being a feminine boy made me realise my ‘Queerness’ set me apart from other children. I’ve always been very uncensored with my choices and how I live my life, so feeling singled out because I was a dancer or liked dressing in ‘girls’ clothes’, and playing with the girls and their toys, never made me second guess myself. Instead it showed me the power of following your own path and accepting yourself. Be that queer or any other facet of your identity.
Do you dance to remember or to forget?
I don’t dance to remember or forget, I dance to live and I dance to die.
Any performance highlights in the past year?
Last halloween I got to travel and perform in Finland, which is a place I’d have probably never seen if it hadn’t been for the work I do. I also got to meet and perform with Sasha Velour in January, which was an amazing experience.
What inspires you?
I like to find beauty and inspiration from the grotesque. I love watching shows like Planet Earth and Blue Planet when I’m looking for inspiration. Museums and aquariums are an endless source of inspiration.
How did it feel to storm the Spiegeltent and win the Big Drag Pageant with Nosferatu?
Phenomenal, and quite surreal! I was more excited to just participate in it all honesty! I seem to recently have been involved with more of a drag crowd. I started performing in the burlesque and cabaret world and since drag has broadened and diversified so much in this country it’s opened a path for so much crossover in performance. It was a magical experience and the atmosphere back stage and in the venue was incredible. I’d happily do it again and again!
When did you come out?
I came out when I was 14 when I was with my first boyfriend. All of my family and friends were very accepting and I don’t think it was much of a surprise to anyone. I wasn’t someone who was ever really closeted.
What’s your favourite film?
I love all the black and white horrors, FW Murnau’s Nosferatu (obviously) and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Two films I will never stop loving.
When was the last time you cried?
After hearing some recent news on the health of a close family member.
Tell us something about your Grandmother?
Her chronic arthritis is causing the bones in her feet to disintegrate.
Where’s your favourite view?
From the balcony of my old flat in Embassy Court out to sea and across the coast of Brighton. A view that can’t be paralleled or replaced because I’ve never felt so at home looking out at the glorious town below me. Also, I’m one of those lunatics who can’t stop staring out the window in an aeroplane, even if it’s just clouds below.
Your aesthetic is striking, what led you to develop this Meta gothic splendour?
When they tell you that ‘goth is just a phase’, don’t believe them…
Like Murnau you use startling expressionist techniques in your performance, is that an homage to films of that time or to queer/gay subcultures?
Both. In my mind, Nosferatu is the perfect analogy for at least my feelings towards my queer identity. This is more of a dissertation title than an interview question but to keep it short, I’ve felt like an outsider pretending to be a social creature for a lot of my life. My interpretation of Nosferatu is a way to exorcise my inner demons and I think that feeling of ‘otherness’ is one that bridges the gap between all people, straight, cis, POC, queer, gay, trans…
Most overrated pleasure?
Sunbathing.
Does your baroque vampire narrative intersect with changing perspectives on queer sexuality?
The feelings I explore in my performance, I think, are part of the human experience, just heightened and purified by the character. The feelings of loneliness and isolation, feeling ostracised and rejected, the longing for companionship, the need for release and joy, self-expression and freedom. The vampire narrative, to me, speaks to all of these themes, but highness and purifies them because life/existence and its joys and struggles have no expiration date.
Your perfect threesome?
Me and my friends – gin and tonic.
What advice would you give a 16-year-old queer just starting out on their life?
Never stop being open to learn about yourself. You are the only person that can know everything about yourself, so never be afraid to learn something new.
What makes you proud to be queer?
When I was growing up, I only heard the word queer being used by my grandparents to describe something strange, odd or out of the ordinary. This is something I embrace as traits I’m proud to show. They are qualities that set me apart and assert my identity as an individual in the world.
You can see Arran perform at:
Burlesque Noir, Blackpool Tower Ballroom (October 6);
Blue Stocking Lounge, Swansea (October 13);
House of Burlesque, Kings Theatre, Portsmouth (October 20);
Martini Lounge, Liverpool (October 25);
Velvet Burlesque Halloween Ball, Sheffield (October 27);
Wunderkammer, Worthing, St Pauls (November 9).
Instagram: arranshurvinton
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