’The House of Mannington is a calling point for people who don’t fit into society’

Manly Mannington set up the House of Mannington in 2019 for Bristol-based drag performers who challenge stereotypes and push the boundaries of drag.

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Ahead of the house’s debut cabaret evening, drag king Manly discusses the influence of gender theory, his experiences of accessing the drag world as a black performer, and what’s in store for the House of Mannington in 2020.

How did you get into drag and performing?

I got into drag about four years ago whilst studying for my undergraduate degree in Birmingham. I entered a lip sync competition as an AFAB (assigned female at birth) queen, but wanted to challenge myself further.

I was inspired by my academic background – I was studying sociology – and I became interested in Judith Butler’s ideas about the performance of gender in everyday life.

I wanted to explore the extremes of gender, as I’d been socialised as female throughout my life. So, I came up with the most masculine name I could give myself, Manly Mannington, and started developing the character from there.

Can you give a summary of your drag persona?

I’d describe Manly as an Afro-punk, boylesque character. My performances use rock music and dance. Race and ethnicity are also key factors in what I do.

Manly Mannington is a proud drag king. Photo by Jess Lane

It’s really important to me to incorporate aspects of my identity in my performance, like my natural hair for example. I also enjoy using elements of different dance styles, like ballroom voguing, and music genres, like hip-hop.

You originally started performing in Birmingham. What drew you to Bristol?

Although things are very different now, when I started performing in Birmingham about four years ago there weren’t many opportunities for drag kings, which was frustrating. Dominus Von Vexo (leader of the Birmingham-based House of Allure) and Yshee Black were really helpful back then; they pushed me and gave me opportunities to perform.

My drag mentor Misty Monique (host of Drag Wars and Oh My Drag) also helped me to get gigs in Gloucester and Cheltenham. I came to Bristol to do my master’s degree at university, and I found the drag scene here very supportive. Getting involved with Brizzle Boyz has been especially great; they’ve been really lovely and welcoming.

What is the House of Mannington and why did you decide to start it?

The House of Mannington is a drag house, which is the name for a group of drag artists. There’s ten of us altogether — Manly Mannington (me),  Électre Complexe, Yu-gi-hoe, Pocket Rocket, Daddy Damnation, Grizzly, Revolutionellie, Jack in the Box, Mz Ali and Willie Doit.

Daddy Damnation, one of the drag artists part of the newly-formed House of Mannington. Photo by BeadenPhotography

I set the House of Mannington up as a calling point for people who don’t fit into society. We’re people from different walks of life who’ve become a kind of family. We give each other confidence, both on and off stage.

Everything is very DIY — we do our own make up, and Revolutionellie makes our costumes. There’s a real variety of performers. Some of us are drag kings, others are burlesque/boylesque (a type of burlesque that challenges stereotypes of masculinity) performers, others pole dance.

All of us blur elements of gender though. Within the House of Mannington is an all-black drag king boy band called The Chocolate Drops: that’s me, Pocket Rocket, Daddy Damnation, Mz Ali and Willie Doit.

The Chocolate Drops combat societal roles designated for black performers. We incorporate elements of post-modern blackness in our group performances, which to me means the deconstruction and decolonisation of blackness, away from societal stereotypes and bifurcations of racial identity.

Pocket Rocket is part of the House of Mannington’s Chocolate Drops. Photo by BeadenPhotography

I set up the House of Mannington to be a new drag house for everyone. All of us felt tired of seeing the same sorts of drag performances, so we wanted to bring something fresh to the table. I think the House of Mannington does deliver that.

Would you say that there are any specific challenges or barriers to drag performance as a person of colour?

Tokenism is a big one. For example, I’ve seen some venues and organisers ask for “a diverse lineup”, but then only have one person of colour performing and no one else who falls outside of the drag norms of cisgender (someone who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth), white, male drag queens.

When I see this, it feels like the organisers aren’t really interested in promoting diversity, but only looking like they are. I also feel sometimes like I have to water down my performance or leave out parts of it in order to be taken seriously, which I obviously don’t want to do.

Drag kings also often don’t get booked, and that’s especially true for non-white performers. I’ve noticed that, as people of colour, we have to work twice as hard for the same opportunities.

Cultural appropriation is still a huge problem in the drag community. I’ve seen white performers wear Afro hair, braids or Native American headdresses. They still don’t seem to understand why it’s wrong or why I feel so strongly about it. That’s where I find the support from The Chocolate Drops really helpful — we can support each other because we know what it’s like to experience that kind of oppression.

There are also still issues with audience members not respecting LGBTQ+ spaces. I’ve had people touch and grab me onstage. I’ve been asked if I’m a boy or a girl in the middle of a drag performance, or “what LGBTQ+ are you?”

I’m just trying to perform! I don’t want to have to defend my place on the stage.

What do you wish people knew about drag artists?

I would love for people to support more niche drag artists, who aren’t just white, cisgender gay men. Brizzle Boyz and Slaughterhaus are great Bristol drag collectives, for example.

Outside of drag, LGBTQ+ groups like Kiki Bristol and club nights like Don’t Tell Your Mother are really important for our community.

Kiki Bristol is one of the core groups for queer people of colour in the city. Photo thanks to Kiki Bristol

What can Bristol expect from the House of Mannington in 2020?

I hope to get the House members performing more and getting into competitions. We’re working towards getting our own performing space. I’d also like to book more shows for us as a house — it’d be great to get as many people seeing us as possible.

Main photo of Manly Mannington by Charley Williams.

The House of Mannington’s Debut Cabaret show is at Rough Trade on Friday, April 3. Find out more at www.facebook.com/houseofmannington

Read more: Brizzle Boyz host their biggest drag night so far