The Mr/Ms Cobalt Drag Competition is back for another year of celebrating the diversity of drag in East Van, and this year the show has more competitors than ever.
Six years ago, Isolde N. Barron, the Queen of East Van (Cameron MacKenzie), and her husband/wife Peach Cobblah (Dave Deveau), saw a need for a positive queer space in East Van, so they created the Mr/Ms Cobalt Drag Competition. With Peach as the host and Isolde as the head judge, the duo made a space for drag performers to show off their talent as well as learn along the way. The winner receives a $500 cash prize, and 12 bookings across the city. This year’s is the biggest show yet, with 19 competitors. The competition happens every Wednesday, with the finale on a Friday, from April 12 to May 5.
According to Deveau, the duo’s main goal is to mentor performers and create an inclusive LGBTQ space. “It’s really kind of a love letter to the community. The reason this happened is because people started coming to the Cobalt and they made it an exciting queer space – and here we are, six years later.”
The audience is an important part of Mr/Ms Cobalt, as it becomes, in essence, a fifth judge. Each week, every audience member votes for their favourite performer, the judges tabulate the scores (including the audience vote), and send one to three performers home at the end of each round. “Drag should never be about doing it for yourself; it has to be about doing it for that roomful of people,” says Deveau.
Deveau adds that the show is a great way for people to step outside their comfort zones – a sentiment that 2016’s Mr/Ms Cobalt, Grimm (AKA Molly Sjerdal), agrees with. Sjerdal says they did the competition last year to try something new and kind of scary: “It’s a safe environment to try new things in. All of the judges, and everybody in the crowd, just wants to see you do well.”
Sjerdal says winning has opened up many doors for Grimm, and pushed them in ways they wouldn’t have pushed themselves if it not for the competition. “It’s great to get the opportunity to work with [new] people and show what an East Van drag weirdo looks like,” they say.
Grimm will be judging every week of the competition this year. “I’m excited for the variety – I just love watching drag and getting to meet a whole bunch of new performers,” they say.
Grimm will be sitting on the panel with head judge Isolde N. Barron (MacKenzie) and a rotation of other judges that include previous winners, frequent audience members, local businesspeople, West End performers and those who heavily influence the East Van drag scene.
MacKenzie is excited for another opportunity to help performers improve. “We want committed performers who can grow and take notes each week. For me, it’s all about performance and it’s about a connection to the audience.”
MacKenzie says he loves the competition because it’s about so much more than a performer’s appearance. “They, of course, have to look good, but at the Cobalt, that’s subjective. It’s open to such a vast interpretation.
“Its not just about how you look, how bitchy you are and how you paint [do makeup]. It’s about community and the skill of performing. It’s about connecting and representing your artistry in the best way you can.”
- The 6th Annual Mr/Ms Cobalt Drag Competition takes place every Sunday from Apr. 12 to May 5 at the Cobalt, 8pm. Stay tuned for tickets
