Drag - History of Female Impersonation

A History of Female Impersonation in the Performing Arts - Men in frocks has been part of the British theatrical tradition since the thirteenth century, when the Church forbade the appearance on stage of women, but condoned that of men and boys disguised as the opposite sex. Stage transvestism had a Golden Age during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I but didn't recover when—after the Civil War and the reopening of the theatres—Charles II insisted that women be portrayed as women. Forms of transvesti can be traced back to the dawn of theatre and are found in all corners of the world—notably in China and Japan. But in Britain drag on stage did not regain popularity until the end of the nineteenth century in the somewhat vulgarized and populist forms of music hall and pantomime. Comedians such as George Robey and Dan Leno created Dames who became the stuff of legend and were an inspiration for future generations ranging from Douglas Byng in the 1930s to Les Dawson in the 1970s and 1980s. Today drag comes in a number of guises: RuPaul, Hinge and Bracket, Dame Edna Everage, Julian Clary and the late Divine have become part of the mainstream culture; Lily Savage and La Gran Scena continue drag's close link with the gay scene and gay culture; and others like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have taken drag onto the street, using this age-old theatrical device as a potent political weapon. -

Format:

Non-Fiction Book

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Catalogue No:

5887

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