reader Posted February 1, 2023 Posted February 1, 2023 From the BBC Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is one of the most famous drag-centred films – but there should be more (Credit: Alamy) By Matt Cain From RuPaul's Drag Race to live cabaret and theatre shows, drag has never been more popular. In case you've been hiding under a wig block for the last 10 years, drag is the art of gendered impersonation, with performers exaggerating and heightening aspects of femininity or masculinity for the sake of entertainment. As it takes the world by storm, drag is changing our language, our ideas about gender, and even the way we see ourselves. I'm a huge fan of drag, so much so that it has inspired my latest novel, Becoming Ted. It's a contemporary story about a 43-year-old man who's dumped by his husband but takes this as an opportunity to pursue his long-suppressed dream of becoming a drag queen – in the process discovering an inner strength he hadn't known existed. For me, drag can be about self-discovery and self-fulfilment. I've also put it at the heart of my first theatre project, which hasn't yet been announced but will open in Manchester in July. But I'm shocked to discover that there are very few other drag-themed novels, plays or films scheduled to come out over the next year. To use drag vernacular, if the library's open, there aren't many books to read. In particular, the art form has a rich history that is not as widely known as it should be – something that, as we enter LGBT+ History Month in the UK, feels particularly glaring. For years, despite drag's ubiquity in popular culture, it has been poorly represented in the narrative arts. Other than the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie and the TV series Pose (which, arguably, focused much more on the trans experience), you'd have to go back to 1990s films The Birdcage and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and 2003's Kinky Boots (as well as its stage offshoot), to find high-profile stories that centre drag – and even then, it's predominantly used as fun window-dressing for stories about the gay experience and its clashes with straight culture, or merely as a comedic device. But drag can be so much more; its transformative power presents writers with a unique opportunity on the level of both plot and characterisation. Continues at https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230131-historys-most-incredible-drag-queens-and-kings alvnv 1 Quote
