Here is something you didn't know about me.........I love drag queens :o) I am fascinated by how men can become someone else by putting on some slap and wearing a frock. I love the trickery, the showyness of it, and the fact that one person can have two different personalities. I love watching the transformation from butch rugged male into feminine pretty female.
Lilly Savage was my favourite, with Dame Edna a close second. They were and are so entertaining. Mind you Paul o'Grady is great as is Sir Les Patterson, the overweight spitting Aussie, another of Barry Humphries characters.
A few years ago I saw a Ladyboys show at Manchester, and I loved it. Not tacky, but very polished, and very funny, some of those men make very pretty women.
There was something in the press not so long ago where an up and coming top model who wears female fashions in in fact a male. He is outstandingly beautifull. This seems to be a whole new trend amongst the modelling fraternity now. Good for them I say, embrace your differentness.
This is a pic of my three trucking buddies from the eighties. They did a comedy and musical act called The Heathrow Flyers. So funny, a bit of a micky taker. Not very feminine I admit, but they did a lot of gigs for charity.
I have just watched a lovely programme on the iplayer, about 16 year old Jamie from up north, who wants to be a drag artist. It brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely lad, all he wanted was to be himself. I wont go into detail in case you want to watch it, but it highlights the differences in people, that we are not all the same. He got a chance to appear in a drag show, his mentor was Betty Legs Diamond, who I have seen at Funny Girls in Blackpool. If you want a good night out, Funny Girls is a fabulous place, the show is top class entertainment.
This is a beautiful film, very well made, and very sensitively done.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012p4kc/jamie_drag_queen_at_16/
Lilly Savage was my favourite, with Dame Edna a close second. They were and are so entertaining. Mind you Paul o'Grady is great as is Sir Les Patterson, the overweight spitting Aussie, another of Barry Humphries characters.
A few years ago I saw a Ladyboys show at Manchester, and I loved it. Not tacky, but very polished, and very funny, some of those men make very pretty women.
There was something in the press not so long ago where an up and coming top model who wears female fashions in in fact a male. He is outstandingly beautifull. This seems to be a whole new trend amongst the modelling fraternity now. Good for them I say, embrace your differentness.
This is a pic of my three trucking buddies from the eighties. They did a comedy and musical act called The Heathrow Flyers. So funny, a bit of a micky taker. Not very feminine I admit, but they did a lot of gigs for charity.
I have just watched a lovely programme on the iplayer, about 16 year old Jamie from up north, who wants to be a drag artist. It brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely lad, all he wanted was to be himself. I wont go into detail in case you want to watch it, but it highlights the differences in people, that we are not all the same. He got a chance to appear in a drag show, his mentor was Betty Legs Diamond, who I have seen at Funny Girls in Blackpool. If you want a good night out, Funny Girls is a fabulous place, the show is top class entertainment.
This is a beautiful film, very well made, and very sensitively done.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012p4kc/jamie_drag_queen_at_16/
interesting perspective, never thought of it like that.
ReplyDeleteYou won't be surprised to know we have a man here in Glastonbury,(where anything goes, and people can just be themselves), who dresses as a lady very openly.
ReplyDeleteHe makes a magnificent sight, over 6feet tall in his wedge heeled espadrilles and bright blue frock and make-up. I have nothing but admiration for him and have told him so.
I wish I had his self-assurance :-)
I know the above was is slightly off topic, but yes, I also love drag artistes. There was a film (true story) called "Kinky Boots", about a struggling shoe factory, who enjoyed a resurgence making footwear for drag artistes.
Heathrow Flyers brought back some happy memories Ilona I havent heard from them for a couple of years now but they certainly drew the crowds at the truck shows. I watched the "Jamie " show last night and it was great, I admired both the young man and his mother and wasnt her neighbour who supported Jamie a real cool lady
ReplyDeleteDanneke
Did you see Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - one of my favourite movies.
ReplyDeleteDrag queens get my vote too! I'm amazed that they can do things with clothes and make up that are totally beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI love their stage names too!
Jane x
I remember Danny La Rue from when I was a kid. Now he had some lovely frocks.
ReplyDeleteReading this post a memory came flooding back of seeing Danny La Rue in the Tower, Blackpoool in the early 70's, he was absolutely brilliant. Strangely enough I had forgotten all about this. Sadly, I cannot access iplayer here grrrrrr. xxxxx
ReplyDeleteAahhh, Danny La Rue, now wasn't he an icon, his costumes were wonderful.
ReplyDeletelizzy, I didn't see Priscilla Queen of the Desert, I'll look out for it.
Thanks Kath for that tip off, I googled it and there are clips, it looks quite good. Now have to look for the whole film, maybe the library has it.
Hi Danneka, I often wonder what the Flyers are doing now.
Just to add, I love the transformation that takes place when boys turn into girls. Their whole demeanour changes, not just their appearance but their mannerisms and personality. I love it when they show their feminine side. Another icon I loved was Quentin Crisp, an amazing flambouyant dresser. It must take a lot of guts to come out to your friends and neighbours.
There is an interesting storyline at the moment in Coronation Street, Audrey is going out with a cross dresser. It will be interesting to see how that pans out, but I don't hold out much hope that it will be a biggee. The scriptwriters have an annoying habbit of dropping storylines dead so you are wondering what happened.
Oh, I saw that one about the Kinky Boots, it was a while ago but I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIlona I saw the Heathrow flyers lorry on the M5 some months ago but not sure about the other lads, I know the one married to a Romanian woman had some problems with her , she had ripped him off, one of the others from west yorkshire ( the one with all the kids) was working still for a gas company, Hope the long walk goes ok for you and the weather changes to bright and sunny. if you are ever in my area give a shout , theres a good veggie cafe near to me, but my kitchen serves veggie food also Safe journey for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteDanneke
we'd all be better off if we gave people more leeway to find their way. I love the transformation aspect too...that's why I love those movies where the hero/heroine turn from meek to heroic. Still looking for my own transformative moment...y'know, when I change from Meek 50-yr-old to Magnificent 50-yr-old!
ReplyDelete