Drag

May 15, 2023
Historian Bloomfield’s illuminating debut chronicles the history of male drag performance in British popular culture from 1870 to 1970. Drawing from popular pantomime shows, theater productions, and films, Bloomfield seeks to uncover drag’s varied meanings in the British popular imagination and its development as a queer art form. He explores British servicemen’s drag revues, particularly the troupe Les Rouges et Noirs’ debut production Splinters, which originated at frontline concert parties for troops during WWI and moved on to the British variety circuit. Bloomfield also examines Dan Leno’s Mother Goose productions of the mid-1880s through 1904 and Arthur Lucan’s Old Mother Riley films of the 1930s through the ’50s, which imbue the “dame” character, a holdover from the Shakesperean era that had come to be played mostly for slapstick laughs, with social critique and moving pathos. Throughout, Bloomfield probes the diverse responses to these performances by mass audiences, theater critics, and the Lord Chamberlain’s office, which was responsible for censoring British theater. In detailed and nuanced prose, he proves that female impersonation has long been present and celebrated in British popular culture. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the history of drag performance.

July 1, 2023

Though the title might suggest a broader treatment, this text is focused on specific drag performances from 1870 to 1970. Bloomfield (cultural and gender history, Univ. of Konstanz and Univ. of Kent) writes about Arthur Lucan and his character Old Mother Riley; the post--World War I revue troupe Les Rouges et Noirs; the politically conservative drag act of Danny La Rue; and censorship (or lack thereof) of drag in the British theatrical scene of the mid-20th century. Within this fixed range, the book furnishes a thought-provoking look at how drag entertainers employed various combinations of acting and artistic talents, humor, class, patriotism, and aesthetics, becoming not only accepted among mainstream audiences but also wildly successful, even as shifting legal and moral questions about gender and sexuality permeated wider British society. This is an excellent examination of the complexities of various forms of stage drag and its mainstay role in British popular culture. Readers interested in this topic will find that Bloomfield's approach offers an interesting recontextualization of the place and legacy of drag in British history. VERDICT A strong selection for collections focusing on LGBTQIA+ communities, drag history, and performing arts.--Kathleen McCallister

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