Join independent LGBTQ trainer and historian Fiona Moorcroft to discover the lasting impact of drag kings in the UK.

Drag kings have a long but overlooked history in the UK. The roots of this queer artform can be traced to the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century music hall, where female performers dressed as men and became known as “male impersonators”. Performers such as Annie Hindle, Vesta Tilley, Hetty King and Ella Shields became famous for their masculine stage personas, performing songs and comedy in military uniforms or a top hat and tails. Annie Hindle even took her show to America in 1868, introducing drag to American audiences for the first time!

UK drag kings today form an important part of queer culture. Performers use their masculinity to entertain audiences while questioning gender stereotypes, sexuality and patriarchal ideas. Hear from Fiona how contemporary British drag kings such as Adam All, Harddeep Singh, LoUis CYfer and Beau Jangles continue to develop the scene, bringing queer art and queer politics together, performing around the UK at LGBTQ events such as Sheffield's own 'Kingdom Come'.

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