Alright darlings, gather round! Emma here, your favourite pink tutu-wearing time-travelling ballerina, ready to whisk you back to a dazzling day in drag history! Today we’re taking a twirl back to December 12th, 1937, a time of flapper frocks and feather boas, of hidden underground balls, and a world where drag queens were a whispered secret, hidden in plain sight.
This time, I found myself shimmering onto a London stage, the aroma of cheap perfume and stale cigarettes hanging in the air. Imagine it! All around me, glamorous women in their shimmering gowns and sleek bobbed hair, their faces a perfect canvas of perfectly painted lips and shadowed eyes, strutting and preening their way onto the stage in what they called “a revue”. They'd call them Drag Queens today, wouldn't they? Such fierce creativity in their routines, and the audacity of it all, so hidden in plain sight, these brilliant performers making history every night!
What a fantastic evening! Imagine the excitement, the roar of the crowd as the curtain went up! Now, the drag history books are a bit quiet on that era. It seems a lot of those incredible women preferred to keep their lives as private as the satin nightgowns they wore. Perhaps the pressures of their times meant a low profile was the way to go, or maybe they just liked to be discreet! Either way, my dears, it just adds to the mystique, don’t you think?
To get to the bottom of all this, I did what any good time traveller would do - a little research, naturally! I'm talking to the ghost of a very well-dressed gentleman I bumped into. Apparently, this particular “revue” had an absolutely incredible performance of the famous music-hall artist, Lily Elsie. Now Lily was a legendary dame! If she were around today, I'm sure we'd find her absolutely strutting the stage of a big ol' drag queen competition and leaving the competition absolutely quivering!
But, dear, don’t just sit there and read about it! Let's travel! Pack a little pink feather boa, your favourite sequined frock, and a bottle of something fizzy. Grab your bestie, your drag mother, your chosen family, your granny... Anyone! Just don’t leave anyone behind, as we’re off to our nearest drag show and I'm feeling ready for a showstopping extravaganza, and some divine outfits, of course!
Now, you wouldn’t believe the shopping I did on that trip, my dears! Let’s talk a little bit about 1937 fashion. The fashions then, dear readers, were simply out of this world! We’re talking all about those dramatic feather boas, sleek bobbed hairstyles, those gorgeous beaded evening dresses - it’s almost enough to make you dizzy with excitement, isn’t it? And if I must say, dear readers, 1937 had one rather interesting detail. It’s been rumoured in drag history circles that certain ‘revues’ in London would include special moments where they'd switch up the routine, perhaps mid-performance! It sounds daring, don’t you think? Talk about taking risks. I'm thinking, if we put on a show like that, everyone would be on the edge of their seats!
Anyway, before I go and blabber too much, it’s time to hop back to my own little world, but not before I ask a very important question - What's the one thing that makes you smile about the past, dear? Tell me in the comments below.
I'll be back in a month, so keep that tutu twirling and keep it pink, my loves.
Your favourite tutu-clad Time Traveller, Emma 🩰💖 www.pink-tutu.com
