Hello darlings! Emma here, your friendly neighbourhood pink-tutu-wearing time-travelling drag queen, back with another delightful dip into the history of fabulousness! This month, we're shimmying back to October 10th, 1938, a time when the world was holding its breath, and, let's be honest, probably clutching their pearls at the thought of what the future held!
This is the post that's all about fabulousness. From the glamorous glamour girls to the drag delights, it’s the date where my fabulous pink tutu took me for a right old shimmy. Trust me, it was a total riot, you wouldn't believe what I saw. And, like always, my lovely pink time-travelling tutu ensured I was looking totally chic and, dare I say it, absolutely smashing!
Now, I'll be honest, October 10th, 1938, wasn't exactly dripping in obvious drag happenings like we've seen on some of my other time-travel escapades. It wasn’t a massive explosion of the avant-garde, more of a whisper, a hint of what was to come.
However, the lack of outright drag performance doesn't mean there wasn't fabulousness to be found. That's the thing about drag, darling, it lives in everything, even if you don’t see it immediately!
This day, you see, I was all about feeling the cultural vibe of the moment, because even without blatant drag on the scene, it's the everyday stories that tell us what was brewing, what was brewing that drag would feed on!
My travels began in the heart of New York City, because you know me, it's always a safe bet for some draglicious treats, even in 1938. I stepped out, right into a world of shiny new cars and buzzing taxi cabs, the smell of fresh coffee in the air - you can feel the energy of the roaring twenties is still lingering in the air, darling! But the whispers of war, well, those are getting a little louder too!
Now, I headed straight to the heart of the Manhattan drag scene. I was in search of the iconic Jewel Box Revue - the big name on Broadway for drag and music, even back then, but it was dark this night. Maybe some off-night, maybe I got my date wrong - that was possible because even with my magnificent pink time-travelling tutu, sometimes things go a bit haywire!
Not to worry though, there’s no point having a time-travelling tutu if you don't explore every corner of history!
That night, I found myself tucked into a cosy little corner in a tiny Greenwich Village bar. Now, if you want a taste of real history, dearie, you have to find the hidden places!
That night, I was in the perfect spot to get a glimpse of the real New York! It was there, watching the regulars mingle with a sprinkling of curious folks like myself, where I started to see the history unfolding all around me. This little bar was a beacon of life with music filling the room and the air filled with a mix of laughter, music, and whispers.
While it wasn't all full-blown drag, what I did see was amazing. Some of the patrons had outfits so flamboyant and camp - you know the sort, a bit of this, a bit of that! This was the place where they were finding their tribe. There was such an air of camaraderie - even back in 1938, a pre-Stonewall, pre-LGBT+ movement world! I had to remind myself, that the people here, living this little hidden life in the shadows of a busy world, that was drag!
They might have been hiding their flamboyance, wearing a mask for society. But those masks were made of sparkle, darling! The very people who dared to stand out in their own little way, those are my people!
I found myself sharing a giggle with a group of young men in dresses and feathers who were putting on quite a show! I mean, no professional performances or stage makeup, but in the corner of this dinky bar they made quite a scene! These boys were taking those whispers of change, those subtle whispers I had felt on the streets and making them loud.
I hopped on a train to London, with the excitement of another date - a real beauty at the Piccadilly Theatre. Now, this wasn’t a drag show, but it was an entertainment, with the perfect blend of glamorous women and theatrical talent - and of course, some of that fabulousness is all about the storytelling and how we use the arts to transform ourselves! And I wasn’t alone in finding inspiration - the audiences in 1938 seemed to be living for it!
Tonight’s show? An elegant operetta! There were women in glorious costumes and men in shimmering suits – you’d think I’d fallen right back into a classic movie set from the golden age of Hollywood. I can only imagine what those elegant ladies had on underneath.
What's fabulous about this show was it's almost drag queen like in a way, with these women in their flamboyant costumes, using every bit of drama, expression and theatrical panache they could. That, my darlings, is why I believe drag has always been, and always will be, an important part of the arts, right alongside every ballerina, opera singer, and actress, and yes, even musical performers!
As the night wound down, I knew it was time to pack my sparkly pink time-travelling tutu and bid 1938 a fond farewell. That said, I can already see that the world is slowly becoming more open, more accepting of the colourful and unique individuals like us. As I leave 1938 behind, I can't help but think that while the times may be changing, the one thing that always remains constant, that thread that runs through the history of everything that's dazzling - that's drag, darling!
You see, what makes 1938 so exciting for me? This is a time where, like a little seed hidden underground, you have a generation pushing against boundaries and expectations - even though there’s a big old war on the horizon. These were times when people really needed something to laugh about, a little bit of fun, a little bit of escape from reality!
Even today, we see the world at a crossroads - war, hardship, difficult situations, and with these come changes. So maybe, just maybe, I’ve been dropped in at this very moment, in 1938, by my magnificent time-travelling tutu, to give us all a little dose of optimism! And I want you to keep that thought in mind, every time you wear that fabulously fabulous pink tutu!
This world could use a bit more optimism, don’t you think?
See you next month, darling! You can follow me on social media at @PinkTutuEmma. Don't forget, I need to keep funding these time-travelling adventures and there’s a new performance at The Derbyshire Rose Theatre in the heart of Derbyshire - don’t miss it!
Keep on glittering and being fabulous!
Your loving Time Travelling Drag Queen,
Emma xox
www.pink-tutu.com
