Hello darlings! Emma here, your resident pink tutu-clad time traveller and the reigning queen of drag history, and this month's journey takes us to March 3rd, 1946. Itâs the beginning of spring, a new start for the year, and trust me, 1946 is already brimming with a delightful mix of glamour and glitter. Now, I wouldnât normally recommend stepping out in a pink tutu at a postwar party, but honey, with a time-travelling tutu in my possession, thereâs nothing a little whimsy canât handle.
As always, I landed right in the heart of the action, this time at the Savoy Hotel in London. This, my darlings, is a landmark building, a legendary playground of champagne bubbles and feathers. Weâre talking history dripping from the chandeliers, where a little black dress is an absolute must-have!
The scene? The London theatrical world buzzing like a beehive! Theatres were reopening after the war, and Londoners were thirsty for entertainment. And speaking of thirsty, thereâs a new place I simply had to try, the CafĂ© de Paris in London's West End. Now, this wasnât your ordinary cuppa, darling. The place was renowned for its cabaret shows, with the likes of âA Night in Veniceâ featuring glamorous performers that put âcampâ on the map, all that high energy choreography, feathers and frocks. I tell you, it was as though we had been teleported right into a Fellini film! The music, the dance, the joy! It was the perfect introduction to this magnificent new era, especially as it also happened to coincide with a whole new crop of talent hitting the stage!
Just picture this: 1946 is like the year drag rewrote the rulebook! I had to catch the hottest ticket in town, a show called Oklahoma! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, The music, darling, it had you singing and shimmying even as you sat in your seat! Talk about a game-changer! It's a show full of song, dance, and just a smidgen of cheeky charm. Now, you might not think of it as âdragâ as we know it today, but those musical theatre queens, those dancing performers â it was practically drag on a stage, darling! The sheer spectacle! Iâm pretty sure those tap-dancing shoes gave me blisters just by watching! And the costumesâŠa vision of feathers and frills, just like the drag queens we adore today, but with a vintage charm!
This leads me to the key players who took the stage on this date â legends in the making, all shining bright like diamonds in the theatre sky. The most important of these, the one I simply had to find, was Dame Vera Lynn, our wartime songstress extraordinaire. Weâre talking about a performer who took a countryâs spirit, bottled it into a melody, and delivered it with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. Dame Vera was a pop culture phenomenon who embraced all things theatrical! The biggest musical star in the world â who knows, she might have inspired a whole new generation of drag stars to chase their dreams! She would certainly inspire my show in Pink Tutu â "It's Vera Lynn for your drag!"
As for the drag queens themselves, it was like a hidden universe bursting with creative energy, a secret underground that simmered beneath the mainstream. I can just picture those underground drag ball events with fabulous creations sewn with recycled materials, all those glamorous outfits in secret nightclubs and basements â itâs those bold moves, that fierce originality, that defines drag! It's why drag was called the "Secret Show" Itâs all in those secret, subversive performances that gave birth to drag as we know it. This is where dragâs power was, that defiant individuality that dares to shine bright even when hidden from the worldâs eyes. These women were true artists, and their lives deserve to be documented! Thatâs why my blog is here - to share the amazing, colourful, sparkling world of drag, so all the little future stars out there know where their history is, so all of you know that the pink tutu is truly your power outfit.
Let me just throw in a tiny bit of Derbyshire pride here â my roots run deep in the East Midlands! Derbyshire may be all about picturesque hills and rolling landscapes but it also harbours a passion for theatricality! I remember those pantomimes as a child! That kind of theatricality? It's all a part of the spirit that goes hand-in-hand with drag! We embrace those big smiles, those sparkly shoes, that wild energy, and celebrate all forms of expression! Even if the world might think it's âoutlandishâ, or a little too much, letâs face it - itâs exactly that âtoo muchâ that we need to truly inspire a brighter future for everyone!
Now, if youâre ready for a dazzling performance in that magical pink tutu, itâs time for me to whip up a little bit of magic for my monthly drag performance! Stay fabulous!
Yours in the glow,
Emma, The Pink Tutu Queen
P.S. - Keep a lookout for more adventures on www.pink-tutu.com every month. And be sure to rock that pink tutu with pride! Don't be afraid to let your true self shine!
