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     People have asked us. Why a drag show? What does drag have to do with a British pub? The answer is simple. Drag has been a part of British entertainment for hundreds of years. During Shakespeare's time in the late 16th and early 17th centuries women were not allowed to perform onstage so men would play female roles. The origin of the term "drag" is thought to come from the way dresses men wore to play female characters would drag along the floor. 

     In the early 1700's, gentleman’s servant John Cooper, better known is Princess Seraphina was seen as the country’s first drag queen, in that she was part of John’s daily life rather than an acting role while frequenting Molly houses around London. Some of the biggest stars of early 20th century English vaudeville were drag queens. A drag troupe composed of men who fought in the First World War, Les Rouges et Noirs, was the subject of the second ‘talkie’ film produced in Britain. Ex- servicemen’s drag revues endured as a widespread cultural phenomenon into the mid-1950s, with shows such as Soldiers in Skirts and Forces in Petticoats filling halls throughout Britain.

     The mid 20th century saw the popular rise of pantomime dames from Widow Twanky to Dame Edna. From the 1960's on, drag has continued to evolve in British culture. So, there you have it. Drag is a very British thing so stay tuned for announcements of our upcoming drag show later this month!