Drag king
[1] As documented in the 2003 Journal of Homosexuality, in more recent years the world of drag kings has broadened to include performers of all gender expressions.
[2] A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, either live or lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks.
[6][7] While the term drag king was first cited in print in 1972,[8] there is a longer history of female performers dressing in male attire.
[13] British music hall performer Vesta Tilley was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a male impersonator.
While they were worried about finding enough performers to make their talent night work ‘Because there were barely any stages for us to perform [on], very few drag kings were actively pursuing gigs,’ BOIBOX inspired a new wave of budding kings[24] and celebrated ten years in 2023 with a show at The Phoenix Arts Club in London's Westend, with a surprise appearance from Landon Cider.
[25] The term drag king is sometimes used in a broader sense, to include female-bodied people who dress in traditionally masculine clothing for other reasons.
Diane Torr began leading Drag King Workshops in 1989 that offer women a lesson in passing as men.
"[31] The British drag king collective 'Pecs', a troupe made up entirely of women and non-binary people, was founded in 2013 and went on to perform at Soho Theatre and The Glory.
Their founder Pixie Truffle gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom on her desire for drag kings to close the gap with queens and with male stand-up comedians.
[39] Face: One method drag kings use to modify their facial features is burning a wine cork and smudging it along the jaw to create the illusion of a beard or stubble.
[40] When trying to achieve a realistic look, drag kings may add crepe hair over the makeup using glue, thus completing the illusion of a full beard.
[41] Look: Drag kings also make use of items such as socks and silicone prosthetics when packing,[42][43] creating the illusion of a male appendage between the legs.
