Comedy And Drag, Or Is it Just Dressing Up?
Anyone who watches TV these days will be aware of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, it has become hugely popular and I’m certain nobody needs any explanation of Drag.
However whilst as an entertainment form Drag seems to have caught on in a big way it has been around comedy for many years, all be it in a different form to what we see these days.
So for this post just for the fun of it we are going to take a look back at some of comedy’s most famous Drag? acts
Old Mother Riley
Old Mother Riley (full comedy name: Daphne Bluebell Snowdrop Riley) is an Irish washerwoman and charwoman character, devised by Arthur Lucan (born Arthur Towle). His wife Kitty McShane played Old Mother Riley’s daughter, Kitty. It was essentially a drag act but also a double act. Together the pair performed in music halls, theatres, and broadcast on radio and appeared in films.
The character appeared in 18 films between 1936 and 1952. The character carried on after Lucan’s death when understudy Roy Rolland took up the reigns playing Old Mother Riley in pantomime, on television and in cabaret until around 1977.
Dick Emery
One TV’s most notable comics in his day, Emery portrayed a number of female characters in his self titled Dick Emery Show between 1963 and 1981. Perhaps the most notable of which was Mandy who gave him his catchphrase “Ooh you are awful”
and of course “Miss” the desperate spinster
The Two Ronnies
Another Saturday classic between 1971 and 1987 Messrs Barker and Corbett had audiences in hysterics with their classic sketch show. Although in later years Ronnie Barker said they were his least favourite sketches The Two Ronnies were no strangers to dressing up
They even pondered what if
Dame Edna Everage
Barry Humphries portrayed the self styled glamorous housewife for whom nothing and no one was off limits
Les Dawson
One of our best comedians alongside his long time friend Roy Barraclough brought tears to our eyes as housewives Cissie and Ada
Mrs Brown
A little nit more recent and still playing to packed theatres and gracing TV screens at Christmas Mrs Brown created by Brendan O’Carroll is seen as the modern day version of Old Mother Riley in that the character is Irish and his wife plays his daughter
It seems that in comedy life really can be a drag.