Thanks to Ru Paul, drag has never been more popular – so why isn’t its rich history better known? It’s time we saw more novels, plays and films taking the artform seriously, suggests Matt Cain.
From RuPaul’s Drag Race to live cabaret and theatre shows, drag has never been more popular. In case you’ve been hiding under a wig block for the last 10 years, drag is the art of gendered impersonation, with performers exaggerating and heightening aspects of femininity or masculinity for the sake of entertainment.
As it takes the world by storm, drag is changing our language, our ideas about gender, and even the way we see ourselves.