We all are aware of drag queens – men who dress in flamboyant feminine garb and perform at cabarets, clubs or shows. But have you ever heard of ‘drag kings’? For the uninitiated, a drag king is a female performer who dresses in masculine clothing and celebrates masculinity. If your interest is awakened, a show called ‘The Gentlemen’s Club aka Tape’ by theatre company Patchworks Ensemble is a must watch. ‘Tape’ in the name refers to the practice of applying tape on the breasts by drag kings when playing male characters.
Sheena Khalid
Picture by: Punit Reddy
Set in an imaginary underground club, the cabaret-style show showcases the lives of drag kings who perform in the city. Sheena Khalid, who has co-devised and co-directed the show says, “The show is set in a fictitious club called ‘The Gentlemen’s Club’ where all the hilarious drag kings perform. It is just about the artists and the dynamic between them and the conflicts they have about the work they want to create. The entire show is basically what a day in the club is like.” Apart from Sheena Khalid, the show also features Puja Sarup, Rachel D’Souza, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee and Amey Mehta.
The central character of the show is Rocky aka Shamsher, who pays homage to Shammi Kapoor and the golden era of Hindi cinema. Sheena’s character is a young drag king whose act is inspired by contemporary pop icon Justin Timberlake. “My character is a drag king performer who is inspired by Justin Timberlake and is the new addition to the club. The character that Puja plays is Rocky, who is one of the oldest members of the club and is running the club for a really long time.” She also informs us that the group has performed over 50 shows all over the country and the audience has always been welcoming. The theatre company also conducts storytelling and performance workshops.
Also read: Meet the male lavani performers blurring gender lines
Upcoming show
The Gentlemen’s Club
When: April 10 at 8:30 pm
Where: G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, Mahalaxmi