Contemporary Drag Practices and Performers

Mark Edward is a pracademic and a category dodger. His performance work in live art, contemporary dance performance, theatre, drag and post-modern choreography are often rooted in political and social narratives such as fat body shaming, age(eing) invisibility, homophobia, toxic and bruised masculinity, disability, mental health, class and him being neurodivergent as a ADHDancer and ADHDrag. He has featured in Attitude magazine, Scene magazine and GT magazine, and been interviewed for several BBC radio and TV documentaries, focusing on drag histories and activism, with drag performers Choriza May, Mutha Tucka and Miss Dixie Swallows. He has also featured in ‘The History of Drag’ documentary, alongside Boy George, lanah.p and Ginny Lemon. His research into drag cultures provided the content for the three-part BBC ‘Drag Herstories’ series. He is the author of the book ‘Mesearch and the Performing Body’ (Palgrave), and co-editor (alongside Professor Stephen Farrier) of the books ‘Contemporary Drag Practices and Performers: Drag in a Changing Scene vol 1’, ‘Drag Histories, Herstories and Hairstories; Drag in a Changing Scene vol 2’ and ‘Drag: the Basics’ (Routledge) with Professor Chris Greenough. He is the writer, and producer of the acclaimed immersive installation work ‘Council House Movie Star’ and the the first person to bring practical drag studies into higher education. He has performed with and worked for a range of arts organisations and artists including Rambert Dance, Senza Tempo Dance Theatre, Penny Arcade in her pivotal work ‘Bad Reputation’ and with the Australian performance activist Jeremy Goldstein in his ‘Truth to Power Cafè’.Stephen Farrier is Reader in Theatre and Performance at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, UK. With Alyson Campbell he has coedited Queer Dramaturgies: International Perspectives on Where Performance Leads Queer (2015) as well as a themed edition of RIDE, The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance named the ‘Gender and Sexuality Issue’.

• List of illustrationsAcknowledgementsNotes on ContributorsForward by Mark RavenhillIntroduction by Mark Edward and Stephen FarrierChapter 1: Applying Foundation and Setting The Scene by Mark Edward and Stephen FarrierChapter 2: ‘Dragging the Mainstream: RuPaul’s Drag Race and Moving Drag Practices Between the USA and the UK’ by Joe ParslowChapter 3: ‘RACE FOR THE MONEY: The Influence of RuPaul's Drag Race on the Livelihood and Aesthetics of New York City's Drag Culture’ by Kalle Westerling Chapter 4: ‘Hen.faChinoiserie Drag: Masquerading as the Oriental Other’ by Rosa FongChapter 5: ‘It’s Always Better Performing with the Troupe’: Space, Place, and Collective Activism’ by Jae Basiliere Chapter 6: ‘Of Hills and Wheels: Tilda Death in the IDF Disabled Veterans’ Club’ by Raz WeinerChapter 7: ‘A Transfeminist Critique of Drag Discourses and Performance Styles in Three National Contexts (US, France and UK): from RuPaul’s Drag Race to Bar Wotever’ by Kayte Stokoe Chapter 8: ‘Not a cock in a frock but a Hole story. Holestar and the mark of the bio-queens’ by Stephen FarrierChapter 9: ‘Destabilisation through Celebration: Drag, Homage, and Challenges to Black Stereotypes in the Practice of Harold Offeh’ by Kieran Sellars Chapter 10: ‘Gender Euphoria: Trans and Non-Binary Identities in Drag’ by Olympia BukkakisChapter 11: ‘The Tranimal: Throwing Gender out of Drag?’ by Nick CherrymanChapter 12: ‘Drag Kings and Queens of Higher Education’ by Mark EdwardChapter 13: ‘Drag publique: the spectacle of queerness, queer placelessness and the emaciated spectator’ by Allan TaylorChapter 14: ‘"Blessed is the fruit" Drag Performance, Birthing, and Religious Identity’ by Chris Greenough & Nina KaneNotesBibliographyIndex

A necessary, nuanced and well heeled step in understanding the scope, diversity and impact of our art.