Drag Kings of Manchester

The Drag King scene in Manchester has been growing rapidly since Tony Cooper of Via staged a Drag King performance in his venue one sunny Sunday afternoon in May 2010.

The plan was to bring something a little different to Canal Street and so Valentino King was invited to strut his stuff and delivered a live vocal performance to a crowded street. With interest and intrigue from the local gay community it was decided that a Drag King appearance would become a regular part of the entertainment at Via.

This coincided with the formation of the The Drag Kings of Manchester, a small group of women who wanted to ‘bend their gender’ in the form of an alter ego.

This group grows in numbers consistently and  an ever increasing number of women with moustaches and beards regularly visit Canal Street, not only on the Drag King nights but throughout the whole month.

Over the past two years Valentino King has been invited to perform at Manchester pride due to the support of the former festival director Jackie Crozier. Embracing the contribution the ‘kings’ make to the lgbt community, this  has led to Drag King workshops as part of the fringe events, performances at Sparkle, and even an annual award ceremony at Via.

Women travel from all over the country to be involved, showing how popular and important these nights are and continue to be to Canal St and Manchester.

A big thank you must be given to those who support and endorse our community especially Tony Cooper and his team at Via.

Anyone wanting to get involved can find The Drag Kings of Manchester on Facebook or pop along to Via and meet Valentino King on the last Sunday of every month. If your visting Manchester pride this August bank holiday also look out for the King and Queen competition on women’s stage.

Great entertainment not to be missed.

Photography by Paul Harnet

Published: 21-Jun-2012: (1347)