In an east London pub, the Glory, Adam All is pulling bras out from the pockets of his purple suit as he sings on stage. Cheeky, fun and dapper, he wears a glittery waistcoat over a gold satin shirt, his pink bow tie matching the shade of his rectangular glasses.
All is a drag king; that is, usually a cisgender woman, transgender man or non-binary person performing in male or masculine drag on stage. This can include singing, lip-syncing and dancing. While drag queens have broken into the mainstream, largely thanks to the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, their kingly counterparts have been confined to a more underground existence. Tonight, we are in a basement.