A Brief History of Divas

A brief history of
DIVAS
A cornucopia of camp

Join Terry Sanderson as he makes a personal journey exploring his obsession with the entertainers who have inspired and amused generations of gay people – pre- and post-Stonewall.

A Brief History of Divas honours those women who appeal to that very special gay mindset that worships excess, melodrama and over-the-top glamour (with just a little bit of sleaze and self-deprecation thrown in for good measure).

Terry Sanderson has gathered together archive film of those performers who have grabbed the imagination and the emotions of gay men and women over the years. They’ve made us laugh and they’ve made us cry – they’ve inspired a thousand drag queens.

Lavishly illustrated with a big screen presentation of some of their best performances, it’s an evening that celebrates the gay sensibility and our playful sense of fun.

You’ll find yourself in the company of Eartha, Marlene, Yma, Edith, Carmen, Kylie, k.d. Mae, Joan, Dusty, the Bettes (Davis and Midler), Barbra, Liza, Doris and, inevitably, Judy. Some of these fabulous icons you’ll know well, but Terry Sanderson aims to introduce you to some less familiar faces who you’ll also come to love.

Terry Sanderson says: “We’ve got something for everyone in this show – there are comedy queens, drama queens, tragedy queens and queens of the silver screen. Whoever is your favourite, she’s likely to be there.”

Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL,
Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2009. 7.30pm.
Tickets £10 from www.secularism.org.uk/divas
or by post from NSS Divas, 25 Red Lion Square London W5 1DE Tel: 020 7404 3126