Trouser-Wearing Characters

This illuminating one-woman show by historian and author Rose Collis highlighted the stories of some famous, and infamous, twentieth century figures who crossed perceived gender lines in their public and private lives. Collis dressed formally, but this was an evening of cabaret, not a dry lecture, so her research was spiced with witty asides, knowing looks and a bright selection of songs on the banjolele. Despite their various Brighton connections, the characters she celebrated (Douglas Byng, Nancy Spain and more) were unfamiliar to me, but, in a variety of voices, Collis brought them to life colourfully and sympathetically.

Marlborough Theatre, 3 May 2012

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