Normally, I find men in drag, well, a drag. Yes yes yes, there’s some momentary humour in seeing a bunch of female quirks reproduced by someone physically so different, but if the drag-er is any good at it, the humour soon vanishes as the illusion becomes complete. So why are the Trocks funny? Why have I been watching them with undiminished pleasure since the 1970s?
I tried to work that out last night as they opened their new UK tour at the Peacock in London. The answer surprised me. They are funny not because they are good comedians (which they are, too), but because they are good dancers. Not great dancers – I haven’t lost all critical faculty. But good. And, more important, they care passionately about what they do.
