Female masculinity

Female masculinity

Queer & Now Festival, Tate Britain - 2017

Queer theorist Jack Halberstam asserted nearly twenty years ago that female masculinity is not simply a bad copy of the real deal, but an important entity in its own right. Masculinity without men, he argued, not only throws the connection between sex and gender into turmoil, but also is crucial to the definition of masculinity itself. Despite the countless ways that female masculinity can be expressed, it continues to remain a largely invisible phenomenon, at least outside of queer contexts. This episode of the O Show celebrates the experience and expression of female masculinity.

This episode interviews intersexy iconoclast Del LaGrace Volcano, actor and drag king Temi Wilkey and boyish performance artist Lucy Hutson. It also features performances from Pecs Drag Kings.

▶ Part 1: Interviews & Performances

▶ Part 2: The Discussion

  • Directed, hosted and edited by
    Oriana Fox

    Guests
    Lucy Hutson, Temi Wilkey, Del La Grace Volcano

    Performances by
    Drag King Cole (Temi Wilkey) and Thrustin Limbersnake (Lauren Steele) of Pecs Drag Kings

    Stage manager
    Sammy Silver

    Camera Operators
    Claire Nolan, Richard Canham, Dasa Raimanova

    Sound engineer
    Charlie Cauchi

    Producers
    Oriana Fox, Madeleine Keep and Marianne Mulvey

    Mentor
    Caroline Smith

    Seamstress
    Laurent Herbert

    Special Thanks
    Daisy Hale, Lara Deffense, Isabella Nimmo, Angela Monti Fox, Michael Fox, Vilia Hayes, Josh Fox, Alex Monti Fox

GUESTS

  • Lucy Hutson

    Lucy Hutson is a performance artist and agitator whose work questions human nature and interrupts social order. Hutson’s work engages with aspects of society that confuse or anger her. Often focusing on capitalism and gender politics, her work manifests itself in interventions, installations, solo performances, film and intimate encounters. Her work has been seen as part of SPILL Festival, Duckie and internationally as part of City of Women festival in Slovenia.

  • Temi Wilkey

    Temi Wilkey is an actor who co-founded & co-directed the Drag King company, Pecs, performing in the sell-out runs of their shows before leaving the company in 2019. Wilkey has gone on to become an award-winning writer of drama and TV.

  • Del LaGrace Volcano

    Intersex iconoclast Del LaGrace Volcano is one of the world's leading queer cultural producers; herm’s work is reproduced and cited in numerous publications, journals and books on visual art, as well as queer and feminist theory. In Volcano’s own words: “I have many boxes that I move between. I’m a parent; I’m a cultural producer; I’m out about all the things that I am – intersex, queer, trans, pansexual. There’s many different ways that I could describe myself. All are part of my identity. None of them define me.”