When Pecs started out, we were a group of friends who wanted to explore what performing masculinity would look like.
We had a rich history to draw on, particularly a history of masculinity within queerness, but other than that, we had little backing and few peers.
We would rehearse in squats, ask theatre departments for spare costumes, bind with bandages – begging, borrowing and stealing our way to make shows happen. Now, we’re fortunate enough to perform in large theatres, commercial festivals and prides up and down the country.
The 23rd November is a chance for us to publicly archive 10 years of our work in the UK drag scene.
Drag Kings are erased from history
Quite regularly, drag kings are erased from history; we felt if we don’t document and archive this ourselves, nobody else will. It feels significant for us to be taking stock of our part in contemporary drag kinging.
The day-long festival is a celebratory way of remembering humble beginnings, alongside championing our kings and artists who make up our collective: a collective which, despite adversity in the arts, is still here and making shows consistently- 10 years on.
Being proud of ourselves
This might read as a bit self-congratulatory, but in truth, we are chronically bad at being proud of ourselves. We are a modest bunch who certainly feel a deep sense of responsibility to our community. The drag king festival is a chance for us to feel proud of the influence we have had on the scene, as well as show our thanks to the community who have supported us.
Despite our reputation growing, we’ve managed to retain our grassroots audience. They’ve carried on with us since our very first shows- and we are so grateful to them.
At the core of Pecs is a commitment to being a collective. Whether it’s a 900 seater theatre or a damp basement, our values of performing and creating with each other has stayed the same.
The workshops we’ll be offering on the 23rd are led by our own kings, drawing on the knowledge that exists within the company. We’ll also be partnering with kings who are involved in our project Black is King.
A number of excellent panelists are joining Pecs for the day
Joining us on the day will be Liv Wynter (How to Catch a Pig), Prince of Persia (Brighton King Night), Tito Bone (Quiplash) and Cassie Leon (The Cocoa Butter Club) and more TBA. The talented Grace Goslin will be creating a Pecs Zine, wherein people can bring their favourite memories of Pecs to contribute to its pages.
There will be various queer stalls
There will be a car boot, drag king merch stalls and tattoos (if you’re lucky). And to round if all off, we’ll be ending with an evening cabaret show which will be revisiting some acts we’ve not done in a long time- an homage to memories created along various points of our drag timeline.
We’ve not seen events that celebrate the richness of the drag king community as an all day event. More often than not, kings are sidelined from other events or treated as an afterthought. Our festival at Shoreditch Town Hall welcomes all kinds of drag, putting the kings front and centre.
A good portion of the festival is entirely free, too! So, gather some pals, show up and be part of history.
Pecs: The Anniversary Show is on Saturday 23 November 2024, 8 pm, at Assembly Hall, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT, United Kingdom.
Feature Image: Pecs Drag Kings (Credit – Corinne Cumming)
