David Raven, who was higher generally known as Maisie Trollette and was believed to be the oldest drag performer in Britain, died on Wednesday in Brighton, England. He was 91.
His loss of life was confirmed by a buddy, Scott St. Martyn, who stated that Mr. Raven had been dwelling in a nursing residence.
Mr. Raven carried out as Maisie Trollette for greater than half a century, carrying a blond wig, a thick layer of make-up and lengthy sequined clothes whereas singing outdated present tunes and cracking naughty jokes. He grew to become a mainstay of the British drag circuit, an everyday presence on the Brighton and Hove Pleasure occasion and a mentor to youthful drag queens.
He got here out as homosexual in his 20s, at a time when “gay acts” have been nonetheless unlawful in Britain. (The regulation modified in 1967 in England.) Mr. Raven started performing in drag as the shape grew to become fashionable with the rise of Danny La Rue, a well-known British drag performer (who was, in response to Mr. St. Martyn, a giant fan of Mr. Raven’s).
Early in his profession, Mr. Raven described himself as a “pantomime dame,” Mr. St. Martyn, an actor who grew to become pals with Mr. Raven within the Eighties, stated in an interview. “He at all times tried to legitimize it by being knowledgeable actor.”
Mr. Raven rose to fame within the Nineteen Sixties as one half of the drag duo the Trollettes, alongside Jimmy Court docket, who carried out as Jimmy Trollette.
“They have been form of slapstick comedians,” stated Dave Lynn, a longtime buddy of Mr. Raven’s who carried out with him within the Eighties and ’90s. “You by no means knew what was going to come back from them; most of it was ad-lib.”
Mr. Raven finally branched out as a solo act, performing as Maisie at charity reveals and in venues throughout Britain and showing within the inaugural parade for Brighton and Hove Pleasure, the most important Pleasure competition in Britain, in 1973.
“Maisie was such a staple,” stated Christopher Dennis, higher generally known as his drag alter ego, La Voix, who met Mr. Raven within the early 2000s. “Everybody knew of him even for those who hadn’t seen him. You simply knew the title.”
Although Mr. Raven was well-known on the drag circuit and in Brighton, the place he lived, little was recognized about his adolescence and childhood. Even pals who knew him for many years stated he by no means spoke about his previous.
David Raven was born on Aug. 15, 1933, in Cornwall, England, and was raised by adoptive mother and father in Norfolk. No fast members of the family survive; his associate, Don Coull, whom he known as his “idol” and his “different half” in “Maisie,” a 2021 documentary, died from problems of AIDS about 20 years in the past.
Whereas Mr. Raven was an undisputed pillar of British drag, he was severe about separating his alter ego from his day-to-day id, reprimanding anybody who known as him Maisie when he was not in character.
“He got here from a really chilly background,” Mr. Lynn stated. “He couldn’t be a queen full time.”
Mr. Raven continued to carry out effectively into his 80s, finally utilizing a strolling stick onstage. “I can’t consider that I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” he stated within the 2021 documentary.
Whereas Mr. Raven was a singular determine in Britain, he did have an American counterpart: Walter Cole, often known as Darcelle XV, an American drag queen who earned a Guinness World Report because the world’s oldest drag performer. (Mr. Cole died at 92 in 2023.)
Within the documentary “Maisie,” the 2 octogenarian performers have a meal collectively and put together for a efficiency in Brighton. Standing subsequent to one another, they pose for pictures and trade quips and (typically soiled) jokes.
Mr. Raven had a depraved humorousness, and his pals described him as “naughty” and a “prankster.” On journeys with pals, he would cover in closets or below beds to scare them. In his free time, he cherished betting, particularly on horse races. Even later in life, when he was not effectively sufficient to go away the home, Mr. Raven would ask individuals to put bets for him, Mr. St. Martyn stated.
His longevity impressed youthful performers, and he supplied deep encouragement to youthful acts in an effort to assist Britain’s drag scene flourish, Mr. Lynn stated.
“There’s a sense within the arts that there’s an expiry date,” Mr. Dennis stated. “And David confirmed us there’s no expiry date on being fabulous.”
