Cross-dressing, sexuality and satire

Rebecca D’Monté reveals how soldiers used song, slapstick, and satire to entertain themselves during the First World War.

Both at home and abroad, First World War soldiers provided their own entertainment by putting on theatrical performances, either rehearsed or impromptu. Rebecca will explain how their use of song, slapstick, and satire all spoke of normal life, helping them to cope with the pressures of war.

Using first-hand accounts, Rebecca will also explore notions of masculinity and femininity, even addressing the lustful fancies provoked when men ‘passed’ as women.

Rebecca D’Monté is Senior Lecturer in Drama at the University of the West of England. She is currently writing a book on British theatre during the Second World War.