I've being exploring Blackpool's drag history and interviewed Basil Newby and DJ Zoe for a new film
A former Blackpool woman has co-produed a film which charts the the rise of the resort’s drag and LGBTQ+ scene and it is to be screened in the town next month.
The film Queering Blackpool has taken university lecturer Helen Eadon-Sinkinson years to research and more than a year to film.
Helen, 47, conducted candid interviews with larger than life characters who helped create the scene in Blackpool, and the film also contains rare footage and show-stopping performances.
he 90-minute film, co-produced with Alexander Blackburn at the University of Chester, is being shown at Blackpool’s Backlot Cinema on Friday June 6, at 5pm, and coincides with the start of the town’s Pride Festival weekend.
Helen interviewed characters such as businessman Basil Newby, the man who estabished the origianl Funny Girls and other venues, drag star DJ Zoe, Indiana Aphrodite Isherwood and Shirley Knot, among others.
She said: “It’s a celebration of the scene, the people who were bold enough and had the courage to start things, and how the torch has been passed to the new generation.
“The film is also a celebration of Blackpool’s history and its working class culture - all the things that have made Blackpool a totally unique place, as well as a queer sanctuary.
"It is such a vibrant scene, and their stories are incredible - funny and at times very moving."
Helen is not from the LGBTQ+ community herself but is a big supporter of it. Many of those she interviewed are connected to Funny Girls, one of the best known drag bars in the UK.
She recalls going out to the old Flamingo Club and the Flying Handbag whe she was younger.
She said: “Those clubs felt like safe spaces for young women, they had a totally different atmosphere.”
She praises the Backlot Cinema for the team’s support.
The cinema, built as part of Blackpool’s huge multi-million pound regeneration of Blackpool, is already building on its close links with the community, not only supporting film projects like Helen’s but staging events such as bingo sessions.
There are just a few tickets left for the film, after which there will be a celebration party at Sherlock's Bar on Queen Street.
For information on the film’s screening, visit https://www.thebacklotblackpool.co.uk/checkout/showing/292630