Queer theatre in the 19th century was a place of codes, cross-dressing and blackmail

Frederick Park (right) and Thomas Boulton as Fanny and Stella in 1869. Essex Record Office

In today’s theatre industry, you don’t have to look far to find queer representation. Although the theatre has long been seen as an accepting place for LGBTQ+ people, in the 19th century, examples of queer lives from the stage profession are difficult to find.

I’m a theatre historian at the University of Warwick, and for queer history month in February, I worked on retrieving histories of LGBTQ+ men.