Mashers and murderers Music hall male impersonators and their depiction in Neo-Victorian fiction

The most famous male impersonator at the turn of the century was Vesta Tilley. However, some of her predecessors and contemporaries have been much overlooked. Performers such as Hetty King, Millie Hylton and Bessie Bonehill aided in establishing the ‘masher’ as a ‘must see’ act for all patrons of the music hall. This article details and examines these performers and their acts to understand the appeal and influence they had on their audiences.