Cross-Dressing in Contemporary British Feminist Theatre

Sex and gender are two concepts that are often unconsciously used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. They are crucial in understanding the gender hierarchy or the distinction between man and woman created by the patriarchal order. While sex refers to a biological difference or an innate existence based on signs such as chromosomes and genitals, gender is a socio-cultural identity subsequently acquired through a social interaction. While the biology-oriented approach reduces femininity and masculinity to the body based on an essentialist approach, the socio-culture oriented approach underlines that femininity and masculinity are culturally constructed, fluid, and changeable. The gender roles assigned to man and woman in the patriarchal society bring along certain expectations based their sexes and their society’s values and beliefs about gender. The fact that both woman and man are expected to wear appropriate dresses for their gender roles is the reflection of this expectation. When a man wears clothing traditionally associated with women or when a woman wears clothing traditionally associated with men, they might face ridicule or criticism because these clothing choices challenge established gender norms, and because the clothes are reminders of roles, symbols that favour social roles. Contrary to this, cross-dressing is described as an act of wearing clothing and accessories that belong to the opposite sex, and it is possible to see its examples as a deconstructive strategy in contemporary British feminist theatre. This article aims at discussing the functions of cross-dressing as a body memory in contemporary British feminist theatre over selected plays such as Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine (1979) and Top Girls (1982), Timberlake Wertenbaker’s New Anatomies (1984), and Moira Buffini’s Silence (1999).