David Raven, British Drag Performer Known as Maisie Trollette, Dies at 91

David Raven, who was better known as Maisie Trollette and was believed to be the oldest drag performer in Britain, died on Wednesday in Brighton, England. He was 91.

His death was confirmed by a friend, Scott St. Martyn, who said that Mr. Raven had been living in a nursing home.

Mr. Raven performed as Maisie Trollette for over half a century, wearing a blonde wig, a thick layer of makeup and long sequined dresses while singing old show tunes and cracking naughty jokes. He became a mainstay of the British drag circuit, a regular presence at the Brighton and Hove Pride event and a mentor to younger drag queens.

He came out as gay in his 20s, at a time when “homosexual acts” were still illegal in Britain. (The law changed in 1967 in England.) Mr. Raven began performing in drag as the form became popular with the rise of Danny La Rue, a famous British drag performer (who was, according to Mr. St. Martyn, a big fan of Mr. Raven’s).

Early in his career, Mr. Raven described himself as a “pantomime dame,” Mr. St. Martyn, an actor who became friends with Mr. Raven in the 1980s, said in an interview. “He always tried to legitimize it by being a professional actor.”

Mr. Raven rose to fame in the 1960s as one half of the drag duo the Trollettes alongside Jimmy Court, who performed as Jimmy Trollette.