Malcolm Scott: The Woman Who Knows

by Derek Sculthorpe

Portrait of a Unique Music Hall Artiste Orphaned at thirteen, Malcolm Scott rose to become a leading female impersonator of the Edwardian era. A true eccentric, he first made his name at the Palace and Pavilion theatres in London attired as a female figure of history where he entertained audiences with his highly individual satiric act as "The Woman Who Knows." An acerbic wit, with a surrealist humour, he was in many ways a man ahead of his time. Besides being an actor, he was the doyen of Pierrot shows, and widely acknowledged as one of the finest pantomime dames ever known. In addition, he made several successful world tours and became an early radio personality before his untimely death. With a discography and substantial inventory of credits including all known sheet music and many rare photographs, this extensively-researched monograph is the first ever written about a forgotten great of British entertainment.

262 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Malcolm Scott but was intrigued when I came across this recently. He was an eccentric music hall comedian who dressed as various queens of history. He favoured satire and had a waspish kind of humour, very much in the manner of Barry Humphries, or even a precursor of Lily Savage. The author does a remarkable job in bringing him to life, which is quite a feat considering he only made a few recordings and died over 90 years ago. I give all five stars for daring to strike out on his own and pursue a subject which no else has ever thought of before. It is easy to follow the herd with endless stuff about people we all know, but bringing the forgotten ones to life is surely a great deal harder.