In queer culture, the words icon and legend are too overused.  Even Queerguru will have to agree with that claim.  But not today; we won’t apologize for using both when we are talking about the late and great Paul O’Grady, aka Lily Savage. (i.e. Lilian Maeve Veronica Savage)

He burst onto the London gay scene in the 1980’s with his potty-mouthed, acid-tongued, dirty blonde bombshell drag queen Lily, who very soon had the packed crowds at Royal Vauxhall Tavern eating out of his hands.  He was also verbal on and off the stage as O’Grady used his act to speak out on issues affecting the gay community, especially during the HIV/AIDS crisis. In April 1988, he took part in a march against Section 28, a policy introduced by Margaret Thatcher‘s Conservative government that many denounced as homophobic. Regularly doing charity fundraisers for HIV/AIDS research, many of his friends died from AIDS-related complications; he later related that “People my age will never get over the horrors.”

Later, as Paul O’Grady, he seemingly did the impossible and turned his career into major mainstream success, winning both major audiences and a series of prestigious TV awards for hosting chat shows.  Kudos to the execs who had the good sense (and big balls) to let Paul (aka Miss Lily) be his true, unedited self on national TV in shows like Blankety Blank.

Paul left us way too early when he sadly passed away from a heart attack in 2023; he was only 67. At the time of his death, he was working with playwright Jonathan Harvey on SAVAGE Lily/Paul’s story.  Harvey told Queerguru, “I was so thrilled when Paul gave me the opportunity to turn his life story into a stage show. I first saw Lily in a scuzzy gay bar in West London in the late 80s and laughed ‘til I hurt, so it’s an honor indeed to bring his story and the colorful escapades of the blonde bombshell herself to life. This is one of those few shows that I’m involved in where I can go ‘You need to come. It’s really good’… because the zinging one-liners are all his. It’s so sad he’s not here to see it, but hopefully this will be a fitting testament to everything he achieved, and a cracking night out full of humor and heart.”

The combination of Lily and Harvey sounds like such queer joy, as this is the story of how Paul became Lily and how Lily became a British icon.  This new show follows Paul’s journey from the streets of Merseyside to the heart of London’s club scene, where, armed with little more than his wits and a wig, he began carving out a place for himself. From humble roots and an unassuming start emerged Lily Savage: the fearless, foul-mouthed alter ego who would defy convention and win the hearts of millions.

So come next February 13th, Jonathan Harvey’s SAVAGE, starring RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Danny Beard as Lily Savage, will make its world premiere at Curve Leicester on 13 February 2027, then play venues across the UK before hitting London’s West End.