EVERYONE has heard of the dress wearing, lipstick sporting and bewigged drag queens, but meet the bearded, chest hair flaunting drag kings.

The King of the Fringe contest saw a host of women performing as men and competing for the coveted crown with creative and colourful characters such as Freddie Pluto, Pelvis Lezzley, and Rico Del Rey taking to the stage at the Marlborough Theatre in Brighton.

The phenomenon of drag kings seems to be gaining contemporary momentum having found its roots in the Victorian music halls.

But amidst the macho mayhem the winner was the flamboyant Benjamin Butch, portrayed by 22-year-old urban dance graduate Bethan Rainforth from London.

Judges Julian Caddy, Brighton Fringe managing director, Roni Guetta, from Traumfrau, and drag prince Alfie Ordinary, crowned Benjamin Butch the King of the Fringe at the contest.

Bethan said: "Beforehand I was a bit nervous, but the judges seemed quite impressed.

"I think being a good drag king is just about having fun, you cannot take it too seriously, but there are so many ways you can play it - there is not right and wrong."

She first created her alter ego in November, making a debut appearance at The Glory nightclub in London - saying "the first time I was really bad, but I think I have really developed since then."

Her performance at the King of the Fringe saw Benjamin Butch go on a date with a mop in a mini-stage show.

She said: "Benjamin thinks it is a real person, but in the end it does turn out to be just a mop."

She added: "I did not expect to have my name read out, I was quite lost for words, I was just stood there like 'really? Me?'."

Describing her alter ego, she personifies him as "Very flamboyant. He wants to be like Mick Jagger but in the end he is more like Mr Bean".

In terms of the growing trend of drag kings, she said "even since I first started out I have come across loads more. Social media helps with these sorts of competitions".

She added: "People like it because you just to do not know what to expect, there are so many different interpretations of masculinity."

Festival and Fringe diary, page 12.