A tough act

The true story of the gay spy, drag queen and WWII Resistance hero Major Denis Rake

WHEN WORLD WAR II secret agent Major Denis Rake was sent into occupied France he was told to remain inconspicuous – to blend in.

So he became a drag queen, entertaining Nazi troops in a Parisian nightclub.

The ruse worked and Rake, who was an actor before the war (starting his career as a child acrobat in a Belgian circus), successfully obtained valuable information and radioed it back to London.

It’s a true story and one that fascinated writer Paul Stone who, as a drag queen himself, had an affinity with Rake.

He said: “For some people the idea of going on stage is terrifying, and I know myself that appearing alone on stage as a drag queen feels especially isolating. But going out there in front of a room filled with Nazi officers would take stage fright to a whole new level.

“Denis Rake was an incredibly brave man – his story shines a light on the contribution made by the LGBT community to victory over the Nazis in World War II.”

His show, For Queen and Country, is on at the Fringe this year as part of Army@ TheFringe.

Paul’s interest was sparked by hearing war stories from his own grandfather.

He said: “Growing up gay I’d assumed that my contribution to the war effort would have been cooking or kicking my heels up in a concert party. I was surprised to discover there was considerably more to the LGBTQ+ community’s contribution than we’ve been told.”

Paul eventually took part in the BBC series Secret Agent Selection: WW2. It’s a living history programme where modern-day recruits are put through the spy training of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE).

From there he discovered the story of Rake and became determined to make it more widely known.

In his play the role of the spy is taken by Neil Summerville and sees the ex-soldier reflecting on his life and adventures as an older man, towards the end of his career.

And what a life it was. Rake was imprisoned and tortured by the Nazis but escaped with the help of a priest.

Despite being given a training role in Scotland, he insisted on returning to France and worked with the heroic resistance and SOE operative Nancy Wake. They helped pin down Nazi troops to prevent them from opposing the D-Day landing forces.

The production has won four-star reviews, including from Broadway Baby, and WhatsOnStage describes Summerville as “a wonderfully nuanced performer”.

It’s a witty, delightful show about true heroism. And it’s likely that Rake himself would have enjoyed it; his greatest passion was the stage, and despite having been awarded many medals the idea of having his story told through theatre would probably have seemed a great honour.

After being demobbed he became valet to Hollywood actor Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, modestly never discussing his war record.

But the lure of the stage was always there and he returned to entertainment, often performing on cruise liners.

Something of Rake’s carefree spirit comes through in the words he wrote to his former SOE boss Maurice Buckmaster: “I know I’m crazy, but I started life like that long ago and must end the same.”

For Queen and Country, Army@TheFringe, Hepburn House (Venue 358) 5-7, 9-14 August tickets www.edfringe.com