DOCKYARDDORIS
aka Colin Devereaux
Colin Devereaux was a performer best known for his popular drag persona, Dockyard Doris.
Performing in Islington was in his blood, as he was a direct descendent of Marie Lloyd, a very popular music hall singer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
He studied at the Italia Conti Stage School as a teenager.
The character of Dockyard Doris was a music-hall inspired pantomime dame known for her outrageous sense of humour.
She was incredibly popular all over London in the 1980s and 1990s, and appeared often in pantomimes and shows all over the city.
She was also well known for her impression of the Queen Mother, which she performed at Central Station during the Queen Mother’s birthday celebration in 2000.
In the Islington’s Pride Archive at the Islington Local History Centre, is correspondence from the Queen Mother, politely declining an invitation to visit Central Station during her birthday celebration.
Devereaux was known as a fairly quiet person off-stage, but his loud and fun on-stage personality made him incredibly popular and he had a wildly successful 30 year career with appearances on TV shows and in movies along with his regular cabaret and stage performances.
Devereaux passed away aged 50 after a long battle with cancer.
