David Raven, better known as Maisie Trollette, has died in UK at age 91 after a battle with dementia. Based in Brighton for many decades, he was also a familiar sight in Pattaya’s golden-era gay clubs 20 years ago. He was hired by Pattaya club moguls to do his music and glitter routines and, in return, is said to have helped raise thousands of pounds for aids-related charities and orphanages.
Born in Cornwall and commonly regarded as the oldest-working drag artiste in UK (he hated the term drag queen), he made his spirited reputation in post-war London pubs at a time when homosexual activity was illegal. In 2022, an 80 minutes’ docu-movie titled Maisie was released which was less a biopic than a record of his hectic/unruly home and professional life during one week.
The uniqueness of Raven was that he stood between old pantomime dames, such as Dockyard Doris or even Norman Evans, and the newer and bolder acts such as Lily Savage. Maisie was equally at ease performing in a Marie Antoinette wig one minute and eating a bag of chips the next. His waspish sense of humor on stage lay at the heart of British camp humour.
As he aged, Raven expressed the truth that “old age can be a drag”. He recalled that virtually all commercial gay movies concentrated on being young and attractive, whilst reminding his audiences that losing your allure and independence is also part of the story. “My mission, “he once told the Pattaya Mail, “is to combine arthritis with a sense of humour.”
