Diva Heaven

Dolly Parton, Goddess.

Regardless of the fast-fashion optics and high-maintenance clichés, divas are not ten-a-penny. Far from it. Cometh the confusion, cometh the V&A’s summer blockbuster, a joyous reminder of the elemental power, the dizzying theatricality, the towering self-belief of the diva as defined and redefined through history and culture.

Told through photographs and objects, portraits and costumes, DIVA is less an exhibition than a son-et-lumière full-body immersion that ingeniously taps into something far more potent; our own memories. - Judith Woods, The Telegraph

It's very rare for me to be so excited about a visit to an exhibition - and we have seen dozens, including Art Deco, Dior, the Aesthetic Movement, the Al-Thani collection of Indian jewellery, Opera, The Golden Age of Couture, Ballgowns, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton, Ocean Liners, and those themed around single accessories - Tiaras, Hats, Shoes. Only David Bowie Is gave a me a similar buzz. We (I went on Saturday with Sally, Baby Steve, Alex, John-John and Mark) were most certainly not disappointed!

True to the Victoria & Albert Museum's curatorial and educative ethos, this is no mere "parade of camp" - rather an illustration of how the term "diva" evolved, from its roots in the 16th century, an era when the rise of opera as an artform thrust female lead artists into the spotlight for the first time, through its misappropriation as a "put-down" for "uppity women" and the fight some leading ladies had to overcome that prejudice, to the elevation of "the star" to stratospheric heights.

From early subjects of hysterical adulation such as the Victorian and Edwardian sopranos Adelina Patti, Jenny Lind and Dame Nellie Melba, Music Hall icons Marie Lloyd and Vesta Tilley, legendary theatrical leading ladies Ellen Terry and Sarah Bernhardt, Burlesque and dance stars including Isadora Duncan, to silent movie stars Theda Bara, Clara Bow (the only known surviving "flapper dress" worn by her) and Mary Pickford - every costume, every detail is a "gasp" moment in itself.

In this "aperitif" segment of the exhibition, there are some interesting juxtapositions, too - showgirls Josephine Baker and Bette Midler's costumes side-by-side, for example, illustrating neatly the influence that one generation of divas can have upon another.

“I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best.” - Maria Callas

Opera being inextricably associated with the epithet, I was particularly stunned to see outfits worn by some of our beloved divas of the genre Maria Callas, Dame Joan Sutherland, Renee Fleming - and (best of all) this dazzling Jessye Norman stage costume on display:

Onward to the "Golden Age" of diva-dom, via Marlene Dietrich, Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo (on film), Carole Lombard, Vivien Leigh, and Mae West's frock from I'm No Angel...

...to the breath-taking presence of Bette Davis' russet-coloured, fur-trimmed party dress from All About Eve, Joan Crawford's "power suit" from Mildred Pierce, a Judy Garland costume from In The Good Old Summertime, Marilyn Monroe's shimmying little black number from Some Like It Hot, Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra robe, and Barbra Streisand's Funny Girl outfit.

And from all this, we ascended the stairs - accompanied, appropriately, by the strains of You Don't Own Me - to be greeted by the dazzle-beyond-dazzle display of Rihanna's Met Gala creation, paired with Elton John's 50th birthday "Louis Quatorze" extravaganza, replete with massive wig adorned with sailing ship:

As if that weren't enough of a feast for the senses, the upper level of the exhibition is nothing short of a cornucopia of stars, each illustrating in their own way how they "Reclaimed the Diva" role. Just about everyone who is anyone is represented here - from Edith Piaf's teeny-tiny "little black dress" to Lizzo's not-so-tiny fake-fur wrap...

"To me, ‘diva’ is all about the power of the voice and the ability to entertain, to succeed against odds, to fight, and break through barrier after barrier: to have your voice heard.” - Dame Shirley Bassey

Of course, Dame Shirl's famous Glastonbury Festival ensemble is there, complete with diamanté-encrusted wellies, as is Liza Minnelli's lovely green number from New York, New York:

It takes hours to go around every display case, so much is crammed into that space. Madonna, Freddie Mercury, Beyoncé, Adele, RuPaul; all present and correct. Dusty Springfield, Kate Bush, Patti Smith, Missy Elliot, Mariah-fucking-Carey and Britney all get a nod [although we were surprised that neither Kylie nor Dame Joan Collins were anywhere to be seen]. Unlikely recipients of the "diva" label such as Debbie Harry, Siouxsie Sioux and Annie Lennox are here, too. It's not until one actually sees close-up artefacts such as Grace Jones' corset or Prince's shoes that you realise how small they actually are/were in real life!

A whole wall of cabinets and portraits is dedicated to those pioneering women who followed Josephine Baker's lead to use their fame and prominence to highlight societal injustice - Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and so on. There are stylish numbers, like Whitney Houston's from the 1994 Grammy Awards, Sade's super-cool outfit and a yellow one worn by Amy Winehouse, and then there are outrageously OTT costumes from the likes of Björk, Pink, GaGa, Lil Nas X and Janelle Monáe.

Taking centre stage, naturally, is the stunning display of Bob Mackie-designed extravagant costumes for Cher, Tina Turner and Diana Ross. Almost worth the price of entry by itself!

"You’re born naked, and the rest is Bob Mackie." - RuPaul

Utterly, totally, mind-boggingly fantabulosa!

I am definitely going to go again.

DIVA is on at the V&A until 7th April 2024.

[click any photo to enlarge]