The panto dame was an early form of drag and were popular from the early 19th century onwards.

Pantomimes were incredibly popular, theatrical depictions of fairy tales.  These almost always included a dame.  Dame characters are often played either in an extremely camp style, or else by men acting butch in women's clothing. They usually wear heavy make up and big hair, have exaggerated physical features, and perform in an over-the-top style.  Famous dame characters include:
Widow Twankey, Aladdin's mother in the pantomime versions of the story
Mother Goose
Ugly Stepmother/step sisters in Cinderella
Jacks Mother in Jack and the Beanstalk
The nanny or nurse in Babes in the Woods
The cook in Dick Whittington
The queen in Puss in Boots
Goldilocks' mother in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, who runs a circus in many versions of the pantomime.[3]


Dan Leno as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 1896