Putting on the Dish. A short film by Brian and Karl with all the dialogue in Polari.
Naff Switch. A Polari mash-up by Ida Barr.
The Bona World of Julian and Sandy. Several sketches from Round the Horne.
Bona Queen of Fabularity. 1981 BBC documentary about sea queen and drag performer Laurie Lee. (10.15 onwards, Lol describes how he got his name and then goes on to give a Polari lesson in the different types of queen including two of the lesser-known sub-types blob queen and black market queen).
Lee Sutton. Drag for Camp Followers. The Polari song Bona Eek starts around 6.47.
Dr Who February 1973 Carnival of Monsters episode 4, The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) talks Polari or “Tellurian Carnival Lingo” to some aliens (starting around 5.16).
The Old Bazaar in Cairo. A reworking of the famous song by Phil Starr with a killer Polari line at the end.
Heaven Documentary series Gay Life from London Weekend Television (1980) on BFI player. Drag entertainers talk about Polari (around 8.10). The documentary also covers the rise of the leather and clone looks from America.
Man Eating Typewriter. A whole book written in Polari by Richard Milward. Shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2023.
The Hammond Conjecture. An alternative history novel by M B Reed. In chapter 11 it has the characters Julian and his friend Sandrine.
BBC Voices. Interviews about language with gay men in Nottingham (26.45) and Cambridge (30.30), describing Polari. (The Nottingham one contains the only use of riahry (hairy) that I’ve heard.)
Piccadilly Palare. Song by Morrissey. “So bona to vada, oh you, your lovely eek and your lovely riah”.
The Velvet Goldmine. A scene featuring a couple of people speaking Polari.
The Polari Bible. Let there be Sparkle! The whole Bible, translated into Polari.
Stuart Feather and Bette Bourne reminiscing about Polari.
What’s a Girl Like You 1969 Documentary via BFI player. This doesn’t contain any Polari but covers the late 60s drag scene in London and Manchester, with acts performing on the bar at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Danny the Street – a DC comic strip superhero who is actually a sentient stretch of roadway (!) and uses Polari.
Reaktion Books. The dolly publisherettes of Fabulosa! Twitter: @reaktionbooks
Podcast on Polari. Interview with Fabulosa’s author, Paul Baker by Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist.
Folklore podcast on Polari with Paul Baker.
The One Show items on Polari: January 2010 and August 2020.
Owain Wyn Evans giving a weather forecast in Polari.
Interview with Paul Baker 2016
Article for The Conversation on Polari by Paul Baker
Polari documentary by Chris Brake
When the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence canonised Derek Jarman Short film by Marco Alessi.
The story of Bona Rays (a 70s punk band whose name came from Polari)
Did you know that Queen released an album called Bona Polari? (thanks to Katrin Michaels)
Seaweed in the Fruit Locker Performances by an LGBTQIA+ sea shanty choir who’ve used Polari.
Podcast by Nautilus International on on queer seafarers – Jo Stanley speaking to Robert Murtagh. Polari gets mentioned.
Strictly Polari Facebook Group
Paul Baker. Home page of your actual author. Twitter: @_paulbaker_