Royal Vauxhall Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a gay
nightclub
in London
. It is also known as the RVT. It is South London's oldest surviving gay venue .
By 1975, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern had two bars around a kidney shaped bar which doubled as a stage for the drag artists
to dance along in their stilettos from the tiny apron stage at one end. The public bar attracted rougher local workers whilst the lounge attracted the local gay community. Notable acts from this era include "Carla" famous for her Barbra Streisand
impersonation and "The Great Lee Paris" who brought the house down on a Saturday night with Land of Hope and Glory
, and There'll always be an England
. Freddie Mercury
was also a frequent visitor during the seventies.
The RVT survived local redevelopment throughout the seventies and eighties and has managed to maintain its independence as a gay venue. Many of London's top drag artists have appeared at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, including Hinge and Bracket
, and Diana Dors
. A resident for eight years and probably most famous entertainer, with shows four times a week, was Paul O'Grady's
Lily Savage..
AIDS
devastated the South London gay community in the early eighties and the RVT lost many of its customers to the disease. The venue was also under attack from the developers in the nineties, when Lambeth Council entered into a three year agreement with a developer and announced plans to build a shopping centre on the site. Protesters marched to Lambeth Council and the development was subsequently dropped.
The most prominent show in the present day is Simon Casson’s avant garde nightclub, Duckie, hosted by Amy Lame
. For the past 14 years, Duckie has run every Saturday at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern providing progressive working class entertainment for the homosexual communities of Vauxhall
.
For over ten years, the South London Action Girls Society (S.L.A.G.S.) has been hosted on Sunday afternoons by Jonathan Hellyer's Dame Edna Experience.
Intermittently artist David Hoyle hosts an avant garde cabaret show, where sometimes controversial themes are explored.
The RVT won the Fringe Report
best venue in 2010.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is also known as the RVT. It is South London's oldest surviving gay venue .
Early history
The RVT was built in 1863 at Spring Gardens, Kennington Lane, on land which was originally part of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. It started life as a Victorian music hall. After the war, returning servicemen and local gay men were attracted to the venue, which held shows of female impersonators, the forerunner of drag shows..By 1975, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern had two bars around a kidney shaped bar which doubled as a stage for the drag artists
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
to dance along in their stilettos from the tiny apron stage at one end. The public bar attracted rougher local workers whilst the lounge attracted the local gay community. Notable acts from this era include "Carla" famous for her Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
impersonation and "The Great Lee Paris" who brought the house down on a Saturday night with Land of Hope and Glory
Land of Hope and Glory
"Land of Hope and Glory" is a British patriotic song, with music by Edward Elgar and lyrics by A. C. Benson, written in 1902.- Composition :...
, and There'll always be an England
There'll Always Be an England
"There'll Always Be an England" is an English patriotic song, written and distributed in the summer of 1939, which became highly popular upon the outbreak of World War II...
. Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
was also a frequent visitor during the seventies.
The RVT survived local redevelopment throughout the seventies and eighties and has managed to maintain its independence as a gay venue. Many of London's top drag artists have appeared at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, including Hinge and Bracket
Hinge and Bracket
Dr. Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket were the stage personae of the musical performance and female impersonation artists George Logan and Patrick Fyffe...
, and Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
. A resident for eight years and probably most famous entertainer, with shows four times a week, was Paul O'Grady's
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
Lily Savage..
AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
devastated the South London gay community in the early eighties and the RVT lost many of its customers to the disease. The venue was also under attack from the developers in the nineties, when Lambeth Council entered into a three year agreement with a developer and announced plans to build a shopping centre on the site. Protesters marched to Lambeth Council and the development was subsequently dropped.
Recent history
In 2005, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern was taken over by gay businessmen Paul Oxley and James Lindsay. With a new lighting and sound system the venue is now open seven nights a week and is currently as popular now as it was when Lily Savage left in 1994..The most prominent show in the present day is Simon Casson’s avant garde nightclub, Duckie, hosted by Amy Lame
Amy Lamé
Amy Lamé is an American-born, British performer, writer, television and radio presenter and producer.-Biography:Lamé was born Amy Caddle and raised in Keyport, New Jersey. She attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland and moved to London in 1992...
. For the past 14 years, Duckie has run every Saturday at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern providing progressive working class entertainment for the homosexual communities of Vauxhall
Vauxhall
-Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...
.
For over ten years, the South London Action Girls Society (S.L.A.G.S.) has been hosted on Sunday afternoons by Jonathan Hellyer's Dame Edna Experience.
Intermittently artist David Hoyle hosts an avant garde cabaret show, where sometimes controversial themes are explored.
The RVT won the Fringe Report
Fringe Report
Fringe Report is an online magazine relating to contemporary fringe theatre published in the United Kingdom. Fringe Report publishes 2 or 3 times a week on London performances as well as regional performances in the United Kingdom. Fringe Report dates from 2002....
best venue in 2010.