Bette Bourne & Paul Shaw talk about their favourite RVT acts
Bette Bourne and Paul Shaw talk about the favourite acts they’ve seen at the RVT.
Bette Bourne and Paul Shaw talk about the favourite acts they’ve seen at the RVT.
We found this video on the Friends of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens website, it features Paul O’Grady re-opening the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens on 1st February 2012.
Here’s an advert we found from the early 1980’s which announces the re-opening of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern after ‘extensive re-docoration’. I wonder if this was when the bar was moved and the stage area added? Interesting to see mime and drag advertised as 7 days a week, including Sunday morning.
I’ve just been reading Paul O’Grady’s Biography, which is broken down into 3 books. There’s some very interesting recollections of the RVT. The part below is from the second book ‘The Devil Rides Out’ when Paul was performing as part of the drag group ‘The Glamazons’. “At the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, in what felt like a rough part of sarf…
This scene was filmed in the RVT in 1970. Skinny drag queen puts on a show in the pub while twins Jacki and Julian make new friends. From the 1970 film “Goodbye Gemini”, directed by Alan Gibson. Starring Judy Geeson, Martin Potter, and Alexis Kanner. Produced by Joseph Shaftel Productions
The project is moving along nicely – we did one of our first interviews last week with Bette Bourne and Paul Shaw. Bette used to go to the RVT in the 1950’s and remembers the bar being split into 3 sections, one of them being just for ladies. We’ll be posting the interview in the next day or so….