The City of Quebec in Marble Arch has been pulling in the gayers for decades, and their regular rotation of cabaret is one of their best features. We decided to have a chat with three acts appearing there this month to tell us more…
TOPPING AND BUTCH: Appearing on Sunday 18th November
QX: We haven’t spoken to you guys for a lil’ bit, what have you been up to since we last caught up?
TOPPING: We’ve been bouncing between gay and straight circuits! Sometimes wearing the rubber and leather and sometimes more dapper black suits. This year we’ve had great fun at the European Gay Ski Week and the Leicester and Cambridge Comedy Festivals.
You guys are famous for your topical humour and songs, which news event has provided you with the most material recently?
BUTCH: We’ve had some fun with the recent American elections, John Terry’s racial abuse, the New York floodings, and the Jimmy Savile ‘touch and go’ stories that are never ending! The straight audiences are more easily offended, ‘cos they’ve got the kids.
We were going to ask if you guys would touch the Jimmy Savile story…
TOPPING: Jimmy Savile has his own song at the moment! Especially since we all found out he broke more things than he actually ‘Fixed’.
BUTCH: Nothing is out of bounds except perhaps if the Queen died or any type of mass murder. We’d need to give that at least two weeks otherwise people may think we’re a little bit insensitive…
TIFFANY WELLS: Resident every Tuesday
QX: You’re resident at City of Quebec every Tuesday, could you tell us more about your show?
Well I do two spots at The Quebec at 10 and 11pm. The first show is mostly songs from current West End musicals, whilst the second is a sing-a-long show, which is great as by 11 pm the Quebec punters are well up for a boozy/camp/Cockney knees-up!
Tuesday is a notoriously quiet night in Gayland, but you seem to be entertaining the masses on your nights with ease. What’s your secret to a good residency?
Ahh thank you darling! I invest a lot of time and effort in my songs and medleys so I can rotate my material each week, making sure the show fresh and interesting!
Tell us your favourite memory from your time at City of Quebec…
It has to be the night the entire cast of the hit TV show ‘Benidorm’ came to celebrate the birthday of its creator and writer, Derren Litten. It was such a camp and hysterical night!
What’s your ultimate favourite ‘number’?
That’s a tough one, but it has to be ‘I’m Still Here’ from Follies “Good times and bad times, I’ve seen them all and I’m still here.” Aint that the truth!
DRAG WITH NO NAME: Appearing on Sunday 11th November
QX: You always cover a huge number of celebrity faces in your shows – the punters really get their money’s worth! Who is your favourite personality to do and why?
It changes from week to week! I revisited Kerry Katona doing the Sound of Music the other day, which was such fun, even though she’s not current in the news! But if I was tied down and forced for an answer [kinky] then I will always be fond of Susan Boyle, and it remains my most requested character to date.
Which personality do you do is the most challenging?
I’m currently doing Cheryl Cole, which is always a little bit of a struggle. Not only because I have to dance for a couple of minutes in the sketch – and despite my almost slender physique, I’m as fit as Vanessa Feltz’s left bollock – but I also have to do the Geordie accent! It ends up sounding like I’ve just done a tour of India, whilst bypassing Wales and Birmingham!
Tell us about your best and worst performance ever…
I remember in a Hard Rock Cafe once this ‘woman’ kept running up on stage and groping me and trying to pull my costumes off.
I couldn’t do anything at the time as I was halfway through sketches, but it got to a point during Britney when she pulled my skirt down and I realised she had gone beyond annoying, so as she walked off the stage I grabbed hold of her ponytail and yanked her head back so hard she almost toppled over.
I hasten to add, I ran out of the bar as quickly as my heels would take me! On the brighter side I do have some amazing venues to work 99% of the time, and if I had to pick a gig that stands above the rest I think it would have to be Brighton Pride each year. The atmosphere and love us performers are shown on stage is immense!
• City of Quebec, 12 Old Quebec Street, Marble Arch, W1H 7AF
