Building up to Lola Lasagne’s Drag Roast on Thursday 25th, this week Jason Reid spoke to her dear ‘friends’ who are sharpening their tongues and perfecting their put-downs in preparation for the big night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern…
THE HOST
Myra DuBois
The first time you met Lola you thought…
“What time is Sandra on?”
Which cabaret venue is best suited to Lola’s personality?
The RVT, of course! As Vauxhall moves with the times, redeveloping into a hip and happening district, the RVT remains as it ever was: staunch and unmoving. And that reminds me of Lola.
If Lola were an animal, what animal would she be?
A cow. Mind you, you asked “would she be”, not “is she”. Still cow. She’s a beef lasagne.
If Lola wasn’t a lasagne, what food dish would she be?
A curry, because they don’t half repeat!
Lola’s audiences always leave with a feeling of…
Wonder. They wonder if and when they’ll hear a punchline.
THE ROASTERS
Miss Jason
“I first met Lola in the early 2000s at The Old Vic in Portsmouth. As I witnessed the immense talent that filled the stage I said to my friend, ‘I want to be like her when I’m old.’ ‘Really?’ He said. ‘Yes but with nicer hair’, I joked. My first impressions? This was a woman who knows her own mind and one you shouldn’t mess with. I still hold that view all these years on.”
Mrs Moore
“Lola and I first met about fifteen years ago, when she was running her mobile burger van in Deptford. She came across as confident and self-assured, and still does. I seem to remember she gave me extra onions. But I had to pay for the serviette! Tall hair was her thing then, and I remember thinking, ‘That must be handy for dusting the air vents.’ The next time I saw her was at The Two Brewers or The Black Cap (it’s a bit sketchy). She was telling some joke about a policeman and a radar gun – she still tells it. I think she stole it from Sassy Stryker.” [laughs]
Rose Garden
“The first time I saw Lola perform was when she was a mime act at the RVT (she should’ve stayed as mime!). When she turned live, I got to know her from The Queen’s Arms, Lewisham and we got chatting and hit it off straightway. It was around 1996. My first impressions of her were: she was quite funny but very aloof. She just seemed young and fun. How things have changed… I’ve roasted Lola once before, but this time round I’m going to rip her to shreds. Not holding back one bit, because she’s a big enough target, and she can dish it as well as she takes it.”
• The Drag Roast will take place on Thursday 25th September at the RVT (372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY). Doors open at 7pm, and the performance starts at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £10 each an advance or £12 on the door, all of which will be donated to Terrence Higgins Trust. Tickets available from: www.rvt.org.uk/whatson/single/drag-roast1
