01/03/15: QX took a stroll through the back streets of Bloomsbury as New Bloomsbury Set channelled smoked-filled cabaret bars and jazz basements the world over for the launch of The Very Miss Dusty O’s Musical Menagerie last Sunday.
Featuring a rather elegant Dusty, sans drag in his most fashionable gentleman’s attire, a night of scintillating show tunes and laid back jazz saw a convivial crowd packing into the subterranean bolt hole for fun and frolics through ‘til late.
Highlights included Dusty issuing a clarion call from the bijou stage for performance artistes to take the mic as a line up of torch songsters and bohemians gave rousing renditions of some of our most beloved ballads.
Amidst the flow of wine and clinking of glasses there were star turns from the likes of Louise George, smooching her way through cocktail numbers, accompanied by sultry sax.
Meanwhile, theatrical leading light and Dusty panto collaborator, Stuart Saint, made a heroic stab at Avenue Q’s ‘Purpose’, despite having a chest infection, not knowing the words and afterwards declaring he was ‘awful’.
Elsewhere, QX lost ourselves in literature in the gents – quite possibly the only convenience in London to paper the walls with E.M. Forster – as the jaunty japes continued at one of the most unique venues on our fabulous LGBT scene. Don’t miss Dusty’s Musical Menagerie next Sunday!
New Bloomsbury Set, 76 Marchmont Street, WC1N 1AG
Words by Chris John
Photos by Joel Ryder
