By Royal Appointment

14/08/14: Standing proud on Kennington Lane since 1863, the RVT has long been renowned for being at the forefront of innovative cabaret and performance art.

The list of artists that have tread her boards reads like a Rolodex of cabaret luminaries: from The Trollettes to The LipSinkers, from David Dale to David Hoyle, and Lily Savage to Charlie Hides, to name but a few. So it was only fitting that two living legends, Dave Lynn and Maisie Trollette, who have spent many a night there, helped to celebrate the RVT’s birthday last week.

You’d have been hard pressed to find a better host than rising star Ginger Johnson for this auspicious affair. Her natural charm and warmth kept the packed house constantly engaged from beginning to end.

She also came out with one of the lines of the night whilst introducing Maisie: “She cut the ribbon 151 years ago, please welcome Maisie Trollette…”

After some playful banter between the two, Maisie opened, very aptly, with, “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, before sharing treasured memories of what the venue meant to her, personally, and how it had changed over the years. “It’s not fair, you all read about history, I lived through it,” she quipped, whilst talking at length about everything from rubbing shoulders with the likes of Danny La Rue and Freddy Mercury in the very seats we were sitting, to the various events and charities supported over the years. Maisie was also celebrating her 81st birthday, in fine voice and form throughout the evening.

After a short break, in which audience members were asked to share their own memories in a special video booth, it was time for Dave Lynn – who celebrates forty years as a performer this year – to take to the stage. “Vauxhall has been in my life since I came out of my mother’s womb,” she said, before transporting us back to the very start of her career with a rare lip-sync number: ‘Blind Date’ by Barbara Streisand, from the movie Funny Girl. The audience absolutely loved it. An emotional Dave was overjoyed and told me after, “This was a really special night”.

The show was punctuated with hilarious question and answer sessions, chaired by Ginger. So lovely to witness: two cabaret heavyweights, who helped pave the way for many performers today, when the world was a very different place, talking frankly, and exchanging bantering repartee like a game of verbal ping pong.

There were also special video messages from Bette Bourne and former barman (1970’s) Andrew Pryor, who made me smile with this comment: “They used to dance on the bar in those days, ooooh but you couldn’t do it now, not with all this health and safety”.

A specially written poem performed by a walking, talking RVT, and the return of the prestigious Mr RVT pageant, which was won by the super-butch ‘Sister’, wrapped proceedings up in a neat bow.

An unforgettable night with a sea of happy faces. Happy Birthday Royal Vauxhall Tavern, long may you reign as the queen of the cabaret scene.

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is at 372 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5HY.
Words by Jason Reid
Photos by Chris Jepson

 

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1 COMMENT

  1. I spent most of the 1970’s organising the cabaret for the Pan Club in Luton – when I should have been at the RVT! One night Maisey Trollette got her white glove caught in a small cup-hook that was for Somme reason in the pillar at the front of the stage. Nothing in that you might think, but I kid you not – Maisey got an hilarious twenty minutes out of it! Wonderful days……

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