The Royal Vauxhall Tavern
| Royal Vauxhall Tavern | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern in 2008
|
|
 Location within South London
|
|
| General information | |
| Location |
Vauxhall London, SE11 United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°29′11″N 0°07′19″W / 51.4864°N 0.1219°WCoordinates: 51°29′11″N 0°07′19″W / 51.4864°N 0.1219°W |
| Opened | 1863 |
| Website | |
| http://www.vauxhalltavern.com/ | |
| Listed Building – Grade II | |
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a Grade II listedgay entertainment venue in Vauxhall, London. It is also known as the RVT. It is South London's oldest surviving gay venue.
The RVT was built between 1860 and 1862 at Spring Gardens, Kennington Lane, on land which was originally part of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Although sometimes reported to have started life as a music hall, the venue was in fact constructed as a public house and has always served that function. After the Second World War, returning servicemen and local gay men were reportedly attracted to the venue, which held shows by female impersonators (drag shows).
By 1975, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern had two bars around a kidney shaped bar which doubled as a stage for the drag artists to dance along in their stilettos from the tiny apron stage at one end. Prior to the cabaret starting the bar would be cleared of glasses and drinks and the staff would clean the bar ready for the drag to dance along it in their heels. The public bar attracted local workers and had a dart board whilst the lounge attracted the local gay community. Notable acts from this era include "Carla", famous for her Barbra Streisand impersonation and "The Great Lee Paris" on a Saturday night with Land of Hope and Glory, and There'll always be an England.Freddie Mercury was also a frequent visitor during the 1970s.
The RVT survived local redevelopment throughout the 1970s and 1980s and maintained its independence as a gay venue. Many of London's top drag artists performed there, including Hinge and Bracket, Regina Fong and Adrella. Diana Dors also appeared there.Lily Savage, the drag persona of Paul O'Grady, was a regular performer for eight years, with shows four times per week.
According to Cleo Rocos in her memoir The Power of Positive Drinking, Diana, Princess of Wales visited the RVT in the late 1980s, disguised as a man and accompanied by Rocos, Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett. Rocos stated that revelers did not notice Diana because their attention was focused on Mercury, Everett and Rocos.
...
Wikipedia