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When the RVT throws a one-off cabaret bash, it is usually a thing of rare beauty packed with unique performances and death defying makeup, and requiring a level of ad lib skills that would turn even a ventriloquist's dummy white. And so it was a couple of weeks back when 'A Fete Worse Than Death' came to the hallowed boards of this south London establishment. Apparently in aid of FaceBook suicide victims and an artistic sabbatical by Dickie Beau to the Big Apple (bizarrely coinciding with the January sales!), a collection of friends and admirers gathered to honour/ridicule/lambast him through the medium of mime, song and music. Timberlina played the character of Emcee superbly and opened the show with a rendition of 'Ring of Fire' played live on a ukulele. Ingenue St John gave us her take on relationships with Jay Brannans 'I wanna be a housewife' (clearly she didn't!), while Helen Noir and Sitron Panopoulos turned in equally accomplished turns. The amazing Ryan Styles always sets the bar high in the performance stakes and his Fujiyama Mama was a smoldering success and was followed by man of the moment Dickie Beau with his lip-perfect Judy Garland deconstruction that received rapturous applause and a standing ovation.

DJ Dawn Right Nasty played a selection of oldies and even older while the punters chowed down on Jason's chipolatas spread liberally along the bar. After an interval and the obligatory raffle (Taschen's book of big cocks, dvds, books from Gays The Word etc) the finale came courtesy of the legendary David Hoyle who created a portrait of Mr Beau before our very eyes. Another stupendous not to be repeated night at the Tavern.

CJ