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Take it nice 'n' Speakeasy in Notting Hill
By Natalie Odell, London Lite 15.05.09
Party time: dance off the recession at Notting Hill’s Speakeasy
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This recession is beginning to wear me down. Every day there are reports of new economic lows, every week another friend is made redundant, my favourite shops are closing down and get-away-from-it-all holidays are out of the question. No wonder they called it the Great Depression back in the Twenties and Thirties.
So, what better way to medicate this slump than to take after our ancestors? And what did our grandparents and great-grandparents do to ease the strain? They drank, smoked cigars and danced the Charleston. Now we can learn from their example with jazz music, burlesque and gin at Speakeasy in Notting Hill's recently refurbished 20th Century Theatre.
The theatre, built in 1860, is steeped in creative history. Now a Grade II-listed building, Oscar Wilde's controversial Salome was first performed here in 1905 and it played host to Laurence Olivier's theatrical debut in 1925.
Manager Gus Robertson fell in love with the venue when he saw it for the first time last year. But as the theatre has a maximum volume allowance of 90 decibels, he realised he had to create an event in tune with the venue, not the other way around, and what better event than a speakeasy?
Recently I stumbled across the angelic vocals and nostalgia-inspiring harmonies of The Langley Sisters and checking out their upcoming performance dates — one of which was the Speakeasy — I rounded up a few mates. As we walked into the foyer of the theatre, where a gentleman was having his hair cut in an authentic barber shop chair (free haircuts were on offer for all), I spotted fedoras, zoot suits and flapper dresses on all the staff. My ensemble suddenly seemed a bit Eighties.
A £15 entry fee and a few steps upward lead to an impressive theatre hall with a 60ft ceiling. A glittering vision of feathers, sequins and crimson lipstick brushed past us as a group of cabaret dancer-esque girls flounced along. It felt as if I'd wandered into a scene from Bugsy Malone.
Deliberately arriving before 9pm to take advantage of the free cocktail hour, we made a swift move for the bar, where a relaxed crowd was sipping G&Ts. The girls I had spotted on our way in appeared on stage, provoking a hushed reception. It suddenly dawned on me who they were — The Langley Sisters. Their shimmering stage presence and Twenties show tunes delighted us all.
In between acts, I took the opportunity to check out the rest of the clientele. One thing has to be said for Speakeasy style: any man can look dapper in a Bugsy Malone suit. And that wasn't just the effect of the gin.
As we chatted, the gorgeous soft vocals of Julia Johnson's gipsy jazz washed over us. It was high time we took to the floor. My friend Guy and I made our way there and unsuccessfully attempted to copy the other glamorous couples. As we rejoined our friends, who were chatting to a man who resembled a gangster movie extra, I realised that conversation without having to lip-read or shout over thumping music was hugely refreshing.
As one friend secured a guy's phone number and the other polished off her last G&T, we headed back out into the real world. But, judging by the smiles of my fellow easy speakers, no one there gave a damn about the Depression.
20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11, 020 7229 4179 (20thcenturytheatre.com). Tube: Notting Hill Gate. The next Speakeasy is on 5 June
