Record

Performance TitleStonewall - 1995 Equality Show
Performance Date22 October 1995
Performance DaySunday
Performance Time19:45
Main PerformersJoanna Lumley,
Jennifer Saunders,
Eddie Izzard,
Julian Clary,
Lily Savage,
Angela Mason,
Martina Navratilova,
Ruby Wax,
Armistead Maupin,
Kylie Minogue,
Marc Almond,
Janis Ian,
Jocelyn Brown,
Elton John,
Alison Limerick,
Michael Barrymore,
Melanie Griffith,
Antonio Banderas

Phumzile Mtetwa,
Simon Nkoli - equality award winners
Orchestra or BandEast 17 (Brian Harvey, Tony Mortimer, Terry Coldwell, John Hendy)
ChoirsThe Equality Choir:
The Pink Singers (61 members),
London Gay Men’s Chorus
Set ListAlison Limerick,
Janis Ian,
Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders,
The Equality Choir with Jocelyn Brown,
Sandi Toksvig,
'Caged' (Marc Almond),
'Brilliant Creatures' (Marc Almond),
'Child Star' (Marc Almond)
INTERVAL
Lily Savage,
The 1995 Equality Award - Angela Mason,
'Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves' (Kylie Minogue and Elton John),
'There Is Nothing Like a Dame' (Elton John, The Equality Choir)
Performance NotesStonewall is the largest British charity for lesbian, gay and bisexual equality. Founded in 1988 to protest against the Section 28 amendment, which banned local authorities from ‘promoting’ homosexuality, Stonewall went from strength to strength and in 1994 they hosted the first of seven Stonewall Equality shows at the Royal Albert Hall

From 1994-2001 famous names from the LGBTQ+ community and a whole host of other celebrities took to our stage for the annual Equality Show galas, raising funds for Stonewall UK, the largest British and European charity for LGBTQ+ rights. The seven shows were directed by queer icon Sir Ian McKellen who subsequently also brought the 2006 EuroPride Show to the Hall. When they first started they were the biggest ticketed gay and lesbian event ever held in the UK, at the time. The shows created some of the most iconic moments in the Hall's history such as a dragged-up Sir Elton John singing 'Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves' with Kylie Minogue in a tasselled bikini or Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders appearing in their first live performances in character as Patsy and Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous.

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders appeared in character as Patsy and Eddie from the BBC television sitcom Absolutely Fabulous - their first live outing.

Elton John closed the show by singing 'There Is Nothing Like a Dame' while dressed in full drag and sang a duet with Kylie Minogue.

The event was sold out and raised £100,000 for Stonewall.

The fund raising benefit show was directed by Sir Ian McKellen and was at the time the biggest ticketed gay and lesbian event ever held in the UK.

Michael Barrymore took to the stage to sing 'I Am What I Am', after coming out in August 1995 and thanked people for their support.

At an additional cost, ticket holders were able to join the performers in Heaven, a gay nightclub in London, for a private after-party.
Related Archival MaterialProgramme (RAHE/1/1995/147),
Transparencies (RAHE/3/16/18)
Ticket Prices£10-£50
URLhttps://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/gqTgQ5g010Ms
Catalogue
Reference NumberTitleDate
RAHE/1/1995/147Stonewall - 1995 Equality Show22 October 1995
RAHE/3/16/18Equality Show22 October 1995
Work
Ref NoTitleNo of Performances
Cmonudom_ViofStonewall - 1995 Equality Show1
Performers
CodeName of Performer(s)
DS/UK/4648John; Sir; Elton (25 March 1947); CH CBE; English singer songwriter, pianist, and composer
DS/UK/4799Brown; Jocelyn (1950-); American R&B singer
DS/UK/7739Almond; Marc (9 July 1957); OBE; English singer songwriter and musician
DS/UK/10609Saunders; Jennifer (1958-); English actress, comedian, screenwriter, singer
DS/UK/10784Toksvig; Sandi (3 May 1958); Danish-British writer, presenter, comedian, actress, producer
DS/UK/17340O'Grady; Paul (14 June 1955-28 March 2023); MBE DL; English comedian, actor, writer, and drag queen
DS/UK/6262Lumley; Joanna Lamond (1946-); OBE, FRGS; English actress
DS/UK/10563Barrymore; Michael (4 May 1952); English actor, comedian and television presenter
DS/UK/10763London Gay Men's Chorus; 1991-; English gay male choir
DS/UK/20121East 17 (1991-)
DS/UK/20122Pink Singers; 1983-; British LGBT choir
DS/UK/20119Banderas; Antonio (10 August 1960); Spanish actor and singer
DS/UK/20118Griffith; Melanie (1957-); American actress
DS/UK/20117Limerick; Alison T (1959-); British singer
DS/UK/20116Ian; Janis (1951-); American singer-songwriter, musician, columnist, science fiction author
DS/UK/3140Minogue; Kylie (28 May 1968); AO, OBE; Australian singer-songwriter, actress
DS/UK/20113Wax; Ruby (1953-); American born British comedian
DS/UK/20112Navratilova; Martina (18 October 1956); Czech-American tennis player and coach
DS/UK/20111Mason; Angela Margaret (9 August 1944); CBE; British civil servant, activist and former director of Stonewall
DS/UK/10785Clary; Julian (25 May 1959); English comedian and presenter
DS/UK/6116Izzard; Eddie (7 February 1962-present); English stand-up comedian, actor and political activist
DS/UK/20114Maupin; Armistead (1944-); American writer
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