| Main Performers | Joanna 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 Band | East 17 (Brian Harvey, Tony Mortimer, Terry Coldwell, John Hendy) |
| Choirs | The Equality Choir:
The Pink Singers (61 members),
London Gay Mens Chorus |
| Set List | Alison 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 Notes | Stonewall 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 Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1995/147),
Transparencies (RAHE/3/16/18) |