| Main Performers | Sian Phillips,
The 60's Tiller Girls,
Lily Savage,
Judi Dench,
Patrick Voullaire,
Mary Williams,
John Weight,
Jackie Clune,
Horse McDonald,
Lesley Garrett,
Jimmy Somerville |
| Secondary Performers | Philip Thomas - piano (accompanist for Lesley Garrett),
David Shrubsole - piano,
Julian Jackson - violin,
Rob Levy - bass |
| Orchestra or Band | Pet Shop Boys,
The Dave Bintley Band |
| Set List | Jackie Clune,
Horse MacDonald,
Lesley Garrett,
Jimmy Somerville,
The 1997 Equality Award,
Sian Phillips
INTERVAL
The 60's Tiller Girls,
Lily Savage,
'Sixteen Going On Seventeen', Rodgers and Hammerstein (Pet Shop Boys),
'Being Boring' (Pet Shop Boys),
'Climb Ev'ry Mountain', Rodgers and Hammerstein (Pet Shop Boys),
'Go West', Village People (Pet Shop Boys),
'It's Not Unusual', T Jones (Pet Shop Boys),
Finale |
| 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.
Cherie Booth QC, the wife of politician Tony Blair, was honoured by Stonewall's director, Angela Mason at the event for her work in representing two lesbian railway employees in a discrimination case at the European Court of Justice. Booth wasn't present to receive the award but Mason's message of gratitude was read out to the 5,3000 crowd. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1997/151),
Handbill (RAHE/6/1997/33)
Poster (RAHE/2/1997/23),
Video (RAHE/5/1997/2) |