| Performance Title | Stonewall - 1994 Equality Show |
| Performance Date | 23 October 1994 |
| Performance Day | Sunday |
| Performance Time | 20:00 |
| Main Performers | Lily Savage,
Sandi Toksvig,
Her Imperial Highness Regina Fong,
Ben Elton,
Angela Mason,
Melissa Etheridge,
D:Ream (Peter Cunnah),
Alison Moyet,
Elton John,
Sting,
Stephen Fry |
| Secondary Performers | Richard Gere
Sir Ian McKellan |
| Orchestra or Band | Sheboom,
'Once on this Island' Company (PP Arnold, Lorna Brown, Sharon D Clarke, Anthony Ofoegbu, Marcia Mantack, Suzanne Packer, Shezwae Powell, Clive Rowe, Mark Vincent, Annabelle Williams, Johnny Worthy, Little Ti Moune played by Chandra Ruegg),
'Once on this Island' Orchestra (Richard Balcombe (M.D.), Martin Lowe, Tim Higgs, Judd Proctor, Glyn Evans, Dave Webster, Andy Panayi) |
| Set List | Speech (Stephen Fry),
Sheboom,
Lily Savage,
Melissa Etheridge,
'Once on this Island' Company (Performance staged by Johnny Worthy),
Sandi Toksvig,
Her Imperial Highness Regina Fong,
D:Ream,
INTERVAL
'Ne Me Quitte Pas' (Alison Moyet),
Ben Elton,
The 1994 Equality Award - Angela Mason,
'I Feel Pretty', Bernstein, Sondheim (Elton John),
'Come Down in Time' (Sting),
'Englishman in New York' (Sting),
'Shape Of My Heart' (Sting),
'Every Breath You Take' (Sting),
'Big Spender' (Sting) |
| 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.
This event was attended by Labour leader, Tony Blair and the actor Richard Gere who got up on stage to squash rumours that he was gay by announcing that he was a lesbian!
Other guests included Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Fry, Chris Smith MP, Tony Blair MP and Cheri Blair.
"Sting almost brought the house down when he started a slow striptease in front of Elton [John] as they duetted on Big Spender. It ended with a bare-chested Sting down to his leather trousers. Their double act, introduced by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys, was the climax to an evening that raised £100,000 for Stonewall, launched by 60 women drummers from Scotland."
(The Evening Standard, 24 October 1994)
Stephen Fry's appearance was not recorded in the programme for the event. As Sir Ian McKellan wrote in The Daily Telegraph (24 February 1995);
"Sir - Stephen Fry's generosity is only one of his many endearing virtues. Last summr I asked him to appear at the Albert Hall in aid of Stonewall, which lobbies for legal and social equality for lesbians and gay man. H etold me he was "very sorry to let Stonewall down", but would I contact him nearer the time. I duly did, but he was still overwhelmed with work. Two days before the show, he called me. He could squeeze a couple of hours out of his diary. So he elegantly sauntered on to the Albert Hall stage and ad-libbed a passionate and hilarious speech about injustice." |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1994/139),
Handbill (RAHE/6/1994/35),
Poster (RAHE/2/1994/3) |
| Ticket Prices | £10-£50 |
| URL | https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/7Sj7Sb47xTzWL |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/C6yCKDPC2XhwF |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/3A34BI3xRVrl |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/RuRy5R3PWWX |
| Code | Name of Performer(s) |
| DS/UK/4648 | John; Sir; Elton (25 March 1947); CH CBE; English singer songwriter, pianist, and composer |
| DS/UK/10784 | Toksvig; Sandi (3 May 1958); Danish-British writer, presenter, comedian, actress, producer |
| DS/UK/17340 | O'Grady; Paul (14 June 1955-28 March 2023); MBE DL; English comedian, actor, writer, and drag queen |
| DS/UK/87 | Etheridge; Melissa (1961-); American rock singer |
| DS/UK/22 | Sting (2 October 1951); CBE; English musician and actor |
| DS/UK/6 | Moyet; Alison (18 June 1961-); English singer |
| DS/UK/3371 | Elton; Benjamin Charles 'Ben' (1959-); English-Australian comedian, author, playwright, director |
| DS/UK/19828 | Bundy; Reg (26 May 1946-15 April 2003); British dancer, actor and television presenter |
| DS/UK/19829 | D:Ream (1992-) |
| DS/UK/54 | Stonewall; 1989-; British LGBT rights charity |
| DS/UK/21709 | Vincent; Mark (1993-); Australian tenor |
| DS/UK/2871 | Fry; Stephen (24 August 1957-); English actor and comedian |
| DS/UK/16036 | Westwood; Dame; Vivienne (8 April 1941-29 December 2023); DBE RDI; English fashion designer, activist, businesswoman |