REVIEW
Fanny Galore's Buns and Bubbles
Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
14th July 2018
Fanny will return on 14th October 2018
Fanny Galore's Buns and Bubbles
Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
14th July 2018
Fanny will return on 14th October 2018
Hold on to your handbags (no seriously, hold on to them) because Fanny Galore, Southend’s favourite drag queen, has taken residence at the Cliffs Pavilion, Maritime Room with her ‘Buns and Bubbles’ and I promise you - afternoon tea will never be the same again!
Once a month, Fanny will be taking over the Maritime Room at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion to host an afternoon tea with a difference.
On arrival you are greeted with the choice of an ice cold glass of Pimms (this was Wimbledon week) or an orange juice before taking your seats at one of the many white linen adorned tables in the Maritime Room which, incidentally, has wonderful views of the Southend cliffs and seafront. On this particular afternoon, the whole of the Maritime Room was full to bursting with ladies clearly out to have a great time. There were tables filled with a few people celebrating birthdays, some school mums, a few couples but mostly of girls out for a lovely afternoon getting a chance to catch up and have some fun.
After a short while, tea, sandwiches and cake were delivered to our table which comprised of a nice choice of cucumber sandwiches, salmon bagels, chicken wraps, scones with jam and cream and a selection of delicious cakes with Fanny bursting into the room mid-course. This gave us a chance to not only digest our 'buns' but also to take in just what we had in store with Fanny, a vision of perma-tanned delight, decked out in a leafy dress of outrageous bright green, sporting a huge bouffant blonde hair-do and killer gold heels to die for.
Once a month, Fanny will be taking over the Maritime Room at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion to host an afternoon tea with a difference.
On arrival you are greeted with the choice of an ice cold glass of Pimms (this was Wimbledon week) or an orange juice before taking your seats at one of the many white linen adorned tables in the Maritime Room which, incidentally, has wonderful views of the Southend cliffs and seafront. On this particular afternoon, the whole of the Maritime Room was full to bursting with ladies clearly out to have a great time. There were tables filled with a few people celebrating birthdays, some school mums, a few couples but mostly of girls out for a lovely afternoon getting a chance to catch up and have some fun.
After a short while, tea, sandwiches and cake were delivered to our table which comprised of a nice choice of cucumber sandwiches, salmon bagels, chicken wraps, scones with jam and cream and a selection of delicious cakes with Fanny bursting into the room mid-course. This gave us a chance to not only digest our 'buns' but also to take in just what we had in store with Fanny, a vision of perma-tanned delight, decked out in a leafy dress of outrageous bright green, sporting a huge bouffant blonde hair-do and killer gold heels to die for.
Fanny, (as any one who has seen her evening cabaret shows will tell you) is larger than life, full of fun and takes no prisoners! This is not the afternoon tea to come to if you’re the shy wallflower type. Fanny will have you singing, clapping, dancing and even blaspheming like an east end docker by the time she’s finished with you on this exhaustingly epic, three and a half hour afternoon tea extravaganza.
The premise of the afternoon is that all of us girls should have some ‘me time’ - we deserve a treat and so the afternoon is all about us. With this in mind, Fanny gets us all to write down our favourite songs which will be played throughout the afternoon. This also gives Fanny the opportunity to grab the mic and encourage us all to clap and sing along with her to every song all the while interacting with the audience. Men in the audience beware - outrageous Fanny loves to get her legs around any man and she will find you, much to the delight of everyone else. No one is safe, not even a few unsuspecting passers by outside the Maritime Room which had its doors open on the gorgeous hot sunny day we were there. Also, hang on to your handbags because she'll have no hesitation in whisking them away when you're least expecting it or not looking and run along the cliffs with them - and yes, she did grab mine! There's no doubt that Fanny is one crazy queen! |
This afternoon tea is probably not for the faint hearted amongst us, but it is all in good fun and Fanny goes all out to keep everyone entertained with constant howls of laughter to be heard throughout the song singing, dancing and polishing off of cucumber sandwiches and scones.
Fanny even gives away an “I LOVE Fanny’ t-shirt to the best dancer of the afternoon and believe it or not, there are plenty of contenders!
By the time the afternoon comes to an end, I for one, am exhausted. The strange thing is, I feel like I’ve known all of the people in this room for ages and that Fanny has become our new best friend. We’ve even sung that rude version of Smokey’s Living Next Door to Alice (changing the name to Fanny and screeching ‘Who the f**k is Fanny!’ at the top of our lungs - I know, right!?) I barely have time to stick my face in Fanny’s hole (it’s one of those cardboard cut out things) before it’s time to say our farewells to the fabulous Miss Galore, who takes the time to make sure that everyone who wants one, gets a selfie with her.
This may not be the afternoon tea you’d take your maiden aunt to, unless of course she’s Pat Butcher, but it’s a great girls, gays and guys who aren’t afraid to feel the drag queen love, afternoon out full of tongue in cheek humour and outrageous innuendoes.
If you want to see more of Fanny check out her Big Night Out monthly cabaret show which is next on Friday 20th July.
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk 01702 351135
Fanny even gives away an “I LOVE Fanny’ t-shirt to the best dancer of the afternoon and believe it or not, there are plenty of contenders!
By the time the afternoon comes to an end, I for one, am exhausted. The strange thing is, I feel like I’ve known all of the people in this room for ages and that Fanny has become our new best friend. We’ve even sung that rude version of Smokey’s Living Next Door to Alice (changing the name to Fanny and screeching ‘Who the f**k is Fanny!’ at the top of our lungs - I know, right!?) I barely have time to stick my face in Fanny’s hole (it’s one of those cardboard cut out things) before it’s time to say our farewells to the fabulous Miss Galore, who takes the time to make sure that everyone who wants one, gets a selfie with her.
This may not be the afternoon tea you’d take your maiden aunt to, unless of course she’s Pat Butcher, but it’s a great girls, gays and guys who aren’t afraid to feel the drag queen love, afternoon out full of tongue in cheek humour and outrageous innuendoes.
If you want to see more of Fanny check out her Big Night Out monthly cabaret show which is next on Friday 20th July.
For tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk 01702 351135
What did you think of the afternoon? Here's a few comments so far but feel free to leave yours in the COMMENTS below!
Lisa, 49, Tilbury
"I would highly recommend going to see Fanny. I had a really great afternoon. The food was nice and wherever you sat you could see as she walked round interacting with everyone. Everybody seemed to feel at ease to dance, sing and play a long. My jaw ached from laughing and smiling and I would definitely go and see her again."
Anne, Yorkshire
"Had a fantastic afternoon today. Thank you so much for the entertainment and making us laugh so much."
Sarah Gardiner
"Was a fantastic afternoon. Thank you for making us laugh so much."
Lisa, 49, Tilbury
"I would highly recommend going to see Fanny. I had a really great afternoon. The food was nice and wherever you sat you could see as she walked round interacting with everyone. Everybody seemed to feel at ease to dance, sing and play a long. My jaw ached from laughing and smiling and I would definitely go and see her again."
Anne, Yorkshire
"Had a fantastic afternoon today. Thank you so much for the entertainment and making us laugh so much."
Sarah Gardiner
"Was a fantastic afternoon. Thank you for making us laugh so much."