Worth: $14.00
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Cast:
Sandi Toksvig
Intro:
… casual blend of storytelling, cheesy re-enactments, and flashes of [comedian Sandi] Toksvig’s modern day antics all work together to spin the mythology of the Gateways and its legendary owners …
Framed with a series of light-hearted vignettes featuring gay comedian Sandi Toksvig, director Jacquie Lawrence takes us on a journey into the history of Chelsea’s infamous Gateways club, one of history’s most influential and long-surviving lesbian nightclubs.
Known as one of the rare places both openly gay and closeted patrons could meet and mingle without fear of persecution, the icon status of the “Gates” and its signature green door (the inspiration for the Shakin’ Stevens song of the same name, or so we’re led to believe) is finally being resuscitated, having faded into near obscurity in most circles after the club’s closure in 1985.
Lawrence’s casual blend of storytelling, cheesy re-enactments, and flashes of Toksvig’s modern day antics all work together to spin the mythology of the Gateways and its legendary owners: gambler Ted Ware who won the lease to the basement property in a bet, and his scene-stealing wife Gina who ran the club alongside her close friend and confidant, an American ex-air force servicewoman known as “Smithy”.
There’s a delight in hearing the older generation of lesbian women tell their tales of high-spirited shenanigans and the kind of mischievous behaviour you can only get away with in a dark room far away from conservative society’s prying eyes. Lawrence brings together a host of writers, artists, businesswomen, and homemakers; all capturing hearts with a wink and a smile as easily now as they did back in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Their stories are a rare glimpse into the personal lives of the pioneering generations of Britain’s lesbian community.
From insights into the strict code of conduct and evolving expectations of gender conformity, to name dropping VIP club members like Patricia Highsmith, we’re treated to a smorgasbord of tall tales from an eclectic mix of women, all tied together by Toksvig’s efforts to see the club itself recognised as a landmark with a fascinating history that deserves to be not only remembered but honoured with its very own blue plaque to sit alongside the green door.
