Just ahead of Valentine’s Day, love was in the air on February 13 as the London Cabaret Awards returned for their second outing. Organised by Paul L. Martin through his company, Excess All Areas, the LCAs debuted last year at the Battersea Barge as something of a family affair for those directly involved in the scene.
This year’s event featured slightly different categories, adjudicated by new judges – there’s a different panel each year – and took place at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (last year’s Best Venue winner) before a bigger and broader if equally drunken audience. In the spirit of the event, here are our own LCA-related awards…
Best performance
Best speech (accepting an award)
Best speech (other)
Best WTF moment
Best excuse to pat ourselves on the back
The double-fister award for winning the same category two years running
Best decision by judges
A couple of suggestions
Not an award this time, just a couple of thoughts. As noted, this year’s event attracted many unfamiliar with the cabaret scene – a good thing in itself but there’s room for improvement in making more of the night's content accessible to newbies (ensuring all presenters know how to pronounce the nominees' names would be a plus). And the award ceremony would be a natural time to announce the members of the following year’s judging panel.
Meanwhile, congrats to all the winners and roll on 2013!
The London Cabaret Awards 2013 results in full
Best Vocal Act
Fascinating Aïda
Best Musical Variety Act
Sarah-Louise Young
Best Drag Act
Myra DuBois
Best Host/Compere
Dusty Limits
Best Burlesque Act
Laurie Hagen
Best Speciality Act
Craig the Incredible Hula Boy
Best Alternative Performer
David Hoyle
Best Newcomer
The Spiegeltent season at the London Wonderground
Best One-Off Production
Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore!
Best Ongoing Production
The Double R Club
Best Cabaret Venue
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club
Audience Award
Alp Haydar
Unsung Hero Award
Sharon Calcutt (stage manager, Finger in the Pie)
Outstanding Achievement Award
Torture Garden
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