"People Kept Having To Tell Me Really Obvious Things Like 'You're Gay'" - with Paulus the Cabaret Geek

Lost Spaces: Memories from Gay Bars, Lesbian Clubs, and LGBTQ+ Parties

So when I talk about the importance of queer spaces I'm usually thinking about the fact that they give people opportunities to find others and connect, as well as exploring their identity in a safe space.

But there's this whole other layer that I don't think about much. And, that is the fact that, for performers these spaces are (on top of everything else) where they get to dream and craft and create and fuck up with a safe and understanding audience.

And this week's conversation was a great reminder of this. For this chat I'm joined by the cabaret geek himself, Paulus, who took a break from his latest show Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood to talk me about London's Madame JoJos.

It was here that he got his big break as a drag queen, and though drag is no longer his bread and butter the place remains important to him because of the magic within the walls.

We talk about the thanklessness of drag, building a chosen family, and how sometimes all you need is a wonderful middle-aged woman to tell you what you should do next.

Do you have any memories of Madame JoJos, or clubbing from your own scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos!

You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod)

Find out more about Paulus by visiting his website (https://thecabaretgeek.com/), or following him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thecabaretgeek/), or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thecabaretgeek/).

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