Julian Clary at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill

The De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill

 

Bexhill is one of the less likely venues for camp champ Julian Clary - but in showbiz you tour wherever you can, and so Julian came to the De La Warr Pavilion last night.  I'd never seen him, and was a little taken aback, when I booked a couple of months ago, to find that we had a choice of seats way back or - yes - in the front row.  Oh well, I thought, at least in the front row you get a good view.  My sister-in-law Lauris, who'd expressed a wish to join us, was nervous about the prospect of being hauled up on stage and ridiculed.  As if our Julian would be interested in the opposite sex! 

 

Paul inconveniently found a reason to go to Northern Ireland, as a result of which it was Lauris and me and a friend, Linda.  I thought that this might give me a bit of cover as a heterosexual, with a woman on either side, but alas no.  It turned out that I was virtually the only male in the front row, all other males of whatever persuasion being sensibly tucked behind us.  What was more, the other front row occupants were on the far side of seventy. 

 

So I had to bow to the inevitable.  In the event it wasn't too bad, and I just smiled away as best I could and longed for that bit to be over.  The camp comic was more than skilled, and had me in stitches in the first half - the audience participation came later.  Lauris and Linda said they preferred the second half - but seeing other people squirm with embarrassment is always good for a laugh.  In general a good evening was had by all.  My fellow-victims could be seen exchanging addresses afterwards, which I thought a tad odd for heterosexual men.  But Bexhill is full of surprises.

 

Antony Mair