Music, poetry, reminiscences and a painting – with contributions from Claudia Andrei, Charmian Hughes, Lindsay Moran, Anthony Irvine, Dylan & Roland Bates, Richard Thomas, John Hegley, Simon Munnery.
Doors 7pm | Show 7.30 | £10 cash on the door.
There really isn’t much to add with regards to the late Tony Green (better known under his stage name Sir Gideon Vein) which hasn’t been said already. Sir Gideon may have passed away on June 2nd after a short and brave battle with cancer, but his legacy will, without doubt, live on. He was one of a kind – a brilliantly eccentric and highly dandified comic creation whose penchant for the surreal and the anarchic became his trademark. Full of acerbic wit, impeccable comic timing and a caustic tongue, his performances – in particular on the alternative cabaret circuit during the 1980s and 90s – contributed much to this reputation, as did his unique dress sense. Indeed, more often than not Sir Gideon appeared to be a figure straight from Victorian mystery novel and for good reason: the Gothic, the Macabre, and all things Victorian/Edwardian had always held a deep fascination for him, as exemplified through his many books, DVDs and magazines which he collected over the decades. In later years, his immense knowledge of the Victorian era in general and London’s East End in particular benefitted him when he worked freelance as a Jack the Ripper tour guide. At the same time, Sir Gideon was passionate about music and the arts, with a strong love for classical music and poetry – often accompanied by a glass of wine (or two or three) while listening to his favourite composer or reading some of his favourite poems. He also displayed a talent for writing and two of his short stories (one posthumously) even made it into print. Occasionally, he also performed Grand Guignol-style horror-comedy shows together with his partner, Claudia Andrei, under the name ‘Vaudeville Creepers’. Tonight, we pay special tribute to this lovable, much cherished and much missed raconteur, who has touched the lives of everyone he met in one way or another and who has left a huge gap within the artistic circles who knew him. RIP Sir Gideon – gone, but not forgotten!
Claudia Andrei
German-born Claudia Andrei has been living and working in the UK for the past 30 years, first in London and from 2013 onwards, in Edinburgh. Claudia is a film reviewer and journalist primarily writing for various movie magazines abroad for which he has her regular columns, as well as writing for online Film-News UK. Furthermore, she reviews theatre plays and also works freelance as a tour guide in Edinburgh. Together with her late partner Tony Green (aka Sir Gideon Vein) she performed as one part of the comedy-horror duo ‘Vaudeville Creepers’ both in London and Edinburgh whenever the right opportunity or event came up. When not busy in her capacity as a journalist or tour guide, Claudia – a devoted cat lover – counts handicraft among her hobbies and likes to create items with a feline motif. She is also a passionate reader, in particular books with supernatural themes, history books, biographies and the novels and short stories of Leon Garfield. Her latest addition is an illustrated book about the history of Spitalfields in London’s East End – an area in which she spent many happy hours with Tony, whom she misses beyond words.
Charmian Hughes
Charmian accidentally stumbled into the alternative comedy scene around 1986. She first met Tony when he booked her demented clown character, Teatro de Existentiale, at his Open Heart Cabaret in Chiswick and he continued to be a regular feature in her performing world, whether the infamous Tunnel Club, Glastonbury Festival, or The Klinker. Charmian continues to perform her comedy all over the land to this day and also is a published poet.
Lindsay Moran
I was a regular performer at the main cabaret scene in the 80s but independently I always loved performing at the alternative gigs that Tony organised/compèred as the anarchic Gideon Vein.
Tony had the grace and heart of a discordant Victorian punk. Tony was also a great kind friend. We had many shared adventures and mishaps together, which luckily did not disturb our strong friendship.
Tony was a totally unique person. I still miss him.
Anthony Irvine
Anthony Irvine, the extra fine painter known as ‘aim’,will be sharing very brief memories of Tony and will also be auctioning his recent painting of Tony compering the Open Heart Cabaret -introducing actually “The Iceman”.
The starting price for bidding is £150 (framed, 20.5”x20.5”). See below.
Dylan & Roland Bates
Dylan Bates (voice, violin, etc.) & Roland Bates (voice, melodica, etc.) perform some of the poems Bitten by a Monkey used to do with Sir Gideon.
Richard Thomas
Writer, musician, performer, broadcaster, filmmaker… Richard Thomas packs a lot in. But, maybe, he should just pack it in.
John Hegley
I first performed with Tony with Soapbox Theatre in 1979 at London’s Half Moon Theatre, in Gareth Thomas’s pre-general election show
in which Tony played the right wing candidate
Martin Hatred with me as his angry dog, Nimrod.
That same year, I was the servant, Spudikins
to Tony’s finely effete Sir Walter Raleigh at the Glastonbury festival – and soon after, Tony it was who encouraged me
to take my poems and songs into the comedy and cabaret arena of the early nineteen 80’s. We were hooked up again by artist Mel Brimfield to perform in the new Millenium, once more in a drama – Brian Dewan’s Yellow Jacket
at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Simon Munnery
Comedian. Born Edgware, raised Watford, died all over the place.
‘Vaudeville Creepers perform at Edinburgh Free Fringe August 2016
Profits go to Cancer Research Scotland
