Holly Redford Jones presents the Edinburgh Fringe premiere of her award-winning musical cabaret dedicated to lost lesbian spaces.
“This bold new show is a dance through tales of unsung, unsanitised lesbian debauchery. A sonic love letter to sapphic institutions of a bygone era, the show celebrates queer women of the past, present and future.
Redford-Jones asks the biggest questions: where have all the lesbian bars gone? How do you know when you’re in one? And how did Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire become so… crooked?”
Where: Belly Laugh at Underbelly, Cowgate
When: 31 Jul-24 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/i-was-dancing-in-the-lesbian-bar
Holly tells us how she made this show come to life.
Your show has comedy, music and ‘debauchery! Tell us more about it.
It all started out of a love for a particular song, “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” by Jonathan Richman. It’s a cracking song, a real toe tapper.
As a musician its been a staple in my set list for a long time, but I particularly love playing it in places that aren’t overtly LGBTQIA friendly, places such as in the bars of my hometown, Chesterfield.
Seeing people who probably have never stopped to consider what all the letters in LGBTQIA stand for, bob along when I sing about dancing in a lesbian bar felt powerful in some way.
I came of age in the aftermath of Section 28, the laws introduced by Maragret Thatcher which banned the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in schools… being a lesbian, visiting lesbian bars… these weren’t things that were spoken about.
With this show I’m recreating some of the excitement of visiting (and dancing in) these exclusive and elusive hidden away places.
But in this lesbian bar I’m throwing the doors open and welcoming in anyone, not just lesbians, who wants a place to be themselves.
I remember reading about Gateways and the like. Do you think the lesbian bar scene will ever get back to that point?
The Lesbian Bar scene is fundamentally different now I think.
Most notably there is of course an absence of physical lesbian bars, most have permanently shut their doors. And the way in which we identify is shifting too, to be more inclusive of trans and non-binary identities.
Somewhere like the Gateways, which was a lesbian bar in London which shut in the 80s, would have been a lesbian haven back in the day.
While I never had the chance to go, one of the great privileges of doing this show is meeting and hearing the stories of women who did. But I also think it’s a good thing that the scene is different now.
I don’t want to be sulking around back allies trying to get into the only place in town I can kiss someone I’m dating without looking over my shoulder. It’s also true that lesbian bars like the Gateways could be exclusionary places, especially for trans women and people of colour.
We have the opportunity now to rewrite the script on who a lesbian bar is for and what it can be – that’s exciting to me.
How did you make a start as a performer? Do Fringe festivals inspire you?
I’ve always loved music. That was my entry point to performing. I felt like an outsider growing up and music, playing the guitar, that was where I felt at home and being in bands gave me a confidence I didn’t have in other areas of my life.
Getting into stand-up comedy has been a bit more of a curve ball. The Edinburgh Fringe is not somewhere I ever expected to be performing at, but I’m extremely excited to be here!
After the pandemic and all the awfulness that went with it I felt like I’d hit a bit of a brick wall creatively with music and wanted to try something completely different just for the hell of it.
I signed up to a 6 week comedy course the night before it was due to start… there’s nothing like the adrenaline of getting up on stage to an expectant audience to jolt you out of a creative funk!
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
So much! I have family in Edinburgh so I’m looking forward to spending time with my Aunt and Uncle and catching up with friends and other performers.
I’m trying not to think too much about the marathon of shows ahead of me and just try and enjoy each day as it comes.
Getting to perform this show that I’m so proud of every night in a city brimming with creativity and inspiring people is such a privilege, I just want to soak it all in and savour it as much as I can.
Where can we see your work after Fringe?
I’m currently plotting an I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar tour for 2026 so watch this space !