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TAPE_NUMBER: EN9942 IN_TIME: 11:03:22 LENGTH: 03:04 SOURCES: APTN RESTRICTIONS: Music/performance rights must be cleared, No access Internet FEED: VARIOUS (THE ABOVE TIME-CODE IS TIME-OF-DAY) SCRIPT: xfa RENT'S A DRAG FOR TOP CLUB STORY:MADAME JOJO'S LOCATION:LONDON DATE: RECENT '99 One of London's more colourful institutions is about to close after 15 years. MADAME JO JOS, the Soho cabaret club where city workers in pinstripes rub shoulders with drag artists in dog collars is due to close down on December 23rd when the current rental contract runs out. Network Corporate Holdings (NCH), the leaseholder is selling up but the company is thought to be asking for a million pounds for the lease on the one room basement - a price out of Madame Jo Jo's league. Although the club is now desperately trying to find another venue they do need to stay in the Soho area because it is safe and drag queen friendly and they need a capacity of about 400 people. The pokey soho venue, situated in Brewer Street, has long been a favourite with London's glitterati including singer ROBBIE WILLIAMS and supermodel, KATE MOSS. It has also featured in a number of films recently, including Eyes Wide Shut and the soon-to-be-released The Lost Son which stars Nastasia Kinski and Daniel Auteuil. In its heyday, it welcomed the likes of MICK JAGGER and BRYAN FERRY although the club has had its share of ups and downs since then. Originally founded by a barman from Raymonds Revue Bar, the club was the first to do drag in Soho and has remained a venue that attracts a mixed straight/gay audience as opposed to strictly gay-focused clubs. The show has been produced for the past several years by FLORIAN, who will be very sad to see a part of Soho history disappear. Regulars are determined that the venue will close with a bang. They have just begun a new season called \"Bump, Bump, Burlesque\" featuring the drag artists RUBY VENEZUELA, VENUS MANTRAP, MISS TERRY FLAIR and THE BARBETTES. Venus Mantrap, an imposing, very \"male, hard\" drag character on-stage, is also the brains behind the latest show which takes drag out of the past and into the 21st century. No Shirley Bassey or Barbra Streisand lip-synching here, it's all GERI HALLIWELL, ADAM ANT and ROBBIE WILLIAMS songs with fantastic costumes and every shade of drag from androgynous to ultra-feminine. There is also a real female performer to complete the range. MUSIC CLEARANCE DETAILS TITLE: LOOK AT ME ARTIST: GERI HALLIWELL WRITER: WILSON/ WATKINS/ HALLIWELL PUBLISHER: WINDSWEPT PACIFIC/BMG LABEL: EMI RECORDS TITLE: PRINCE CHARMING ARTIST: ADAM AND THE ANTS WRITER: ANT/PIRRONI PUBLISHER: EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING LABEL: SONY MUSIC TITLE: LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU ARTIST: ROBBIE WILLIAMS WRITER: CHAMBERS/WILLIAMS PUBLISHER: BMG MUSIC PUBLISHING/EMI VIRGIN MUSIC LABEL: CHRYSALIS MUSIC SHOTLIST: MCU NEON SIGN; C.U. X-RATED SIGN ; PULL FOCUS MADAME JOJO'S SIGN ; W.S. MADAME JOJO'S CLUB ; VS PERFORMERS SINGING "LOOK AT ME" ( GERI HALLIWELL) ; SOT VENUS MANTRAP (LEAD DRAG ARTIST AND DIRECTOR OF NEW SHOW); PERFORMERS SINGING "PRINCE CHARMING" (BY ADAM ANT) ; SOT FLORIAN (PRODUCER OF MADAME JOJO'S) ; PERFORMERS SINGING "LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU" BY ROBBIE WILLIAMS.?