Canadian-sounding, British-born burlesque performer and host Mysti Vine has performed at Royal Festival Hall, would like to visit Costa Rica and loves Disney films.
Where are you from originally?
You’re not going to believe this but I was born here. Up the road, in Wimbledon (not on the courts, obviously – that would have been weird).
And where do you live now?
Dahling… I live in North Kensington.
What do you love about London and why?
I love London for its diversity and quirkiness (which is getting low on quirk these days), but you have to know where to look.
What was the first LGBT venue you visited?
The first LGBT venue I visited was back in Vancouver. I used to sing karaoke at this place called The Dufferin. They had drag shows in the downstairs and sometimes I’d go down and watch them. Made some lovely friends there.
What is your favourite venue?
My favourite venue for what?! For drag it used to be Molly Moggs, however, it is now sadly gone. I tend to stick to Central London
so Admiral Duncan for karaoke (I clearly have a karaoke problem), Her Upstairs is doing some lovely things as well as ‘old faithful’ the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Can you describe what happens at Burlesq-aoke?
Burlesq-aoke this month on the 25th of July at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is Disn-aoke and it’s the brainchild of yours truly, bringing together the two things I love most (besides carbs): burlesque and karaoke. So it’s basically like your run-of-the-mill karaoke night but during the course of the evening we have some of the best burlesque artists on the scene perform to one of the punters singing. It’s a blast. The best part of the evening is when Divas Unlimited plays the Benny Hill theme tune and we all run around.
And next week you have a Disney theme, what is your favourite Disney song?
My favourite Disney song? Gosh… It’s a toss up between Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas or Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid.
What was the last theatre show you saw, where, and what did you think of it?
The Glenn Miller Story at the Coliseum and it was slightly surreal because you had Tommy Steele playing a late 30s Glenn Miller, however, that said, it was sheer joy to watch the mischievous elf tell the story with a gleam in his eye.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Lazy Sunday mornings with a cup of java and Kermit and the rest of the Muppet Show gang.
Biggest extravagance?
My biggest extravagance was a bottle of perfume from Penhaligon’s.
Best gift you’ve ever received?
An iPod for Christmas (from a now-ex).
What has been the highlight of your career so far and why?
The highlight of my career so far was performing at Royal Festival Hall because it’s ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL!
If you could go back in time which year would you choose and why?
I’d like to go back to when the Pyramids were being built, just to see HOW they did it.
What’s the best party you’ve ever been to and what made it so good?
The best party I’ve ever been to was my mate’s wedding reception where all the entertainment was provided by the bride, her family, the groom and the guests – was bloomin’ brilliant!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
That would be from my grandmother: “Not everyone who laughs with you is your friend.”
Who is your LGBT+ hero and why?
Every single one who has chosen to live authentically regardless of the bias, prejudice and sometimes even sheer ignorance of others. To me, that is true bravery and something I admire greatly.
Who are the most entertaining people you follow on social media and why?
Janey Godley – I love her liberal use of the the F-word; uses it like chocolate sprinkles. Crutches & Spice – a wonderfully acid-tongued champion of spoonies everywhere. And George Takei – a childhood hero turned into an (adult) hero.
Where in the world would you like to visit before you die?
I’d like to visit Costa Rica before it becomes overrun with tourists.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?
I wish I’d known that performing was a viable option for me and that my guidance counsellor was full of shit.
Mysti hosts the Disn-aoke edition of Burlesq-aoke this Wednesday (25 Jul) from 7.30pm at The RVT, 372 Kennington Lane, London, SE11 5HY.
Tickets are £8 in advance from vauxhalltavern.com or £10 on the door.
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