Scene magazine founder, the late James Ledward, did not live to see his vision of an LGBTQ+ community hub come to fruition, but he would have been thrilled to see the Ledward Centre, now up and running, venture into cabaret entertainment.
Kicking off its Supper Club was composer/performer Ty Jeffries, who has left his alter ego Miss Hope Springs in cryogenic suspension. Where she was edgy, bordering on paranoid, and definitely damaged goods, Ty is smooth, quietly spoken, sharp and witty.
Following our supper of mushroom stroganoff or vegan korma, followed by apple cake – catering courtesy of local HIV charity Lunch Positive – we settled down in the cosy ground floor cafe space to Ty’s engaging style of entertainment. As he put it: “like the Titanic, I’m famous for going down well.”
January Jones is a song about a woman leaving town to seek who knows what and who knows where. And wanderlust is a common theme in Ty’s songs. Take Me To The Party is very sharp and witty in a Noel Coward style, and though it’s billed as a romantic song, Melt Into You has crazy imagery of drippping butter, dissolving snow and a melting sundae to cover its love theme.
Ty seems happiest when on Miss Hope Springs territory and Pigalle is a prime example- taking us to a ”seedy little night club,” it has jaunty, witty, risqué rhymes that are laugh-out-loud funny.
Ty’s songs can project a rather sad and lonely persona, and Nothing For You is a kind of revenge song for a departed person who he tells us “pissed me off.” It’s bluesy, bitchy, and its humour is through gritted teeth, and yet it’s magically touching. Queen Of Fools is sadly elegiac – another song about someone whose dreams are shattered and who is moving on.
My favourite of the night was the sharp and witty I Want To Sing In A Berlin Cabaret, which sees him sing: “I want to hear I outbowled Sally Bowles.” The song segues into I Love Berlin, where Ty manages to rhyme exotic places – even Hull – in ever-sillier lines.
And there were more goodies to come, a wandering song about Wanda – “I wonder where Wanda’s wandering now?” My fave line in this ditty is “she gave diphtheria to the Mother Superior.”
And finally Carnival, a highly emotional analysis of the art of performing, showing off, and hiding the inner self.
As a first night to help raise funds for further development of the Ledward Centre, it was a terrific hit. Next month, on February 25, the Supper Cub features the magnificent Jennie Castell with her tribute to Dusty Springfield. Tickets HERE
And if you want to catch Ty, he’s at the Crazy Coqs cabaret room in London on March 22 and the prestigious Wigmore Hall on June 7. More information HERE
