Prohibition Party
I’m not sure tailcoats were ever de rigeur on the overground, but nonetheless, that’s how I found myself dressed and on my way to a 1920s Prohibition Party on Saturday evening hosted by the same wonderful people who put on the Blitz Parties some of you may have heard about. Heading on to the heart of Bloomsbury and the Bloomsbury Ballroom, down into the bowels of the beautiful art deco building, the scene was set for the evening; cocktails from teacups, Charlestons and even a spot of burlesque.
Opening the glass panelled doors, the room before us was darkly lit, draped everywhere in red velvet and rang to the sound of glasses chinking, low chatter and the turn of the roulette wheel. That combined with the amazing lengths that everyone had gone to with their costumes really did make it feel like we had stepped back in time. A rare feeling at these events, where ordinarily there is something of the mystique of the period missing. Not so on this occasion.
Exploring further, delving deeper into the building and the era, we headed on into the eponymous ballroom and found yet more people gathered, already sipping their cocktails, feathered and capped heads bobbing away to the hum in the background of some wonderful 1920s style music. This, another roulette table and a stage set for all manner of debauchery completed the picture of decadence that would have horrified the moralist stalwarts of the American ‘20s.
As the ballroom and dancefloor gradually filled with pinstripe suited, fedora topped men and flapper dressed women the atmosphere really took hold and almost universally people seemed to be enjoying themselves. With the arrival of a beautiful burlesque dancer, the atmosphere and attention shifted to the stage. Performing a brief, tantalising dance complete with feathers she left the crowd wanting more and really getting into the mood of the evening.
It wasn’t long before the superb band took to the stage and seriously heated thing up with their authentic ‘20s tunes. There surely can’t have been a still foot in the whole building. Wrapping up the evening with a spot of gambling on the roulette tables, with hundred ‘dollar’ notes the evening really had captured the feel of the era and the decadence that came with the gloriously rebellious inter-war period.
The next Prohibition Party is on 12th April. Details can be found here, where you can also join the event’s mailing list to ensure you never miss another one. They can also be found on Facebook.
By Peter Churchill
