Gerard Simi is the most famous and experienced choreographer and director of erotic shows in Europe having had nearly 30 years in the industry including an extended relationship with Paul Raymond in London. He eventually took over the famous Revuebar as a business before that world renowned institution finally closed in 2004 but in 2006 he has returned to the London scene announcing that he is opening his own luxurious table dancing club called Rembrandt near London Bridge just south of the City.
Tyke. You started out as a classical dancer in Marseilles, France, how did that come about ?GS. I was actually born in Corsica but we moved to Southern France when I was 11 or 12 and I got involved with ballet through my sister who was very keen to be a ballerina like many girls. I found I had a talent for dance and became a professional, dancing as a principle when I was still only 17.
Tyke. How did you move into other forms of dance ?
GS. The time I was at the Marseilles Opera was a very creative one and as well as dance I picked up a lot of knowledge on costumes, direction, production etc. I did some non classical work including videos for rock stars like Johnny Hallyday and in shows like the Lido.
Then after a spell in the Army I then toured Europe with shows which were more music hall in style some of which involved some nudity before being offered the job of Artistic Director for the Casanova Review Theatre the best known nude place in Vienna.
Tyke. Is that when the relationship with Paul Raymond started ?
GS. Yes, I spent a year in Vienna and then in 1978 Paul Raymond offered me the job of directing a review called “ Rip Off” at the historic Windmill Theatre which he owned by then. This was a great success and ran for 6 years, the late 70s/ early 80s were a boom time for erotic entertainment in London with the removal of a lot of the restrictions on nudity after the straight laced 1950s. I also directed some of
Raymond’s shows at the Whitehall Theatre while being the permanent Artistic Director at the Raymond Revuebar which was his original club.
Tyke. You must have been kept busy, were you working for him full time!
GS. Yes, more or less but I also still did some Follies style review shows in Paris and also other shows involving drag acts and comedy at Madame JoJo’s in London, plus producing the Marylyn Chambers show when the famous US porn star came over.
Tyke. You eventually bought the Revuebar.
GS. In 1997. Paul Raymond was getting older and gradually withdrew from the live performance side of the business, he sold me the business but significantly not the property. I had been running it for many years successfully anyway so was happy to take total control.
Tyke.
You were soon faced with the table dance club boom in London with Stringfellow’s, Secrets, and Spearmint Rhino all opening in the late 90s, did that affect the business and eventually cause it to go into administration.
GS. In some ways yes there was more competition but we introduced table dancing ourselves and the combination of this and the original erotic review was actually very successful. The thing that eventually made the business unviable was that Raymond pushed the rent up to a ridiculous level which was very disappointing after having had a good working relationship with him for over 20 years. This year would have been the 50th anniversary of the Revuebar and I’d have loved to have staged a spectacular show to celebrate.
Tyke. The new club Rembrandt’s is it more of a standard table dancing club ?
GS. It is table dancing and has all the normal ingredients that the other clubs have but it will not be standard, I will ensure that it will be superior to the others. The décor is a baroque fantasy, it’s on 2 floors with a high class restaurant, VIP area, and show stage. It’s currently being re-modelled to make it the most stylish and sophisticated club in London.
Tyke. When will it open ?
GS. We have all the staff recruited, licences etc but converting a former restaurant into a brand new high class table dance club takes time and we are not going to open until it’s completely ready. It should open in February or March but I have not set a firm date yet.
The long awaited biopic of Paul Raymond staring Steve Cooghan
MEMBERS ONLY The Life and Times of Paul Raymond
Author: Saxon
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