Like many LGBTQ+ bars and pubs across the UK, Halfway to Heaven is readying itself for a new way of operating… for the time being. With the Charing Cross venue being famous for staging wall-to-wall drag and cabaret shows, and with that being off limits for the time being, Jason Reid spoke to Halfway’s manager, Heather, to find out what the immediate future will look like for this beloved London gay scene destination…
Hi Heather! How are you feeling about reopening Halfway to Heaven after three months of lockdown?
Mixed emotions: Really, really excited, but at the same time a tad apprehensive as its the whole country opening their doors. There’s also a tinge of sadness because the weekend is when we’d ordinarily have our amazing cabaret on, it’s so strange.
What are you expecting? Any idea…
I really dont know, and we have no-one else to ask as we are all in the same boat. I just think it will be super busy in town that day.
What changes have been made with respect to how the venue will function day-to-day?
As you can imagine its going to be very different. Capacity is the big thing – we are now ‘seated only‘ upstairs and downstairs, and with the one metre ruling this has limited us a lot, but we have made the venue as lovely as possible. It will be all about adapting for the team and our customers, and hoping that this NEW NORM is not for long at all. Fingers, legs, and toes crossed. The front of the venue where the windows are will now be the queuing area; unfortunately we won’t have a big enough area for smoking and drinking safely outside at the moment. Also, opening hours have changed for the time being.
How are you adapting hygiene wise?
The team will have job roles now to ensure the safety of the customers and there is a cleaning regime in place, plus sanitising station and regular checks. High standards will be in place from the moment the door opens to when it closes
Do customers book ahead, or just rock up?
As you know Jason our venue isn’t the biggest of them and with capacity being lowered dramatically, it will be done on a first come first seated basis. There will be a limit set so we can accommodate as many guests as possible. We’re looking at 2-3 hours, but will play this by ear for now. This is all a huge learning curve for everyone
How do customers order their drinks, and are you serving takeaway?
The bar is still there to order from and then the drinks will be brought to you at your seat. We also have an app that you can download to order drinks. Takeaway is something we are looking into and hoping to do.
I know you love cabaret like me, and it’s disappointing that live shows not permitted straight away. Are you hopeful that cabaret artists will return to Halfway soon?
This is heartbreaking. Cabaret is a major part of Halfway’s identity. As I said before, I have everything crossed that this is all very temporary and we will see everyone back on the stage and in the DJ booth soon. In the meantime we will continue to support all the artists online.
Halfway to Heaven, 7 Duncannon St, Charing Cross, London WC2N 4JFreopens on Saturday 4th July at noon.
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