A star called Spanky was born

Rhys Morgan (left) and Dion Boothby reel in the crowds at Bistrotheque.

When New Zealand actor Rhys Morgan set off for London on his OE, he knew making a new life in Britain would be a challenge.

"I'd been told that finding an agent in London was almost impossible, especially for New Zealanders so, fresh off the boat, that's exactly what I decided to do," he says. "I made an appointment with a woman who wouldn't have given me the time of day if my New Zealand agent hadn't set up the meeting.

"I got there at the appointed time, and sat down, whereupon she proceeded to criticise my hair before tearing into my accent. Sure, I could have sat down and been Kenneth Branagh, which I demonstrated, but by that stage it was too late and I left the interview agentless and very much put in my place."

But you can't keep a good man down and last year, to make a change from providing quality waiter service for London event gurus Urban, Morgan entered a lip-synching competition at Bistrotheque, the East End's newest dining sensation.

"I was talking to this girl at a party and she told me her auntie was going to a drag queen competition called Transvestite Lip Synchronicity. Bistrotheque was just around the corner from my estate so I thought I'd go and check it out."

In the eight-heat competition, 50 contestants vied for a place in the finals of Transvestite Lip Synchronicity and, thanks to its infectious and chaotic energy, the show has earned a cult following on London's cabaret circuit.

"The night I won my heat, there were so many people trying to get in that the queue went round the block. More than 100 had to be turned away. It was crazy, midsummer madness and I loved it."

The final was something else altogether. "It was almost impossible to get through on the booking line and those who did were dropping names and promising favours to secure seats.

"The venue only seats 60, 70 at a push, but people were so keen to see the show. When I won the title and they called out my name, well, I was high for days."

And so a star called Spanky was born. "I actually had another name, Beta Beautox, but because the song I mimed to was by Spanky Wilson, when I won, everyone was screaming out 'Spanky' and the name just sort of stuck. But the tribute that has most touched my heart is a piece of graffiti in the men's that says, 'I love Spanky'." 
 
With the hotly contested Transvestite Lip Synchronicity title under his belt and the 500 ($1300) prize money in the bank, another treat was to come Morgan's way.

A week later, Pablo, Bistrotheque's owner, offered him the Saturday night slot throughout November and December.

"Pablo told me to come up with an idea for a show and we'd take it from there. I was terrified but, of course, I said, 'Yeah, no problem, I'll knock something up over the weekend'."

That first show, directed by Dion Boothby, evolved into a sizzling, 60-minute set that combined cheesy banter, personal revelations and the high energy songs that have become Spanky's trademark.

In creating the show, Morgan found a talent for writing comedy and reeling in what can sometimes be a drunken audience.

And so Bistrotheque's intimate theatre was filled every Saturday night, earning Spanky and Morgan such a dedicated following they were asked to start work on a new show for the new year - Spanky Goes to Hollywood.

And then disaster struck. Last week, just before the new show's preview, Morgan was mugged while heading home to his East London flat.

The three thieves took his wallet, his mobile phone and, while they let him keep his house keys, they took every scrap of paper he had on him. In doing so, they stole the entire script which was written, not on computer, but by hand.

"Impersonating a woman as fastidious as Spanky is hard work," says Morgan. "I've got to remove man hair from these legs and keep the five o'clock shadow at bay and then suddenly, I had to completely re-write the show as well."

But he says hurdles are for jumping over and he loves the life he has carved for himself.

While he is keeping his day job for now, in his spare moments he has been drafting resignation letters which, he hopes he will soon have to send.