We caught up with promoter Chris Selby Rickards to find out more.

Heaven is one of the world’s most famous gay venues. Why does it have such a status?
Longevity! We have always had a firm emphasis on excellence and even during those years when Heaven wasn’t the flavour of the month you could always guarantee quality above anything else. We had the foresight to be a world class venue that everyone could enjoy hence why we have played host to some of the biggest mainstream club names to date, such as Gatecrasher and Fever. Heaven broke the rules when it first opened and was infamous before it was famous.

Popcorn has been running for an astounding 12 years. How has it evolved during this time?
Popcorn constantly evolves, moves with the times and stays fresh. It has gone from being a small gay cheesy pop night to monster mixed house club attracting more people on a Monday night than most of the other big clubs do over the weekend!

How has the gay scene changed over these years?
So much has changed since I first emerged on to the gay scene, for the better and sadly for the worse too. We have one of the most vibrant, happening and safe gay scenes on earth which is wonderful and you cannot argue with the choice of events and venues. I can’t help but think though that, to a degree, and largely in the minority, quality has suffered over quantity and we don’t support new ventures in the same way we used to – and perhaps should. It’s all become quite political and cliquey really, which is a shame. On the whole though time marches on and positive progress should always be embraced!

How do you make sure the night continues to be exciting and vibrant each week?
Hard work, routine (consistency is very important) and having a great team around you to point out your mistakes and give you their valid opinions. Being slightly crazy helps too!

What makes Popcorn different from other nights on the gay scene?
Its approach. It’s a club night founded on the ideals of great music, not sexual orientation.

Is there something naughty about clubbing on a Monday night – when the rest of the city is sleeping?
I don’t think so… not anymore. Popcorn is a firm favourite with service industry staff for whom Monday is their Saturday.

What’s the most astonishing sight you’ve seen on the Popcorn dancefloor?
A guy proposing to his girlfriend (now wife). It was very moving and I was honoured that he would choose to do it at Heaven – it was evidently a very special place for the both of them. Sadly they don’t come down so much anymore – they have an 18 month old baby!

Popcorn features five different rooms with different sounds, taking over the whole of Heaven. What can clubbers expect musically from each of the rooms?
I think it’s fair to say there is something for everyone. Downstairs caters for the more main stream upfront house music whilst upstairs is harder, more underground and dirty! There is also an r'n'b room which plays a broad spectrum of hip hop, r'n'b and urban pop. In terms of what to expect – quality tunes from fantastic DJs, fantastic production and a lot of rippling eye candy!

What goes on in the VIP room?
Anything – and everything! The nice thing is that as we have a separate chill out cinema, the VIP maintains an air of respectability. This means that all the people who need to ‘chill out’ and flake over the sofas can do it in the cinema whilst the Departure Lounge can remain a sophisticated space to drink and chat – rather than pass out!

You’ve had some pretty special guest DJs over the years. Who were your favourites?
The Sharp Boys are one of my absolute favourites – also Aldo Haydar from Argentina was superb! Really, really superb!

You also have resident dancers and gogo boys on hand. What does this add to the night?
Obvious eye candy for the guys and the girls – we have gogo girls as well as guys! It helps to break the night up and provides entertainment. The music is your base product and everything else is added value. People, especially at the moment, want value for money, and we give that by the bucketful. Regular shows, weekly dancers, great production, costumes etc… it’s all very important.

What’s the crowd like at Popcorn?
Mixed. Continental. Loud. Sexually experimental…And a little bit crazy!

With all those students – is it likely to be a good place to pull?
It is a popular student destination but not exclusively student populated. There are a lot of different types of people there and judging by the number of condom packs we give away the evidence speaks for itself!

What plans do you have to keep the party rocking through 2010?
We have some great parties coming up in the next couple of months like Royal House 8th birthday on the Easter Monday but after that, you’ll just have to watch this space! There are some big plans in the making, but until they are confirmed its pointless talking about them.

Popcorn is every Monday night at Heaven, Villers Street, London from 11pm – 6am. Entry is free with a wristband before 1am, otherwise £2/£8. www.heavennightclub-london.com