THEGAYUK

Day: 1 July 2015

  • Marc Jacobs Accidentally Flashes His Penis To The WORLD

    Out fashion designer, Marc Jacobs has accidentally flashed his penis and bum to the world via Instagram.

    Whoops. The fashion designer uploaded a picture of his ass and butt to his 197,000 followers on Instagram before swiftly removing it. The picture was accompanied with the message, “Yours to try…”
    The picture, which is now doing the rounds, was quickly removed, but not before lightening quick responses of his fan base, some of whom screen grabbed it and shared it on Gawker. Because the picture is just a torso (and bum and penis) Gawker verified the picture by pointing out that Jacobs was wearing the same ring and holding the same picture has another selfie on Jacob’s timeline.
    You can see the uncut version, although (judging by the selfie, Mr Jacobs is indeed cut…) version over at Gawker
    Just days before the upload Marc had complained on Instagram that he was “always a bridesmaid never a bride”, so perhaps this is mating call? Word to the wise, this is what Grindr is for…

  • THEATRE REVIEW: wonder.land, Manchester International Festival

    ★★★★ | wonder.land, Manchester International Festival

    Now in its tenth year, the Manchester International Festival is a biannual showcase for newly commissioned work by leading artists from all around the world.

    One of 2015’s biggest shows is wonder.land, a new musical featuring music by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame.

    wonder.land, a new take on the classic story of Alice In Wonderland, tells the story of Aly. Aly is a lonely teenage girl, recently moved to a new area after the bitter split of her parents. Bullied at school and feeling neglected by her mother due to her baby brother, one day she stumbles across wonder.land, a website promising escape into a virtual world. Creating an avatar called Alice, in this world, Ali makes new friends and some refuge from her loneliness until the day her headmistress, Ms. Manxome confiscates her mobile phone and she is denied access to the game. Before long, Aly finds herself fighting for her existence in the game after her identity is stolen and her virtual friends turn against her.

    The story of Alice in Wonderland has long been one of the most loved and iconic of children’s books. This version, with themes of online gambling addiction, bullying and fractured families is a fiercely contemporary adaption. Elements of the Lewis Caroll tale remain but with a modern twist. For example, the Mad Hatter becomes Matt Hatton, Aly’s recovering gaming addict dad with a history of mental illness.

    If this sounds all a bit worthy then luckily wonder.land has enough sly wit and playfulness to prevent it feel like a preachy night at the theatre. The innovative design, mixing 3 dimensional back projection with moveable sets creating the two different worlds of the show also added a huge amount of visual excitement.

    wonder.land is not without flaws. The music, a combination of traditional musical theatre orchestration and electronica is pleasant if not especially memorable and the big climatic showdown between Ali and the villainous Ms Manxome feels rather rushed. This is not to deny however that this is a bold, exciting and original piece of work.

    In a strong ensemble cast, it was Anna Francolini who was the performance of the evening as Ms Manxome, this version’s Red Queen. Ms Manxome is an old fashioned big barnstormer of a role that it’s very easy to see musical theatre actresses of a certain age fighting to play. Francolini attacks the part with swagger and enormous charisma.

    Special mention must also go to Rosalie Craig in the lead role of Ali, who brings huge quantities of vulnerability to her performance matched by a strong singing voice. Her complicated relationships with her parents and budding friendship with Luke, himself a target for homophobic bullying, are affecting and powerfully portrayed.

    For all it’s modern trappings, at its heart wonder.land is a story about family and the quest for self-esteem. Lewis Carroll purists may very well hate it but plenty other will relate to its warmth, wit and the timeless themes under the hi-tech surface.

    wonderland
    Palace Theatre, Manchester
    2nd to 12th July 2015

  • London Gay and Drag Pub Up For Sale

    After a spate of closures on London’s gay scene Molly Moggs is up for sale.

    The popular Molly Moggs pub on the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road is apparently up for sale according to GayStarNews.
    The Alan Sugar owned pub’s leasehold is up for grabs for £275,000, however, the pub’s staff has not been told about the pub’s future.

    Molly Moggs is set in a listed building so only the leasehold is available to purchase and it is likely to remain a pub because of the licensing conditions, this is not a guarantee that it will remain a gay venue once new owners are found.

    According to GSN, the listing for the pub suggests, “An initial discreet viewing on a customer basis is required. Staff are unaware and should not be approached.”

    The London gay scene has seen a number of venues close. The Black Cap, The Joiners Arms, Barcode, The Green Carnation are just some of the businesses which have been shuttered in recent years.