THEGAYUK

Author: Chris Bridges

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall, London

    ★★★★★ | Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall, London

    REVIEW | Witness for the Prosecution

    Depending on your age and/or love of black and white films, you may know Witness for the Prosecution from the classic 1957 film with Charles Laughton and the divine Marlene Dietrich. No? Maybe you saw the recent BBC adaptation with Kim Cattrall as the murder victim, wealthy Emily French? No? Well, either way, you’re in for a treat. Even if you already know the deliciously cunning twists in this courtroom drama, you’re going to be knocked for six by the production.

    1950’s London and personable working class chap Leonard Vole is up before the courts, accused of bludgeoning to death a lonely (and rich) older woman in her St John’s Wood home. Things aren’t looking good for Leonard, especially as she’d just changed her will in his favour, and the gallows are looming. His only alibi is from his glamorous and frosty Teutonic wife, Romaine but will she vouch for him in court and help his cause or are things about to take a more complicated turn?

    Agatha Christie’s dramas are often wrongly seen as somewhat twee and cosy; the stuff of Sunday afternoons with a nice cup of tea. Here, you get to see Christie’s dark mind in all its sinister glory in a blood-splattered tale that is horrifying at times. OK so there’s the usual parade of thinly sketched and clichéd characters but that’s part of Christie’s charm too.

    One of the big draws of this production is the staging. Set in a courtroom, here we see it staged as authentically as is possible as we’re in…yes…a courtroom. Well, almost. It’s a debating chamber inside the sumptuous, disused, Art Deco County Hall (at the back of the London Eye, behind the aquarium) and it’s convincing. You could almost be in the public gallery watching the drama unfold. It’s high drama and more than a tad camp as there’s a soundscape of echoing footsteps, clanging doors and assorted gasps. It’s a thrill ride of chilling and thrilling twisty-turning fun.

    Forget The Mousetrap, Leave that for the West End tourists and head down to Westminster for a rare treat.

    Witness for the Prosecution plays at County Hall until 11th of March 2018

  • Five must see LGBT theatre you have to see this winter in London

    The nights are drawing in and the temperatures are getting cooler. That’s no excuse to stay in watching yet another reality TV show, though. 2017 has been a bumper year for theatrical smashes in the capital and it’s set to continue for the remainder of the year and into the New Year. Grab your mac, don your scarf and get yourself down there.

    Here’s the Top 5 must-see LGBT London shows for Autumn/Winter 2017/18:

    Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: The glorious posters are everywhere on the tube: Jamie’s upturned faced, painted lips and his artfully made up glittery eyes. Fresh from a highly acclaimed and multi-award-winning run in Sheffield, Jamie is about to enter the capital’s Apollo Theatre with previews from the 6th of November and booking till April 2018. This feel-good musical has a good pedigree. It’s based on a BBC documentary about the trials and tribulations of a wannabe teenage drag queen growing up on a rough estate  There’s new music by The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie-Sells and Tom McRae. We loved it so much we gave it a resounding 5-star endorsement. What more do you need to know? Book now.

    The York Realist: Turns out that Sheffield is at it again. Not only have they sent us some damn fine cutlery and The Human League but now we get another LGBT play. Set in 1960s Yorkshire, this is a touching tale of a farmhand straining against his roots. Directed by Robert Hastie (My Night with Reg), this promises to be a drama worth fighting for tickets for. This runs from February 2018 but don’t wait till the New Year to book. You need to act fast as tickets are almost sold out. 

    Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to see a Matthew Bourne ballet at Sadler’s Wells. Cinderella is one of his campest and also one of my favourites of all his ballets and it makes a welcome return to the capital. Dashing airmen, a wicked stepmother based on Joan Crawford at her meanest and some Blitz glamour in the bombed out Café de Paris? Hell, there’s even a scene with dancing hookers and rent boys. What are you waiting for? It runs from 9th of December to January 2018.

    Strangers in Between: After two runs at the ultra LGBT + friendly theatre, The King’s Head, ‘Strangers in Between’ returns to the stage and this time in the West End at Trafalgar Studios 2. Tommy Murphy’s play is about something lots of us can identify with, being a small town boy and moving to the terrifying big city. We liked this a lot when it last ran. Don’t just take our word for it. It hits the stage again from the 10th of January to the 3rd Feb 2018

    Above the Stag: You may or may not have been to this gay-themed theatre venue in Vauxhall. OK, so it’s in a railway tunnel (although they’re planning a move) and some of the shows are hit and miss but it’s worth chancing it for one of the hits. They also have a very saucy annual pantomime and you can top off the evening experiencing the joys of the area (and I don’t mean Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens). Visit them now.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Of Kith And Kin, Bush Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Of Kith And Kin, Bush Theatre, London

    After a run in Sheffield Theatres’ studio, gay surrogacy themed comedy-drama Of Kith and Kin hits London at The Bush Theatre. Oliver and Daniel are 21st-century gays married with good jobs and a flat. Now it’s time to take the natural next step, start a family with Oliver’s best girl-friend acting as surrogate.

    Chris Thompson’s play is a three-act drama and is mixed in tone and effectiveness. Starting out as a light sitcom with a twist, it morphs into a courtroom drama and ends with a more emotionally intelligent third act. There’s something distinctly dated about the first act in spite of the modern update. There’s all the classic sit-com ingredients: happy couple, monstrous mother-in-law descending, waters about to break and high camp. The difference, of course, being that there are two fathers and one mother. The humour is tired at times and whilst it has wryly amusing moments it’s never uproariously funny. Joanna Bacon does a good job as the brash mum from Woolwich but it still feels limp. Speaking of limp: James Lance has some unfortunate mannerisms. He’s playing a 46-year-old gay man with a mischievous sense of camp but to me, he didn’t quite nail this and it felt like an unfortunate and unintentional misfire. His swishy hips and flapping wrists didn’t convince me and it felt like a straight man’s imperfect attempt at portraying a slightly effeminate gay man which was grating rather than being entirely offensive.

    Act two moves on to the courtroom and again misses the mark. The key ingredient to a courtroom drama is a sense of tension but this felt slack in spite of strong performances from Donna Berlin as an improbably wisecracking judge. Finally, the third act is a more moving piece of drama and the play feels like it finds its feet but still, there’s a lot of holes and moments where the characters’ motivations feel unconvincing.

    On the positive side: James Lance is a nuanced performer (in spite of his poorly pitched 1970s style interpretation of a gay man’s mannerisms). Equally strong in supporting his work are Joshua Silver and Chetna Pandya. There’s also an interesting and well-thought set of themes to the play. Thompson looks at intergenerational differences in the expectations of his character. Oliver at 46, was kicked out of home for being gay and has difficult family relationships, never expecting that monogamy, marriage and children would be on the horizon. Conversely, Daniel who is over a decade younger has every expectation that these things are part of his agenda and in spite of all this progress, Priya’s teenage son doesn’t seem to be having an easy time of ‘having it all’. The confrontations of the final act are genuinely moving and raise interesting questions.

    It’s good to see a thought-provoking drama with some strong performances and emotive scenes. Whilst not excellent it has merits and is worth a look at the refurbished and plush Bush Theatre.

    Of Kith and Kin plays at the Bush Theatre until 25th November 2017

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Albion, Almeida Theatre, London

    ★★★★★ |  Albion, Almeida Theatre

    Mike Bartlett is riding on a high at the moment after the success of the second season of woman-scorned drama ‘Dr Foster’. As well as the much acclaimed TV drama he’s also a versatile and witty playwright with a string of theatre hits including the stellar “King Charles II” (what Prince Charlie did next), “Game” (the privileged classes shoot chavs for fun) and the epic “Earthquakes in London” (I think you can work that one out for yourself).

    His new play Albion is a sprawling three-hour epic concerning a successful businesswoman who uproots and plonks herself and her family down in a rural idyll with a dream of restoring an historic garden. Audrey is a bit of an uber bitch on one level. Suffering from profound grief following the death of her son in armed combat, she’s prickly and caustic, riding roughshod over her wet second husband and her disaffected daughter. Not to mention her guilt ridden middle class angst about the help, her strained relationship with her lesbian novelist best friend as well as her less than sympathetic views towards the local villagers who soon come to despise her. She’s also a strangely sympathetic character and is painfully real. It’s a tight script with echoes of Chekov (think disaffected people knowingly lurching towards disaster). Watching this feels a bit like settling down with a long but enthralling novel. It’s more than just a story. There’s a heavy layer of allegory and Bartlett turns his razor sharp gaze on to the people of England and their conflicted feelings towards their country.

    It’s a cracking play with multiple layers and is both thought provoking and emotionally involving without being preachy or patronising. The cast are universally strong, none more so than the fantastic Victoria Hamilton who plays Audrey. She’s been all over the TV of late as the put upon neighbour in Doctor Foster, The Queen Mum in Netfilx’s The Crown and the double crossing spy in the BBC2’s The Game. She’s magnetic and more than strong enough to carry this strong central role of a difficult but ultimately likeable woman.

    The stage set is absorbing and convincing. A huge tree dominates a long garden which the audience sit around in a horseshoe shape and it’s hard not to be taken in and feel like you’re out in an English country garden watching the human wild life fight it out.

    This is a rare treat. Go and see it while you can.

    Albion plays at the Almeida Theatre  24th of November 2017

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    ★★★ | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    THEATRE REVIEW | Venus In Fur, Theatre Royal Haymarket

    A playwright/director bemoans the lack of female acting talent after a long day auditioning for the female lead in his new play. In walks Vanda, a ditzy and frenetic actress who’s turned up late but is determined that she’s going to audition for the part whether he wants her to or not.

    David Ives 2010 play is a twisting sexual and gender power play and a play within a play. The piece that Vonda is auditioning for is based around the 1870 novella of almost the same name (add an ‘s’ to the ‘fur’) by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch. The clue is in the name: masochism was named after Sacher-Masoch and his desire to serve and be punished. The two characters read from the play and the roles they play both in reality and fantasy are in a state of constant flux. Thomas is a man who once stated that working in theatre was a great way to get laid but Vanda is more than prepared to take him on.

    It’s a slight play in some ways and is uneven at times with occasional absurd moments Whilst it has timely themes with the current Weinstein scandal, it’s not exactly searing. That doesn’t really matter here, though. It’s an OK play and is an entertaining 90 minutes but there’s an odd phenomena going on. The actress is far greater than the play. Nathalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones) is totally hypnotising. Her co-star, David Oakes (currently on TV in Victoria), is more than adequate and is also easy on the eye but whatever your persuasion, I suspect you’re eyes will be drawn to every move, intonation and expression from the magnificent Nathalie Dormer. It’s sometimes hard to concentrate on anything but her central performance.

    Ignore the flimsiness of the play, although if S and M is your thing or you’ve ever contemplated this as a pastime then all the better. The main pleasure for most is the chance to watch such a virtuoso performance. Well worth seeing.

    Venue In Fur plays at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until 9th December 2018

  • DVD REVIEW | Keep The Lights On

    ★★★★ | Keep The Lights On

    Keep the Lights On is a powerfully charged plot following two men from New York City, Erik (Thure Lindhardt) and Paul (Zachary Booth), through an emotional wave of events.

    Their initial casual sex encounter forms a beautiful relationship which is explosive, climatic and heart-warming, creating a dichotomy of emotive highs and agonising lows. These fundamental parallels are significant, questioning how one can think they know someone, but at the same time know so little about their drive and purpose. But what are the implications of having casual sex with a stranger?

    The movie is set across a period of time, as the storyline gradually increases in momentum. The main couple are easy to relate to, joyfully expressing those heart warming feelings of being in the early stages of a relationship – the closeness, the ecstasy, the contentment. But along with the greatness of any relationship comes the sadness. The film explores the difficulties and strains of alcohol and drug abuse, but how much can a partner support and guide before they can take no more?

    The film work is a mature and honest investigation into a couples intimate bond. It doesn’t try to make a point of this being a gay relationship, which is usually my biggest criticism. It is simply a love story full of anguish and confusion like any other. With poignant shots throughout the movie and set to a stunning soundtrack, it has to be placed right at the top of the must see movie category.

    BUY ON AMAZON | BUY ON iTUNES

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Le Grand Mort, Trafalgar Studios

    ★★  | Le Grand Mort

    THEATRE REVIEW | Le Grand Mort, Trafalgar Studios

    Acclaimed musical theatre writer Stephen Clark, who died last year, penned this two-hander play as a vehicle for uber camp legend Julian Clary. The play concerns ageing architect Michael (Julian Clary) who is cooking dinner for a younger man (James Nelson-Joyce) who’s he’s picked up in the pub. As he slices, boils and fries the food in a functional on-stage kitchen he shares his thoughts on sex and death. Naturally. Once Tim arrives it’s not clear whether it’s sex or death that’s on the menu and who is in charge of the situation.

    Let’s get some important things out of the way first. Yes, Julian Clary can cook. To be fair, it’s a simple recipe, though. Shirley Valentine had to fry chips and egg. He just chucks a few things in a pan and rustles up a pasta sauce. Can he act, though? Partially. He manages to deliver the tight monologue that forms the first part of the ninety-minute play but once the action heats up he flounders a little. His character’s uptight and rigid persona suits his physical presence and makes the job an easier one.

    The main issue here is the play itself. It just doesn’t quite work and although mildly engaging it misses the mark more than it hits it. It’s a fairly relentless onslaught of thoughts about the death of celebrities. What should be sinister feels absurd and what should be absurd feels humdrum. What feels like a calculated move to shock comes across as tedious. It’s also, bafflingly, partly in rhyme and there’s a bizarrely intrusive soundtrack to the piece.

    On the plus side, the kitchen is stylish and attractive as is the young actor James Nelson-Joyce. Spoiler alert: expect full nudity. Julian Clary is an interesting spectacle and the faults of the piece aside it’s good to see him tackle something that’s different from his usual milieu.

     

    Le Grand Mort plays at Trafalgar Studios until 28th October 2017

  • DVD REVIEW | North Sea Texas

    ★★★★ | North Sea Texas

    Pim is a young boy from a small Belgian coastal town who lives a dreary existence with his mother, Yvette, who is a boozy accordion player.

    Pim dreams of beauty pageants, princesses and Gino, the handsome boy next door to escape life with his blowsy neglectful mother. As Pim moves into his teenage years, his life takes on unexpected turns as he becomes more deeply involved with Gino and his family and a hot and hunky young traveller called Zoltan arrives back on the scene.

    Cult short filmmaker Bavo Defume has made a film which is inspired more by beauty than by social realism. The intention was to make a film which depicts more than the sometimes grey and gritty world we can inhabit. The film is set in an unspecified time period with classic retro patterns and furniture and luscious coastal landscapes.

    Although the world that the characters inhabit is sometimes stylised, the acting is natural and convincing. The result is a film which is both moving and beautiful to watch. It also holds the viewer’s interest through the drama played out so convincingly between the young actors. Coming of age dramas don’t get much more luscious, stylish and watchable than this.

    BUY FROM Amazon  | iTunes

    Originally released: 2012

  • Six totally terrible questions to ask gay people

    Ready those eye rolls…

    Which one of you is the girl????

    “Well, we have a rota. I do Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He does the Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Tuesdays we both take a day off to chop wood.”

    The answer is as stupid as the question. Do these questions deserve sarcasm or genuine explanation? Is it really offensive to have bizarre remarks or questions thrown at you by straight people?

    1) Some of my best friends are gay:

    Yay! I’d shout it loud too if I had some gay best friends. We’re great to have around. We’re behind lots of the most innovative stuff going off in Britain. We design great clothes, produce great comedy, music, films, fiction and theatre. We’re often stylish and witty. We’re may actually be the new master race! Shouldn’t we let them be proud they’re our friends? Most modern women’s fiction characters have a gay best friend. We’re top of the must have list for 2012.

    2) How old were you when you knew you were gay?

    Well, ten out of ten for having an inquiring mind. I applaud this question. Not easy to answer always and it usually gets a stunned silence when I tell them I was 5. I like to quantify it too by explaining that lots of people don’t realise till they’re much older and there isn’t actually a rule. In fact, there’s not actually a need to define yourself as gay or straight or bisexual, unless you really want to or are backed into a corner by a gunman.

    3) So, which one of you two is the girl?

    Now, this is a complicated one. Who can blame them for asking? Do they mean sex or domesticity? Our sex lives are full of possibilities. Of course, we intrigue. People love to know what goes where. We can be as puzzling as a diagram for a flat pack wardrobe. It’s even more puzzling if we have fetishes or a dislike of penetrative sex or a non-conventional relationship. As for domestic arrangements go: sadly the average straight couple still fulfil lots of stereotypical gender roles. Childcare and household duties are still often predominantly female activities. Sure, people wonder which one of us can use the drill and which one can sew curtains. My partner and I are a real puzzle. I like to clean and he doesn’t. I can’t thread a needle and he can sew beautifully. We can, however, both cook well and are both quite nurturing. We can both happily do traditional men’s roles around the house too but power tools scare me. I watched too much Casualty as a teenager. He’s in charge of the drill.

    4) How did you know you were gay?

    Erm. Well, there are these things called men and I quite fancy them. So much so in fact that I want to have sex with them. That was pretty much a giveaway. The rest is history.

    5) So you gays all like Kylie/Musical Theatre/want to come on my hen party wearing a pink Stetson?

    We don’t all fit the clichés. Lots of us do and that’s fine. That’s how stereotypes develop. It’s fine to love Kylie, fine to want to drink Barcadi Breezers whilst wearing a pink Stetson and fine to be able to hum all the tunes to The Sound of Music. It’s also fine not to. I can hum the tunes. The other two are a big fat NO. We’re not all anally retentive clean freaks and we’re not all cute, camp or foppish. Life might be easier if we could all be compartmentalised and fitted neatly into our assigned boxes but it’s much more interesting that we don’t.

    6) Gays are so bitchy. Really?

    Well if you want that I can have a go. Fasten yourself in and I’ll begin.

    Maybe it’s better that people do ask. We should encourage dumb remarks and seemingly stupid questions. I’m a firm believer in there being no such thing as a stupid question. It’s much more dangerous to not ask and remain ignorant. It’s our opportunity to break down barriers and try to dent those stereotypes. We should be on a mission to inform. If we can be bothered. Otherwise, sarcasm helps.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Doubt, a Parable, Southwark Playhouse, London

    ★★★★★ | Doubt, a Parable, Southwark Playhouse, London

    CREDIT: Paul Nicholas Dyke

    It’s Autumn 1964 and young priest Father Brendan Flynn doesn’t fit into the spartan and puritanical ideals of the school as run by sour faced Sister Aloysius. He’s all warmth and casual attitude, bouncing a basketball around with the boys. Her view of the school system is one where art is a frippery, the children should be contained and disciplined and pastoral care involves telling people to buck their ideas up. Her ever watchful gaze is centred on Flynn and when a young nun divulges her suspicions of inappropriate behaviour between Father Flynn and a pre-pubescent boy she appears to relish the chance to get rid of him and launches into decisive and cunning action.

    If you want big acting shoes to fill then look no further than ‘Doubt’. This 2005 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play was made into an astoundingly good film with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep as the warring priest and nun. This version has pulled together an accomplished cast with Stella Gonet as the terrifying yet eminently human Sister Aloysius. It;’s a dense, dialogue heavy play that’s an intense ninety minutes but one that passes in a flash and will set you cogitating as you consider the facets of the situation and the personalities concerned. Oh, as well as thinking about that little matter of the truth. Much like life, there aren’t any wholly good or bad or stupid or clever people only people on a spectrum constantly sliding somewhere between the two.

    The confined space of a fringe theatre like Southwark Playhouse suits this piece as you get to see every thought flit across each face and the intensity ramps up a notch or two. This is a rarity: an entertaining and rousing play that’s also intelligent and thought provoking. Go see it.

    Doubt, a Parable, plays at the Southwark Playhouse, London until 30th September 2017

  • THEATRE REVIEW | An American In Paris, Dominion Theatre, London

    ★★★★★ | An American In Paris

    THEATRE REVIEW | An American In Paris, Dominion Theatre, London

    Post war Paris 1945 and there’s a definite mood for love in the air after the desolation of World War II. Handsome American soldier and aspiring artist, Jerry Mulligan is eager to experience all that Paris has to offer and is quickly smitten with Lise, a young ballerina with a troubled wartime past. Naturally, it’s all a bit complicated as Jerry isn’t the only one after Lise’s affections.

    Garnering an impressive set of 5-star reviews when it opened earlier this year it’s not hard to see why this adaptation of the classic film is such a smash hit and an absolute must see. Beautiful scenery, handsome men some belting tunes apart, you’ve now got a good reason to make a return visit (not that you’d need one) as the production has a hot new lead dancer/singer/actor by the name of Ashley Day.

    Ashley is a sensation. He’s not just a pretty face and toned body either (but oh what a pretty faced and toned body). He bounds around impressively with enough grace and elegance to make you wonder if he’s got some genes that mere mortals like us don’t possess. He also gives a fine acting performance and can belt out a tune. He slots beautifully into the more than able cast.

    This is an impressive show on many levels and not least of its achievements is the breath taking scenery. The back projections and stage trickery with perspective are beguiling and I’d happily just sit and watch the painterly strokes as the stage becomes a giant canvas awash with colour. There’s also the famous prolonged dance sequence, the classic hits of Gershwin and if that’s not enough there’s even Paul McCartney’s ex-girlfriend and cake baker extraordinaire Jane Asher.

    If you love musicals then this is a must see. If you hate musicals then it’s also a must see. Take a deep breath and give it a go. You’ll be surprised. This defies description and has to be seen at least once.

    An American In Paris plays at the Dominion Theatre until January 2018