Oscars 2017 will go down in history as probably one of the most awkward ever after the wrong film got called as the “best picture”.
So there was a massive, monumental eff up on the Oscars this year after, it seems, the wrong announcement card was given to Warren Beatty. We wondered why Warren took so long to announce the winner. In the end, it was Faye Dunaway who read out the mistake that La La Land had won “Best Picture”.
The card read: Emma Stone, La La Land, the only problem was that the card was for the earlier category of Best Actress. The actual winner, Moonlight, was supposed to be in that envelope.
Only after the cast and crew of La La Land had done their acceptance speeches was the mistake made clear in one of the most awkward hand overs we’ve ever witnessed.
Warren was forced to announce, “This is not a joke” as he tried to explain the issue.
“I wasn’t trying to be funny,” he told the audience and the millions of viewers at home, as he explained that the duo had been handed the previous winner’s card. “That’s why I looked at Faye for a really long time”.
There are several women of a certain age taking their clothes off in the West End.
No, these women are not strippers – they’re in a musical comedy called The Girls based on the famous calendar girls of Yorkshire who took their clothes off for a calendar to raise money. And it’s no surprise that the brave actresses in this show take their clothes off to pose, just like the real women!
It’s a good time for the audiences in a show written by perennial favourite and Take That member Gary Barlow, along with Tim Firth (who co-wrote the movie). It provides lots of music that carry the Take That sound – top 40 middle of the road – enjoyable even at times when the storyline is a bit uneven and a bit too simple.
Almost everyone knows about these girls (well, they are not exactly girls – they are ladies), and if you haven’t seen the 2003 hit movie (which starred Helen Mirren and Julie Walters), then ‘The Girls’ tells their story again. Anna (Joanna Riding) has lost her husband and she wants to raise money for a memorial couch at the hospital where he was treated to replace the broken down couch. Chris (an excellent Claire Moore) comes up with the idea (after seeing a Dutch women’s stripper calendar) that instead of having their usual bake sale, why don’t they pose, not naked, but nude, for a calendar? She rallies her local women’s club – W1 – but of course there’s dissent – especially by leader Marie (Marian McLoughlin) – who vehemently opposes the idea – she’ll have none of that – she doesn’t want to destroy the reputation and image of the club where they are trying to be role models for the younger generation. Of course, as you can guess the women do eventually disrobe for a calendar and the rest is history.
The Girls is a very lighthearted (and very lightweight) musical which combines hummable tunes with a weak storyline. But it’s credit to all of the actresses who actually disrobe on stage – they do it with such grace and elegance (and lots and lots of humour) that I wished the show would’ve stretched this bit even more (no, not just to linger more at the naked women but to celebrate their openness and non-reserve!). The women are all excellent, but Michelle Dotrice as Jessie really shines as the elder woman who takes if off with such candour. Another storyline in the show goes nowhere – Chris’ son Danny (a good Ben Hunter) and his friend Tommo (Josh Benson) try to impress the rebellious Jenny (Chloe May Jackson) but the storyline gets dropped, and Tommo disappears for most of the second act only to come back with one line. The set is a bit confusing (bookcases litter the stage – piled very high, used as a door as well, and an ugly scary tree pops down every now and then). But the catchy tunes such as ‘Yorkshire’ and ‘Dare’ will have you humming for days afterwards. The Girls will put a smile on your face and will remind you that being ‘nude’ is not a big deal!
The Girls is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre until July, 2017.
In the opening lines of the show, Fanny Brice declares, ‘That’s where I live, on stage.’ In a rip-roaringly fantastic return to the show by Sheridan Smith; it’s impossible to believe she belongs anywhere else.
The narrative of Funny Girl lacks originality. The rags to riches rise to fame, peppered with a predictably turbulent love story. These are popular tropes of the post-war musical, and Funny Girl is no exception. Act one of Isobel Lennart’s book just about generates enough excitement to retain one’s interest in the story. Act two doesn’t fair too well in this department. Michael Pavelka’s sparse, asymmetrical set design left the stage feeling desolate at times. And, while some have interpreted the precariously tilted proscenium arch as a representation of Fanny’s life – I think it’s a metaphor too far for this light-hearted musical comedy. However, like many things in this production, the lack of dramatic pace and uninspiring set design dissipates in a heartbeat when Smith is on stage.
The show is an unapologetic star-vehicle for the lead role, which was popularised by Barbara Streisand in the 1969 film – an indisputably tough act to follow. But Funny Girl is the story of vaudevillian Fanny Brice, and her meteoric rise to fame in the Ziegfeld Follies – a story which has distinct echoes of the show’s star Sheridan Smith. Smith herself is fast becoming the doyen of British theatre, and with performances like this, the hype is more than justifiable.
She sings with ample vocal ability and dances with confidence and flair. But Smith is ostensibly an actress – and it is her sublime characterisation, which never falters, where her unique ability to captivate is most alive. Her character Fanny claims to have ’36 different expressions’. To say Smith has expression is to dilute the honesty of her performance. In the wrong hands this role can be two-dimensional, but Smith’s astute comic timing, palpable likeability and wholly believable vulnerability chimes the chord of truth every second she is on stage.
The ensemble also gave a solid performance, and orchestra was in fine shape too. The same could not be said for my legs after being sat in the grand tier of the Palace Theatre in Manchester for three hours. I normally give the note: ‘restricted legroom’ a perfunctory glance and have no problem. I think, the tangible desire for the audience to jump to their feet was to congratulate Smith on a stellar performance – but the audible sigh of relief from my fellow grand tier survivors leaves one to wonder. Seat issues aside: a star was not born at the Palace Theatre this week, but rather cemented into history as one of our most talented leading ladies.
Having a huge peen tends to make the owner want to compare it to things…
We’ve all seen those pics – probably shared over Grindr – the dick alongside the remote, the dick alongside the can of Coke etc. Well there is an entire thread on Reddit solely devoted to what guys with big dicks like to compare their equipment to. It’s quite enlighting.
These guys share their favourite things:
A can of Redbull
Lining it up with what you’re about to penetrate – to see how far it will go in.
Another Redditor explained that a long-distance crush sent a picture comparing his penis to a can of sunscreen and then sent a follow-up apologising for not sending one with a banana for scale. Firstly you have to commend his commitment to slip slop slap. Better to be safe than sorry.
Have you ever been to one of those parties where the memory of it makes you shudder and sigh in equal measures? You know the kind: the music’s loud, the people are louder, there’s way too much gin, people are taking drugs like they’re about to become illegal or something, your boyfriend sneaks off and does someone else in another room and you can’t quite even remember what or even who you did. No? Me neither. I’m more of a Bridge and canapés person but I like to dream.
‘The Wild Party’ depicts just such a party but back in the era of Vaudeville, dancing the Black Bottom and blasting out jazz. Based on a controversial narrative poem from 1927, this musical is a rollicking romp and a visual treat. Queenie and Burrs are ageing Vaudeville stars that decide to liven up their flagging relationship by throwing a wild party with a bath tub full of gin and an assortment of bohemian friends with fluid sexuality. Cue the entrance of old friend Kate with her hot gigolo lover, Black and things get messier than expected.
Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (In the Heights, Bugsy Malone, Jekyll and Hyde) directs the piece and injects it with jaw dropping moves. Limbs flail, jazz hands waggle and a sinister pair of brothers hot-shoe it all over the stage. It’s visually dazzling if slightly overwhelming at times. The music is pure 1920s jazz and has enough oomph to carry the show which is needed as there isn’t a huge amount of plot: there’s a party with sex, drink and drugs and it goes wrong.
Original Les Miserables star Frances Ruffelle is a treat to watch as Queenie. Simon Thomas is painfully handsome as gigolo Black and Dex Lee is a suitably sinister and sexually appealing Jacky, a coke-crazed bisexual rich kid. It’s a show that’s brash, loud and relentless which is no bad thing. What it lacks in plot and delicate characterisation it more than makes up with rousing choreography and, to quote another show featuring Vaudeville stars, ‘razzle dazzle’.
★★★|In an elegant townhouse in Victorian London, Bella Manningham is slowly losing her mind. Pictures keep disappearing, trinkets seem to move from place to place and items go missing without explanation. Add to that the mysterious sounds from the top floor of the house and the dimming of the gas lamps and Bella’s sanity is called into question. But what is the secret history lurking in the walls of the home and just who is the stranger who calls unannounced at her home one evening? Why does Bella’s husband, Jack, keep reminding her of her mother’s insanity and what is the connection for all of them to a 20 year old unsolved murder?
Photo Credit – PR Supplied
Patrick Hamilton’s play is a direct descendant of the Victorian melodramas that it portrays. Continuing the themes of innocence menaced by something darker, the plays script, setting and overall feeling is one of claustrophobia and oppression. Given that the play is set in a single room and given that it is, essentially, a three hander, the play has to rely heavily on the performances of the actors to carry it through. Kara Tointon’s portrayal of Bella was fine, although the increasing histrionics started to grate a little with the progression of the story. Rupert Young’s turn as Jack Manningham was well rounded, initially quite charming and alluring, but subsequently developing his character to include an uneasy undertone. But it was Keith Allen’s performance as the mysterious visitor which stood out the most, performing his stern and determined character with his tongue just slightly in his cheek, lightening what is otherwise quite a bleak drama with a soupcon of humour and playing to his strengths.
The stage set is a detailed drawing room, which has a forced perspective and increases the claustrophobic feel of the piece, which is enhanced further by some atmospheric lighting. The productions sound design was nothing more than functional and the sound in the theatre allowed for every word to be heard clearly, which is essential with such a wordy script.
As a whole, the piece was a fairly mixed bag. The first act nicely established the characters from the outset and drew the audience in as to the mystery, hinting at the possibility of the plot twists which may come, and ending the first act, story-wise, on a decent cliff-hanger. The second act seemed to lose its way slightly, becoming a little muddled and failing to deliver on the anticipated plot twists, instead, providing a rather straight narrative and one which is not entirely unpredictable. There are a couple of cattle prod scares which highlight the supernatural element of the story, although in a rather clumsy and unnecessary way, and this is an element which is never really followed through.
Gaslight appears, from the outside, to be mix of The Woman In Black and An Inspector Calls, but in reality is a straight Victorian melodrama, portraying a relatively linear narrative with a socially aware undercurrent addressing the treatment of Victorian women and the discrepancies in equality faced by them. Overall, it is a fairly engaging but lightweight mystery / thriller worthy of a watch and which has an ultimately satisfying ending.
Gaslight is currently at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until the 25th February 2017 before heading to Richmond and Cardiff.
This is the second time that I have seen Cirque Berserk at the Birmingham Rep, and I have mixed feelings. Mostly, I really enjoyed the acts, and there were moments that got you on the edge of your seat, gasping in horror; but others that made you cringe.
There were your usual circus’ performances such as acrobatics, flame juggling, and even a clown character, which was quite funny; it was funnier when you heard the children laugh out loud in the audience at his every gag. The acts that stood out were Tropicana Troupe, a Cuban acrobat team that catapulted themselves across the stage landing perfectly on a crash mat, and in the second half flying halfway across the air to land precisely on a chair high up off the ground. Of course, their god-like bodies were also a show-stopper. Jose and Gaby performed a stunning contemporary/acrobatic dance routine where Gaby suspended herself with just one hand using Jose’s forehead as support. This blew the audience away, and we were glued to their beautiful movement throughout. Odka was also incredibly mesmerising to watch as a contortionist; Odka shot an arrow against a target by using her feet! Then we saw her spill out of a small bottle-like container. The four motorcyclists inside a metal dome they call – Globe of Death – was extreme and jaw-dropping, and was a brilliant way to end the show.
The other artists appeared little awkward and kept demanding rounds of applause which took away the moments that were really stunning and hand-clapping worthy. Bolas Argentina were very good in the second half, but the first half it was awkward when Germaine tossed the bolas against a springboard but it was a lacklustre effort. Then, Gabriel did a similar trick and it had so much more energy and rhythm to it. The Berserk Dancers were disappointing, as every time they appeared on stage, it looked like they were forced to be there and it made some moments cringing and laughable with only one or two really going for it. Timbuktu Tumblers were very good, but again, a lot of applause begging after every little thing. British audiences, I guess, like to be left alone and want to clap when they feel it necessary. It was especially awkward at the very end when the audience clapped, but the artists wouldn’t move until there was a complete standing ovation, which ended with an unenthusiastic standing ovation from half of the audience.
Overall, enjoyable, but for a circus with some very good acts, it lacked a punch.
Viewers of BBC’s Let It Shine were left outraged over the weekend after producers decided to leave out the LGBT-positive lines from Lady Gaga’s hit, “Born This Way”.
CREDIT: BBC / Guy Levy
Boy band hopefuls, Iron Sun, left some viewers scratching their heads and wondering if they misheard after they left out some crucial lyrics from Lady Gaga’s LGBT anthem, “Born This Way”.
Lyric’s missing from Iron Sun’s performance included,
“No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life. I’m on the right track baby. I was born to survive.”
The boy band also failed to sing the well-known lyrics, “don’t be a drag, just be a queen” but did manage to squeeze in an energetic dance break into the track.
Fans of the show were left angry when the track omitted the lyrics with some calling into question the BBC’s diversity.
One viewer questioned,
“#letitshine how can you sing born this way without mentioning anything about equality and diversity ??? It’s the point of the song.”
★★★★| The Pet Shop Boys Super Tour – Leeds First Direct Arena
32 years ago, The Pet Shop Boys burst onto the music scene with West End Girls, their first single and their first of many number ones. 32 years later, they have kicked off their UK tour, Super, at Leeds First Direct Arena, touring off the back of their latest two albums, Super and Electric, their set featured selected tracks from those albums along with a host of classic tracks and a few unexpected songs. The question is, have The Pet Shop Boys still got it? TheGayUK were there to bring you the lowdown.
(c) Tej
Opening with Inner Sanctum, the band rattled though some of their more recent tracks, including The Pop Kids, Burn, and The Dictator Decides from their latest album, Super, and Love is a Bourgeois Concept and Inside a Dream from their Electric Album. These latter two albums have had a heavy dance music slant, and the songs sounded great performed live, with the crowd on their feet and the bass reverberating in your chest. Scattered amongst the set list were some unusual, but welcome choices, such as In The Night, New York City Boy, The Sodom and Gomorrah Show and a beautifully subtle version of Home and Dry, the latter being a real highlight of the show.
But it was, of course, the classic hits including West End Girls, Love Comes Quickly, Domino Dancing, Always On My Mind and new versions of Left To My Own Devices and Go West, which really got the crowd going; and the seminal It’s A Sin was a clear winner within the sold out arena.
Accompanying the music was a projected backdrop and a jaw dropping light and laser show, creating a visual feast and an assault on the senses, as the lasers reached out into the audience, jabbing them with bony coloured fingers, before bathing them in soft sheets of light which penetrated the smoky atmosphere of the arena. Dispensing with the need for backing dancers and elaborate dance routines, the band’s presentation of electronic entertainment neatly mirrored their pioneering electronic sound. The visuals in themselves are worth the price of admission.
Tennant’s voice still sounds as solid as ever, the vocals were clear and songs that were over 30 years old still sounded contemporary as they neatly nestled between the new tracks. However, whilst the light show was incredible, there were times when you were so blinded by the constant flashing lights aimed directly at you, that the movement on stage and the band themselves were obscured as they became washed out in a sea of light; and judging by the reaction of the crowd, a few more of the classic hits would have been welcome, although with such an extensive back catalogue to choose from, it is inevitable that there will be some omissions.
With an extravagant stage show, breath-taking visuals and a sound which never seems to age, the question is have the Pet Shop Boys still got it? And they absolutely have.
The Super Tour kicked off on the 18th February 2017 and tours at various locations including Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, London and Blackpool. Visit the official website at http://petshopboys.co.uk/tour for details.
This retro 1964 colouring book is slightly amazing.
In it, you’re invited to colour in scenes of a bathhouse orgy, a park cruising scene and the jolliest birthday party you’ve ever witnessed. Welcome to The Gay Coloring Book.
The flamboyant book, of which there are several in the series, were first published in 1964, cost $2.00 and contained 32 pages for your colouring in delight.
Back in the 60s you could mail order, My Trip Around The World described as a new devilishly witty where Danny, our hero gets to meet 35 of the “world’s most attractive men”.
A tender, heartwarming story of a young black gay man growing up in 1980’s Miami is the story of the critically acclaimed film Moonlight.
I had to see this film a second time to fully relive and understand and absorb the nuances and emotional impact it delivers. Moonlight is about Chiron, and the three chapters of his life. Played as a wide-eyed young boy by Alex Hibbert, as a teenager by Ashton Sanders, and then as an adult by Trevante Rhodes – we get to see him grow up while having to endure lots pain and heartbreak is his life.
Chiron is not like the rest of the other boys in school. He is constantly picked on (he’s smaller than the rest), his father is not in the picture, and his mother Paula (an excellent Naomie Harris) is a drug addict who is slowly spiralling into desperate drug addiction.
The Miami housing project where Paula and Chiron live is controlled by drug dealer Juan (Oscar-nominated Mahershala Ali), who lives there with his girlfriend Teresa (a very good Janelle Monåe). Juan just happens to be Paula’s drug dealer. But Juan also becomes a father figure to Chiron, and Chiron starts spending lots of time at his apartment. He’s looked after there, is fed and cared for by Tereaa, he gets meals there that he never would get at home. But as Chiron grows up, he becomes more aware of his sexuality, and as a teenager has a thing with fellow friend Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), whom he’s known since they were young boys, and it’s this act that changes Chiron’s life forever.
We then see Chiron as a 24-year old ex-convict, muscled up, dealing drugs and still coming to grips with his sexuality. All of a sudden he gets a call from Kevin (now played by a very charismatic André Holland). Chiron still has feelings for Kevin, so he gets up the courage to meet up with him. It’s in these moments where we hold our breath, not really knowing what’s going to happen. All we want is for Chiron to be happy, to be in a relationship, to lead a happy life with someone he cares about and loves – and that’s all he really wants too.
Moonlight is an exquisite depiction of self-discovery, of a disenfranchised young black man meandering through life who is on a personal journey of self-discovery. Moonlight is based on the play Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. It’s a beautifully shot movie (by James Laxton) and its colours are as beautiful as a Miami sunset. The acting is amazing – all three who play Chiron are fantastic, but it’s Sanders whose Chiron has to go through lots of pain and agony, and being beaten up by homophobic school bullies. The music, by Nicholas Britell, is very subtle and sets the right mood. Moonlight has won lots of film awards and is on track to give ‘La La Land’ a run for it’s money at the upcoming Academy Awards. Kudos to director and writer Barry Jenkins for bringing a rich, moving story of a young black gay man to the big screen – it’s a story that’s not been told before – and it works so fine.
