THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • EastEnders Spoiler: Is Johnny Carter getting a first boyfriend?

    Is Johnny Carter about to get a boyfriend? An insider says very possibly after gay pride episode.

    A Walford insider said, ‘It soon becomes clear that Johnny (played by Sam Strike) met someone at gay pride and they really hit it off. He’s got a love bite on his neck and a phone that won’t stop buzzing with text messages – it seems some is smitten!’

    However it seems he is trying desperately to cover his tracks from his mum Linda, who has yet to fully come to terms with Johnny’s sexuality.

    Johnny Carter came out at the end of last year, which resulted in one of the most talked about gay moments of TV when he told his father Mick Carter (Danny Dyer)

    Last month our roving photographer caught a sneak peak of Sam Strike filming in Soho. See the exclusive pictures here.

  • Big Brother’s Danielle talk about marriage with Winston

    All the latest on tonight’s episode of Big Brother… And Danielle talks to Winston about Marriage and why men are basically men whores… it’s because of their DNA – apparently.

    Speaking to Winston, Danielle says, ‘Say a man slept with ten girls and then you had a women who slept with ten girls (sic), that would offend me that the women done it but I wouldn’t judge the guy. I can understand why a man does it because it’s just how they are in their DNA really, but women it’s different; they’re not made like that.’

    Danielle made headlines when entering the Big Brother house 19 days ago because of her strict Catholic views against same-sex marriage

    Here’s what else is going on in the house tonight, from 10:00PM on Channel 5

    • Danielle talks to Big Brother and says she “feels emotionally and mentally exhausted…there’s so many vindictive people in here…I just feel like a caged bird” She goes on to talk about Helen saying, “the girl has serious issues…has a personal problem with me, whatever that is. Such a rude, vile girl…she’s just horrible, just horrid. She is quite honestly the nastiest person I’ve ever met in my life”.

    • Matthew, Jale, Toya and Ashleigh talk about Helen in the bedroom. Toya remarks, “the things that she’s done…the snide comments, the remarks, the things that I’ve witnessed are absolutely disgusting…” Jale adds, “I’m getting annoyed with myself for giving Helen a chance up until a couple of days ago…she can’t be that unbalanced otherwise she wouldn’t be in here”.

    • Helen talks to Steven, Ash, Mark and Kimberly about how she’s feeling in the House.

    • Kimberly and Toya discuss being in the House. When Kimberly asks if she’s happy not to have the power, Toya says, “I’m more happy that I’m up for nomination to be honest…do you think I want to stay in this House? No, I don’t…”

    • Danielle talks to Ashleigh about Kimberly saying, “we’re done…we are through. I will never speak to her outside this House” Ashleigh responds saying, “I won’t be either, she doesn’t give a sh*t” Danielle adds, “She’s not got my back…she’s got no loyalty to me…I will never, ever trust her again”

    • Helen talks to Toya about Danielle and says, “I’d rather be friendly and polite… I don’t want to upset someone, that upsets me…I just need to accept and stop being childish about things and think she’s different to me and I don’t think we’re ever going to see eye to eye”

    • Kimberly talks to Danielle about some of the other Housemates and explains that they bond by putting their cards on the table and making fun of one another and that “it’s kind of them trying to bond with you in a weird way” Danielle responds that she doesn’t think a lot of people like her in the House and she’s “fine with that…I know who my friends are”

    • Ashleigh talks to Toya about Danielle saying, “I’m going to have to smack her, I swear to God. I need to give her a shake”

    • The Housemates successfully compete in a trust task

    • Toya tells Matthew about her troubled relationship with Marlon and says, “If he calls me a fuc*ing bit*h one more time, I will verbally, verbally destroy him”

    • Kimberly and Danielle talk about Steven and speculate that they may be booked for a double photo shoot when they are evicted

    • Ash, Winston and Marlon analyse the eviction odds. Marlon observes, “It’s either gonna be me or Toya…I can’t wait to see that reaction” Ash adds, “It’s going to go either way”

    • Toya tells Big Brother, “When I told you hurricane Toya was brewing… well hurricane Toya arrived. There was no destruction, just some superficial damage.”

    • Steven talks to Jale about the upcoming evictions and says, “I think Danielle’s perception with the public has changed” He goes on to speculate that the argument between Marlon and Toya has put them both in jeopardy with Jale saying, “she’s written herself off”

    • Danielle talks to Ashleigh about her earlier conversation with Kimberly regarding Steven

    • Kimberly talks to Jale about Helen saying, “The one benefit about Helen is that if she has something to say, she’ll say it.”

    • Matthew tells Big Brother that he thinks “Ashleigh and Toya have become very close”

    • Kimberly and Steven talk about her barriers.

    • Danielle talks to Winston about marriage.

    • Danielle, Kimberly and Jale jump in the pool and are joined by some of the other Housemates for an impromptu pool party

    • Following the pool party, some of the boys joke that Marlon has his eye on Danielle to which he responds, “I can crack that nut”

    • Helen tells Big Brother that she thinks she’s turned a leaf with Danielle who showed a fun side during the evening

    • Kimberly and Danielle discuss Ashleigh and Toya’s influence over her

  • FILM REVIEW | The Case Against 8

    ★★★★★ | The Case Against 8

    On the morning of November 5th 2008 our euphoria over the election of Barak Obama as the first African/American President of the US was severely dampened when we learnt that voters in California had passed Proposition 8, albeit by a slim majority. Overnight they had taken away the legal right of same-sex marriages in the State. It was a bitter blow for those still wanting to marry and it created sheer confusion and dismay for the 18000 couples that had wed in the past few months.

    There was immediate talk of mounting a legal challenge in federal court but it wasn’t until someone had the inspired idea of engaging the services of Ted Olsen did the notion take flight. Olsen seemed a highly unlikely choice as he was not only a prominent Republican who had been the US Solicitor General but more famously had been the chief advocate in the US Supreme Court in Bush vs Gore which resulted in George W. snatching the Presidency from Al Gore who had won the popular vote. There was a great deal of opposition to Olsen from many sections of the gay community who thought he was a ‘mole’ planted by the Right wing, and also many in the Republican considered him a traitor to their cause.

    Olsen however soon showed his sincerity and total commitment to fighting for the overturn of Prop 8 by persuading prominent Democratic Lawyer David Boiles, who had been his opposition when he had acted for Vice President Gore, to now be his co-counsel. It was a shrewd move as the two high-flying lawyers not only had a great deal of respect for each other, but they brought different skills to the case and made an invincible team.

    Olsen explained the reasoning for his own stance very clearly in the film. “Marriage is a conservative value. It’s two people who love one another and want to live together in a stable relationship, to become part of a family and part of neighborhood and our economy. We should want people to come together in marriage.’ It was one of the many times in this riveting documentary that Olsen quietly demonstrated what an outstanding humanitarian he really is.

    The legal challenge was mounted by Chad Griffin and the leadership of American Foundation of Equal Rights (AFER) and what strikes you so vividly as this story unfolds is not just the dogged determination and commitment of the vast team but the realisation on how much gay activism has changed. Gone are the rabid well-meaning dis-organised hippies of my youth whose anger always fueled our protests that so often muddied the water rather than help us make progress as the establishment ran rings around us.

    Griffin’s team of lawyers and the lead counsels mounted the whole campaign with such sheer professionalism, micro-managing every minute detail that made for an impressive compelling argument. Their strategy was to focus on the very obvious facts of the matter with the reality that this was about a basic human right. Whereas the opposition who were much better funded, relied on hot-headed rhetoric and their own personal opinions steeped in bigotry and hate with scant regard for the proven facts.

    When David Boiles personally supervised the taking of depositions from all the expert witnesses the opposition put forward, he was so relentless that they all but one, withdraw before the first trial. The remaining ‘expert’ David Blankenhorn was the cause of some merriment when the Team uncovered that asides from the tome he had penned on marriage his only other qualification was his Masters Degree. It was on Victorian Cabinet making! And later on when he was being cross examined by Mr Boiles on the witness stand in court he did a complete U turn and actually agreed that same sex marriage should be legalised. It was, as Mr Olsen described as ‘a Perry Mason moment’ and the start of the collapse of the Opposition’s case.

    AFER’s thorough search to find the perfect Plaintiffs on whose behalf the Law would be challenged was impressive. More so that the two couples who were selected were four of the most self-effacing brave individuals who were willing to step out of their comfort zones and allow every facet of their lives to be examined in minute detail. They were never ever be out of public gaze for the next 5 years.

    Kris Perry and Sandy Steir had married in 2004 and had four sons, whereas Jeffrey Zamillo and Paul Katami had been together for 6 years and wanted to marry before they started a family. The fact that they allowed the filmmakers to record even the very painful experiences of some very brutal and highly personal questioning they faced when they were put through their paces by Olsen as a practice run, endeared them even more to us all.

    The Federal trial before Judge Walker resulting in Prop 8 being struck down, and the subsequent Appeal by the Opposition that failed leading to the whole Case winding up in the US Supreme Court was covered extensively in the media. However what this exceptionally wonderful documentary does is give a fascinating record of all the goings on behind the scenes and in particular a very highly personal look at some of the crucial and personal highlights that made this struggle seem even more poignant. When the victorious four Plaintiffs are finally on the steps of the Supreme Court after the Justices have struck D.O.M.A. down, Chad Griffin passes them his cellphone. Barak Obama is on the line from Air Force One proffering his congratulations. If you were not crying before then, you certainly were then. It is a moment in history which should never be forgotten.

    There is another wee part later on when the tears are of joy. Jeffrey and Paul are at Los Angelas City Hall where they are about to be married by the Mayor himself. It is the first day that same-sex is legal again in California but the Clerk refuses to give them a License as she claims she has not been officially notified. The ACER lawyer accompanying the men makes a quick call passes the phone to the Clerk’ s Supervisor. On the line is Kamala Harris, California’s Attorney General who orders him to issue the license immediately. It’s so good to have friends in high places.

    Filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White approached AFER in 2009 with the idea of making this documentary not knowing how the legal action would turn out. They were giving unprecedented access and so were there filming every single step of the five year battle. They spent endless emotional days and sleepless nights with the entire team and the Plaintiffs and ended up with over 600 hours of footage.

    What they achieved, along with editor Kate Amend, is a remarkable concise and spellbinding account that covered this historic turning point in a style it so richly deserved. It perfectly captured the sheer energy of all the people who put their own lives on hold and gave this fight their all to enable gay men and women should be accorded this basic human right and with such dignity.

    Even though we all knew by now the outcome of this particular fight it’s still impossible not to be somewhat overwhelmed with emotion when you witness this account. You will certainly not be the only one who is reaching for a Kleenex more than once.

    N.B. the final word must go to Ted Olsen, who along with David Boiles, deserve nothing less than our utmost respect and deep gratitude (and maybe the Presidential Medal of Freedom too!) Mr Olsen simply said that equal rights are always worth fighting for.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bath House, Above The Stag

    ★★★★ | Bath House, Above The Stag

    For their summer production, Above The Stag have returned to one of their successes from 2009. Bath House The Musical is a fun, frothy, irreverent romp, which is quite perfect for a summer evening. Given the fact that the cast spend most of the time wearing nothing but a towel, I imagine they’re quite relieved they are performing on warm summer evenings.

    The story, such as it is, concerns young Billy, wide-eyed and innocent, who turns up at the baths looking for love and fun. Advised on bathhouse etiquette by the disembodied voice of Giles Brandreth, he explores the steam room, the locker room, the showers and anywhere else he might find a bit of cock. Threaded through this narrative is a bit of an unlucky love story, but, don’t worry, there are no real broken hearts, and very little interrupts the generally high spirits of the show. Lyrics and script are both very funny.

    The score is a witty amalgam of musical references from Ethel Merman to jolly Christmas songs, not that you have to get the musical references in order to enjoy songs with titles like I’m a Bear Chaser, Clickin’ for dick, Bathhouse ABCs, Christmas at the Baths, and the hilariously sweet Penises are like Snowflakes. I’m still humming the tune three days after the show.

    Tim McArthur, who directed Above The Stag’s recent successful production of Orton, directs and also stars in the show, and proves to have excellent comic timing and a lovely voice. His direction and choreography is well conceived and never less than apt, but I did occasionally wonder if he might not have had a bit more cheeky fun with the towels.

    In such an ensemble piece, it would be insidious to single out any of the performers, who all get their moment to shine and who all give excellent accounts of themselves. The show being rather short, it ends with a sort of disco megamix of all the songs from the show, a la Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It’s quite a marathon and my only criticism would be that the entire cast found it a wee bit taxing. In my experience the only way you prepare for something like that is to build the stamina by repeating the number without a break twice or three times. Maybe they didn’t have time. No worries, I’m sure they will build up the stamina by the end of the run.

    The projected run of Bath House The Musical sold out so quickly that it has been extended by three weeks and will now run until August 9th, so if you didn’t get your booking in early, there’s still time to catch it.

    Bath House the Musical is at the Above the Stag theatre in Vauxhall.

  • FILM REVIEW | Test

    ★★★★★ | Test
    When the AIDS epidemic first started back in the early 1980’s the air was rife with panic and dramatic rumors that took the place of hard facts about the disease that were so few and far in between. Nowhere more so than in San Francisco home to a significantly large gay community. By 1985 when the first ever test for HIV was introduced nearly every gay man was living in fear of being diagnosed positive and facing an imminent death.

    Chris Mason-Johnson’s excellent narrative is about one such young gay man… Frankie… who was a standby for a leading contemporary dance company in San Francisco at the time. He is quite skinny and scrawny compared to the 6 hunky hot men that he understudies and is often taunted by the choreographer to ‘dance like a man’ but that is only part of his worries as each day he listens and watches the onslaught of media coverage on the health crisis… ‘should Gays be quarantined’ one paper’s headline screams. He finds himself checking his body for any of the new tell tell signs that have just been announced.

    He is not alone, as most of the other male dancers are doing this in private too. Even hirsute Todd, the ‘bad boy’ of the company that Frankie obviously has a crush on, is convinced that he is now doomed to an early death. The girls in the troupe start to get nervous of dancing with their partners who are sweating in case this is one way the disease can be spread, and they even go as far as trying to encourage Frankie to turn ‘straight’ to save himself. It’s something that his roommate Tyler decides to do anyway and he announces that he is moving in with his new ‘girlfriend’ Tracey.

    The one relief throughout all this angst and dread is the dancing. Frankie and the others come alive on stage and are momentarily transformed with an uplifting feeling of hope and beauty as they dance their hearts out with their bodies intertwined and their minds for once full of joy. The despair may come back when the curtain falls but at least for them this is one very important reason for living right now.

    As Frankie and Todd come to the point where maybe they have more than just a casual connection, there is a glorious moment of much needed humor when they wrestle with the novelty of having to use condoms for the first time. ‘What’, asks Frankie, ‘would it be like if from now on we had to only have sex with just one person to be safe? Would we really have to be monogamous?’ he adds with a grin on his face.

    It’s a powerful tale particularly as for once it is a story about very gay young men, and is serves to reminds us of how free and easy their (and our) lives where in the days before the crisis. Despite including all the paranoia and the homophobia that were so prevalent at the time, Mason Johnson’s tale is also very much one of hope, and that despite the inconceivable amount of people that so tragically lost their lives, others survived and society did eventually heal.

    It was a stunning acting debut from dancer Scott Marlowe as Frankie and he had great chemistry with hunky Matthew Risch as Todd (see opposites do attract). And the dancing itself which was a major part of the story was exquisite and so fluid… and the fact that writer/director Mason Johnson playing the choreographer was also an ex-dancer no doubt had a lot to do with it.

    The story is slow to unfold as it take us to the place where Frankie must decide about taking the test but its worth each one of its 89 mins to get him/us there.

    Unmissable

  • New gay club night to shake up Brighton’s night life

    ‘FOMO’ (Fear Of Missing Out) announced as Revenge’s new Thursday club night from July onwards.

    After leading the way for over seven years as Brighton’s Favourite Club Night (Golden Handbag Awards), Girls on Top is growing up and evolving into a weekend monthly special. In its place, Club Revenge – the South Coast’s biggest gay & lesbian club – welcome an exciting new weekly night that looks set to revolutionise clubbing on the scene; ‘FOMO’.
    FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) launches on Thursday 3rd July and aims to surpass the record-breaking success of Girls on Top with a refreshed DJ line-up, wild themed nights, new cheap drinks promos and massive giveaways.

    Steve Jones, Promoter of FOMO and Club Revenge: “We’re working really hard to create a night which consistently delivers week after week so that if people do decide to stay at home, they’re genuinely going to miss something special and suffer from FOMO! It’s all about creating that unique electric club atmosphere which you only get from the perfect combination of a great crowd and the right music, and that’s something we can guarantee at FOMO.”

    Musically, FOMO have hand-picked the UK’s finest DJs to ensure the soundtrack of the night delivers on its promise of “big beats, bad ass basslines and mashed up bangers”.

    Sam DMS is renowned across the country for his ingenious mash-ups that constantly keep people on their toes and ensure no two nights are the same. Missy B has headlined girls’ nights in every major city and continues to set dancefloors on fire with her high-energy style. Fifilicious has graced every major DJ booth in Brighton and beyond, as crowds continue to fall in love with her inventive, exciting mixes and infectious personality. And finally Trick, Revenge’s home grown talent whose cool twist on all things pop provide plenty of crowd-pleasing moments.

    Revenge are offering a range of drinks promotions, including bottles of Fosters and Tequila shots for £1.50 and a double vodka and mixer for just £3.

  • REVIEW | Limbo, London Wonderground

    ★★★★★ | Limbo, London Wonderground

    Witness heart-stopping illusions, mind-bending manoeuvres, breath taking dance moves and thrilling live music from a coterie of highly skilled international performers. A summer celebration of otherworldly proportions: welcome to the greatest party ever between heaven and hell.

    If you’re expecting light circus tricks with cheesy grins and fluffy plinky-plonky music then you’re going to be disappointed. Instead you get sweaty muscled bodies, sinister tunes and tongue in cheek dark high camp. Expect to be on the edge of your seat, gasping in shock and feeling slightly frisky as you witness some beautiful people doing some death defying stunts. Sword swallowing, balancing acts, contortionism and aerial displays may be old hat but not when they’re performed with such panache and verve that there’s a whole new spin on it.

    The choreography is superb, the tone hits the right pitch and the atmosphere is electric. I’m not normally a person who gets carried away with the moment (inner monologue and intrusive thoughts: think Woody Allen but more camp) but this is a spectacle that drags you along with it and you wonder how the time went so quickly. Plus, you get to sit inside the gorgeous Spiegeltent on the Southbank; once home to legends like Dietrich, Coward and Garland.

    This pumping, dirty, beast of a show is a must see. Did I mention that the boys are gorgeous?

    Limbo runs until the 17th of August

  • FILM REVIEW | Blood Brother

    ★★★★★ | Blood Brother

    This is one of those real life stories that you come across now and again that re-affirm your faith in the goodness of (some) human beings. Rocky Braat’s story is especially moving and relates how one very ordinary and regular young American man, who is exceptionally unselfish and wonderfully generous, made a real difference to the lives of many children that society would like to forget.

    Rocky grew up in Pittsburgh with a drug addict mother who had a whole string of abusive boyfriends and as he struggled academically at school they put him in special ed classes. He is however far from stupid and graduated from design college, and got a good job on a magazine. After a while he got the travel bug and quit his job and went off to see the world and ‘find himself’.

    His chosen destination was India, and one day on a whim he went to see an AIDS orphanage in Chennai. He thought that the visit would be tough seeing the kids suffering, and it was indeed and he found himself crying a lot, but he still felt compelled to stay there for one whole month. When he resumed his journey he couldn’t get the kids out of his mind, because despite all their troubles, they found such joy in living, so he immediately turned around and went back.

    He stayed the rest of the summer, and when it was time to go back to the US, he promised the kids he would return in one year, and he did.

    This movie, shot by Steve Hoover, Rocky’s childhood friend tells of the next few years of how this remarkable man with no real qualifications at all, and with no official paid position lives there in the orphanage and became an amateur dentist, teacher, clown, carer, friend and father to all these abandoned children who absolutely adored him. He lives in a rat infested hovel, exists on a daily diet of rice, and has to keep leaving the country because of visa problems.

    It is a highly emotional story (there wasn’t a dry eye in the house even with the cynical Sundance audience I watched it with) as we live through all the many traumas the kids and Rocky endure. Kids get very sick and some die as they can only have access to the very basic of AIDS drugs, and Rocky Anna (as the kids call him) is there every inch of the way. What is so endearing that Rocky, unlike a professional AIDS worker, is never ever detached from any of the happenings and gets totally distraught and frustrated at times and often cries.

    The fact that he is there and chosen to remain with the kids is simply explained as that’s what he wants to do. There are no lofty claims that he is doing God’s calling (or anyone else’s for that matter) or for any religious conviction or any other profound reason. This is where he wants to be, and he certainly is making an enormous difference to all these children’s lives.

    I am totally in awe of the man, and it was interesting too that as Steve Hoover witnessed and filmed Rocky insitu over the years he grew to understand and appreciate why his friend is so committed to the kids and the country itself. However, there is a lighter note to the story too, because just as Rocky ‘finds himself’, he also finds a beautiful Indian bride to marry.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Last Of The Duty Free

    ★★ | Last Of The Duty Free

    Following on from the popular TV series of the 1980’s, Last Of The Duty Free see’s David and Linda having both pulled the wool over their respective partners eyes and reunite at the hotel in Spain where they began their love affair all those years before. But with Robert and Amy both arriving at the resort, suspicious of their cheating spouses, an interfering newly married couple managing to get the wrong end of the stick with every situation they observe and Carlos the waiter still struggling with his sore feet, the scene is set for more romance, confusion and narrow escapes as David and Linda try to reignite their passions.

    The show reunites three of the four main actors from the original show; Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor and Neil Stacey all revive their TV roles, with Carol Royle joining them as Linda. The cast appeared to have slipped comfortably back into their old roles, with them all giving very natural performances.

    Written by Eric Chappell, who co-wrote the original series, the humour was gentle and subtle, generating chuckles, rather than belly laughs. The comedy was very non offensive, and played on comedy staples such as mistaken identity, near misses, misunderstandings over unrequited desires and battles of both wits and the sexes. In its style, the piece was very traditional and in perfect keeping with the original TV series and in a similar vein to other comedy series written by Chappell, such as Only When I Laugh and Rising Damp. The story was suitably simple and undemanding; allowing the audience to be transported back to their living rooms of the 80’s to watch the TV sitcom unfold live on stage. The play, thankfully, didn’t try to update itself and cram in numerous references to its modern day setting, remaining faithful to its roots, with only the briefest mention of mobile phones.

    The set was static and did have an essence of the purpose built hotel complexes associated with inexpensive package holidays, and the brief interludes of Spanish guitar music generated a holiday feel. Both the direction and the lighting were functional and the sound clear and audible.

    The Last of the Duty Free is curious a show. Whether you enjoy this play will depend largely on whether you enjoyed the original TV series and the classic sitcoms of the 1980’s. The play is unlikely to win over many new fans, and you do have to wonder why the show is revived 28 years after it ended its highly successful TV run. The play may be described as dated by some in terms of both its setting or writing, but equally, could be described as nostalgic by others, harking back to a style of inoffensive comedy and a more established style of conventional comedy writing.

    Last of the Duty Free is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 21st June 2014 before rounding off its national tour.

  • FILM REVIEW | Advanced Style

    ★★★★★ | Advanced Style

    Five years ago Ari Seth Cohen took to the streets of Manhattan armed with his camera looking for old ladies. Not just any elderly dears but photographing fashionable women in their ’70s, ’80s and beyond having being inspired by his own grandmother who made him appreciate senior style icons who life live to the fullest.

    His blog which became de-rigour reading for myself and many of my friends developed into a book and is now a delightful documentary. A project that started out with Cohen being inspired by this tight band of eccentric women with a zest for living and a passion for their fashion has almost turned full circle as they are now enjoying the fame and celebrity that his attention has brought them from a curious world.

    The ladies’ stories are inspirational and a sheer joy to listen too, and the highly individual and colourful personal styles their adopt in their traffic-stopping outfits are just part of their well-conceived mantras of living every moment of the lives to the hilt, especially as they recognise that they are now in their twilight years. Tiny red-headed 92-year-old artist Illona Royce Smithkin with the biggest eyelashes I have ever seen sums it up aptly when she say that she no longer buys green bananas as she simply cannot afford to wait for them to ripen.

    Each of the group has a swathe of stories to tell and none with more than a hint of regret of lives well led (‘I wish I had children’ says one coyly, but adds quickly that ‘taking care of all her handmade clothes is much more hard work than playing house.’ There’s 81-year-old Jacquie ‘Tajah’ Murdock who was one of the original ‘Apollo Girls’ in Harlem and during the course of the film, is chosen by Steven Meisel no less to be the new face of his campaign for Lanvin. And Lynn Dell Cohen, also in her 80s, who has run a Vintage Frock Store Off Broadway for 40 years and still politely hectors each of the customers to find their own style.

    It’s refreshing and a real treat not simply because these elderly women look so ravishing but because they dare to be different and are such a delightful anti-dote to mainstream UK who slavishly try to keep up with ever-evolving fashion trends that few can afford and most look hideous in. But they are also up there on a pedestal as wrinkled and challenged as they are (‘at my age for everything in my body that I have two off, one hurts like hell’) simply refusing to either act the way society expects them too, or just die quietly in the corner. In fact one of their number, Zelda Kaplan a mere 95-year-old had a heart attack whilst she is the front row of a fashion show. Zelda must be so happy in heaven now.

    Style, as these elderly icons will show you, is much more than just about fashion. It’s an innate quality that not just enriches your own life, but also those of the people that are part of yours too. And each of these irrepressible ladies reminds us yet once again that life is not a dress rehearsal.

    Unmissable.

  • Iconic Lesbian Night To Close Again

    Iconic lesbian night in London, Lounge is to close its doors once again.

    Organisers of the Lounge event at Voltaire have issued a statement saying that the evening will no longer run after the 4th July 2014.

    They said, ‘We had hoped to come back in the autumn after a break but unfortunately, it’s not viable to run a monthly night. We’ve had a ball getting to see Loungers old and new come through the doors of our fabulous venue, Voltaire. Thank you to those who supported us.

    ‘We may well look into running something on a less frequent basis, but in the meantime let’s focus on making Friday 4th July the best Lounge ever.’

    The rebirth of Lounge was announced in December 2013,