The kind people at Publishers Group UK sent me a copy of Into the Flames by Mel Bossato read and review on my blog. It’s written in the perspectives of the three main characters: Jamie, Dance and Neil.
Jamie or Dr. Jamie Scarborough to his patients is a psychiatrist. But poor Jamie suffers with his own mental health – he has severe anxiety (which at times lead to panic attacks) with a bit of OCD thrown in. He’s recently split up from bisexual Basil his partner of five years, leaving behind Basil’s sisters twin children Mallory and Marshall.
Dance is an eccentric, loveable and very intelligent compulsive liar. He’s homeless and the only family he has is a twin brother Seth whose desperate to become a woman named September. September however has an eating disorder so can’t get the psychiatric pass to allow the surgery.
Neil is a fire fighter who has been suspended due to putting his colleagues life at risk. Neil is a loner with his only family being an old dog that has to be put down by the vet. Neil’s poor mental health worsens after this trauma, making him unstable, neurotic and a very sinister person later in the book.
Jamie, Dance and Neil all have mental health issues in this story, the root cause of which is childhood trauma. This heavy subject matter made Into the Flames difficult to read at times, but what encouraged me to read on was the genuine care and compassion that I felt for the characters.
The story was slow to get going and initially focused on the characters issues rather than the characters and their development. I’m not sure if this was deliberate from Bossa, wanting the reader to care about the main characters to the point of us wanting to rescue them. Bossa also took her time in building the links and associations between the different characters which also encourages the reader to read on.
Towards the end of the book tension builds and you become hooked. Neil starts to have a neurotic breakdown becoming dangerous and Dance disappears. Will Neil harm anyone? If he does will it be physical or psychological torture or both? Where has Dance gone? Will he be OK?
Bossa uses the twin connection cleverly throughout the book and for more than one of the main characters. The story concludes traumatically but leaving the reader with a sense that everything will be OK in the end. I did feel sorry for Matt (one of the minor characters) who I felt was a loose string that could have been tied up at the end.
Overall the story is well written with the use of the characters perspectives being pleasing; it is obvious that Bossa has a lot passion for writing queer literature. Into the Flames is available to buy on Amazon.
How do you turn one of the West End’s biggest flops into a success? Turn its story into a 70 minute hilarious monologue, of course! And that is exactly what writer Peter Michael Marino has bravely done here.
Set against the complex backdrop of a 1970s Afghanistan in upheaval and later 1980’s Los Angeles, the story – narrated by an adult Amir who jumps in and out of the action – is of two young boys Amir and Hassan whose friendship is complicated by racial inequality and servitude.
The boys are united through kite running competitions but a nasty incident and an act of cowardice tear the two apart.
Wide in scope, heavy in emotion: The Kite Runner’s story is where its strengths lie but with Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling book and the film already available is this the best medium for it? The Kite Runner suffers in translation from text to stage due to its reliance on narration. The story is arguably too unwieldy to be dealt with in any other way but this is a story of human relationships and powerful emotions and too often I wanted to be shown instead of told. As a result the stage regularly appeared empty, lacking dynamism and I felt distanced from a story that had the potential to wrestle me to the ground.
Credit to Ben Turner though, who was present on stage through the whole piece, switching as he does between the narrative voice and on-stage persona of Amir. Sadly though, I was never blown away; his American accent jarred and when playing the younger Amir I felt he went too young for the role, verging on childish caricature. Turner performed competently but never quite gripped. The supporting cast impressed though, including Farshid Rokey playing the childhood friend Hassan. Rokey again played it too young but was more convincing and I believed his unwavering loyalty. Emilio Doorgasingh as the father doesn’t quite fit the role of domineering patriarch in stature and voice but I felt his conflicted emotions and his frustration and he won my affection. Special mention goes to the on stage percussion – a nice touch that added a layer of energy to the performance and it seemed to me that as the curtain fell it was the percussionist that enjoyed the loudest applause.
Simple but effective set design – minimal props and projection – allowed for quick and efficient set changes that let the story flow. The animated hand drawings of childhood and misshapen comic book skyline of Los Angeles added a sense of magic and warmth to what was often a heavy story.
If this is the Playhouse’s centre-piece for the coming season then ultimately I was a little disappointed. It didn’t drag but it didn’t grab. Its strength is in its source material and this was source material I was familiar with; on stage I was hoping for something a little different, a little more dynamic.
Get ready for the Eurovision madness to hit the airwaves with the 2013 double album
With more key changes than even Simon Cowell could handle, the Eurovision 2013 album is available to buy from all good digtial and physical retailers.
With 39 songs, this year’s double album is a whopper.
This year’s Eurovision will be held in the Swedish town of Malmo and will be broadcast on BBC on the 18th May
Viewers and professional juries in 39 participating countries will vote.
Viewers and professional juries each have a 50 percent stake in the outcome. The professional juries will feature six members in each country. The televoting window will be opened after all the songs have been performed.
The running order of the represented countries in the Final will be determined by draw, right after each of the two Semi-Finals.
West End Musical Viva Forever is set to close at the end of June
In a statement from the producers of Viva Forever:
Producer Judy Craymer announced that VIVA FOREVER! the new musical, inspired by the songs of the Spice Girls, has posted closing notice at the Piccadilly Theatre for 29 June, 2013. Anyone wanting to join in the fun is urged to book tickets now and get down to the Piccadilly Theatre in the next eight weeks for a fabulous, feel-good night out.
In a press statement issued this morning, Ms CRAYMER, said
“It is with a heavy heart that we’ve had to make this very difficult decision to post closing notices for this original show which is blessed with one of the most brilliant casts currently on the West End stage. We set out to create a contemporary story that truly reflects our time; to take a satirical look at the underbelly of a TV Talent show and the chaos that ensues for a mother, her daughter and their friends, a theatrical event to embrace all generations both on and off the stage. Testament to that achievement is the standing ovation at every performance from an audience of families and friends all enjoying a great night out. The show has evolved since we first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite the wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback we just can’t make it work. I’m so proud of everyone involved in this production. VIVA FOREVER! may be taking it’s leave for now in the West End but the legacy of Spice Girls will never fade.”
Writer Jennifer Saunders added:
“It is disappointing the show is to close. I am particularly sad for the cast and crew that have worked so hard to produce a wonderful show.”
The Spice Girls said
“We want to thank the cast and all the fans for their support, and although Viva Forever won’t continue in the West End we are thrilled that the thousands of people who came to the show had as much fun as we did.”
VIVA FOREVER! is a feel-good musical comedy with a book by Jennifer Saunders inspired by the music of the SPICE GIRLS. Charting the trials and tribulations of wannabe girlband Eternity, the musical tells an original story as it hurls the audience headfirst into the final rounds of TV talent show Starmaker, where a panel of fame vultures passes judgment on our wannabe heroines while desperately clinging to the limelight themselves.
VIVA FOREVER! is directed by Paul Garrington and choreographed by Lynne Page. The production is designed by Peter McKintosh, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Bobby Aitken and musical orchestration by Martin Koch.
VIVA FOREVER! is produced by Judy Craymer in association with the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller and Universal Music.
Tickets for VIVA FOREVER! are available until 29 June 2013
Strange Bedfellows by Rob Byrnes is a crime caper story that is an addictive read. Grant Lambert and Chase LaMarca are introduced on a job to rob a store.
As the scene unfolds they have to pretend to be mannequins in the shop window as the Police have turned up, which is an hilarious scene and just the start of this fantastically funny book.
Grant & Chase are partners in life as well as crime, and when the offer of a well paid job comes along they can’t turn it down; even if it is from hustler Jamie Brock.
Austin Peebles is an adorable democratic congressional candidate who has sexted a rude photo of himself that has found it’s way into the hands of June Forteene a rightwing blogger.
Grant & Chase’s job is simple: steal the photo (as well as any copies) off June before she exposes it on her blog and ruins Austin’s political prospects. They complete the job; but enraged June soon posts a cropped version of the rude photo along with an ultimatum: the unnamed political candidate must withdraw himself as a candidate and provide her with compensation. Austin’s campaign manager Kevin Wunder refuses to pay Grant & Chase as they haven’t have completed their job correctly.
Grant & Chase are convinced that they completed their job and that there’s something more going on. So they hatch a plan, recruit a team and set about making everything right. Along the way we get to know grumpy Grant and likeable Chase. Both characters were multifaceted like real people and the use of description by Byrnes gave a strong sense of the different characters.
Byrnes used a number of close calls and twists to weave a fascinating plot that is perfectly paced. He used his unique writing style to engage the reader and packed the story full of funny, believable and entertaining scenes. Byrnes got the balance between showing and telling the story spot on for the reader. Strange Bedfellows had a satisfying conclusion that will leave the reader wistful for another of Byrnes‘ stories.
What let’s Strange Bedfellows down was it’s cover. The topless man gives a misleading impression, as does the image of the Whitehouse. The topless man is like none of the characters described in the book; and implies some sexual scenes of which there were none. The Whitehouse gives the impression of a political story; but even non-Americans will fully understand the story as Byrnes explained what the reader needs to know and besides the story isn’t really about politics.
Please don’t be put off by the cover, Strange Bedfellows by Rob Byrnes is a captivating read that will have you craving more of Rob Byrnes stories. Available from Amazon
There are a series of perks available upon donation. It’s not simply giving over money.
A target has been set at £2000 – but this is the bare minimum the ‘Vignettes’ can be produced with.
The aim is to overshoot this target.
The best way for these campaigns to work is by having continual activity in the funding. Whilst massive donations are greatly appreciated – they definitely are – having a constant amount of smaller donations raises awareness of the campaign.
The campaign ends on the 17th of May and then the ‘Vignettes’ shoot the weekend of the 18th and 19th of May.
The missing original plaque dedicated to the three victims of the Soho nail bomb attack in April 1999 has been replaced ahead of memorial event tomorrow evening.
The nail bomb, which went off on the 30th April 1999 in the Admiral Duncan was aimed at the gay community in Soho. It was the 3rd of three attacks planned and orchestrated by David Copeland who is currently serving six concurrent life sentences and in 2007 the High Court ruled that he must serve 50 years.
A replacement plaque has been ordered and will be on display at tomorrow’s memorial event held in Soho.
Cllr Ed Argar, Westminster City Council cabinet member for city management, said:
“I find it appalling that anyone would steal the memorial plaque remembering those who died and were injured in the horrific Soho bombing of 1999.
“We have moved swiftly to get a replacement memorial delivered and installed ahead of the 14th anniversary of the Soho bombings tomorrow (Tuesday 30th April), having been alerted to its removal, and we hope it will be in place later today.”
The new plaque has cost £260, with half being paid by Westminster City Council and 17-24-30.org paying the other.
The replacement plaque will be installed this afternoon and reads:
The original Soho Bomb memorial plaque has gone missing according to Mark Healey, the founder of the anti-hate campaign 17-24-30.org, from its position in St. Anne’s Gardens in Soho, London.
The memorial remembers the three victims who lost their lives in the blast which ripped through the popular Soho pub, the Admiral Duncan in April 1999, killing Andrea Dykes, John Light and Nick Moore.
The Soho nail bomb was the 3rd of three attacks planned and orchestrated by David Copeland. He planted the other two bombs in Brixton (17th April 1999) and Brick Lane (24th April 1999).
He is currently serving six concurrent life sentences and in 2007 the High Court ruled that he must serve 50 years.
In a statement from 17-24-30 the organisers of the Act Of Remembrance which is to take place on the 30th April have said that, ’17-24-30 have agreed to help cover the costs so that it can be ordered straight away and hopefully in place ready for the service on Tuesday 30th April – marking the 14th anniversary of the attacks.’
The new plaque will cost £260 and it is hoped that it will be delivered and installed before Tuesday’s service.
Issues surrounding love and trust are often explored in a variety of ways, but this powerful and original production written by Martin Foreman and directed by Emma King-Farlow has brought something entirely new to the table. A series of three monologues, Californian Liveslooks at what it really means to three very different characters living three very different lives.
In the first piece, Los Feliz, performed intensely but very well by Robin Holden, a young man falls in love with a beautiful woman and concocts an entirely fictional life in order to get close to her. As he weaves his tale, the initially unlikeable character reveals his insecurities and gradually draws the audience closer to him. Holden commands the stage extremely well and holds the audience’s attention throughout; something that is inherently difficult in a monologue.
Ben and Joe’s is a look into the lives of a group of mostly middle-aged men who while away their afternoons in a San Fernando Valley bar, united in their lust for the young barman who flirts expertly with each of them. A new arrival, Christopher, shakes their easy existence and causes a rift between the men as each of them is forced to confront their own prejudices. This difficult subject is delivered expertly by John Vernon who held the audience captivated throughout his performance.
Finally, the evergreen treat that is Carolyn Listerbrought an instant warmth and dose of humour to Sunset with her portrayal of a grandmother reminiscing to her husband on the long life they have shared together, with its succession of highs and lows. On the surface, her story is one of a very traditional marriage, but this is soon revealed to be a somewhat thin veneer as this apparently timid character reveals a strength and resilience initially unseen.
Californian Lives is no light-hearted feel-good piece, and not one for the faint-hearted. It is, however, exactly the kind of emotionally-charged and thought-provoking theatre that we need to see more of in this age of Disney-esque expectations.
Californian Lives plays at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington on Sundays and Mondays until 26 May. Tickets £11.50 – £20 from the King’s Head website.
Forget those porn movies – Gay characters are becoming more and more prominent in mainstream cinema.
Table of Contents
Films that explore the relationships between same-sex couples are increasingly seen in the multiplexes as opposed to being the preserve of the art-house or independent cinema circuits. There have been a number of pivotal moments in cinema whereby films with wider appeal have either hinted at or graphically displayed on screen gay or lesbian sex. From Personal Best to The Crying Game,The Rocky Horror Show to My Beautiful Laundrette, there is a welcome increase in both serious and light-hearted looks at the gay community. But with it, comes an increase in sex scenes, which can arouse you, make you reflect or fill you with romance. Here are six of the best, which, for a variety of reasons, are ones which are of note.
6. Threesome
Intellectual Eddie (Josh Charles) is in the closet. Heading to college, he finds himself sharing a dorm with Stuart (Stephen Baldwin), a jock and serial womaniser. But due to an administrative error, their other roommate is Alex (Lara Flynn Boyle), a feisty young woman who is down as a male on the college records. But the complications start as they grow closer. Stuart loves Alex and wants sex with her. Alex loves Eddie and wants sex with him. And Eddie loves Stuart, hiding his desires to have sex with him and secretly checking him out at every opportunity. The three of them become firm friends and, of course, sex gets in the way. Until that is, they think that they have found the perfect solution….
But will the three of them end up in a ménage a Trois and will Eddie ever get his desires towards Stuart fulfilled? A mostly shirtless, muscular Baldwin brother plays the all-American depraved teen with lustful desires towards his female roommate, but who gets more of an education at college than he probably imagined when he filled out his application.
Zack is an aspiring artist trapped in a life of supporting his dysfunctional family and caring for his nephew, until his best friend’s gay brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), comes back from L.A. As the two hang out and surf together their feelings for each other develop among the waves, surfboards and wetsuits. Not only do they hide their relationship for Zack’s benefit, who is struggling with his new found feelings, Shaun encourages Zack to take control of his life and follow his ambitions. But not before the two of them have engaged in plenty of bedroom activities.
If a hunky surfer, a semi-twink and lots of manly dudes in wetsuits is your thing, then this film may be for you. The beautiful boys find time to kiss, cuddle and caress each other in the California sun, the highlight of this film is an early morning romp whereby the boys nearly get caught by their brother and best friend.
In this steamy thriller, two girls accuse a high school counsellor of raping them in a convoluted extortion plot. But as the key players in the plan find themselves increasingly mistrusting of the others, Suzie Marie Toller (played by Neve Cambell) attacks Kelly Lanier Van Ryan (Denise Richards) in a swimming pool, but the attack turns to lust as the two girls kiss passionately and undress each other, whilst all the time being observed and filmed by a police officer hiding in the undergrowth.
The swimming pool scene is one example of how this film strides out where other erotic thrillers (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) feared to tread by showing erotic lesbian sex scenes with partially nude Hollywood starlets. After watching this, it becomes clear why they stayed in the pool to cool off.
Teenage life on a London council estate is difficult for Jamie, who has a crush on his handsome classmate and neighbour, Ste (played by the very beautiful Scott Neal). In Beautiful Thing, Ste has his own problems with his dysfunctional family and alcoholic father. Love slowly blossoms between the two boys as they deal with an interfering neighbour, visit their first gay bar and grow into their sexuality.
The catalyst for all of this is when Ste is beaten by his father and spends the night at Jamie’s. Sleeping “top to toe”, Jamie starts by massaging Ste’s bruised body, but this turns into much more as the two boys end up kissing and subsequently sleeping together. But what makes this scene so special is that it is a beautifully tender moment which takes you back to your first love and maybe even reminds you of those fledgeling fumbles you once had.
In this film noir fuelled movie, Violet (Jennifer Tilley) wishes to escape her violent criminal boyfriend and so engages in a clandestine affair with a sexually charged ex-con, Corky (Gina Gershon) and the two of them plan to rip off $2 million of mob money. Double-crossing, violent criminals and underhand tactics cannot detract from the explicit sexual aspects of this film.
The two women are beautiful and their first encounter is a breathy, whispered and intimate one. Whoever thought that showing someone your tattoo would lead to such an erotic encounter? But their second encounter is why this film makes the list. As the camera pans around the two women, their graphic intimacy is clearly shown and the passion of the two women for each other really shows.
More visually detailed than your usual mainstream Hollywood film, this was a groundbreaking film at the time and settles in a high position in this list.
Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two Cowboys who find themselves with only each other for company whilst working high up on the slopes of Brokeback Mountain. With nothing but a supply of whisky and each other, they find a way to pass the time, leading to some fairly rough initial intimacy and huge feelings of guilt. But as the years go by, they share something more special than either of them ever anticipated and what starts off as a drunken fumble becomes a deep love for each other, although Ennis struggles more with it than Jack, who wants them to be together.
Who could resist Heath ledger and Jake Gyllenhall dressed as cowboys and engaging in some manly fun? Their first encounter in the tent, involving some spit and a few minutes of grunting is perhaps the best-known sex scene in the film, despite a number of other more romantic encounters as the years go by. But the film makes the list not for this scene or for the tantalising prospect of the two leads in various states of undress, but for the most romantic scene whereby, on a fishing trip, Ennis approaches Jack and simply folds his arms around him in an emotional embrace. Who says that romance is dead?
