Category: Entertainment
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Elegy At Theatre 503
Devised by the company
Conceived and directed by Douglas Rintoul.
9 Oct – 3 Nov
Tues – Sat 7.45pm
Sun 5pm
£14/£9 concessionsHe had arrived. It was cold, so bitterly cold that he thought he’d never be warm again. They ask him why he left his country. They ask for dates, times, reasons – but it’s buried. They say he’s telling lies but that’s not what he’s doing. He has to think of everything again…
A compassionate and shocking analysis of the homophobic murders that take place in a ‘liberated’ Iraq regularly, Elegy is a poetic love letter to those who lost their lives from the viewpoint of one who got away. His is a moving and extraordinary story of unrequited love, loss and exile: a journey through a no-man’s land of empty train stations, border crossings and bomb-blasted towns.“Does what theatre at its best can do, make great events personal…stunning!” Marie Colvin.
“Truly something that everyone should experience…floats beautifully between storytelling, performance art, expressionism and urgent political drama.” WhatsOnStage ★★★★”
The List ★★★★ Lovefringe ★★★★★ Scotsgay ★★★★★ Broadwaybaby ★★★★ -
A Man Made Home By The Man Who Made Homes Grand
Kevin McCloud has carved a reputation for being a critical voice in architecture, famously describing a potential failure of a grand design only to climax by revealing the magnificence of the final scheme.
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All Change For Louis’ Groups
All change for Louis’s Groups at Judges Houses!
Triple J and Times Red added to Louis’s category while Rough Copy leave the competition. George Shelley added to Triple J and new name for band.
On last week’s show (23 September), the acts going through to Judges Houses were revealed and the Judges were told which category they’ll be mentoring in a phone call from Simon Cowell.
Gary Barlow is looking after the Over 28s, Nicole Scherzinger the Boys, Tulisa the Girls and Louis Walsh the Groups.
Since Bootcamp was filmed in Liverpool, group of three, Rough Copy have left the competition and Louis Walsh has added two groups to the category – so he takes seven acts to Judges Houses while the other Judges have six!
Louis Walsh says:
“When Rough Copy left, I found it difficult to choose between two groups to fill their place. In the end I invited boyband Triple J to come to Judges Houses, but still felt that as I’d lost such a strong group in Rough Copy that I wanted to make sure the category was the best it could possibly be.
“I asked Gary, Nicole and Tulisa if they minded if I took a seventh act. They were happy as they felt they’d got the right six acts for their Judges Houses trips so I asked Times Red to come along and they said yes.”
Louis also felt that Triple J would benefit by having a fourth member and he asked George Shelley (who left the competition at Bootcamp) if he’d like to join JJ, Josh and Jaymi in the band.
On George joining the group, Louis adds:
“George loved the idea and as the boys knew him from Bootcamp they were really happy for him to join them. The group then came up with a new name and they are now called Union J.”
Union J say:
“We couldn’t believe it when we got the call about going to Judges Houses and of course we jumped at the chance. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We’re so happy to be a four piece too. The group feels so right together, it feels like we’ve been together for years!”
Times Red say:
“We are beyond excited about having a second chance. We have nothing to lose so we’re going all out to impress in Vegas.”
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Full XFactor Line Up Details For Judges’ Houses
On this weekend’s The X Factor on ITV1, Gary will be Lord of the Manor at a stately home in the rolling English countryside to meet the Overs; Nicole is at a luxury resort in Dubai with the Boys; Tulisa is on the Caribbean island of St Lucia to greet the Girls; while Louis is in the city that dubs itself the ‘entertainment capital of the world’ – Las Vegas with the Groups.
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FILM REVIEW: Shelter
Thwarted by his family circumstance and finding it hard to find his place in a small industrial Californian town, heartthrob Zach (Trevor Wright) is a trapped, talented artist.
Stymied by his situation; a selfish and homophobic sister, a loveless relationship with his girlfriend and a father who is next to useless. With Art College and a new life calling him, Zach finds himself suffocated by his life with a hopeless acceptance. However things begin to change when Shaun (Brad Rowe), Zach’s best friend’s brother returns to town. Life begins to click into place when a drunken night together shows Zach a new reality. One that offers a life unlimited.
As the relationship develops between the two would-be lovers, the reality of his new secret life mounts pressure on his daily existence. Zach is torn between the release of who he wants to be and the pressures of his real life. Zach has become a surrogate father to his sister’s five-year-old son, the adorable Cody (Jackson Wurth) in-between his shifts flipping burgers. His small town, wrong side of the tracks existence and expectations battle directly with the possibilities that lay ahead with Shaun, Art College and escaping from his humbler beginnings.
What makes Shelter a wholly charming film to watch is its warmth and honesty. Its tentative steps and its revealing of Zach’s new potential is stunning. You know where you are with Shelter and you know where you’re going and clichés aside, it’s a magnificent film for many reasons. It’s a hazy, sweet, Gaussian, Californian coming out story. Filmed with a sensitivity that’s not often found in queer cinema. The sex scenes aren’t graphic, but leave enough to the imagination. It’s everything you wish your vanilla first time with a man might be. Its lack of reference to the gay scene or to gay culture makes it a film that can be enjoyed by most audiences, who appreciate a good romance. Filled with instamatic – esque shots of the Californian shoreline, crashing waves mix well with a thoughtful and provocative soundtrack.
The camera does linger on Trevor Wright and he deserves the attention. Acting with an introspective knowing, Wright leads the story through and along with Brad Rowe gives great screen. Their chemistry is undeniable, their potential promising. It is an entirely shameful that Wright hasn’t garnered more film success because he is a riveting actor to behold.
Shelter never fails to deliver what you’d expect from a coming out story, perhaps a little less complicated than real life situations, but definitely a film I’d revisit.
Perfect if you like: Rainbows, Hollister and Hollywood endings.
Dreadful if you like: Slings, fisting and earthy dramas.
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XTina To Release Lotus In November
“What A Girl Wants’ singer Xtina is back with a top notch song ‘Your Body’ and a brand new album Lotus.
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BOOK REVIEW | Rupert Everett, Vanished Years
Celebrity memoirs can be terribly dull things: at best, scandalous and shocking and at worst, clumsily written and dull.
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FILM REVIEW: Four More Years
David is a Swedish politician with a stellar career ahead of him.
He’s also a bit of a silver fox and cuts a fine figure in a business suit. After an unexpected political defeat leaves him feeling adrift, he bumps into fellow politician Martin and the two quickly fall in love. This isn’t the usual romantic comedy though. David is from a strict Baptist family, straight and married. Martin is openly gay and a senior politician for the opposing party. It’s a relationship fraught with issues.
The film is a gentle comedy which follows the men through a series of turbulent events and the usual misunderstandings and mix-ups. The humour is subtle, rather than raucous, and the film is beautifully compiled with artful shots and stylish views. What raises the film above the romantic comedy genre is the quirky way it deals with him being gay.
Interestingly, the film doesn’t portray David’s sexuality as a major problem; more of a shock to him. The scene where his wife reflects on him being gay is hilarious and unexpected. Instead the film concentrates more on what it means to fall in love with someone who you aren’t supposed to fall in love with.
Overall the film was actually quite touching and the three main characters were likeable and engaging. This is definitely a film which leaves you feeling a bit better about the world. Recommended for a rainy autumnal afternoon.
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Rylan And Lucy Through To The Next Round
Last night’s episode of X Factor saw over a third of hopefuls axed from the show – even before they had the chance to sing in front of the judges.