THEGAYUK

Category: Entertainment

  • What time is Celebrity Hunted and what channel is it on

    The celebrity version of the hit real-life thriller continues, for Stand Up To Cancer.

    All seven celebrities remain at large, but for how long? It’s a scramble for survival for Steph and Dom Parker, who believe the hunters are closing in after information is elicited from their manager.

    As confusion over addresses abounds, the pair have a chance to make their escape, but only if Steph can pack up her bras in time. With the hunters’ social media campaign up and running, Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran are the first to fall foul of the public’s hunger for cash rewards.

    Model fugitive Anneka Rice makes her first mistake, by contacting an associate who the hunters already have in their sights, and Spencer Matthews walks into the hunters’ trap when they set up a sting operation targeting his girlfriend.

    Series 1 – Episode 2  9:15pm – 10:25pm Channel 4

  • The Black Cap is looking for new bosses

    The reopening of The Black Cap is moving ever closer as new bosses are sought to take over the iconic North London gay venue.

    The Black Cap in North London could be re-opening soon, as long as new bosses can be found for the venue. The owners of the venue, Kicking Horse,  have agreed to look for new tenants in order to re-open after it closed two and half years ago.

    Black Cap Foundation, the community campaign group set up to reopen the venue, has been working with the freeholders of the Black Cap site,  to finalise the property and business details.

    However prospective owners will have to prove that they are financially viable and stable before they can even have a walk through the building and it’s not cheap. Paperwork for the venue shows that a “significant amount of capital investment” in the region of £900,000 will need to be spent on the venue because it has been closed for such a long time.

    The leaseholders are looking for a whopping yearly rental of £300,000 for the venue which has a prime location near to Camden market, the tube line and the high street.

    Black Cap Foundation director Alex Green said,  “We’re thrilled at this agreement. This is a crucial step towards our goal of reopening the Black Cap, and we welcome the cooperation of the freeholders and the support of Camden council and the GLA in making that a reality.

    “We’ve always believed the Black Cap’s unique, irreplaceable legacy of community and culture is worth fighting for, and can’t wait to see how it will be reinvented next.”

    A spokesperson for Kicking Horse said, “We very much hope to find the leaseholder with the right vision, experience and resources to begin a brand new chapter for this world-famous venue.”

    Interested parties are encouraged to contact Alex Green/Chris Clark of the Black Cap Foundation on enquiries@weareblackcap.com and Paul Tallentyre of David Coffer Lyons sales agent on ptallentyre@dcl.co.uk for further details.

     

  • ALBUM REVIEW | P!nk – Beautiful Trauma, An album of anthems

    ★★★★★ | P!nk – Beautiful Trauma

    P!nk has never been one to shy away from changing with the times. With her seventh studio album, the multi-platinum selling artist shows that she’s more than capable of keeping up with the times and with her fans. Beautiful Trauma is sure to be a hit with the whole of the LGBT community with enough attitude and timely angst to make any episode of Drag Race Untucked look more like Toddlers and Tiaras in comparison.

    Of course, there are the beautiful and heartfelt songs, such as “Beautiful Trauma”, “But We Lost It”, and “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken” that prove P!nk still knows how to write a track that could – given the right/wrong day – bring you to tears. However, it’s the show-stopping anthems on this album that will really leave a mark for me. In such a delicate and politically fragile time worldwide having an artist like P!nk remind us all that we’re stronger together might be exactly what’s needed. The always empowering “What About Us”, which has already made its mark on the Billboard charts, will be sure to be a greatest hit of hers for years to come. The anthem train continues with tracks like “Where We Go” and “I Am Here”, both of which scream of a yearning to live life to the fullest – with catchy, toe-tapping, sing-along chorus’ that will undoubtedly remain in your head for days to boot.

    Now, if you’re worried and wondering where the sassy breakup tunes don’t you fret. Eminem is back again, featuring on yet another track with P!nk, for the brilliant “Revenge”, a perfect diss track to take your mind off of any ungrateful ex you might be struggling to forget. “Whatever You Want” and “Secrets” could also fall under the breakup tune umbrella in a slightly more solemn tone that harkens back to The Truth About Love Era ever so slightly and in the best way possible.

    Overall, Beautiful Trauma is a solid and fairly eclectic collection of 13 un-skippable tracks. Fans of the old school P!nk are sure to be just as happy as any new fans might be with this one. The one and only gripe from all of us – I’m sure – why isn’t it longer?

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Young Frankenstein, Garrick Theatre, London

    ★★★★★ | Young Frankenstein

    THEATRE REVIEW | Young Frankenstein, Garrick Theatre, London

    The classic comedy Young Frankenstein has finally made it’s way to the West End, and it’s just as funny, or perhaps even funnier, than the hit 1974 film.

    Mel Brooks, still kicking around at the age of 91, directed and co-wrote (along with Gene Wilder) the Oscar-nominated film. Brooks wrote the music and lyrics of the stage version which had it’s Broadway debut in 2007 to rave reviews and several Tony award nominations. Its arrival in the West End is welcome because there is a lack of stomach-splitting comedies on offer, and Young Frankenstein is not only stomach splitting – it’s laugh out very loud funny!

    Scientist Frederick Frankenstein (Hadley Fraser), who insists his last name is pronounced Frankensteen in order to disassociate himself from his grandfather – the mad scientist Dr Victor von Frankenstein, and which becomes a running joke throughout the show, learns that he has inherited a castle in the town of Transylvania Heights from his grandfather. He decides to check it out and boards the Queen Mary Shelley ship (Shelley is the original author of the book of Frankenstein), says goodbye to his fiancé Elizabeth (Dianne Pilkington) who sings the camp song ‘Please Don’t Touch Me’ in reference to her devotion to Frederick. Once Frederick arrives in the town, he is greeted by Igor (Ross Noble), a man with a hump on his back which keeps on changing sides. Frederick also hires an assistant to help him at the castle, and this assistant is the blond, beautiful, buxomy and German Inga (a wonderful Summer Strallen – who practically steals the show with her looks, and dumbwitnedness). They ride up to the castle on a wagon to the tune of ‘Roll in the Hay (because they are literally on hay and during the bumpy ride Inga practically exposes almost every part of her body – it’s too funny to be seen! Once in the castle (the production designer cleverly takes up deeper and deeper into the castle through the use of darkness and doors that continually reveals amazing new sets). There we meet the fabulous housekeeper Frau Blücher (Lesley Joseph) who has an absolute scene-stealing number with the song ‘He was my Boyfriend’ in reference to Victor Frankenstein. While in the castle, Frederick and Inga find a secret entrance to the laboratory, which inspires Frederick to create a monster in memory of his grandfather. Well, Igor gets a corpse for the experiment, but it’s not exactly what Frederick had in mind, nonetheless, a monster is born, but knocking on the door are the town’s villagers, led by the one-armed and one-legged Inspector Kemp (Patrick Clancy) (it literally cost him an arm and a leg! Tha dump!). He and the townspeople know that something is up in the castle, that many years ago bad things happened there, and they want to find out exactly what is going on in there. And the rest, as they say, is history.

    Young Frankenstein continues with the laughs, and laughs, and laughs, culminating in the rib breaking song ‘Puttin on the Ritz’ sung by The Monster, Frederick, Inga, Igor and company. This show has got to be the funniest show I’ve seen in the West End in a long time (funnier, I think, than ‘The Book of Mormon’). And all the cast are excellent, but Strallen and Joseph are lucky enough to be given show-stopping songs to sing, and Noble as Igor is just too good to be true, and let’s not leave out Shuler Hensley who plays, to great effect, The Monster. This show is just about perfect for a comedy, and Director and choreographer Susan Stroman has created a masterpiece, while kudos goes to set designer Beowulf Boritt. It’s a shame that this show is at the small Garrick Theatre, it needs a bigger theatre just so that more people are able to see it and enjoy it, but nonetheless it’s one you definitely don’t want to miss!

     

    Young Frankenstein plays at the Garrick Theatre, book tickets now

  • G-A-Y Late granted an extra hour trading

    G-A-Y Late, one of London’s busiest gay venues has been granted an extension of its opening hours.

    G-A-Y Late granted an extra hour trading
    Extra trading time at G-A-Y late means that operating hours at G-A-Y on Old Compton Street must be decreased by one hour.

    Customers will be able to enjoy an extra hour of G-A-Y Late, the Jeremy Joseph owned gay bar in central London. Management will now be allowed to serve customers until 4 AM.

    G-A-Y had wanted to extend its opening hours to help combat an increase in rent for the venue just off Tottenham Court Road. The approval came on a number of conditions including the reduction of hours at the group’s other venue, G-A-Y on Old Compton Street.

    In response Councillor Angela Harvey, Chairman of Westminster Council Licensing Committee, said, “Preserving the unique mix of Westminster’s night-time economy is a key priority of the council, and we have worked closely with local businesses and residents to balance their needs within our licensing policy.

    “The City of Westminster has over 3516 licensed premises of which 1096 are located within the West End.

    “Councillors felt the amended application demonstrated that this case was exceptional and would not cause any significant disturbances to residents.

    “The application is subject to several key conditions to mitigate the cumulative impact of the later hours; Including the reduction of operating hours by one hour of G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street, and patrols of Goslett Yard by staff to ensure patrons disperse after closing time.”

     

  • When is series 12 of Red Dwarf back on in the UK?

    Red Dwarf is returning to Dave TV tonight in the UK. Here’s what you need to know about the new series starring Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn.

    The brand new season of the cult classic, Red Dwarf returns to British TV screens tonight, on Dave with the original cast Chris Barrie, Craig Charles, Danny John-Jules and Robert Llewellyn all reunited for another series.

    What is Red Dwarf about?

    For  nearly 30 years, the sci-fi classic Red Dwarf has been delighting audiences around the world. So what is it about? All but one of the crew, Dave Lister, (who was in suspended animation) are killed by an onboard radiation leak aboard the mining ship Red Dwarf. Three million years later, when the radiation levels have returned to normal, the ship’s computer Holly reanimates the lone crew member who discovers that he is all alone on the giant mining ship, except for a humanoid cat who evolved from Lister’s pregnant cat, a hologram of a former roommate and a service-bot Kryten.

    So what happens in Season 12?

    Speaking to THEGAYUK.com the series creator, Doug Naylor said that although lots of information had already leaked about the 12th series, however the very last episode is his favourite. The last episode; called Skipper, has been much talked about as it sees the return of the original ships computer Holly as played by Norman Lovett and Arnold Rimmer appears to be time travelling to the setting of the first series.

    The series has six episodes in it and explores what would happen if evil was curable.

    Will there be a 13th series?

    Naylor revealed to THEGAYUK that “everyone” wants to do another series- saying, “Everyone wants to do more and by everyone, I don’t mean just me and the cast”.

     

    Where can I watch Red Dwarf?

    Red Dwarf is available to watch in the UK on the digital channel Dave at 9 PM.

  • 10 of the best pop songs to come out to for #NationalComingOutDay

    In the olden days (I’m talking about G-A-Y at the Astoria), when I used to go out as an excitable newbie gay and was able to wear stomach revealing tees, Pop music was my haven.

    Pop music of the late 90s and early 2000s seemed to know my man loving ways and was only to happy to deliver thumping after thumping hit for me to perform my little camp heart out on the sticky floors of that old, fondly missed haunt.

    1) Geri, the official gift to gay men delivered ‘Lift Me Up’ / ‘Look At Me’ / ‘Bag It Up’. No list of coming out songs is complete without one Ginger song and she’s given us at least 3. Geri’s debut solo album Schizo-Phonic offered up a plethora of camptastic tunes. I still put on ‘Bag It Up’ from time to time and it still makes me jig. Yes I said ‘jig’ and I’m owning it.


    2) ‘Get This Party Started‘, When Pink slammed onto the scene with this song it almost became a homo chant. “I’m coming out, so you better get this party started’. Its place in the annals of gay culture was cemented when the Dame of Bassey made her almost definitive version of the classic for that M&S advert.


    3) ‘One Day In Your Life’, at the height of Anastacia’s greatness the ab’d goddess with the huge voice was churning out stompers like nobody’s business. ‘One Day In Your Life’ has such a seriously strong chorus that it has become one of my all time club classics.


    4) ‘I Am What I Am’, The Dame of Bassey (Shirley Bassey). Ok, this isn’t one that featured much in the clubs – but sexuality affirmed men (and some who are yet to discover their true selves) with feather boas across the nation kick out their legs in unison whenever this track is played. It is against the law not to do some kind of jazz hand whilst this is playing – fact.


    5) ‘Can’t Take That Away’, just before the true madness of Mariah Carey was unleashed upon the world, the stratospheric octaved diva delivered probably her most camp, dramatic and butterfly filled song ever – with a ‘love and respect’ yourself theme, what self-respecting gay can’t listen to this with a tear in his eye and a knowing in his heart?


    6) Britney was on fire (and had a full head of hair) at the beginning of the noughties and ‘Stronger’ was a killer track. Pre ‘Madonna kiss’ post ‘I’m a naughty school girl’ – Brit knew the way forward was her gays.

     


    7) ‘It’s Raining Men’ is a track, which just needs to feature on this list. It’s a floor filler. Geri’s is okay, but you can’t beat the original Weather Girls’ version, it only counts if you clap in the right place – those who miss the double clap HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME.


    8) Remember Holly Valance, that Neighbours star turned pop princess? Vaguely? Well, she burst onto the scene with a seriously sexy number ‘Kiss Kiss’, which I remember making an impact – in my bedroom, but that’s not for here!


    9) ‘Beautiful’, by XTina featured a rather hot gay couple in the video – which gets my vote and the song, has a gooey, lovey vibe, which makes me feel my most beautiful.


    10) ‘I’m Coming Out’, Diana Ross sang this song either with full knowledge of the gay anthem she was about to create or in complete naivety. It features one of the longest introductions in the world, but lyrically this song has to come in at number 1. It says what it does on the tin (if it had a tin).

    What are your TOP coming out songs?

  • A New LGBT Film Festival Is Set To Open In North London

    Following the success of their Unrestricted View Film Festival and Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival, the team at the Hen & Chickens Theatre in Islington have just launched their first LGBT+ film festival called Rainbow Umbrella.


    The festival is run by filmmakers and aims to celebrate the very best in indie and encourage all aspects of independent LGBT filmmaking. As well as live screenings, there will also be various networking events to be announced shortly.

    Festival Director Mark Lyminister has worked with Unrestricted View and been Theatre Manager of The Hen & Chickens Theatre for many years. Having also worked extensively as an actor in theatre, film and TV, Mark said;

    “Rainbow umbrella has been set up to encourage actors and filmmakers from the LGBT+ community to have a platform to express their hopes, fears, desires and experiences and share them with new audiences.

    “We aim to allow anyone with a voice, an opinion, a vision, a calling, to be free to write, act, direct and be free to express themselves through the medium of film. From first-time filmmakers with little or no budget to the films with more experience and financial clout, they are all welcome under our umbrella!

    “We want to share films that show every emotion of someone experiencing life as an LGBT person.”

    You can submit films via the Film Freeway website here: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/RainbowUmbrella

    The festival takes place at the Hen & Chickens Theatre on the 12th – 14th January 2018. The full programme will be announced in December 2017 when tickets will go on sale at unrestrictedview.co.uk

  • Looking actor Jonathan Groff stars in the Netflix drama Mindhunter

    Looking actor, Jonathan Groff is starring in the brand new Netflix drama, Mindhunter

    Looking actor Jonathan Groff stars in the Netflix drama Mindhunter

    In a stark contrast to his previous roles in Frozen, Glee and Looking, Jonathan Groff takes on a hard-hitting role, of an ambitious FBI agent who tries to understand the minds of some of the world’s most dangerous killers – so that he can catch other killers.

    He’s teamed with experienced agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) in the Behavioral Science Unit and will work with his sometimes reluctant partner to find new methods of investigation. Together they will meet some of America’s gravest killers – and face the cynicism and scorn of the tradition-bound hierarchy of the 1970s’ Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Speaking about his new role, Jonathan said that the director, David Fincher made him feel “completely relaxed” despite feeling “intimidated” in meeting the Gone Girl and Social Network director.

    “It was a wonderful, surreal feeling,” says Groff, of sitting down with the Seven and Zodiac director to discover he’d got the part. “The idea of meeting David Fincher feels so intimidating, because of the work he’s created, but the minute I sat down I felt completely relaxed. He makes you work harder than anybody else, but he makes you feel more at ease than anyone else.”

    Mindhunter is set to stream on Netflix from 13th October.

  • OMG! Emmerdale just killed off a gay character – and fans are distraught

    We didn’t see it coming!!!

    Emmerdale has killed off a gay character and his death has left fans reeling. Finn Barton, played by Joe Gill was killed off last Thursday. In an interview with the Radio Times, Joe said, that he felt it was “time to move on.” He said: “I felt professionally it was time to move on. I’ve loved every second of playing Finn and being part of the Barton family, but creatively it seemed like my time had naturally come to an end and I wanted to play different characters.”

    Joe revealed that he felt “a bit sorry for Finn” when he heard about the fate of his character. “When you tell the bosses you want to leave you put the characters’ fate in their hands, and part of me felt a bit sorry for Finn I’ll be honest. But it’s a case of whatever’s best for the show, and if it meant getting that impact then it was the right thing to do”.

    Fans were naturally upset by the heartbreaking episode with one writing: “Honestly devastated as Finn deserved a happy ending! Thank you Joe Gill for bringing us a character the public loved.” Another added: “Gutted. Love Finn,” while a third said: “I’ve already cried five times. I’m going to miss him a lot.”

    Joe Gill identifies as straight, but he knew that the character of Finn Barton was gay before he auditioned for the part. Speaking in an interview he revealed that he enjoyed playing a gay character because it helps him understand, learn and see things from other points of view. He said, “I think it’s been really good for me to play a character that’s far removed from myself. It means that I get to see things from someone else’s point of view, and learn and understand things that maybe I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t played Finn”.

     

  • Surprise… Louis got the boys

    Well, it’s that time of year again… Where the X Factor contestants are carved up like meat and slung to the judges… This time round Louis got the boys.

    The boys stand waiting for their mentor to make an entrance. They have no idea that Louis is behind the door – and could lead them to X Factor victory.

    In a change to the norm, Louis Walsh got the boys this year, having only officially had them once before – he also had the under 25s in one of the first shows, before the boys became their own category.

    This year, though, Louis is in with a good chance of winning the series, as the boys’ category has tended to do well with the voting audience at home, with the category winning six times, more than any other category in the competition.

    Surprise lads! Louis is your mentor!
    Louis gives the boys a pep talk… Let the battle commence.

    Usually, Louis – the longest-serving judge on the X Factor, mentors the groups, having done so 6 times in the past. Louis has taken part in every season of the X Factor, apart from two years ago, when he was replaced by Nick Grimshaw in a massive programme shakeup.

    However, he and Sharon Osborne were reunited last year – when the show’s execs decided to bring back the original judging line up.

    The boys will now, have to go through the six chair challenge and then be taken to the judge’s houses where they will have to impress Louis and a guest judge before they are able to appear on the live shows.