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Category: Entertainment

  • Mel and Sue to bring back the Generation Game

    Mel and Sue are to present one of the most anticipated reboots of Saturday evening television.

    Bigger and better than ever before, the much-loved family gameshow The Generation Game is returning to our screens for a four episode run with Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins running proceedings.

    This classic show, from BBC Studios, combines elements everyone knows and loves from the original series, whilst being brought up to date with a hilarious selection of brand new games and challenges for families of all ages to play in studio and enjoy watching at home.

    Pairs of family members across generations will battle it out in a series of fun performance and task based games with the ultimate goal of facing the legendary conveyor belt, and taking home an array of fabulous prizes.

    All our family pairs will start the show in the studio audience and only find out which game they’re playing when Mel and Sue get them from their seats. There’s no time for rehearsals in this game show, so anything could happen on the night.

    Mel and Sue are joined by a panel of star judges, there to score our family pairs after each game and ultimately decide which pair faces the conveyor belt.

    Furthermore, special celebrity guests will be getting involved in the action along the way.

    Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins say,

    “It’s a cuddly toy, it’s a toaster, it’s a circular power saw, no it’s MEL AND SUE DOING THE GENERATION GAME! We can’t believe it, we are so excited!”

     

    LGBT PAY GAP at BBC

    There was a remarkable lack of lesbian, bisexual and trans personalities featured when the BBC revealed its annual report, which, in-turn revealed the salaries of 96 of the best-paid talents at the BBC. However, the list only covered talent that is directly paid for by the BBC and not by independent production companies.

    Mel and Sue were hosts of one of the BBC’s most popular formats, Great British Bake Off, but as the show is made by Love Productions the salaries of presenters and contributors like Mary Berry were left off the annual report.

    The Great British Bake Off was sold to Channel 4 earlier this year, but the new show will not be hosted by Mel and Sue. The Channel 4 show will be co-hosted by Sandi Toksvig.

     

    Bringing Back An Icon

    Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, says

    “The Generation Game is an iconic BBC One show, so to be able to bring it back for today’s audience with Mel and Sue overseeing things is a wonderful moment for the channel.”

    Kate Phillips, Controller Entertainment Commissioning, said,

    “We’re so thrilled to be bringing back this much loved show to BBC One. With the marvellous Mel and Sue at the helm, it promises to be a real treat for all generations.”

    Guy Freeman, Editor, Special Events and Formats BBC Studios, says,

    “When asked, this is the TV show that viewers most wanted to see back on their screens and so we are thrilled to be able to make that happen with Mel and Sue, who I know will have just as much fun hosting it as contestants will playing it.”

    The show has been co-commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, and Kate Phillips, Controller, Entertainment Commissioning and is made by BBC Studios’, the BBC’s main commercial production arm. Nic McNeilis is the Executive Producer for BBC Studios.

    The Generation Game began on BBC One in 1971 and its longest-serving host was Sir Bruce Forsyth.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Twilight Song, Park Theatre, London

    ★★ | Twilight Song

    THEATRE REVIEW | Twilight Song, Park Theatre, London

    You know a show doesn’t make much sense, when, after seeing it, you and your friends don’t agree on what you’ve all just seen. To say Twilight Song is a bit confusing is putting it mildly.

    Now playing at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, is the late British playwright Kevin Elyot’s final play. Elyot, who wrote the award winning and very successful play My Night with Reg: (which was turned into a film in 1997), died in 2014, finishing Twilight Song right before he passed away. But the play itself is not a very good testament as a cap on his career – it’s a show muddled with characters and storylines that go back and forth in time that unfortunately raises more questions than answers in a play that’s a very very short 75 minutes.

    Most of Elyot’s plays have direct gay themes or gay undertones (My Night with Reg was very similar to the groundbreaking 1969 film Boys in the Band), and Twilight Song is no exception. In a nutshell, it’s a play about a middle aged man Basil (Paul Higgins) who lives in a North London terraced house (with an unfinished balcony) with his mother Isabella (Bryony Hannah) in the present day. Flash back to 1967 and Isabella is pregnant. But in both the present and the past (to and including a scene set in 1961), the family has secrets, secrets that they keep to themselves, and even secrets that they do not want to admit to themselves. Basil (Paul Higgins) pays an estate agent (Adam Garcia) money, not for a real estate transaction, but for sex, which happens too suddenly and out of the blue and out of character. Then Isabella unrealistically falls into the arms of the gardener (Garcia again). Meanwhile her uncle Harry (Philip Bretherton) pines for Charles (Hugh Ross), but Charles is broke because he is being swindled by a hustler (Garcia again). Twilight Song takes us all too rapidly through this family’s 50-year history too quickly. Throw in some cock talk, the unknown origin of blood on the sofa, and a very very short running time, and it doesn’t leave us much time to get to know the characters and their motivations. Director Anthony Banks gets excellent use of his actors who all give fine performances, and a set design that’s true to its time (though an annoyingly loud refrigerator in their kitchen really serves no purpose and destroys the play’s tension), but it’s the storyline that doesn’t add up, and it’s shame because it is Elyot’s last work, and it’s being poorly received.

    Another one of Elyot’s plays, Coming Clean, will have a revival at the King’s Head Theatre later this year, so perhaps hold out for that one if you can.

     

    Twilight Song plays at the Park Theatre until 12th August 2017 

  • Celebrity Big Brother 2017 has a launch date

    The Channel 5 bods have announced a Celebrity Big Brother launch date and a rather snazzy new eye logo.

    The Big Brother house is undergoing a complete redesign ready for its new star guests. It will become a high-end retreat inspired by celeb hotel hang-outs.

    But while the celebs kick back and let their hair down, Big Brother never takes a day off – after all, he wants to ensure that the celebrities will have an experience that they will NEVER forget!

    Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On the Side will return weeknights with Rylan Clark-Neal. Joining him will be a variety of celebrity panellists, talking heads and an audience of CBB fans to debate hot topics, reveal exclusives and go behind the scenes of the main show.

    The new show launches on the 1st August at 9PM Channel 5

  • First trans actor in EastEnders sad that the character didn’t get “happy ending”

    Riley Carter Millington is “disappointed” his ‘EastEnders’ character didn’t get a “happy ending” and a chance to lead a “normal life”.

    The 23-year-old actor played Kyle Slater in the BBC soap between 2015 and 2016 and was the first transgender man to play a regular transgender character on a British soap.

    However, Riley felt “frustrated” that his character didn’t get a chance to have a “normal life”.

    He told The Sun,

    “I was disappointed it was not shown that Kyle had a normal life. He had the big coming-out story and it was dramatic and emotional, but we didn’t get to see a happy ending, like a relationship of any sort other than the reunion with his half-sister, Stacey. It was frustrating. I felt I let myself and the fans down as I could have pushed for something. It’s a shame to have gay characters and then you have to say goodbye.”

    When Riley quit EastEnders, he revealed the reason for his departure was because producers believed his character Kyle’s story had reached a “natural end”.

    He said at the time,

    “When I landed a six-month contract at EastEnders it was a dream come true. For that to be extended to a year was something I never expected.

    “However, as the time comes for Kyle to depart Walford I am looking forward to taking on new roles and who knows, Kyle may find his way back to Walford one day.”

    When he was cast in the role, Riley admitted he had achieved his two biggest dreams.

    He shared,

    “I am extremely excited to be joining ‘EastEnders’. I can honestly say that I have now fulfilled my two biggest dreams – to be living my life as a man and to be an actor. I cannot wait to really get stuck in with filming and I look forward to seeing what is in store for my character.”

  • FILM REVIEW | Scribe

    An unemployed accountant takes a job that puts him in the middle of a political conspiracy in the new film “Scribe.”

    FILM REVIEW | Scribe

    “Scribe (La Mécanique de l’ombre)” is a timely taut French thriller that builds its suspense in events that lead up to a political election. François Cluzet is Duval, a recovering alcoholic who takes a job as a transcriber that is literally offered to him with no questions asked. He is tasked with typing telephone conversations from tapes that are numbered and left for him in a nondescript flat where he is all alone. He is told by his boss Clément (Denis Podalydés) to keep to himself, to remain unnoticed, and to not smoke in the flat. He is supposed to open the curtains when he arrives at 9 a.m. and to close them when he leaves at 6 p.m. But as the days go on and the conversations on the tapes he transcribes become all too realistic and downright criminal, it’s clear to Duval that the organisation he is working for is somehow involved in trying to manipulate the upcoming election. After a high profile figure is murdered, the conversation of which is on one of the tapes, it’s just a matter of time before Duval gets caught up in the conspiracy, and a murder,
    and eventually, his life is in danger by the very organisation that employs him.

    Scribe has all the ingredients of being a great political thriller in the same vein as The Manchurian Candidate and 2006’s Oscar winning German film The Lives of Others. Director Thomas Kruithof superbly builds the tension while at the same time not giving too much away during the film until its explosive ending. This film is well worth a watch.

    “Scribe” is in cinemas and on demand from 21st July

  • Sinitta has “ridiculous” CBB demands

    Sinitta is approached for Celebrity Big Brother every single year – but bosses swiftly retract their offer when they hear her “ridiculous” demands.

    Sinitta has "ridiculous" CBB demands

    The ‘So Macho’ hitmaker has admitted she’s asked to enter the famous abode every time bosses put the line-up together but, although they’re put off by her terms and conditions, she’s adamant they’ll come round to her way of thinking sometime soon.

    Speaking on ‘Lorraine’ on Thursday (20.07.17), she said,

    ” Well they said my demands were ridiculous – I said they were reasonable.

    “We’ve been talking for years and we’ll go on talking. I’m going to live for a few more years and I think they’ll come around to my way of thinking.”

    However, the 53-year-old singer certainly has her hands full this year as she’s confident that her friend Simon Cowell will ask her to help him with the Judges’ Houses round of the forthcoming series of ‘The X Factor’ after he replaced her with Mel B last year.

    She explained,

    “Remember Simon last year invited me back live on air? So you know we’ve got that, we’ve got that recorded.

    “But I did read recently that he offered Cheryl Tweedy £500,000 to come back to do Judges’ Houses. Rude, just rude. I mean I don’t know – hopefully he’s just being funny.”

    And, although she thinks the 57-year-old music mogul – who has a three-year-old son called Eric with his girlfriend Lauren Silverman – is “sexy”, she doesn’t fancy him.

    She said,

    “They said, ‘do I still think he is attractive now that he has sort of become more cosy and softer’ and I said, ‘he is still a very handsome, sexy man’. Does that mean I still fancy him? … Because I know he is not really that scary but obviously he can be to people he doesn’t know but I’m kind of like sister/mother/daughter. We’ve got a very strange relationship but it is an honest one.”

  • DVD REVIEW | The Way He Looks

    ★★★★★ | The Way He Looks

    The lazy summer is over and Leo and his best friend Giovana are back in High School for the new term when curly headed new boy Gabriel joins the class for the first time.

    Suddenly the cosy closeness of the two old friends is threatened when Giovana discovers that the newcomer will not be her longed-for first romance and that in fact, he will usurp her major role in Leo’s life. Leo has been blind from birth and lives with his overprotective parents in their very comfortable middle-class home in a suburb of Rio, and Giovana has played the part of his ‘seeing eyes’ for years. His mother almost suffocates him by insisting on controlling his every movement and she is reluctant to leave him alone for one single moment.

    Gabriel’s arrival seems to coincide with Leo’s quest to finally break free and see if the school-exchange problem will also accept him so that he can live and study in another country. The news of this sends his mother into a fit, but his more amenable father is at least open to considering the idea which he tells Leo in one of the most touching of scenes in this very gentle coming of age story.

    Leo’s quest for independence is part of his journey about discovering who he really is, and he seems totally surprised when he realises that part of this is his attraction for Gabriel. As the boy’s friendship grows into something much deeper, neither of them can trust their judgments in revealing their feelings to each other, even after a stolen peck on the cheek after a drunken party.

    There is nothing at all extraordinary in the plot lines of this wee movie, but somehow it has the most endearing quality that makes it so immensely enjoyable. There is a remarkable innocence to this group of young people who all seem never to have even been kissed, and even the inclusion of Leo’s taunting by the bullies in his class has no hint of any real hatred. There are some really nice touches of humour and tenderness, none more so than when Gabriel insists that Leo learns how to dance. What does make it all so compelling is the captivating performances of the three young lead actors, particularly Ghilherme Lobo who was so pitch perfect as the blind boy.

    This very cute debut feature from Brazilian writer/director Daniel Ribeiro was based on his award-winning short ‘Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho’ with the same actors and has gone on to, quite rightly, win two major accolades from the Berlinale: the FIPRESCI Prize and The TEDDY for Best LGBT Feature.

    Available to buy on Amazon and iTunes

  • DVD REVIEW | Weekend; Quiet, unhurried and self assured

    DVD REVIEW | Weekend; Quiet, unhurried and self assured

    It’s the kind of movie that Hollywood would run a mile from, and that’s a good thing.

    DVD REVIEW | Weekend

    It’s quiet, introspective, understatedly self-assured and unhurried. A story about Russell (Tom Cullen), who heads out to a club after a drunken house party with his straight mates. He meets Glen (Chris New). Expecting just a one night stand, their relationship turns into something else.

    Russell and Glen are two quite different characters – Russell unassuming, happy to mix in a world of mainly heterosexual coupled family and friends, in their semi detached suburban houses. Quitely apologetic about his sexuality, he lives alone, surrounded by second-hand goods. Even his prowling at the gay bar is underwhelming – resigned to settling for second best, happy to take second prize. Glen, louder, abrasive, politically aware, activist, assured and confident, all banter and words, knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to offend in getting his agenda across. The dramatic foundation of the film comes from the differences between these two newly acquainted lovers. Their differences and their arguments are intense, brief and affectionate.

    It’s clear that director/writer Andrew Haigh wanted to take his time to explore young British gay guys over a weekend of booze, drugs and hookups. To delve into their relationship hang-ups, their awkwardness with public displays and unpicking the sometimes complicated rules surrounding brand new relationships and one night stands. Whilst the rest of the cinematic world is bound up in fantasies of heterosexual picket fences and 2.4 children Weekend is the discovery of an alternative love story in 2012. Love Vs. Sex, Marriage Vs. “It’s Complicated” It’s gay life and it doesn’t apologise for that, it’s ok for relationships to begin in a seedy dark club, eyeing each others’ pink bits in the toilet.

    Oddly, the film has no soundtrack to speak off, no underlining of key moments, no underscoring of emotions. There aren’t many to underscore. Although Russell’s character is tragic, eking out a childhood in various care homes to living a single, footprint-less life in a tower-block in the suburbs, the film doesn’t allow him to wallow in this backstory. It’s merely presented as fact. The look and feel of the film are artistic and edgy. It looks like it’s been shot using an Instagram effect, pallid and washed out. The frames aren’t always ascetically pleasing, but technically precise, tightly focussing on the observations of its two principles. The editing mixes rough cuts to long extended views. In Hollywood, the creative team would probably focus on some outstanding cloud formations or an interesting arty, out of focus object. But Weekend makes no apology for its simple focus. It’s life. Dull and as messy as life can be on a wet, dreary, October weekend in England.

    It’s a confident and welcome move which relies on the superb acting from the two leads Tom Cullen and Chris New, whose performances felt somewhat improvised and therefore played with an edge of reality that you believe that they are in the throes of a brand new relationship. The film leaves a potent silence in the room as the credits roll. A quiet acceptance and understanding creeps over you as the film’s story sinks in and you almost ache at the end for a Hollywood ending. It never comes.

    In a brave and raw move, Weekend doesn’t provide our lovers with a happy ending or even a resolution. As with life, things are never wrapped up in a nice neat bow, ready for filing in ‘Happy ever after.’

     

    Available on Amazon | iTunes

  • DVD REVIEW | Telstar, The Joe Meek Story

    You may not have heard of Joe Meek, but will certainly have heard his musical productions and songwriting.

    DVD REVIEW | Telstar, The Joe Meek Story

    Joe Meek was a pioneer of the 60’s music landscape. Joe Meek was a gay producer and songwriter, who wrote the hit “Telstar”. Set in the homophobic 60’s Britain, where to be gay was still illegal, the film delivers a power marker to how far the gay movement has come.

    The film follows Meek’s life just before “Telstar” became a worldwide success and follows his downfall into a mental breakdown that would eventually lead to murder and suicide. Telstar is an incredible journey of success and depression, of sexual exploration and exploitation, of madness and paranoia – with a hint of the paranormal thrown in for good measure.

    The casting for this film is very strong, Con O’Neill plays a magnificently, out of control Meek. Delving into a delivering a truly brilliant performance of a tone deaf musical genius. The film’s strengths are it’s brilliantly comic (albeit all true) characters and it’s thought provoking end – the demise of Joe Meek.

     

     

    Available to buy on Amazon and iTunes

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

    ★★ | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

    Robbie Hart is a popular wedding singer who has his belief in love shattered when he is jilted at the alter by his fiancé. But as he has promised to sing at the wedding of affable waitress Julia to her sleazy, materialistic boyfriend, Glenn, he spends his time helping her prepare for her big day. But amongst the gift registry and dress shopping, the two of them slowly fall for each other, and as Julia’s big day approaches, will they both find the courage to tell each other how they feel?

    This 80’s set musical is based on the film of the same name and is packed with a full list of original songs, a smattering of ensemble pieces and a rapping granny. In terms of the cast, Ray Quinn (The X-Factor) stood head and shoulders amongst the performers, with a good performance as Glenn, whilst Cassie Compton (The X-Factor) and UK Eurovision singer Lucie Jones provided competent support and, to their credit, some superb singing.

    But aside from a handful of good performances, sadly, the whole thing just simply didn’t hang together. The onslaught of songs became intrusive to the progression of the narrative, the clunky and cumbersome set changes interrupted the flow and the show overall fell somewhere between lacklustre and dull. Add into that an incredibly cringe worthy seduction scene between Robbie and his ex-fiancé, a significant lack of chemistry between the two leads and some borderline offensive stereotypes of gay men which felt more like ridicule than parody and you have a rather disappointing production.

    But where the show really lets itself down is in its lack of an 80’s feel, especially given that the decade is ripe for the picking in terms of its cultural identity.  Part of the charm of the film that the show is based on is its nods to the decade, from the fashions to the music; something that is noticeably missing from this show. It takes more than a randomly placed Rubiks Cube, a Sony Walkman and a reference to the size of a mobile phone to set the 80’s scene. But the biggest omission is that the original songs didn’t have even a tinge of 80’s synth pop to them and were so generic that, on the whole, they could have come from any musical set in any decade; whilst the costumes missed the opportunity to fully exploit the decade that fashion forgot.

    The show did finally come alive during the last scene and the curtain call, but it was far too little far too late, and couldn’t avoid the show receiving a rather muted reception from the generally unimpressed audience.

    The Wedding Singer is currently playing at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 22nd July 2017

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    ★★★ | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Set in the 1960’s, Frances “Baby” Houseman goes to Kellerman’s holiday camp with her family. She befriends the staff of the camp and develops a crush on charismatic dance teacher, Johnny Castle. When Johnny’s dance partner cannot perform at a show at a local hotel, Baby steps in to ensure that they do not lose their jobs. But as Johnny and Baby rehearse, they fall in love and learn more from each other than just the dance moves.

    THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, Dirty Dancing hits the stage with a show which follows the story of the film very closely, with the bulk of the script being comfortingly recognisable from the film. There are some additional scenes thrown in, which mainly expand on the political changes in the 60’s and some which flesh out the relationship between Baby and Johnny; whilst the show’s music came from a combination of both live and pre-recorded tracks, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Love Man” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

    Katie Eccles and Robert Colvin took the lead roles of Baby and Johnny, and had some chemistry between them; and they were supported by a broadly competent cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Unsurprisingly, the dancing was better than the acting, but given that the show’s main focus is the musical numbers it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The show has been given a major overhaul and is all the better for it. This production has a vibrant lighting design and has ushered in a luxurious, well designed and thoroughly detailed set which transform smoothly without ever interrupting the story; whilst the show has been sexed up a little with a few more bare chests and muscular arms on display. Overall, the production values here are very high and very impressive.

    But where the show really succeeds is in its ability to bring the movie to life and recreating it on stage. All of the familiar lines, plot points, dance routines and songs are there and there is something very comforting about watching such a faithful recreation of the movie. For those who have not seen the film, the show is a good introduction to the world of Kellerman’s. For established fans of the film, the show will be hard to beat.

    Dirty Dancing is playing at the Palace Theatre Manchester until 22nd July 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre production