THEGAYUK

Category: Theatre

  • Four Essential LGBT Plays… That Happen To Be Touring The UK

    As the nights start to draw in, what could be better than heading to your local theatre and seeing a show which will entertain, make you laugh, stir your emotions and make you think?

    There are plenty of blockbuster gay themed plays out there which are currently touring the UK (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is still on tour, and Tipping The Velvet is soon to be heading from the West End to Edinburgh), but there are some excellent plays out there that are written, performed and produced by people with a real passion for their story, or a personal tale to tell.

    Wherever you are in the Country, one of these plays should be near you soon and are well worth a look.

    Miss Nightingale – The Burlesque Musical

    In the midst of the Second World War, Maggie is a cheeky Northerner who heads to London with her Jewish friend and songwriter, George, seeking out the bright lights and success of the big city. Her burlesque act is picked up by Sir Frank Worthington-Blythe who turns Maggie into the toast of London. But behind the scenes, there is something far more explosive than the blitz which is about to start. Frank and George fall in love and conduct a secret (and illegal) affair, which strains the relationship between the three of them.
    Miss Nightingale is currently embarking on its fifth and final tour of the UK, having been a huge success with critics and audiences alike. The love story between the two men is touching, sad, poignant and moving, and the pathos is balanced with some hilarious, cheeky and saucy songs as Miss Nightingale takes to the stage with her unique brand of entertainment. But despite the historical setting, the play still remains relevant today, where there is so much persecution of the LGBT community in various countries. However, alongside its genuinely important message, the show is a superb evening at the theatre, which will entertain, make you laugh, make you cry and make you leave the theatre on a high. Don’t miss your last chance to see this wonderful production.
    Miss Nightingale is currently on tour, visiting numerous locations until the 20th February 2016 , including Cast Theatre in Doncaster; Sheffield Theatres; Norwich; Hull and Blackpool. Visit www.missnightingale.co.uk for full details. You can also read our interview with Matthew Bugg, the writer and composer of the show
    DV8 – West Yorkshire Playhouse

    DV8 are one of the most cutting edge dance companies out there and thoroughly impressed The Gay UK last year with their piece, John. In this stunning piece of dance, DV8 not only focus on the central character, John, and his reasons for having sex with men, but also unflinchingly examines why men may or may not take risks with their sexual health, telling their stories without judgement or prejudice. The piece is based on interviews conducted with men at a gay sauna, and as the creators of the show undertook their research, one particular story emerged to the forefront. TGUK writer Greg Mitchell was impressed by the choreography, saying that “one of the joys of this production is seeing the way bodies fuse together, meld into one and then just as easily drift apart” and that the piece as a whole was “endlessly fascinating, but ultimately incredibly moving”. But this piece delves much deeper into John’s past and unravels his turbulent and difficult history and the show promises to be a visual treat.
    DV8 are performing this piece at West Yorkshire Playhouse, their only tour date, on the 22nd to the 24th October 2015. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see a stunning piece of theatre. Tickets and details can be found at www.wyp.org.uk/events/john/Big Girls Blouse – Cast Theatre, Doncaster and National Tour

    Part cabaret, part biography and part political statement, Big Girls Blouse is performed by Kate, a transgender woman who delights in her gentle and subtle political performances, telling her story of growing up and becoming a woman. Quite literally making a song and dance about her life, Big Girls Blouse is an award winning show which pushes boundaries, educates, encourages solidarity for the transgender community and manages to do it all with a good dose of the celebration of diversity to break down both barriers and stereotypes.
    This is a show which deserves a wide audience and is a perfect example of how theatre can be used to entertain whilst getting across a powerful message.Big Girls Blouse is currently touring calling in at various venues around the country until 14th May 2016. For further details and to book tickets, visit www.kateodonnellpresents.com
    Nine Lives – Doncaster Cast and National Tour

    Ishmael is a young man who is seeking asylum in the UK following a surge in homophobia in his home in Zimbabwe threatens his life. As he arrives in Leeds, he is forced to re-start his life. Knowing no-one and being an a totally alien environment, he waits in desperation to find out whether the first steps he has taken to rebuilding his life will have been all for nothing if he is to be returned to Zimbabwe or whether he is able to find peace and love in a place which protects him as a gay man.
    The topic of people seeking safety through asylum has been at the forefront of the news in the last few weeks and with homophobic attacks and the repression of the LGBT community in various countries around the world, this play hits home with the relevance of its political message. Written by Zodwa Nyoni, Channel 4’s writer in residence in 2014, this play injects wit and lightness into a difficult and challenging subject and following critical acclaim following its premiere at West Yorkshire Playhouse earlier this year, the show is now on national tour.
    You can see Nine Lives at the following venues. Contact your local theatre for details and tickets12 October 2015 – The Bikeshed Exeter, Exeter

    17 October 2015 – Trinity Bristol, Bristol

    23 October 2015 – The Cube, Malvern

    06 November 2015 – Upstairs at Western, Leicester

    12 November 2015 -Cast, Doncaster

    16 November 2015 – Waterside Arts Centre, Trafford

    19 November 2015 – Arc Stockton, Stockton on Tees

    10 December 2015 – Brighton, Brighton

    January 2016 – Arcola, London

     

  • TOP LIST: Ten of The Top Cross-Gender Performances in Theatre

    During the earliest conception of theatre in English history, there were specific laws that restricted women from having any involvement within performances and acting onstage in any way.

    Englishmen found it amusing that in other countries, such as continental Europe, women were allowed on stage. As the centuries have rolled out and Shakespearean traditions continue to reign stage direction, the 21st century has seen gender role switching become something of a trend within theatre across the world. Some of the most iconic roles in history, such as Hamlet, being played by the opposite gender has a become popular and modern tendency used by directors to creatively adapt the story in a way that is unconventional and engaging. We look at the 10 top plays where switching gender roles have played a role in the success of a play:

    1. The Importance of Being Earnest (2015)

    David Suchet plays the role of the formidable Lady Bracknell in the 2015 version of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ at the London Vaudeville Theatre.2. The Merchant of Venice (2015)

    Rachel Pickup played Portia, who dresses up as a boy to enjoy the freedom that comes without having to be a woman, in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ earlier this year at The Globe, London.

    3. Hamlet (2014)

    Maxine Peake played the Danish Prince in ‘Hamlet’ at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre in 2014, although the leading roles of Prospero and Macbeth each went to males.
    4. Henry IV (2014)

    Harriet Walter plays the lead role of ‘Henry IV’ in Phyllida Lloyds recreation at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2014.

    5. Twelfth Night (2012)

    Mark Rylance’s performance as a ‘stylised’ Olivia in Tim Carroll’s Shakespeare Globe adaptation of ‘Twelfth Night’ was critically acclaimed back in 2012 at London’s Apollo.

    6. The War of The Roses (2009)

    Cate Blanchett played Richard II in Benedict Andrews production of ‘The War Of Roses’ in Sydney, 2009.7. Taming Of The Shrew (2003)

    Janet McTeer played the macho Pertruchio in the all-female casting of ‘Taming Of The Shrew’ back in 2003.
    8. The Tempest (2000)

    Vanessa Redgrave gave a memorable performance as Prospero in ‘The Tempest’ back in 2000 at the Globe, London.
    9. Richard II (1995)

    Irish actress Fiona Shaw played Richard II in Deborah Warner’s production at the National Theatre, London, in 1995.
    10. Peter Pan (1954)

    Mary Martin played Peter in the original theatrical production of ‘Peter Pan’ in 1954. Which later saw Cathy Rigby and Sandy Duncan amongst others take the role.

    THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST starring David Suchet will be screened live by satellite from London’s Vaudeville Theatre to 400 cinemas across the UK & Ireland on Thursday 8th October at 7.15pmhttp://importanceofearnest.com/cinema

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Showstoppers show themselves up in the West End

    Long form improv is the high-wire act of this performing spectacle in this impromptu musical theatre delight.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW: Pam Ann Queen Of The Skies, Leicester Square Theatre

    She’s still got it. Forty-Six she reminds us, and still has lots of wear left in those knees. ★★★★

    And as those noisy punters she had removed from the front row will attest, as feisty as ever. Pam Ann is the unchallenged Queen of the skies and looking around at the packed Leicester Square theatre – queen of the gays as well – with every c*ck joke, every rim job mention provoking whoops of excitement that explode across the small auditorium.

    It’s not hard to understand why the gays have taken Pam under their collective wing for nearly 20 years, in an interview with this very magazine in 2013 she said about the gay community,

    “They didn’t create Pam Ann; they created my whole fking life and my existence. That’s why I have not got married. I have not had kids. I am a fking gay man, 99 per cent of my friends are gay so they can take responsibility for everything. My vocabulary is gay, I speak gay, everything is gay. I f**k like a gay so you know, I say they created my whole existence and Pam Ann.”

    There’s something different though with Pam Ann, perhaps a little more self-aware than her usual, it feels a little Pam Ann 2.0. In this show there’s a lot less “air” jokes and hardly any of her beloved characters, such as Lily, Valerie and Helga. The first part gives way to a full on stand up routine and while much is in the character, Caroline Reid (Pam Ann’s creator and body) is it seems, breaking and aching to get out.

    Don’t get me wrong; she still gets in the ‘ass-like-a-hippo’s-yawn’ gag (it was at 3 minutes and 42 seconds, but who’s counting) and she still flies in the headwind of the PC brigade, using race, religion, heterosexuals and class as her bread and butter material, much to the applause of the crowd.

    While some media outlets will call her shtick out-dated and a product of days past, our community needs levity and moment to stop eating itself from the inside and listen to some of the pearls that fall from Reid’s mouth – and she knows that. With a knowing eye she momentarily tips her hat off to one particuarly hotly contested word – to the delight of the audience.

    But what if Pam wasn’t Pam anymore? Instead we have Caroline… I’m excited about the prospect; does she need to be dressed up in the uniform to still be hailed high as one of the campest comic creations by the gay community? The question is will we let her flamboyant, coked up stewardess character go? Will we let Reid fly, shed the wingtips and become a fully-fledged real person rather than the institution she’s become?

    Pam Ann Queen of The Skies is on at the Leicester Square Theatre until November 30th.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Roaring Trade – bankers misbehaving in a play with very little bark

    The strange world of bond trading and the lives of the traders who inhabit it is explored in the new play “Roaring Trade.” ★★

    There are four desks in an office in Canary Wharf where four unique personalities ply their trade day in and day out. Their goal, of course, is to make money. But not all of them do. Fortunes are made, and lost, in a single second. It’s a very stressful job, one that has direct effects on their families.
    ‘Roaring Trade’ is set on a bond trading floor of a fictional investment bank called ‘McSorleys.’ It introduces us to the four people who live and breathe their jobs. We’ve got beautiful blonde Jess (Lesley Harcourt), confident but not cocky. She’s got more balls than some of the men she works with, including Donny (Nick Moran), who’s putty in her hands, and is the cocky one. Then there’s PJ (Michael McKell), burnt out yet still slaves away at his job to appease his keeping up appearances wife Sandy (Melanie Gutteridge). Spoon (Timothy George) arrives as a new team member, very young, getting the job because his father is a fat cat in the City.
    For these four, it’s all about the money, and the bonus that validates their performances. It’s what drives them to succeed, at any cost, and whether that puts another team member at risk, so be it. When newbie Spoon makes £3.6 million on a trade, he suddenly becomes the golden boy. And when it comes to bonus time, Donny is oh so curious as to how much Spoon has received, enough so to attempt to take a peak at Spoon’s bonus letter. But when PJ receives less than what he’s expecting (a luxury trip to Barbados is cancelled for a trip to Brussels), this means his wife Sandy will not get her new kitchen, and their seven bedroom house will have to be put up for sale. Sandy says she’s worried that they will be the target of gossip if they sell their house, though PJ says that she likes to be the center of good gossip when the money is coming in and she is spending.
    Meanwhile, Donny instills his work ethic on to his son Sean (William Nye), teaching him how to make money using a sachet of ketchup as an example. He tells Sean that in the bond world, money can be made by selling something one doesn’t own, and making money off of it. It’s an example the son takes to heart.
    But things get very tense on the trading floor when Donny is down £8.6 million on a trade, and it gets even more tense when PJ is offered a head trading role at fictional investment bank Shads, and he wants to take the rest of the team with him. But when one trade goes in a different direction than expected because of internet chat room gossip, it’s anyone’s guess whose going to be in the money and whose going to be out of the money. And it’s not who you would expect.
    ‘Roaring Trade’ takes the ‘bankers are wankers’ phrase and runs with it. Donny, the veteran, seems to just care about making money. Jess appears heartless but always in control, while Spoon the newbie is so green that he will take risks just to get ahead. We get a different message from PJ – that not all bankers are bad. While the acting is not bad (George is superb as the new kid on the block) and Harcourt nails it as the tough-as-nails Jess, Mckell’s acting is a bit over the top, and the character behaviour not quite believable. Originally written for the stage in 2009 and quickly updated to reflect today’s news (a line in the show is “bonds are dropping like VW”), ‘Roaring Trade’ has more of a yelp than a roar. And while our real banks have taken risks in the past and are paying heavily for it now, as Donny says in the play – ‘There’s risk in everything that matters.’
    ‘Roaring Trade’ is playing until 24 October 2015 at The Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. To buy tickets, click here

  • THEATRE REVIEW | 5 Guys Chillin At The Kings Head Theatre

    5 Guys Chillin’ is a verbatim drama adapted from over 50 hours of anonymous interviews about the world of chem-sex on the gay scene. ★★

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs)

    ★★★★ – packed with explosive surprises. (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Kiss Me, Kate – Leeds Grand Theatre and National Tour

    As a sucker for a classic musical, I was very curious to see what Opera North would make of the Cole Porter classic. ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ is a typical tale of mistaken identity, a will they/wont they love story, a bit of swindling and a bunch of likeable characters all interwoven with an appealing collection of songs. ★★★★★

    Porter’s tale stages a play within a play, telling the story of Fred Graham, an actor and director who casts his ex-wife as his co-star; and finds himself in hot water when one of his other leading men signs off a gambling debt in his name. He tries desperately to keep his musical production of The Taming Of The Shrew on track, as a couple of inept gangsters show up to collect the debt and Grahams relationship with his ex-wife sways between love and hate. But as everything falls apart and the backstage bickering starts to mirror the story on stage, Graham does everything he can in ensuring that the show must go on.
    The songs from Kiss Me, Kate are some of Porter’s most sterling work, with an overarching jazzy vibe which made the musical numbers delightfully catchy. “Why Can’t You Behave”; “Tom, Dick or Harry” and “Too Darn Hot” were all proper toe tappers, and Tiffany Graves multiple reprises of “Always True To You In My Fashion” were simply glorious.
    Opera North have gathered a great company for this show, which draws from a variety of disciplines to produce a collective cast of people who not only specialise, but excel in their field. The classically trained opera singers blended absolutely seamlessly with the musical theatre actors and the dancers. The collective sound and sheer power of the ensemble was stunning. The cast combined to make the production one where each individual element was performed by those with pure strength in their performances and was all the better for it. Quirijn De Lang is vocally strong and charismatic as Graham, whilst Jeni Bern proves an equally impressive sparring partner, and Tiffany Graves and Ashley Day both playfully bounce off each other quite happily.
    But on top of that, the production was top notch, with a beautifully designed set, which was detailed and ingeniously versatile; showing what was happening on stage, in the wings and backstage on the twirl of a backdrop. The costumes were sumptuous, being full of sharp suits and flapper dresses behind the scenes; and lavish, detailed period costumes on stage. Jo Davis directs the show with a flair which mirrors the quality of the presentation and the whole thing oozes class. Add into that a cracking, brass filled performance from the orchestra, conducted by David Charles Abell, and you have an outstanding production which wouldn’t be out of place on any West End stage.

    The show looks and sounds superb and there are not many productions that have such a great show stopping numbers at the start of each act. The script glistens with wit and charm which is reflected in the performances and the whole thing is professionally polished to within an inch of its life. Don’t be put off by thinking this is traditional opera. It’s not. ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ is musical theatre as it should be performed.

    Kiss Me, Kate is part of Opera North’s Autumn programme, which also includes The Barber Of Sevilleand Jenufa. These shows can be seen on various dates at Leeds Grand Theatre until 31st October 2015, before visiting The Theatre Royal in Newcastle (3 – 7 November 2015), The Lowry, Salford Keys, Manchester (10th – 14th November 2015) and Nottingham Theatre Royal (17th – 21st November 2015). For tickets and further details, visit www.operanorth.co.uk

    by Paul Szabo | @IAmScubamonkey

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Vincent & Flavia in The Last Tango – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    If the return of Saturday Night stalwart ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has whetted your appetite for some classic crooning, some archetypal moves on the dance floor and all things sequined, then why not swap your sofa for a theatre seat and see the whole thing live? ★★★ (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Sancho

    ★★★★ – timelessly humorous, and endlessly brilliant.

    When an actor comes on stage and asks the existential question “Who do I think I am?”, then we know it’s going to be a reflective piece where we and the actor come together and ponder the meaning of life, and begin dwelling on the smallest of things. ‘Sancho’ graced the studio theatre of The Rep with an energetic, hilarious and, with many shades of brilliance that grabbed the audience’s attention instantly, performance that left us wanting more by the end.

    Patterson Joseph wrote and performed the evocative and stunning production: ‘Sancho.’ It is the story of the first black gentleman in British history, which happened during the reign of Elizabeth I era, and monarch of which was extremely xenophobic. The black gentleman’s name was Charles Ignatius Sancho, and Patterson discovered the portrait of the said gentleman which was painted by Thomas Gainsborough, painted in a book entitled ‘Black Britain’ by Gretchen Gerzina, and this fuelled his research and the eventual creation of the play.

    It would not be existentialist if it didn’t have a plethora of Hamlet references deliciously embedded in the writing. Being a Shakespeare geek, I celebrated enthusiastically with every Hamlet quote spoken, such as, ‘Frailty thy name is…”Sancho”’; ‘That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain!’ and of course ‘The play’s the thing…’, all of which, I most powerfully and potently believe were designed to connect the thought of the actor with the audience’s thoughts about existential matters. It is clear from Patterson’s experience with performing Shakespeare plays that he is able to aptly adapt his writing to the era, and easily transport the spectators to the 16th century, where he laid his scene.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW: Romeo + Juliet – The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    For this production starring Freddie Fox, the story of Romeo and Juliet needs very little introduction, being Shakespeare’s classic tale of two young lovers from rival families who see beyond their family’s feud, and secretly marry. ★★★

    But when Romeo kills a member of Juliet’s family, the tragedy looks set to tear them apart.

    Whilst retaining the original text, the events are loosely set in the north of England, with northern accents aplenty and bold characters, some of whom have a slight hint of “Jeremy Kyle fodder” bolshiness about them. The costumes provided an overarching 70’s visual style, made up of a plethora of man-made fibres, bold patterns, skimpy trunks and jumpsuits. An empty set constructed of corrugated steel sheets and pressed wood flooring served to focus the audience on the performances of the cast and the use of only two contrasting materials reflected the two conflicting families of the story.

    But with so little on set, the performances were left to carry the production. There were two performances which stood out from the ensemble cast. Firstly Rachel Lumberg as Nurse, who was the epitome of the northern “salt of the Earth” working class mother figure. Secondly was a quirky, camp and awkward version of Peter, played by Joshua Miles. Skulking around like the lovechild of Alan Bennet and Jarvis Cocker, his scene stealing turn was rewarded with the majority of the audience’s laughter and affection.

    But the draw here is Freddie Fox, last seen by most people in “Cucumber”, “Banana” and “Pride”. Fox made for an interesting choice, with his youthful, almost androgynous and pale features, which worked surprisingly well. Fox’s performance was better than one would perhaps anticipate, demonstrating his versatility. His diction was clear and precise and he did hold a real stage presence, drawing the eye and teasing the audience with frequent flashes of his washboard abs and his toned biceps. You could easily believe that he was a young, somewhat naïve love-struck teenager, and his wide-eyed performance conveyed Romeo’s first realisation of true love over and above his romantic ideations that had come before it. The supporting cast was also filled with a slew of very handsome young men, in particular Scott Arthur, Joshua Miles and Simon Manyonda who all performed as well as they looked.

    Staging a new production of Romeo + Juliet can be tricky. As one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays and given its presence in popular culture, any company has to walk a fine line. If you make the production too modern, it draws the risk of being criticised as a pale imitation of the Baz Lurhman film starring Leonardo Di Caprio; too traditional and it becomes a bland and unimaginative re-tread which has all been seen before. But thankfully Sheffield Theatres manages to walk a line which means that there production doesn’t falls into either category, with a production that put me in mind of a Shane Meadow’s “This Is England 90” chav culture.
    The first act of the play picked out the comedy elements of the piece nicely and was engaging and entertaining, although the second act did seem to lose some of the momentum which had built up in the first act and there were occasions throughout when some of the diction was lost at times by some of the cast members. But that said; it was an interesting take on a classic and one which did just about enough to make it stand apart from versions which has come before it.
    Romeo + Juliet is at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 17th October 2015. Tickets can be bought online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or by calling the box office on 0114 249 6000.