THEGAYUK

Category: Theatre

  • THEATRE REVIEW | F*cking Men

    I was all set in my mind to hate this; I imagined it being hammy, awkward and amateur. It was, after all, a play about gay sex lives to be performed in the back of a pub. I had images in my mind of either uncomfortable soft-core porn or over-pretentious dramatics involving a man in clown makeup reading poetry and eating an apple.

    The play follows the intertwining lives of 10 gay men, tackling the usual gay issues of fidelity, trust and sex. Yes, of course, there’s a character who’s an escort in there. It wouldn’t be gay theatre if there wasn’t.

    The setting was simple, if amateurish, reminding me of the various performances we put on during A-level drama exam week. Although if the boys in my school looked ANYTHING like the cast I would never have left.

    Which brings us on to the most important part, the cast. They were fantastic. Those who weren’t stunningly gorgeous were hilarious and heartfelt. In fact many were gorgeous and heartfelt, a combination you don’t actually see in real life… so maybe a bit of realism lost there. Some of the acting was a little laboured; feeling over the top and out of place for such a small and intimate setting. When there were fight scenes you heard the fake slap, and when there were screaming matches you got wet. And not in a good way.

    The initial intimacy of the play can be a bit overwhelming, but the rhythm of the scene changes is consistently good and you’re easily moved from one character’s story to another. Some of the best characters aren’t introduced until towards the end, by that I mean both the funniest character and then arguably the hottest character. Despite its low budget, the show is still appealing to a wide audience, nothing too gay niche to prevent the characters from being relatable.

    I am forced to wonder, however, if the play would have been as engrossing if the cast weren’t as beautiful as they were. The good thing is you don’t need to find out.

    Entertaining and full of eye-candy. Go and see F*cking Men at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington before the end of it’s run in September (extended for another month due to popular demand).

    Worth it even if you’re just looking for new entries in your spank bank.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Musical

    With just the right balance of charm, smarm and quintessential Englishness, Michael Praed plays Lawrence Jameson, a con man who spends his time in the French Riviera swindling money from the rich women using his good looks, his faithful partner in crime, Andre (Mark Benton) and a tired old story about him being the Prince of a revolution-torn country.

    His unchallenged reign as king of the swindlers comes to an end with the arrival of Freddy Benson (Noel Sullivan), an uncouth, inexperienced and rough around the edges con man hoping to make his fortune. Lawrence agrees to take Freddy under his wing, but their initial prosperous partnership falters when they enter into a bet to see who can swindle $50,000 from a young lady first, leading to an increasing rivalry between the two.

    Utilising a versatile, art deco influenced set which ably adapted to define a large number of specific locations, this production contained a set of decent, toe tapping and comfortingly familiar sounding songs, with snappy lyrics and lively presentation. The opening number, “Give Them What They Want” set the tone nicely, and the cowboy inspired ensemble piece “Oklahoma?” was a delightfully flamboyant, camp and fun number with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, proving to be a highlight of the show.

    The show blended both a witty script packed with one liners and a lot of physical comedy; providing a number of genuine laugh out loud moments. The three leads were well cast, with Praed really impressing with his natural performance, Benton being as reliable as ever as the comedy sidekick, and Noel Sullivan putting in an unexpectedly impressive and confident turn.

    What I did like about this show was that the set, presentation, tone, structure and even the musical numbers were steeped in the traditional elements of the classic musicals, giving the whole thing a feel of familiarity, but the characterisations went over and above the usual musical fayre, the story was more in depth and the departure from the usual “will they/won’t they” love story made a pleasant change. My only real criticism was that the second act couldn’t quite match the pace of the first act, and was more uneven in the spacing of its musical numbers, leading to the latter act feeling a little stretched out, particularly as the show drew to a close. Cutting ten minutes out of the second act would have made all the difference.

    It was with some slight apprehension that I approached Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – a musical based on a fairly mediocre late 1980’s film which I never particularly liked; a lengthy running time and a handful of unfamiliar songs. But one of the things I love about theatre is its constant ability to surprise, and this production was no exception.

    Overall, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels proved to be remarkably fun, coming across as an odd hybrid of Hairspray, The Producers, Top Hat and High Society. Far better than the film on which it is based, it transpired to be a show which I enjoyed it far more than I ever thought I would.

    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is currently at Sheffield Lyceum until the 29th August 2015 (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour until 28th November 2015. For details, see the official website at www.scoundrelsontour.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Clinic, Kings Head Theatre

    What happens when you go to a clinic? Well, if you’ve been taking drugs and having lots of unsafe sex, then you might be more likely be HIV+. The new play “The Clinic” explores this scenario, and so much more.

    Not so much a play but more of a health education lesson, “The Clinic” is produced by David Stuart, the Lead Substance Use Advisor at 56 Dean Street (a London sexual health clinic based in the heart of Soho), and written by Patrick Cash (writer for QX Magazine).

    We are introduced to characters that we may recognize and identify with, portrayed by a cast of London scenesters. DJ Stewart Who plays a sexual health advisor at the clinic; he used to be a drug addicted party animal but now he dispenses HIV advice and results to men much younger than him.

    Then there’s the wealthy businessman (Matthew Hodson) who enjoys sex with young men and thinks that he can buy them his love and affection. He’s also in HIV denial.

    Zacharian Fletcher is the confused young man, an extreme party boy who likes to go clubbing and take drugs, not necessarily in that order. He’s also into chillouts (orgies). And he’s got HIV. He meets (via Grinder) Damien Killen’s character, a young respectable guy who seems to have a good head on his shoulders, is handsome with a good body, who came to London only to somehow become HIV+. He feels like he’s no longer desired but now damaged.

    Then there’s Shirley (Pretty Miss Cairo). She runs a Vauxhall beauty clinic which acts as a sanctuary for the drugged out boys when the clubs close.

    These characters may not be real people, but they are composites of characters that Cash met and interviewed after 56 Dean Street commissioned him to write this play. He interviewed not just the people who work at the clinic but some of the patients as well.

    It’s a bare bones production, played in the very warm King’s Head Theatre in Angel (take a bottle of water with you, and a hand fan). And the cast should be admired for taking part in this play. It’s difficult at times to hear some of the dialogue (Stewart Who seems to be muttering his words while Fletcher is so soft-spoken I could hardly hear him at all), but Hodson (who is perfect as the villian), Miss Cairo and Killeen more than make up for the play’s faults.

    And as you enter the theatre before the play starts, you are given a glossary of terms referred to in the play. There were several words in the glossary that I had never heard of before, so I did learn something new by going to see the play ‘The Clinic.’

    It’s a perfect setting for a gay play, a place where we’ve all been to.

    ‘The Clinic’ is now playing at the Kings Head Theatre in London until August 29th.

    To buy tickets, please click here:

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Captain Show-Off! Open Air Theatre 2015

    One amphitheatre, throw in Carry On Cleo and Up Pompeii, with a pinchus of Widow Twankey, equals: Captain Show-Off – oh yes it does!

    Phil Willmott from Gods & Monsters Theatre (GMT) has played with the Roman comedies of Plautus and put together a family show that will give gladiators of all sizes a decent 75min diaphragm workout – for the price of a Trojan Horse – totally freeus.

    Roman identical twin boys Aroggantius (Eddie Eyre) and Timmidius (Paul Kendrick) were separated at birth – their mother Queen of Waitros travels to Tesgos in searchus of the missing sonus – but ends up in a kinky encounter with landlord Stenchapix’s (Joseph Wicks) pointy poker.

    A case of mistaken identity mixed with a couple of love stories, slaves, and a dash of audience participation. All stirred in with shoulder-shaking vocals that could penetrate the most elaborate Roman armour, delivered by Foximinx (Anne Odeke). Odeke shone as bright as Apolla and was the clear ruler of the stage Empire.

    Stenchapix was no doubt also separated from his twin at birth – you’ll feel Frankie Howerd’s presence throughout the performance.

    GMT’s work should be applauded for bringing theatre to all walks of life without gold crossing palms. The Scoop is as easy on your bum as the first few rows of Rome’s colosseum 70 AD – ya might wanna bring a cushion.

     

    London’s Free Open-Air Theatre Season 2015:

    Part of the More London Free Festival The Scoop,

    More London Riverside,

    London SE1 2DB

    Wednesday 5th – Sunday 30th August 2015

    www.godsandmonsterstheatre.com

     

  • REVIEW | A Naughty Night With Noël Coward at the Old Red Lion Theatre Islington

    Absurdly polite confrontations, beastly upper-class pompousness, all served up with preposterous hilarity.

    Director Jimmy Walters, co-founder of Proud Haddock, has brought to life two works of one of the most famous actor-director-producer-playwrights, Noël Coward. You’ll feel as though you’ve been pulled back to the 1920s for 70mins with two authentic performances of Noël’s short one act plays.

    In the first – We Were Dancing – Louise (Lianne Harvey), a married woman, supposedly falls pinned-curls-over-oxford-heels in love – without so much as a first name exchange – with Karl (James Sindall), a chap she’s just met on the dance floor of a South Pacific country club. Replace the waltz with bare-chested shape-throwing and that’s just another normal night at XXL.

    Once the euphoric bubble bursts and carnal frenzy fades, what’s left? In today’s world, would they even swap digits?

    Brilliantly awkward with a good old-fashioned, British stiff-upper-lip marriage break-up, all executed with high society etiquette.

    In the second – The Better Half – Alice (Tracey Pickup) is bored, and has fallen out of love with her drippy husband David (Stephen Fawkes). Blunt Alice attempts to rile David with confessions of adultery, and tries to push him into the arms of her friend Marion (Beth Eyre) – car-key swapping partiers weren’t around back then. Drippy David accepts the affairs – in his mind, that’s the honourable thing to do – which leads to Alice’s hysterical hysteria.

    In the speakeasy golden 20s it wasn’t so easy to speak of infidelity. Nowadays it’s a lot simpler, a few words on WhatsApp or a quick Snapchat, and out the door one totters.

    Pickup really picks up Alice’s nuances and breathes life into the character – the crowd sympathised with Alice, no contest.

    By the end of the night the 20s weren’t the only thing roaring in the Old Red Lion’s intimate theatre – the humour is as fresh as the performance, and the audience found the both acts jolly agreeable.

    A Naughty Night with Noël Coward: We Were Dancing and The Better Half

    Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ

    www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk

    Tuesday 4th – Saturday 29th August 2015 Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30pm

    Saturday matinees, 2pm – Sunday matinees, 3pm

  • REVIEW | Supreme Fabulettes At Leicester Square 2015

    Wigs at the ready, the Supreme Fabulettes are back…

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Camelot, The Shining City

    ★★★ | Camelot, The Shining City

    Sheffield Theatres join forces with the innovative Slung Low Theatre Company to present an intriguing and immersive theatrical experience. Whilst this is a show which takes inspiration from the legend of King Arthur and which borrows both characters and plot points, this is by no means a straight retelling, but instead sets the action in a dysfunctional, near-future Sheffield, where totalitarian rule by a military dictatorship sparks revolution, rebirth and riot.

    Utilising a cast of 150 people, made up of a mixture of professional actors and members of the Sheffield People’s Theatre, this is theatre on a big scale. Starting on the stage of the Crucible Theatre itself, the action, cast and audience subsequently spill out into the summer evening in Tudor Square outside the theatre itself; with the action then moving to the Peace Gardens in the town centre for the final act.

    Soldiers patrol the crowds, riot police with spotlights line the roofs of the neighbouring buildings, rioters mingle with the audience members, military jeeps sweep up the square, a taxi is smashed during a riot and pyrotechnics light up the twilight of the evening as the show culminates. This is not just your run of the mill street theatre; it is street theatre on an impressive and grand scale.

    Where this show is a real success is that it quite literally places you; as an audience member; right in the middle of the action, with the play taking place all around you. Each audience member is given a headset with a radio receiver, which allows you not only to hear every word spoken by the cast, but also allows for interior monologues of the characters to be heard, for atmospheric music and sound effects to consume you and to effectively isolate you from the “real world” making you feel even more a part of what is being portrayed in front of you.

    Whilst the actual story itself was not particularly strong and the performances were never more than functional, there was some clever writing involved. Key plot points were written into the story to signify the change of performance venue, and even the transporting of the audience was part of the play itself, not only flowing with the story, but including you being surrounded by the cast still in character. There were a number of local references which further assisted in blurring the lines of the real world and world on stage; and the presentation and grandiose nature of the whole thing was tremendously impressive.

    As someone who is fortunate enough to frequent the theatre regularly, this was not only very well and smartly staged, but was a wholly different and highly enjoyable theatrical experience unlike any other I have attended. For those looking for a very unique evening of theatre, look no further.

    Camelot – The Shining City is currently playing at Sheffield Theatres until 18th July 2015. For details and tickets, visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 0114 249 6000

  • THEATRE REVIEW: wonder.land, Manchester International Festival

    ★★★★ | wonder.land, Manchester International Festival

    Now in its tenth year, the Manchester International Festival is a biannual showcase for newly commissioned work by leading artists from all around the world.

    One of 2015’s biggest shows is wonder.land, a new musical featuring music by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame.

    wonder.land, a new take on the classic story of Alice In Wonderland, tells the story of Aly. Aly is a lonely teenage girl, recently moved to a new area after the bitter split of her parents. Bullied at school and feeling neglected by her mother due to her baby brother, one day she stumbles across wonder.land, a website promising escape into a virtual world. Creating an avatar called Alice, in this world, Ali makes new friends and some refuge from her loneliness until the day her headmistress, Ms. Manxome confiscates her mobile phone and she is denied access to the game. Before long, Aly finds herself fighting for her existence in the game after her identity is stolen and her virtual friends turn against her.

    The story of Alice in Wonderland has long been one of the most loved and iconic of children’s books. This version, with themes of online gambling addiction, bullying and fractured families is a fiercely contemporary adaption. Elements of the Lewis Caroll tale remain but with a modern twist. For example, the Mad Hatter becomes Matt Hatton, Aly’s recovering gaming addict dad with a history of mental illness.

    If this sounds all a bit worthy then luckily wonder.land has enough sly wit and playfulness to prevent it feel like a preachy night at the theatre. The innovative design, mixing 3 dimensional back projection with moveable sets creating the two different worlds of the show also added a huge amount of visual excitement.

    wonder.land is not without flaws. The music, a combination of traditional musical theatre orchestration and electronica is pleasant if not especially memorable and the big climatic showdown between Ali and the villainous Ms Manxome feels rather rushed. This is not to deny however that this is a bold, exciting and original piece of work.

    In a strong ensemble cast, it was Anna Francolini who was the performance of the evening as Ms Manxome, this version’s Red Queen. Ms Manxome is an old fashioned big barnstormer of a role that it’s very easy to see musical theatre actresses of a certain age fighting to play. Francolini attacks the part with swagger and enormous charisma.

    Special mention must also go to Rosalie Craig in the lead role of Ali, who brings huge quantities of vulnerability to her performance matched by a strong singing voice. Her complicated relationships with her parents and budding friendship with Luke, himself a target for homophobic bullying, are affecting and powerfully portrayed.

    For all it’s modern trappings, at its heart wonder.land is a story about family and the quest for self-esteem. Lewis Carroll purists may very well hate it but plenty other will relate to its warmth, wit and the timeless themes under the hi-tech surface.

    wonderland
    Palace Theatre, Manchester
    2nd to 12th July 2015

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bend It Like Beckham

    ★★★★★ | Bend It Like Beckham

    Does a musical version of the hit film “Bend it Like Beckham” work? You bet it does!

    The plot from the film is successfully transformed into a fantastic singing and dancing musical with a clever set, memorable songs, superb costumes and an excellent cast.

    Natalie Dew is amazing as Jess, a young woman coming of age in a Sikh household in the Asian community of Southall, London in 2002. She loves the game of football, enough so that she’s got two large posters of David Beckham in her bedroom.

    One day Jess is spotted playing football by Jules (Lauren Samuels, playing the Keira Knightley role from the film) who plays for the Hounslow Harriers team. Jess goes along to one of the team’s practices where coach Joe (Jamie Campbell Bowen) takes in interest in her playing, as well as in her, and Jess decides to play for the team, without telling her parents. She knows that her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra (Tony Jayawardena and Natasha Jayetileke), will forbid her from playing the game that she absolutely loves.

    Coach Joe feels that Jess is good enough to make the England team, and along with Jules, they urge her to stay in the game, even after her parents do find out. Meanwhile, Jess’s older sister Pinky (Preeya Kalidas) is about to get married to a man whose family thinks that Pinky is not suitable for their son. But all Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra want is the best for their daughters, they worked hard and have provided a good life for them and they want them to continue to live, and follow, their traditional Sikh life. But Jesse has a dream, and she wants to play for England, but will her parents stop her from fulfilling this dream?

    To say Bend it Like Beckham is a feel good show is an understatement. From start to finish we are treated to a very vibrant and colourful spectacle, the likes which we haven’t seen in the West End in a long time. And the cast is perfect. Drew brings just the right amount of vulnerability and youthness to the role of Jess – it’s like the part was specifically written for her. Kalidas as Pinky brings the show punch, sass, and vavavoom. Jamel Andreas is very good as Jess’s best friend Tony who is perfect for Jess, perhaps too perfect. Other standouts include Sophie-Louise Dann as Jule’s blond mom, she’s sassy, funny and a blond bombshell. And Rekha Sawhney beautifully sings a traditional wedding song called, Sadaa Chardhdi Kalaa that will mesmerize you.

    Gurinder Chadha, who wrote and directed the movie, which is set in the pre 9/11 era, also wrote (with Paul Mayeda Berges) and directed this stage version. She’s captured the spirit of Jess and her love of the game that most British people can relate to, and has given us a show that at no point gets boring or drags – it’s dialogue is very witty yet very dramatic. And the whole cast do wonders with it, and with the set that changes from a shopping street, to Mr. and Mrs. Bhamra’s living room, to an actual football field, all cleverly done. And the show wouldn’t have the name ‘Beckham’ in it if he didn’t make an appearance. The actual David Beckham is NOT in the show, but a lookalike is (along with a Victoria Beckham lookalike).

    Let’s hope the real David Beckham goes to see it, he will absolutely love it.

    Bend it Like Beckham is playing at The Phoenix Theatre.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Matthew Bourne: The Car Man

    ★★★★★ | Matthew Bourne: The Car Man

    Set amongst the Italian-American community in a small town in 1960’s America, Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man reimagines Bizet’s most popular Opera, Carmen, in a more contemporary setting.

    Luca (Tim Hodges) is a drifter, whose charisma immediately draws the attention of Lana (Zizi Strallen), the wife of Dino, Luca’s boss. They embark on a passionate affair, but Luca catches the eye of Angelo, a young mechanic who is bullied by his contemporaries and who is irresistibly drawn to the stranger. In a heady mix of violence, murder, sex, passion and revenge, Luca’s arrival sets off a cataclysmic chain of events.

    The overall feeling of the piece is one of grimy, seedy sensuality, with more scantily clad dancers, muscular, sweaty torsos and bulging biceps than you could reasonably expect and an abundance of sexually charged encounters, which abandon the usual constraints of sexuality. The main protagonist, Luca, is clearly comfortable in his attraction to both sexes and his passionate encounters with both Lana, his boss’s wife, and Angelo, the young mechanic, demonstrate both his irresistible allure and his self-serving manipulation of others. The other townsfolk are equally as liberal, where the fluidity of sexuality mixes in with the testosterone-fuelled masculinity of the mechanics and their blend of both fiery and submissive girlfriends. This is a gritty world, where sex, rough handling and casual violence are compounded by the intense heat, and one which comes across superbly in the theatre. It is also a world where the levels of sexual tension and dramatic tension are evenly matched. This is not just a straightforward narrative piece, it is a piece that delivers a genuinely enthralling story, pulling you in early on, and not releasing its taught grip until the final curtain falls.

    Whilst using what is effectively an abridged version of Bizet’s score, Bourne cleverly utilises the most identifiable pieces and surrounds them with original music, making the accompanying score simultaneously familiar and fresh. Further inspiration comes from Bizet’s opera, but never in such abundance that this production becomes a re-tread. For me, Luca was Carmen, and switching the sex of the central character was an inspired choice, but that doesn’t stop the other characters, Lana in particular, from taking on the mantle of Carmen at different junctures in the story.

    The cast were universally on form, tightly choreographed and performed incredibly, injecting each of their roles with uniqueness and filling the stage with an energetic and boundless performance, where the character was as important as choreography. Tim Hodges was as charismatic as the character he portrayed, and Angelo’s transformation from naive teenager to vengeful young man was superbly handled by Liam Mower. The set, crystal clear music and lighting only served to make this production the whole package. The Car Man is a simply stunning piece of theatre and could easily sit as this generations West Side Story.

    Sultry, sexy and sensual, you would be hard pushed to find a better blend of dance, drama and passion.
    The Car Man is at Sheffield Lyceum until 27th June 2015, before moving to Sadlers Wells Theatre, London until 9th August.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry And UK Tour

    ★★★ | The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry And UK Tour

    Set in Auschwitz, the show follows the developing relationship between two nine-year-old boys on opposite sides of the fence.

    Having read the book and seen the film due to my morbid fascination with the Holocaust and this general period in our recent history I was delighted to see The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was coming to the stage.

    Being a touring production the set and staging was basic but magnificently executed giving the audience the real sense of the austerity of the concentration camp. The old typewriter being projected on the back screen was an excellent effect adding to the ambience of the piece.

    Whilst I applaud the young actors in terms of the amount of lines they had to learn, I did feel they failed to connect with the audience for two reasons – diction and projection. Much of the dialogue was lost because the voice volumes were so low and were also lost in the regional accent.

    This was not the case throughout as sometimes the young actors did explode into full on stage school mode, which was not appropriate for this subject matter.

    Helen Anderson shone as the Grandmother; her singing in German was most definitely my highlight, as was her acting masterclass.

    The closing of the show lacked the poignancy of the film and for me should have finished at the closing of the gas chamber doors allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions, the additional narration was just unnecessary.

    Whilst not a 5 star show, it was a very affable afternoon and I would recommend, especially if you have not read the book, seen the film, or like myself have researched the Holocaust in minute detail.

    Pleasant not award winning.

    Touring Nationally, for tickets visit http://www.theboyinthestripedpyjamas.com/tour-dates.php