THEGAYUK

Category: Theatre

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Spring Tide at The Old Red Lion, Angel, London

    ★★★★★ | The Spring Tide at The Old Red Lion, Angel, London

    This new piece of writing by Carol Vine premieres with a stellar cast put together by Oliver Taheri Productions, and delivers a punchy and passionate play that explores coming out in middle age and the impact on a modern family.

    We see the two women as girls in the teens and throughout the years of their relationship up until present day, Suzy trapped in an unhappy middle class world with an angry teenager and a crumbling marriage, Lan still waiting on her love to return.

    There was a little too much ‘business’ on stage between scenes and that was slightly distracting however the performances of the actors bought us crashing back into the narrative with their passionate and brave performances. The characters are not stereotypical but very real and three dimensional and the story not sensationalist but entirely believable. The actors also deliver a very naturalistic performance so you truly empathise with the characters and the tragic twist of the story is all the more poignant for it.

    On until 21st September, Tuesday to Saturday 7.30pm and Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 3pm

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Naked Boys Reading

    ★★★★ | Naked Boys Reading

    If you happen to be in Hackney or even if you’re not, we cant recommend Naked Boys Reading at Vogue Fabrics enough…

    In a dark, overcrowded, underground steamy room in North London something quite spectacular is happening. Fortnightly, certain men are getting naked, very naked – and not in a dark, overcrowded, underground steamy kind of way. No there are no glory holes here, but literature, glorious literature delivered in an unusual way, naked.

    Now naked reading is usually reserved for the bedroom, under the covers and there isn’t normally an audience; but the team at Vogue Fabrics have cottoned on to a winner here.

    Naked men. Reading. What’s not to like, and although the shabby, non-descript entrance to Vogue Fabrics might seem daunting, once you’ve got one of their bargain beers (there’s no choice of brand here, just glorious cans of beer) down your gullet and your eyes have adjusted to the light, you begin to realise that you are in fact, somewhere very special.

    It’s like stumbling on the hottest ticket in town, where just you and this room of eagerly expectant patrons are waiting, with baited breath for nakedness – and the show doesn’t disappoint.

    And you certainly get an eyeful.

    With the front row literally in cupping distance, you are close to the action.

    Some of the readings are a bit hit or miss, but the overall experience is just exciting. A complete hit and judging by the smiling blushing faces, emerging, squinting into the early evening sunset onto the busy, bustling, cosmopolitan streets of Stoky you know they’ve had more than an eyeful.

    With Sharon Husbands your inimitable host, with lines to crack even the sternest of faces, Naked Boys Reading is our absolute must.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | House of Burlesque

    ★★★★ | House of Burlesque

    International burlesque sensation Tempest Rose’s House of Burlesque is an evening of comedy, circus, music, politics and, yes, several beautiful ladies wearing very little. Above all else though, it’s an evening of glamorous, decadent fun.

    The first thing to strike you as the introductory group dance starts is the sheer variety of shapes on view – not just wafer thin model types; these are real ladies with real ladies’ curves, and the evening is all the better for it.

    Tempest Rose has a natural warmth which suits her role as ring mistress perfectly. Her humour and quick wit, combined with a touch of sass and oodles of sex appeal, hold the audience in the palm of her perfectly manicured hands from the very moment she takes the stage. She has a voice as smooth as velvet and her rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most beautiful covers I have heard.

    The first solo performance comes from Betsy Rose, who gives us a military themed routine, moving in perfect unison with the beat. This is a lady who knows her body and how to work it to both excite and entice her audience, striking just the right level of suggestion and sexuality.

    The wonderfully expressive Audacity Chutzpah slips from one persona to another with grace during a routine that is as comedic as it is political. As she charts the women’s rights movement through the decades, one cannot help but think that if all history lessons were like this, a lot more people would take note.

    Rapidly becoming a firm favourite of mine, the delightfully sensual Jolie Papillon performs a peacock routine that shows her off to her very best. This girl can move, and does so with a sensuality and provocative grace that is undeniably erotic. Also, as if purposefully, her peacock tail gives me the feathery fabulousness I so desperately crave, thereby restoring my gay credentials for a review in which I’m aware it sounds like they’re rapidly diminishing!

    Proving once and for all just how hot burlesque can be, Trixi Tassels enters in a black leather trenchcoat and demonstrates within seconds the command she holds over her audience. In a perfectly choreographed fire-based routine, the seams of her clothes simply melt away.

    Other excellent performances on the night come from Leonie Soprano (the vanishing showgirl), Jo Foley and Graeme Clint (comedic acrobatic trapeze duo) and Chloe Hannah Lloyd (hula hoops). All acts were ably assisted by the “Stage Kittens” Fille J’adore and Gracie Disgrace.

    Whatever your persuasion; whether you fancy men or women, both or neither, or any variation thereof, this is a deliciously decadent night that dazzles and delights all who attend.

     

    House of Burlesque returns to the London Wonderground on September 5 and 11. Tickets are £15.50 from www.londonwonderground.co.uk/houseofburlesque

  • THEATRE REVIEW | As Is, Finborough Theatre

    Twenty-five years ago, the gay population in the USA was facing an unprecedented medical crisis, one that threatened to kill off the entire community.

    A new disease had immerged, its origins were little known and any sort of cure or treatment for its symptoms was still a pipedream too far for all of its victims. By 1987, the year As Is first played in London, Act Up, (the Aids Coalition To Unleash Power) reported that over 41,000 people had died because of this new virus, HIV, which essentially killed the immune system, leaving the person unable to fight off disease and infections.
    From this tragedy some incredible human stories were unfurled, astonishing artwork and heartbreaking literature was created out of the despair that was the 1980’s Aids epidemic.

    As Is, written by William M. Hoffman, is reportedly the first of a long line of awarding winning plays which hopes to explain the suffering that this ravaging thief of a syndrome caused; not just to it’s eventual victims, but the people who were around to see their once vibrant friends, family and lovers die, one by one in unimaginable pain.

    The story centres on the rekindling relationship between two ex-lovers Rich (Tom Colley), a young writer, just about to enjoy the success of his writing and his long-time lover Saul (David Poynor), a professional photographer. After Rich discovers that the disease that has destroyed so many of his friend’s lives has struck him, he returns to Saul for sanctuary.

    Both Colley and Poynor offer up extraordinary performances, the frustrations and imprisonment of both Rich and Saul’s situation bubbles through their words and actions. Their combined anguish is palpable and fiery, but amidst the anger, there are moments of pure intimacy, beautifully played and honoured.
    The ensemble cast are outstanding particularly Anna Tierney, who plays a variety of roles. Her more understated performance was a humbling reminder that not every PWA (person with Aids) was a gay male living in New York, but sometimes, as the syndrome drove its way into traditional America, a mother-to-be, caught up in the nightmare.

    The spirited supporting cast includes: Tom Kay, Paul Standell, Clare Kissane and Jordan Bernarde, who offers a breakthrough performance of a brother coming to terms with his sibling’s demise. Stylistic ensemble set pieces, keeps As Is’s aging gay references contemporary, by giving them tongue-in-cheek nods to caricatures we know, love. The fluidity of the cast’s reaction to the drama is a thoughtful way to ensure that today’s audience easily assimilates the play’s sometimes-dated and American centric humour.

    Beneath the surface of Andrew Keates’ direction lies a pacey, raw anger. Each line and utterance demonstrates one of the most honest emotions to emerge from the Aids epidemic in the 80s. The show’s design, by Philip Lindley, is a perfect metaphor, mirroring the end stages for the victims of Aids and the government’s inactivity in responding to the crisis – a crumbling building, dying from the inside and largely ignored.

    It’s almost impossible now for this generation of gay men to imagine losing their lovers and closest friends to an unstoppable virus – the frustrations of the 80’s gay community seems so distance, yet in the mere 25-year time lapse from this play’s first outing in London, it still feels fresh, raw and vitally important.
    As If runs at the Finborough Theatre until 31st August 2013
    http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Titanic, Southwark Playhouse

    ★★★★ | Titanic

    It’s always difficult to reinterpret a story we all know as well as that of the Titanic – certainly, the ending can be no surprise (SPOILER: THE SHIP SINKS), but this brand new production does manage to stir up some new human stories from onboard the ill-fated vessel.

    Unfortunately, it does this on a set that I found as uninspiring as the music. On a story we know this well, emotional investment is crucial and it is a huge disservice to an otherwise excellent musical that so little feeling comes across. This was, in no way, the fault of the excellent actors and musicians, but rather of the sound design which simply didn’t carry any real feeling forward. I first felt a stirring of emotion towards the end of Act 2, with the heart-breakingly touching song Still by the elderly Straus couple (performed wonderfully by Judith Street and Dudley Rogers) as the ship disappears beneath the waves.

    Other notable performances came from James Austen-Murray, Jonathan David Dudley, Philip Rham and Simon Green.

    The passengers are introduced during a lively number, according to their class, and the aspirations that the Titanic carried are conveyed incredibly well throughout, but never more so than during Lady’s Maid, midway through Act 1.

    Cressida Carre’s choreography is lively and inventive, and in keeping with the emotion that the music is intended to carry, as is excellent direction from Thom Southerland. Unfortunately, this is also let down by some aspets of the set design. I have a fairly vivid imagination, but transforming a black stage with a single white table, set in a distinctly average style, into a first class saloon was just too much for even my mind to manage.

    Despite these few failings, Titanic carries a particular magic through its inventive writing and original score. I particularly enjoy that the focus is on four separate couples – just the right amount of stories to get involved with on a production of this scale, and the interplay between the ship’s designer, owner and captain is excellent. It is very worth seeing and, if you can allow the design issues to float by, you will be fully immersed in a very enjoyable production with some truly excellent performances.

    TITANIC plays at the Southwark Playhouse until 31 August. Tickets are £22 from

     

    http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/titanic

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Sound of Music: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

    ★★★★★ | The Sound of Music

    Singing nuns and handsome widowers? Lederhosen and dresses run up using a pair of old curtains? An innocent yet savvy governess saving the day against a Nazi threat? No wonder that The Sound of Music has always had a massive gay following.

    Whether you’re a diehard fan or (like me) have merely snoozed off in front of the film on a rainy Bank Holiday Monday; you’re sure to find something to love in this fresh and highly accomplished revival of a classic musical.

    The beautiful Regent’s park Open Air Theatre is a suitably outdoorsy setting for a sojourn into Austria, with its banks of Alpine flowers, a stream at the front of the stage, the backdrop of trees and the night sky. It’s not just the surroundings that dazzle and imbue atmosphere, as the cast bring a series of classic songs to life and manage to convey a storyline that keeps the audience rapt throughout and last night, ended with a thunderous standing ovation.

    The painfully handsome Michael Xavier is a dashing and alluring Captain von Trapp, equalled only by Charlotte Wakefield’s passionate performance as Maria, which oozes vitality. The songs may be over familiar but the gusto and skill of the large cast combined with witty choreography, makes them seem brand new and every bit as accomplished and exciting as when you first heard them.

    I’ve always been more Cruella DeVil than Maria von Trapp when it comes to schmaltz and singing children with rosy cheeks, but even my stony heart contracted just a tiny bit by the end of the show. I briefly considered joining a convent just so that I could learn to sing like that awe inspiring Mother Abbess but decided that black just isn’t my colour. I heartily recommend this wholesome but inspiring treat. You’ll be humming about lonely goatherds and raindrops on roses all the way home, whether you planned to or not.
    The Sound of Music runs until the 7th of September 2013

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Up4AMeet?

    Up4aMeet? – An Evening of Naked, Gay, Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy

    The Up4aMeet? Cast: Chris Wills, Penny Tasker, Lloyd Daniels, Nikki Grahame, Michael Blore & Benedict Garrett)

    It’s #NakedAugust month here at The Gay UK, so I decided to go along and see Up4aMeet? the hilarious naked gay play.

    Grant (played by the brilliant and sexy Chris Wills) finds it difficult to talk to gay men in reality. But on his favourite app ‘The Cock Shop’ he can be himself and even find out how many metres away his nearest gay man is. ‘The Cock Shop’ is described as a gay man’s sweet shop; with a few clicks a man can be delivered to your door.

    Carlos (played by the well-endowed Benedict Garrett) is Grant’s Spanish & naturist flatmate who also is a big fan of ‘The Cockshop.’ For Carlos life is all about the sex. Carlos has a strict aversion to clothes and stripped every time he walked onto the stage. He was practically naked throughout the entire show.

    Caroline (played by the fantastic Penny Tasker) is a broke Celebrity Agent who is Grant’s best friend and lives in the apartment downstairs. She represents a number of reality-TV celebrities including Stacey Granger (Big Brother’s Nikki Grahame) but is failing to find work for any of them.

    In the apartment next door is old queen Julian (played by the suitable Michael Blore). Julian is obsessed with Dame Shirley Bassey. His obsession extends to playing Gold Finger constantly, having a cardboard cut-out of her and a toilet seat that he’s made for her as a gift. Julian decides he’s getting a flatmate and ends up with Scott (X-Factor’s Lloyd Daniels).

    Up4aMeet? has nudity from the start with Grant being caught by Caroline taking a rude picture of himself for his ‘Cock Shop’ profile. Grant and Carlos accidentally switch phones and the hilarity begins. The characters attempt to deal with their own problems throughout the more than two hour show, amusing the audience along the way.

    The comedy that causes the audience’s incessant and side-splitting laughter is derived through gay stereotyping. Yet despite this stereotyping, the characters are believable and had a reasonable amount of depth – which is a tremendous credit to the writer.

    All of the characters are a bit zany including Carlos who had a bit of a dodgy accent at times. But he made fun of it himself and managed to get a few chuckles from the audience. Caroline had some great, sharp one-liners and is a constant source of entertainment throughout. One particularly funny scene of Caroline’s that springs to mind involves an eye patch and a glory-hole.

    Scott (Lloyd Daniels) was mostly eye candy and played a far too small role in the play. We don’t see Scott on stage until mid-way through and he barely has any dialogue. Scott (Lloyd Daniels) is the only male member of the cast who doesn’t get fully naked – sorry boys.
    The cast’s acting was splendid and they all made good eye contact with the audience – despite the difficult layout of the venue.

    The ending was dramatic, full of twists and turns with plenty of humour and a reminder that: you never really know whom you’re talking to online.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | WAG! The Musical, Charing Cross Theatre

    I have struggled over writing this review for a full week, primarily because I just couldn’t find the words to describe the excitement, hilarity and fabulousness that went into… oh, no, wait, that was another show. This was just awful.

    Awful.

    Anyone who knows me will know that I champion London theatre as much as possible. I think we are in really exciting times with new challenges and technology bringing a whole new mindset to the stage. However, WAG! is a blemish -a very, very dull blemish – on the London stage, and one I would be happy to see the back of.

    The plot revolves around two female shop assistants, each in an ill-advised relationship (one with a married man; the other with an abuser). All day, they serve the bevy of glamorous WAGs that come through the department store and dream of becoming one of them.

    THE POSITIVES (both of them): Katie Kerr as the fabulous Blow-Jo was a delight every moment she was on the stage. Out of the show’s characters, she was the only one I warmed to even slightly. Alyssa Kyria appeared as her regular character, Ariadne the Greek Wag, who is fairly well-known on the comedy / cabaret circuit. Kyria wrote her scenes herself, and they very much stood out from the tedium.

    Acting-wise, Tim Flavin played Mr Frank well. However, the character was a tired old cliché and not one I enjoyed watching. In fact, I enjoyed watching Lizzie Cundy more, mainly to see if I could spot her apparently-Botoxed face move. On the plus, she is at least the genuine article – a real-life WAG, and definitely looked the part.

    A succession of other, equally forgettable characters “graced” the stage. Another WAG, another bad actress, a camp designer, each as dreary as the last.

    I simply cannot spend another minute thinking about this complete travesty of a show, so I will leave you with the words of Andrzej Lukowski of Time Out, who says: “Wag! sort of blunders on in a dull, well-meaning muddle, two-and-a-half drab, weakly-sung, low-budget hours.”
    Well said, Andrzej. Well said.

    WAG! The Musical is listed at the Charing Cross Theatre until 24 August, although I can’t see it completing the full run. I heard on the grapevine they’re hoping to tour it in 2014 too. Tickets cost… oh, I don’t know. Save your time, money and sanity by not buying one.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Velma Celli, Hippodrome Casino

    The stylishly sophisticated Hippodrome Casino is exactly the right venue for this glamorous, exquisitely fun evening of songs, bendy men and burlesque, hosted by the very fabulous Velma Celli.

    Each of the performers are a delight, but none outshine Velma herself, who sings and dances her way through the evening with a dazzling presence that is captivating and hugely enjoyable. The alter-ego of Ian Stroughair, a well known name on the West End stage in his own right, Velma takes the drag concept to whole new dizzy heights, ably accompanied throughout by Musical Director, Joe Louis Robinson.

    This evening’s guest performer is Jordan Lee Davies, who recently appeared on The Voice. He is a little lost on some of the harder notes of his otherwise beautiful rendition of ‘Just Like A Pill’, but leaves us in no doubt of his vocal capabilities when he performs ‘Suddenly Seymour’ as a duet with Velma Celli. My notes from his performance simply state “Every so often, hits a note that is so perfect it’s f**king scary!”

    Amanda Posner has a voice so smooth it is like melted chocolate and is a genuine privilege to hear. Posner returns in Act 2 as her alter-ego, Mr Fox, who adds a fabulous twist when he duets with Velma. It is a rare treat indeed to see a Drag King and Queen duet performed with such vocal precision. Their ‘Ode to Kerry Katona’ is comedy gold, and sums up what the majority of their audience feel about Katona’s recent casting as Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jeane the Musical.

    An extra dose of glamour, delight and sensuality arrives in the form of Jolie Papillon, who teases us to breathtaking perfection. Everything a burlesque performance should be, Ms Papillon’s routine is sexy, funny, expressive and very, very cheeky. I have long been a fan of burlesque when it is performed well, and this is an absolute pleasure to watch.I mentioned bendy men earlier, and the first of these is Jonathan Finch who is listed simply as a “hand balancer,” which does neither him nor his act any real justice. Finch performs acts of strength, balance and, yes, bending that frankly defy the laws of physics.

    Another bendy man comes in the form of Ben Brown, who performs some of the best aerial hoop work I have seen. A visual treat, Brown is stunningly attractive and it is hard not to be mesmerised by the sheer physical perfection of his boxer short-clad body. However, the grace and dexterity he displays with his hoop soon outshine anything else as he twists into seemingly impossible shapes with breathtaking precision.

    All too soon, the evening is over, and I leave the Hippodrome with that wonderful rush that can only be gained from seeing something so exceptionally wonderful. I am left in no doubt that the name on everybody’s lips is, indeed, going to be Velma.

    Velma Celli next performs at the Hippodrome Casino on 22 August. Tickets range from £10-£30 and are available from http://www.hippodromecasino.com/velma-celli-show.

  • EDINBURGH FRINGE: Gay Pick Of The Fringe

    Well it’s almost time for the biggest Arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe, to kick off this year. With almost 3000 shows to choose from, we have chosen a selection to get you started. Keep checking our site for updates and reviews for the rest of the month!

    (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | A Man Of No Importance

    Sedos is the City of London’s premier amateur company, and, to end their three week season at the Bridewell Theatre, they have ambitiously chosen to do the musical “A Man of No Importance”.

    Based on the 1994 film of the same name, with Albert Finney in the leading role, the musical has a book By Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the same team responsible for the Tony Award winning “Ragtime”. McNally is of course a successful playwright himself, responsible for such successes as “Love! Valor! Compassion!”, “The Lisbon Traviata”, “Masterclass” and “Corpus Cristi”, and most, though not all, of his work is gay themed or of gay interest. “A Man of No Importance” is no exception, and centres on the character of Alfie Byrne, a softly gentle Irishman, passionate about the work of Oscar Wilde, who lives with his sister in 1964 Dublin. A closeted homosexual, harbouring a secret love for his colleague, Robbie, Alfie throws himself into staging an amateur production of Wilde’s “Salome” at the local church hall, but comes into conflict with the church leadership when they discover the nature of the play. During the course of the show, he struggles with his sexuality and with temptation, faces disapproval from those he considers his friends, and finally enjoys reconciliation, when they accept him for who he is. McNally’s script is, as you would expect, masterful.

    It is a tale with possibly a little too much Oirish charm and whimsy for my taste, but its very gentle lyricism does eventually draw you in. Not especially memorable musically, there is one stand out ballad, (Princess), beautifully sung in this production by Sarah Shepherd, who plays Adele, the new girl who is given the part of Salome. Another high point is the lovely, humorous, but gently moving song, The Cuddles Mary Gave, given a touching performance by Paul Francis as Baldy. However the show is very much an ensemble piece, and it seems invidious to single out single performances, when there really isn’t a weak link in the cast.

    Matt Gould’s direction was clear and efficient, though I thought the choreography of Sarah Evans a little confused, whilst acknowledging the difficulties inherent in moving a large number of people around in a small space. Musical director Inga Davis-Rutter skilfully managed her, presumably, paired down band of players. She also must have spent hours rehearsing the choral numbers, which were cleanly and brilliantly sung.

    All in all, however, the show stands or falls on the performance of the main character, the Man of No Importance, Alfie Byrne. It is not an easy part to play. Playing a quiet, unassuming character never is, and for the first half hour or so I did wonder if James Franey was overdoing the Irish whimsy. By the time he sang his big number,The Man in the Mirror, he was fully engaged in his role and we with him. This was opening night, and his performance can only get stronger as the week goes on.

    The Man of No Importance runs until the end of the week at the Bridewell Theatre just off Fleet Street and, though maybe not of the calibre of a professionally staged production in London’s West End, it is at least the next best thing. Congratulations to all involved.