THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Twelfth Night – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour

    ★★★ | Twelfth Night – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour 2014

    In Shakespeare’s gentle comedy about unrequited love, tomfoolery and cross-dressing; twins, Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and believing each other to have drowned, Viola to disguises herself as a young man called Cesario who falls into the service of Orsino, a benevolent Duke. The Duke holds an unrequited love for grieving widow, Olivia, a wealthy countess, but Olivia falls for Cesario, not realising that “he” is Viola in disguise, whilst Viola’s affections are firmly set on the Duke. Meanwhile, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia’s drunken uncle, plots a cruel trick upon Malvolio, the head butler, to make him think that his mistress, Olivia, has fallen in love with him. As the confusion reigns, love begins to blossom and bloom.

    Shakespeare can be considered a little heavy by many, but this production felt light and accessible, with a number of genuinely funny moments. Focussing more on the comedy of the play, the show feels surprisingly contemporary whilst remaining faithful to the original use of language. Shakespeare aficionados will no doubt appreciate the text, dialogue and rich characterizations which are ably provided by the cast, whilst those who are not so familiar with the Bards work will find much to entertain them in this fresh take on the classic play and easily lose themselves in the story.

    Director, Jonathan Mumby neatly nestles charm and romance in amongst the comedy; using a flurry of rose petals quite literally bursting out from the characters, a scattering of musical interludes and a delightful, grin-inducing opening to the second act. The static, shabby chic set provided an unobtrusive backdrop for the piece, allowing for the performances to take centre stage. As an ensemble, the cast worked remarkably well together. In the straighter roles, Jake Fairbrother stood out with his perfect diction and charismatic persona as Orsinio being matched only by Rebecca Johnson, who provided a commanding performance as the headstrong and determined Olivia. David Fielder garnered the most laughs out of the comedy roles, as he delightfully swayed and staggered his way through his turn as the drunken Sir Toby Belch and Hugh Ross easily demonstrated his mastery of the text with his portrayal as Malvolio.

    The play’s most often quoted line; “If music be the food of love …. play on” is taken quite literally with the score, coupled with the well thought out lighting, adding depth and atmosphere to the theatre and enhancing the feel of the piece. Despite a couple of the scenes feeling a little overlong, the blend of drama, physical comedy and music all combined together to make for an enjoyable evening, and a surprisingly short feel to the 3-hour running time.

    Twelfth Night is currently playing at Sheffield Crucible Theatre until the 18th October 2014. For further information and to book tickets, visit http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/twelfth-night-14/?tab=1#unit-production-dates . The production then heads out on national tour, details of the venues and how to book tickets can be found at http://www.ett.org.uk/productions/81/twelfth-night

  • Lewes Subud Responds To Open Letter Anti-Gay Allegations

    Earlier in September an open letter was published by TheGayUK written by a couple in Lewes, who challenged East Sussex County Council about the sale of a former school site to a organisation they described as a ‘homophobic sect’.

    (more…)

  • London’s New Year celebrations now to be ticketed and costing £10

    This year’s NY celebrations in London will make history, by becoming a paid for event and strictly ticketed for the first time.

    According to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, around 500,000 people turned up to hear the bongs of Big Ben at the stroke of midnight this year putting tremendous stresses on services including police and transport.

    Mayor Johnson announced today that the famous event by Southbank will now be ticketed to limit the numbers to 100,000. The public will be able to book up to four tickets.

    For £10 you will be guaranteed a good view of the celebrations and a ‘better visitor experience.’

    Tickets will be available from Friday 26th September. According to a statement from the Mayor’s office ‘Ticketing is not for profit – every penny of the £10 administration fee will be used to pay for the ticketing itself, and the extra infrastructure the decision to ticket will bring.’

    The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are phenomenally popular, not just in the capital, but across the world and we want to ensure it continues to be a safe, enjoyable and sustainable event for the long-term. After consulting with our partners, we are introducing ticketing to help manage crowd numbers and create a better experience on the night. For anyone without a ticket the fireworks are again being shown live and in full on television, meaning you can watch it in glorious HD colour without missing a single second. And don’t forget, there are hundreds of other New Year’s Eve celebrations to enjoy in bars, restaurants and clubs across the capital.’
    The Mayor’s decision has the full support of the emergency services, the relevant local authorities and other key stakeholders.

    To book tickets visit: http://www.london.gov.uk

    London isn’t the only city to charge for its celebrations. Ticketing the Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations has led to a steady reduction in crowd numbers to more manageable levels. There is a £20 administration charge. In Sydney, Australia ticketing is in place for the prime viewing areas, including Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Garden & Domain Trust, Taronga Zoo and National Parks & Wildlife Services, however the wide and harbour location event footprint makes the Sydney celebrations a different operation to London, which is much more compact.

  • Man jailed for Horrific Claw Hammer Attack On Gay Man

    A man from Margate, Kent, has been jailed after he attacked his gay flatmate with a hammer as he slept.

    Joseph Williams, 21, was sentenced to 14 years in prison at the Old Bailey for attempted murder of his flatmate, Connor Huntley, who was 18 years-old at the time.

    Huntley’s injuries are so severe he now suffers from epilepsy and restrictive body movements; prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC told the court.

    During sentencing Judge Jeremy Donne QC said,

    “On May 28, 2013 you picked up a hammer, went into the bedroom of your sleeping flatmate and brought it down two times on his head.

    “Not only did it fracture his skull but it was embedded in his brain.

    “The injuries suffered by Connor Huntley were little short of catastrophic. They were life-changing.

    “It is fortunate in the extreme for both him as for you that he did not die.

    “That was only down to the skill of the medical personnel treating him but he will never be able to live an ordinary life.

    “He will be never be able to enjoy all the things that young people enjoy doing.

    “You have taken away a good part of his life.”

    The attack happened in May last year. Police who attended the scene described how they found Mr Huntley covered in blood with the claw hammer embedded in his head. He was immediately taken to hospital and was treated for a skull fracture and brain injury.

    During the case, the court heard that Williams was raised a Catholic and had been heard to make derogatory remarks about gay men before the attack.

    Williams will serve his sentence in a high-security hospital after the court found he had been suffering mental health issues at the time of the attack. He will stay there until he is deemed fit to leave.

  • German Gay Rights Activist Attacked in Belgrade.

    German gay rights activist who took part in a gay rights conference in Belgrade, Serbia, was severely beaten on Saturday 13th September 2014, suffering life threatening head injuries. The name of the victim has not yet been released, but reports from the Serbian Police, gay rights activists and the German Ambassador confirm the story, according to the Associated Press.

    Jovanka Todorovic, from the Labris Gay and Lesbian Group, told the Associated Press that the man was attacked and beaten around the head with a glass ashtray, whilst his attackers shouted “we don’t want foreigners in Belgrade”. The attack left him with internal bleeding and head injuries.

    Heinz Georg Wilhelm, the German ambassador to Serbia, stated that the man was “awake, but that it [was] still too early to say something”. He added that “If it’s true that the attacker said that he does not want foreigners in Serbia; that gives a new xenophobic dimension to the whole incident”.

    Protesting the attack, hundreds of gay rights supported marched in downtown Belgrade on Saturday, carrying signs saying “Stop the Violence” and “Your Policies, Our Blood”. Anti-riot police were present to protect the demonstrators.

    The incident comes two weeks before the first gay pride march to take place in the city since disturbances between police and anti-gay far-right groups halted the events four years ago.

    The Interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic pledged that police will identify the attackers, confirming that he has ordered an intensive investigation so that the attackers are brought to justice. The BBC reports that three men have been arrested, but no further details are known.

    Serbia has repeatedly pledged to protect human rights as it seeks membership of the European Union.

    Serbian officials have previously prevented LGBT-Rights demonstrations, claiming that they could not control the anti-LGBT violence, but whether this may impact on their inclusion in the EU remains to be seen.

  • Thugs Abuse 24-Year-Old Wolverhampton Man In Homophobic Attack

    Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident of criminal damage that occurred in Bridgnorth on Sunday 7th September.

    The incident took place at the Severn Car Park at around 7:15 pm on the 7th September. The victim, a 24-year-old man from Wolverhampton, was walking his dog along with another man when he was approached by an unknown female who became verbally abusive with him.

    Both men went to leave the area when they found their vehicle, a Silver Ford Fiesta, had been surrounded by a group of 6-7 men and women of mixed ages. The group proceeded to push and kick the victim’s car, one member of the group picked up a large metal bin and threw it against the car causing damage to the driver’s side panel and glass. Another member also threw what has been described as a house brick through the windscreen of the car, completely destroying it. Throughout the attack, members of the group shouted homophobic slurs at both the victim and the man with him.

    The initial female was white and described as around 40-years-old, short in height with ginger hair which was tied back. At the time of the attack, she was wearing a white blouse with a knee length skirt. One of the men in the group was described as around 40-years-old, of average build with short blonde hair. A further male was also described as around 40-years-old, wearing a blue polo shirt with dark jeans. No further descriptions of the rest of the group were given. A Ford Focus Saloon vehicle is also thought to be linked to the suspects, which Police are keen to identify.

    Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward by calling 101, quoting incident 646 of 7th September. Alternatively, information can be given to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org

  • New report shows that SHOWBIZ is rife with homophobia

    A new report has shown that more than 50% of people polled had heard directors and producers make anti-gay comments about actors on set.

    The survey by the Williams Institute for the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has shown that 53% of respondents believed that directors and producers are biased against LGBT performers in hiring and nearly 20% of gay men and 10% of bisexual men had experienced discrimination in their profession.

    Nearly 6000 members of the SAG-AFTRA were surveyed.

    The study, which was undertaken in 2012, aimed to expand the research on diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry – and to provide insight into how sexuality and gender identity influence performers’ experiences within the industry.

    The survey also found that LGBT respondents were less likely to than straight actors to have an agent, which might put LGBT performers at at disadvantage when looking for work. Despite this gay men and women had the most days worked in the previous 12 months, with 34 days for gay men, vs. 30 for straight and 41 for lesbians vs. 26 for straight women.

    Earlier in the year actor Daniel Franzese who starred in Mean Girls said that he hit a ‘gay glass ceiling’ after the role in the film and was repeatedly turned down by Hollywood casting directors who were looking for more masculine actors.

    The survey was funded by the Screen Actors Guild.

  • First gay priest to marry, is to sue Church of England

    A Priest who married his partner is planning to sue the Church of England after being blocked from new position.

    In April 2014, Canon Jeremy Pemberton defied the Church of England’s ban on same-sex marriage to become the first priest to marry his long-term, same-sex partner Laurence Cunnington. It has been revealed that he plans to take the Church to an employment tribunal, after he was blocked from taking a new job as a Chaplain and bereavement manager with the NHS.

    Pemberton was blocked from the new job by acting Bishop for Southwell and Nottingham, the Right Reverend Richard Inwood, who wrote to the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to explain that he would not be giving Pemberton a new licence, BBC News reported.

    Speaking to the BBC, Pemberton said, “I feel I have been left with little choice, having found myself being punished and discriminated against simply for exercising my right to marry,” he said.

    A spokesperson for the Archbishops’ Council said it would not comment on individual decisions made by diocese.

  • FILM REVIEW | Wakolda

    ★★★★ | Wakolda

    In the opening scenes of this historical drama we see a distinguished looking German gentleman accosting a travelling family of five to ask if he may follow behind them as he is unsure about driving alone on the desolate dirt roads in the middle of the vast plains of Patagonia.

    The year is 1960 and they are heading south to the small lakefront town of Bariloche to re-open a Hotel that once was a thriving concern when another generation of the family ran it. The German never reveals much about his own destination or any of his plans for staying in this country far from home.

    When they finally arrive, the German, who the family are learning is either a Doctor or Scientist, insists on renting a room from them and to overcome their reluctance sweetens his request by overpaying as he has sensed that the family is cash poor. Eva the heavily pregnant mother is German speaking, as are so many of the local residents – as the best school in the area was the German one, and she welcomes him into their home. Her husband Enzo is a struggling doll-maker and although a man of few words and simple tastes, he is the only one in the family who is not impressed with the charm onslaught from this very creepy stranger in their midst.

    The ‘Doctor’ is particularly taken by Lilith the 12 year old of the family who has always been much smaller than the norm for her age ever since she was born 2 months premature. Soon he is trying to persuade the parents that with the hormone treatment that he has been working on, he can improve Lilith’s growth rate dramatically. They are all initially reluctant to even consider this course of action but Eva relents after Lilith suffers another brutal day of taunting at her school because of her size. However she insists that they keep the news of this change of heart from Enzo until at least Lilith starts gaining some height.

    Now the ‘Doctor’ has gained Eva’s confidence he turns his attention to her, especially when he discovers that she is going to give birth to twins as we eventually find out that he has some plans of his own for these yet unborn babies.

    This movie from Argentinian filmmaker Lucía Puenzo, adapted from her own novel, never hides the fact that the Doctor is none other than Josef Mengele the notorious Nazi who did barbarous and inhuman genetic experiments on the inmates of Auschwitz earning himself the moniker ‘The Angel of Death.’ This highly believable fiction is based on the fact that after the War he, like so other high-ranking Nazis, fled to South America where he continued his cruel work on pregnant women and children until his death in Brazil in 1979.

    Puenzo slowly unravels her story and builds the tension by insinuating what the Doctor really is up too as he slowly manipulates his way into this family’s lives. It is only the German School Archivist that suspects and confirms his true identity and she is anxious that he is caught and out in trial for his war crimes just like Eichmann who Israelis had recently captured. Unfortunately, as he is protected by a wide network of loyal Party supporters he will always manage to completely avoid this.

    This chilling tale succeeds mainly due to the combination of a convincingly sinister performance by Spanish actor Àlex Brendemühl as the menacing Mengele, and also the bleak remote landscape dramatically captured by cinematographer Nicolás Puenzo, who is also the Director’s brother. This was Argentine’s official submission for Best Foreign Picture Oscar, and although it didn’t end up with a nomination, it was definitely worth a consideration.

  • Madame is back and wants you as a new recruit

    Jump Start Madame’s Comeback tour!

    The sassy, outspoken and loveable “old broad” is calling on all her fans, old and young, to rally around and get her back ON TOP where she belongs. Do YOUR part and Go to her Indiegogo page at www.indiegogo.com/projects/jump-start-madame-s-comeback-tour then pick a “thank you” level; make sure you check out Madame’s NEW music video Jump Start My Comeback Tour, a tongue in cheek song parodying the hit song I’m so Fancy in TRUE Madame style.

    A bit about Madame (in case you didn’t know): Madame was created by the legendary Wayland Flowers in the mid-1960s. Flowers’s first big break was an appearance on the The Andy Williams Show. The character of Madame is an “outrageous old broad” who entertains with double entendres and witty comebacks. Bedecked in fabulous evening wear and “summer diamonds” (“Some are diamonds; some are not”), Madame’s look is based on movie stars such as Gloria Swanson. Madame is rumoured to be based on a Washington, DC gay icon, waitress and restaurant hostess Margo MacGregor. Madame’s many TV appearances included Laugh-In; a long run on the game show Hollywood Squares (replacing Paul Lynde in The Centre Square); a recurring comedy skit on Solid Gold; a regular on ABC’s short-lived summer replacement show called Keep on Truckin’, various TV guest spots; and as the star of her own syndicated 1982 sitcom, Madame’s Place, which in itself was the precursor to every reality TV show out there!

    Flowers and Madame were in the centre square on the final NBC episode of Hollywood Squares in June 1980; host Peter Marshallasked Madame the final game question of the daytime series, which was: “Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Strauss lived in the same place. Where did they all live?” Madame’s “comic” answer: “At the YMCA!” Then her “serious” answer: Germany. (The correct answer: Austria.)

  • Gay Artist Channels Hate Crime Into New Exhibit

    An artist who was homophobically beaten is set to open an art exhibition in October.

    In 2008 Andrew Salgado and his partner were attacked in a hate crime. Since then his art has become a political catalyst, evolving his vision of masculine identity. His work is so admired he has amassed over 180,000 Facebook fans.

    His latest solo exhibition is called Storytelling and will take place at the Beers Contemporary in East London on the 4th October.

    He has worked actively to raise money through donations to LGBTQ charities such as Terrence Higgins Trust and Diversity Role Models.

    Noted by Saatchi Online as one of “twelve artists to invest in today”, Salgado’s dynamic paintings have earned a Facebook following of over 175,000 fans (and growing daily). Esteemed critic Edward Lucie Smith has lauded him as “a dazzlingly skillful advocate for painting,” and he has received commissions from major retailers such as Harvey Nichols and fashion industry staple Rootstein Display Mannequins. Salgado has also been selected for inclusion in the forthcoming book 100 Painters of Tomorrow, set for publication next month by Thames & Hudson.

    Storytelling [SOLO] – Beers Contemporary. London, UK. October 4 – November 22, 2014.