Category: Review

MOTORBIKE REVIEW | MotoShed’s ‘Road Runner’ Indian Scout Sixty

★★★★★ | MotoShed’s ‘Road Runner’ Indian Scout Sixty

MotoShed is a like-minded and free-spirited bunch of mates who have spent the last 20 years in various aspects of the motorcycle industry. Their experience is wide-ranging from bike building to race preparation, design, marketing and generally living and breathing motorcycles. They operate guerilla style, preferring to stay out of the spotlight. They don’t talk shit, they build cool bikes.

Their list of badass builds is long and distinguished just like their client list, including some names you might recognise; Jonny Rea, Fogarty, Adam Ant and plenty more.

Indian Motorcycles are America’s first motorcycle company, founded in 1901.

In 2016 they launched the Scout Sixty. It was on that launch in Spain where a couple of the MotoShed team hatched their plan to build ‘Road Runner’.

“The main thing I wanted to achieve was a more ‘sporty naked’ ride and I wanted to do under seat pipes, as nobody else had done it on a scout.”

A few hours kicking ideas around about how you could modify one and the under seat exhaust idea was born. They ordered a Scout the next day.

Standard Indian Scout Sixties ride very well. It’s a good looking, well-built bike out of the box, but Moto Shed could see there was potential for more, it just needed releasing.

There’s a more aggressive riding position with heavily upgraded suspension in the form of fully adjustable HyperPro shocks at the back and rebuilt stiffer front forks with black nitride coating. The increased ground clearance, thanks to a stiffer suspension, allows more lean angle. All of this means dramatically increased cornering performance. To further enhance this, the standard foot controls have been switched out for a set of Rizoma rearsets mounted on custom plates and there’s a set of lower Renthal bars. The more aggressive riding position means you can ride the Moto Shed Road Runner harder and faster.

What about the under seat exhaust?

On modern bikes with their ever-increasing electronics, packaging is always an issue. There are a lot of important components hidden away under the seat, such as the battery, ECU and miles of wiring. It’s an impressive packaging job by Indian Motorcycles.

In order to achieve a light-weight aesthetic, while retaining the factory look, the team had to get seriously creative, relocating the ABS pump, building a custom battery box for the smaller race-style battery, regulator, rectifier, ECU and extend the wiring loom to accommodate. Serious work, and all done to Incredibly high standard.

Once the space under the seat had been created, the team set about fabricating the under seat exhaust.

It really was the most complicated part of the build. Serious thought and skill was needed to route the pipes around the engine and through the new gap under the seat.

Managing the heat was a big concern so the exhaust was wrapped to try to insulate the heat and protect the bike and rider. There’s also a rear hugger/heat shield to deflect the heat and keep the road dirt away from the exhausts.

A Dynojet Power Vision CX system was incorporated to log data and help to perfectly re-map the ECU and fly-by-wire throttle. The guys say the fueling and throttle response is superb but man it’s loud.

Road Runner is dripping in bespoke parts. For example, Chris Walton of CW Engineering hand made the headlight nacelle, front mudguard and rear hugger and Steve Adams, an ex-Aston Martin upholsterer, re-finished the 1920 Solo Saddle Seat and Illusion Race Paint did what they do best.

A host of high-quality accessories and parts were chosen to compliment their work and enhance the performance and aesthetics of Road Runner. There are a black Galfer clutch lever, brake lever and master cylinder and a JB Speaker LED headlight. There’s even a unique carbon fibre water header tank, sourced from a renowned British Superbike team.

The team invested over 100 hours of labour in the Road Runner build, not taking into account the many long nights of discussions, planning and head-scratching that lead to what you see here.

If you fancy a Moto Shed bike in your life, they can be contacted on; build@motoshed.co.uk

4th April 2019
THEATRE REVIEW | Calendar Girls The Musical – National Tour

★★★☆☆ | Calendar Girls The Musical

When Annie’s husband John dies from leukaemia at an early age, her close friend Chris, suggests that they raise funds though their Women’s Institute group to purchase a comfortable sofa for the visitor’s lounge in the hospital where John was treated. But Chris’ plans are to forego the usual Jam and Jerusalem traditions of the organisation and to get the girls to agree to pose for a nude calendar with only WI pastimes to hide their modesty.

Based on the well-known true story, Tim Firth’s script vacillates between tickling the funny bone and tugging on the heart strings as it works its way to a laughter inducing denouement and a touching closing scene; but never at the expense of (if you’ll pardon the pun) fleshing out the main characters and the supporting cast. Gary Barlow’s accompanying music is pleasant and carries forward the narrative with a mix of the catchy and the bittersweet, with Anna Jane Casey’s heart-breaking rendition of Kilimanjaro, a song about the struggle to carry on after the loss of a loved one, a real highlight.

But the show is rightly all about the girls, and Casey is just superb playing the bereaved Annie, bouncing nicely off Rebecca Storm as her best friend Chris. Thrown into the mix, amongst others, are Denise Welch (TV’s Loose Women), Fern Britton (This Morning) and Karen Dunbar, who all come together to give you a group of ladies who form a formidable ensemble cast.

Based on the true story, Calendar Girls follows in the footsteps of the film and original stage play in celebrating the remarkable achievement of the group of women. Whilst is it a little twee at times, it carries a strong story about friendship, challenging expectations and taking a risk, as conventions and traditions are dropped as quickly as the girls’ clothes.

Calendar Girls The Musical is at the Sheffield Lyceum until 13.04.19 before continuing on its national tour.

4th April 2019
Seychelles Gay-Friendly Hotel: Eden Bleu Resort

When visiting the Seychelles, I was lucky enough to stay at the stunning Eden Bleu Resort, situated on the east coast of the island, Mahé. Eden Bleu sits on a man-made private island and is surrounded by a marina with multi-million pound yachts in every direction and a few minutes from the airport, and a quick 10-minute drive from the capital, Victoria.

Despite its sprawling grounds, the resort manages to remain fairly boutique in feel, designed to look like a plantation house that feels more in-keeping with the local surroundings.

The typical guest to Eden Bleu is surprisingly corporate, as the resort caters to a large number of visiting professionals either attending conferences or escaping for the weekend from South Africa and Mauritius. There are, of course, plenty of loved-up couples (a few of which were gay), and there is a distinctive absence of families (and therefore hardly any children!!!).

Staff and facilities

As expected the staff are amazing, with buckets of local charm and advice for those looking to see the surrounding sights. There’s a 24-hour front desk, a concierge, and Wi-Fi throughout, however I would advise downloading a load of Netflix shows before you leave home as internet speeds across the island are notoriously slow and prone to stopping entirely if/when it rains.

Unlike typical tropical resorts, Eden Bleu is not beach-based, forcing you to venture off the resort grounds in order to find some sand to sunbathe on (a definite plus in my book as I don’t really like to sit still on a trip). The resort runs complimentary shuttles throughout the day to locations such as Beau Vallon and Anse Royale beaches, as well as arranging sightseeing trips or a shuttle to the ferry so that you can visit some of the other islands.

Food & drink

A classic buffet breakfast is on-hand for all guests in the Marlin Bleu Restaurant which overlooks the pool deck and offers veranda seating so that you never need miss a drop of sunshine while you’re there. There are plenty of local favourites and plenty of dishes that marry Creole and modern styles.

A small note would be the limited vegetarian selection which, while delicious, can get quite repetitive if you’re dining there nightly. I’m pescatarian so eventually tried the red snapper, the national favourite, and it was frickin delicious!

Nightly rates

Seven nightly prices on a bed & breakfast basis in the Presidential Suite from £3975 per person based on 2 people sharing, and a Luxury Marina View Room for £1915 per person for two people sharing at the Eden Bleu Hotel. A nightly rate on a bed & breakfast basis in a six bedroom villa cost from £1100 for 12 people per night

Contact Details:

Southall Travel

Tel: +0800 408 8042

Email: info@southalltravel.com

Seychelles Tourist Office – UK & Ireland

132 Buckingham Palace Road, Ground floor

London SW1W 9SA

United Kingdom
t: + 44 (0) 207 730 0700
e:seychelles@uksto.co.uk | www.seychelles.travel

2nd April 2019
TV REVIEW | Rupaul’s Drag Race season 11 episode 5: BEAST!!

Okay … this episode was a little confusing as … it wasn’t really about anything.

via GIPHY

Yes, there was a ball – a Monsterball even. But something felt off.

Much as I love Drag Race, this year it seems hard to connect to the show. It isn’t Ru’s fault: he is doing wonderful. He really seems to have found his groove back, harking back to his excited self from earlier series. More involved and actually part of the judging team.

No, the error seems to lay in the editing which seems intend on focusing on things that don’t matter much and contestants who seem to care more about making good TV and talking heads instead of actually BEING ON DRAG RACE!!

This time last year I knew the contestants and felt part of it all. This year it seems we are only allowed to know a select few. A few weeks ago I was rooting for A’keria Davenport but she’s so rarely featured I had completely forgotten about her until she was included in a talking head this week. Same for Plastique Tiara and some others.

It’s really distracting having to go “who’s that? Oh yes …” even five weeks in. Despite it working with fourteen last year, maybe having fifteen queens is just too many, as it’s harder to connect with all of them. Having the narrative revolve around only a few of them doesn’t help either.

So what happened this week? Well, mainly a surprising amount of Alyssa Edwards references which made many people (including me) expect she would appear in this episode. She didn’t, though Trixie Mattel did. The All Stars winner led the contestants through a mini challenge. The challenge was turning yourself into a doll that could befriend Ru’s new Rupaul doll. Meaning that for once it truly was Rupaul’s best friend race. Ra’Ja won.

Then the Maxi Challenge: the Monsters Ball. Now I’m always a fan of the ball episodes, but I prefer them later in the series when we can really focus on the final 5/6 queens getting ready for their big moment. When the one queen that can’t sew has a wobbly bur regains themselves. And then Rupaul returns reminding them: ya … erm … you also have to do a song …

This week there was no song and because we had to feature 33 looks in one episode we hardly saw any workroom activity. Though we did get a huge amount of Silky chanting something about a runway and some more insight into the “Branjie” (Vanjie and Brook Lynn) relationship.
It’s a shame as the queens conversations often make the show even more than the challenges and fashion.

In Untucked Nina West once more showed why she is this years Latrice or Chad when talking about LGBT rights history and why we need to learn from the past. I would have loved to see this conversation in the main show.

Then over to the runway. So 33 looks … a bit much and after a while it’s hard to remember all of it, making guessing who will be in the bottom difficult. In the end the Brook Lynn won while Shuga Cain and Ariel Versace ended up in the bottom two. Poor Ariel lost as she fell halfway through.

A bit of a lesser episode compared to the earlier ones, hopefully next week will be better. Maybe Alyssa Edwards will turn up!!

1st April 2019
THEATRE REVIEW | American Idiot – National Tour

★★★☆☆ | American Idiot – National Tour

In a post 9/11 America, three friends go their separate ways to try to find both themselves and where they belong in society. Will stays in suburbia to try and make his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend work, Tunny joins the army and Johnny stays in the city to find friendship but finds a part of himself he never expected. But it doesn’t take long for the American Dream to come crashing down around them as they become increasingly disenfranchised trying to fit into a world where they don’t seem to belong.

Based on the songs of pop-rock band Green Day, America Idiot presents itself as a sing-through rock opera, where the relentless barrage of songs tells the story and there is little room for any script. The show opens with the title song and, for the first act, literally doesn’t let up from there. Tom Milner (Waterloo Road) as Johnny is a charismatic lead with a performance brimming with cocksure swagger and confidence, whilst Joshua Downen portrays Tunny’s journey from angry young man to war veteran with subtlety.

After exploding onto the stage, the first act is loud, bold, brash, rebellious, angry and exhilarating; and has an unyielding, in your face energy which carries the audience along for the ride, assaulting their senses and reverberating the bass guitar in their chest. However, the second act doesn’t maintain the energy of the first, and as they story grows very dark and the pace slows down, the show loses some momentum.

America Idiot reflects a warts and all portrayal of a recent time in American politics and a biting attack on a divided society which will be recognisable to angst ridden teens; whilst Green Day’s music continues to speak to a generation and still maintains relevance in today’s current political climate.

America Idiot is at the Sheffield Lyceum until 30th March 2019 before continuing on its national tour. The show contains adult themes and strong language.

27th March 2019
TV REVEW | RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 11, episode 4: The Future Is Female

This week saw a very different Drag Race, as the show got political.

Drag has always been political in a way: as it is a mirror towards society and it’s expectations. It is a political act just to exist as a drag queen and many a queen has fought back against those in power in her shows. Ru herself has often used Drag Race and her own position to urge people to vote, be involved and make change happen.

But Trump the Rusical marks the first time the politics were addressed heads on. This shows how problematic society has become. Knowing hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ have risen 226% in areas where Trump held rallies you just can’t remain silent anymore.

Most of the episode spoke about living in a world where you can be attacked for being who you are. Nina West described her life on a campus where she was abused and threatened. She grew up in a deeply conservative and political environment and was terrorized in college when she ran for student government, once people knew she was gay. She also linked her story to the tragic case of Matthew Shepard which happened at the same time. It was a time when LGBTQ+ tolerance was at a low, where it sadly seems to be heading again now.

A timely as well as a cautionary tale.

Then Mercedes Iman spoke out, regretting not doing so last week. She talked about having to fight hate and stereotypes from many sides (being a gay drag queen as well as a black immigrant and Muslim). She wants to show the world that Muslims are not terrorists, despite living in fear on a daily basis. It is good to see her finding herself.

It would have been great to hear the voice of Plastique Tiara as well in this, as growing up gay in a conservative Vietnamese household raised by her grandmother would give her a unique perspective as well. Sadly she never featured in the episode at all.

Of course Silky had another surprise up her sleeve: she is a registered republican. Not because she is republican but to fight the power from the inside!! “Re-movement of the districts… Get smarter than them, register as a Republican.” In Untucked Silky also showed a different side of herself when she comforted Vanjie who had a semi panic attack thinking she’d be in the Lip sync.

Meanwhile Yvie Oddly revealed she suffers from a connective tissue disorder that causes all of her joints to be hyper-flexible and therefore prone to dislocation in physically demanding situations.

“I have a disease called Ehlers–Danlos syndrome type 3. I don’t produce a whole lot of collagen, so I have extra skin everywhere…. but it’s not going to hold me back in this competition!” She added.

So after a new kind of mini challenge (newsreading in the style of Rachel Maddow) and a brutal choreography training with Deadpool ballet dancer Yanis Marshall (where Ra’ja found out boosting about dance training isn’t very wise when it was decades ago) it was over to the musical itself.

Based on Grease it told the tale of the women of Trump who, with a little help from Oprah, find out that being your own person is better than being a dictators possession. It ended with an ode to womanhood and a call for more women to run for office.

All the queens did very well with a few standouts including Yvie and Nina but in the end Silky’s Oprah was singled out as a winner.

Talking points were Michelle Visage’s clear dislike of guest judge Joel McHale and the growing relationship between Vanjie and Brookelyn. Vanjie still seems to want to play it down, though.

It was sad seeing Mercedes leave the show just as she found her voice, it would have been great to see her stay just a little longer as she has already proved herself to be iconic.

Hope to see you back one day Opulence Queen!!

RuPaul’s Drag Race is available to stream on Netflix

24th March 2019
CAR REVIEW | Audi’s A1 Sportback S line

★★★ | Audi’s A1 Sportback S line

What Have We Got?

Here we have Audi’s A1 Sportback S line. This model sits around the middle of the 6 car line up. It’s suitably dressed to impress but did it impress us at THEGAYUK?

Driving

With looks to kill, you’d expect the A1 S line to be fun and entertaining to drive. Thankfully it doesn’t fail to deliver in this department despite its diminutive turbocharged petrol power unit of 999cc. Power figures suggest mediocre outputs of performance. The good news is that the 116PS at over 5000rpm and torque of 147.5 lb-ft is far better than adequate. Developed low down, it will hustle along quite briskly. Yet, despite its revvy nature, it won’t allow redlining in any gear. Changes are done by 6200rpm.

Those changes are carried out by a much improved DSG gearbox. Now it is able to deliver crawling take up without snatching as smoothly as it does changing up at speed.

Steering is communicative to a degree, there’s also some muted feedback, though a little more would be better and the brakes, standard silver, no bright shouting red Brembo callipers, pull the A1 up briskly.

Inside

It’s a mixture of good and bad. The dashboard is logical and the facia panel is adaptable for maps, big dials or info. It works well and it’s surrounded by blue neons that carry on into the doors. It’s just a shame then that this isn’t carried on around the vents on the passengers’ side and the rear doors are totally void of any fancy architecture, except for a light by the door handle.

Seats are also a mixture of good and bad. While they hug you in place during spirited driving, the seat base is very firm and despite several manual controls for the adjustments, lumber adjuster is both awkward to implement and even worse to gauge the amount such is the position of the handle.

Living With It

It’s a practical car. It has 4 doors and a wide opening hatch at the rear. It’s not the most spacious in its class but it will do all that is asked of it.

You won’t lose face when it comes to the carpark beauty pageant. The A1 has good looks on its side and if the badge is important, you have Audi prestige. And it does what it does well. The ride is more than acceptable and thankfully it is entertaining and the handling is fun.

There is just one snag.

The Verdict

There is a lot to like about the A1. Showroom and kerbside appeal will impress you and those who admire it from the outside. The nice touches that you expect from Audi are there in some places too but not everywhere. The silver trim across the facia is cheap to look at and cheaper to feel.

And I get that Audi is a premium brand. With the A1 starting at £17,700, it’s just that I find this S line model with all the options this car has, hard to swallow at £70 shy of £30k. That’s a lot of money for a small car.

Love

Facia neon illuminations

Peppy 1 litre engine

Gearbox

Loathe

Price

Boring rear door trim

Firm seat base and awkward lumber lever

The Lowdown

Car – Audi A1 Sportback 30 TFSI 115PS S Line S Tronic

Price – £ 29,930 (as tested)

MPG – 47 mpg (combined)

Power – 116PS

0-62mph – 9.4 seconds

Top Speed – 126 mph

Co2 – 108 (g/km)

23rd March 2019
THEATRE REVIEW | Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

★★★★ | Standing at the Sky’s Edge

Standing on the Sky’s Edge is a new musical which centres around Sheffield’s Park Hill Flats housing estate, and cleverly overlays three stories of three families over three decades as they take residence in the now infamous building. From the ground breaking optimism of the buildings with “streets in the sky” in the early 70s; through the estates decline in the 80s and 90s and onto the current regeneration projects, the show delicately weaves the lives of the seemingly unconnected families together whilst looking at the social and economic changes faced by the city and its residents.

Richard Hawley (known for his music with The Longpigs and Pulp) provide a mixture of new and old songs which melt seamlessly into the narrative and which are well spaced, well performed and slot nicely into the proceedings; whilst Chris Bush’s script is warm, witty and brims with northern charm and humour.

But mostly, and at the show’s heart, are stories about love and how it can be tested in so many different ways; wrapped up in a love letter to any building which you can call home and to the city itself. A husband who has given up, and a wife who won’t; a young couple who face tragedy and a young woman trying to break free of the ghost of girlfriends past all address the central issues with genuine emotion and a warmth radiating from the stage.

The production is instantly accessible, with characters that feel familiar almost immediately, and some fast paced and assured direction from Robert Hastie, providing a feel of the business and hustle and bustle of the estate. The ensemble cast blend beautifully together as the years portrayed merge into one; and Faith Omole took everyone by surprise with a singing voice so serene, it quite literally stopped the show.

Despite being a very local piece of theatre, there is enough in there to entertain those unfamiliar with the flats or its history; and makes the trip to Sheffield worthwhile, and being home the message, loudly and clearly, that home is where the heart really is.

Standing on Sky’s Edge is at Sheffield Theatres until 6^th April 2019.

22nd March 2019
RESTAURANT REVIEW | VIVI, London

★★★★★ | VIVI, London

(C) PR SUPPLIED

For those who remember Centrepoint 101 – the bar and restaurant on top of Centrepoint – 33 stories above ground – you’ll remember how great it was, more so the views and the cocktails and less so the food. Well, that space is now someone’s flat (boo hoo), so now we have the new Vivi.

Vivi, located in the wing that connects the original Centre Point building to Centrepoint House – the 1970’s tenement building – is a throwback to the 1960s when the Centre Point building went up – presenting food that is both traditional, safe but not very sexy. The venue itself is sexy, one flight up, overlooking New Oxford Street and the new piazza next to the now fully residential Centre Point.

It has a streamlined look with beautiful floor to ceiling windows that are used to great effect to maximize the space. There are gorgeous tables smack dab in the middle of the room as well as along the sides of the restaurant. It’s such a beautiful space, with an art deco chandelier that holds centre attention, it’s just absolute perfection architecturally.

So how’s the food you might ask? As mentioned before, it’s safe and traditional but you will struggle to find anything on the menu that is different. I’ve been twice now (the first time was during its soft opening – on its first night) and I have to say the food on my second visit was much much better. On their All Day Dining menu, the starter choices are fine but nothing really sticks out. They were out of the Quiche Lorraine on that Tuesday night of my second visit, so I settled for Grilled Leeks – four leeks served with a dollop of egg mayonnaise with mimosa dressing. It was good, as was the Waldorf Salad that I had on my first visit (both priced at £8.50). My dining companion on my second visit had the Prawn Cocktail – it was a massive glass stuffed with prawns with thousand island dressing over a bed of lettuce. For £12.50 – it was more than worth the price, and he said it was ‘great!’ But you might struggle to find anything better (Steak Tartare, Coarse Farmhouse Pate, and Cornish Crab, among others, add nothing unique to the menu).

It’s a bit of the same with the Signatures and Mains. Sure there is the standard steak dish – Rib Eye Steak (£34), but Rataouille (£14.50), Truffled Mushroom (£19.50), and Madras Monkfish (£24.50) are not dishes that particularly stand out. These are among the better choices (Beef Burger or Roasted Guinea Fowl Breast might good second choices). Chicken Kiev, one of their Signature dishes I had on my first visit, was just ok. Served with mash – it really wasn’t worth its £17.50 price tag. However, I had the Berkshire Pork Chop on my second visit – and it was superb! A large pork chop, perfectly cooked – nice and brown and meaty – served over a bed of hispi cabbage, with prunes and a prune sauce that was just superb and tasty. A surprise dollop of mash was also on the dish, though this is not mentioned on the menu – I had ordered a side of mash – which I am glad I did because both mashes were perfectly whipped – the way mash really should be! (The pork chop was worth every cent of its £20.50 price). My dining companion ordered the Salmon Hollandaise, and he said it was moist and very good. Served with spinach, it was a nice size portion (at £22.50), and the potatoes on the dish were just about perfect, very buttery with a nice sprinkle of dill – melt in your mouth tasty!

And the best was yet to come – the Sweets. On my first visit, I had the Apple & Rhubarb Crumble – it was a very large portion (almost like a mini pie!), but it was served cold. This time I had the Rum Baba – and it was unique and superb! Sponge cake soaked in rum with chantilly cream and caramelised orange sprinkled on top, with vanilla ice cream which was literally the icing on the cake. Absolutely delicious! And my dining companion loved his Millionaire’s Chocolate Bar – pure Cocao chocolate ice cream, chocolate bar and a chocolate crisp too boot! Just yummy!

Vivi has a few other menus on offer. Their Breakfast menu looks very good, and reasonably priced, and includes Waffles or Pancakes (£8.50), Full English (£15.00 – very full!), and Eggs Benedict, Royale and Florentine (£10.50 – £12.50), among other excellent choices. The Brunch Menu is a mix of the Breakfast and Main menu, while the Lunch Set and Theatre (5-7pm and 10-11pm) is great value – two courses £21.50 and three courses £24.50, and includes a complimentary glass of prosecco. Traditional Afternoon Tea is proving quite popular – Classic at £29.50 and Champagne at £39.

Of course, Vivi has a full-on bar, wine and beer menu. There are Back to Classics Cocktails – including the Pink Floyd Rhubarb, which was sweet and punchy with the rhubarb giving it a nice flavour. There are also non-alcoholic cocktails – I had the Refresh Your Berries shake that was berrylicious! Gins, rums, vodkas, tequila, cognacs and brandy are also on the list – pretty much anything you fancy Vivi has it!

Vivi is not just a name but it’s also an identity.

As roman numerals, Vivi gives a nod to 1966, the year Centre Point was born. And while most of us were not around at this time, we can still celebrate the old Centre Point by visiting Vivi. I just wish there were sexier choices on the menu, but everything else is flawless, from the service to the decor, to the ambience, and to the location – right next to Tottenham Court Road – you can’t get more central than that. Vivi has retro food in a very stylish setting – which alone makes it unique and stands out. Long live Vivi!

Address
Centre Point, 11 St. Giles Square, London, WC2H 8AP
Tel: 0300 500 0958
Book a table and find opening times here

19th March 2019
THEATRE REVIEW | Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre, London

★★★★★| Betrayal, London

Heartthrob Tom Hiddleston shines in Jamie Lloyd’s new production of Betrayal, now playing at the Pinter Theatre in London’s West End.

Betrayal is one of the late Harold Pinter’s more well-known works (from 1978), and it also clocks in at a snip 90 minutes, but it’s 90 minutes that’s full of drama, tension, and in this new stage version, very well acted.

In a play that goes backwards and forward in time but is never confusing, Hiddleston plays Robert, a successful book publisher who is married to the beautiful Emma (Zawe Ashton, from television’s Fresh Meat and who more than holds her own on stage). Emma, you see, has been having, for several years, an affair with Jerry (a very good and very good looking and sexy Charlie Cox – best known for television’s ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and ‘Daredevil’), who also happens to be Roberts’ best friend. But there is more to it than this. Jerry and Emma have had a flat for their not so secret trysts for years, and Robert has known, because Emma told him, about the affair.

Meanwhile, Jerry also has a wife and child. But as the plot goes back three years, to a time when Emma and Robert were very happy, to the beginning of the play when Emma announces to Jerry that she and Robert are splitting up, its one betrayal after another in a show that cleverly uses a chronology to tell the story in reverse. ‘Betrayal’ is also about a clandestine love affair, and lies told, in a show portrayed on stage by actors who are at the top of their game. And the three main cast members are always on stage, with one hovering in the background creating an eavesdropping like mood.

Hiddleston displays a very vulnerable side of him as the spurned husband who seems to be the innocent one amongst all the betrayal. And as Robert Hiddleston, near the end of the show which is actually near the end of the middle of the show, breaks down as he learns from Emma about the affair. It’s powerful stuff by a master of the stage (Hiddleston was also very superb in 2013’s ‘Coriolanus’). Ashton is good as the woman at the centre of two men who really really want her, while Cox brings a lure of sex appeal and confidence where we can see why Robert keeps him as his best friend and why Emma is having an affair with him even though she has her own family. All in all, Betrayal, with a set that is stripped to the bone, is very dramatic, and theatre at its best.

Betrayal must end on June 1st, 2019

For tickets, please go to:
https://www.pinteratthepinter.com

17th March 2019
TV REVIEW | Drag Race Season 11 Episode 3 Stink. Stank. Stunk.

A week of heights and lows for this week as the girl’s praise and worship.

After a bit of a confusing mini-challenge (where non of the girls really gave a convincing enough argument for being let in backstage,) we quickly started at the big challenge of the week: Diva Worship.

Two teams (led by Nina West and Ra’Jah O’Hara) had to create their own religion based on a Diva and host a show based on this. So basically the idea is to do a parody of one of these religious TV shows even we in Europe can see if you own a working satellite.

Nina West’s team pretty much settle on Britney within minutes. It’s obvious why: her story and drama are fresh in everyone’s mind, but not so fresh it seems mean. Also, she has turned it around and survived so yes, a great target. Only Silky turns Sulky: she wanted to do Whitney. But her teammates all agree: doing her is not funny, as we all know how her story ended.
Still, the team seems solid and quite aware of all the Britney-isms out there. When Ru talks to them it’s clear she feels confident they will do well.

Okay, then team Ra’Jah O’Hara … Yeah … okay … After a lot of good suggestions, they settle on Mariah Carey claiming they know the most about her. Well, they don’t seem to know she isn’t Whitney Houston, as most of the songs and movies they mention during their challenge are hers.

Their talk to Ru should have made them aware they were on the wrong track. Not even realising the diva they could have used was Ru herself was even worse.

They were lucky someone had the sense to shoot down Diana Ross as the icon worshipped, they might all have been eliminated on the spot.

Team Nina West are absolutely flawless – with Nina herself and Miss Vanjie as the absolute standouts.

The only disappointment seems Silky as her energy seems rather low (for the second time in an acting challenge.)

Poor team O’Hara. The only knowledge they have of Mariah seems to be two titles and the things Ru told them five minutes ago. It’s.just.a.mess. It might be the worst acting challenge in herstory. Poor Ross Mathews looked beyond relieved when it was over and advised the girls to do well on the catwalk.

Next thing we know we’re presented with one of the oddest of dressing room sections where Vanjie and Brooke Lynn cuddle up and kiss each other on the mouth (could this be the first Drag Race romance?!!) Yvie paints every bit of her body pink – yes EVERY bit!!

And … non of the girl’s bar Silky seem aware of what being Muslim is? That is really odd. Poor Mercedes (the first Muslim contestant on the show) seemed to not want to discuss it anyway, so maybe it’s best just left alone.

Que the Runway. Both Ru and Michelle Visage look amazing this week!!

Then the catwalk walk begins!

Category is: Fringe!!

Several stand out looks and overall high quality (though still Yvie, you really didn’t have to paint all of that, we never saw it!!)

Within seconds team Nina West Team has won, with Nina the leader who ruled with conviction crowned this weeks winner.

(Que Untucked where Silky threw a tantrum because her team had … won? She then claimed the only reason she hadn’t won this challenge herself was she held back because of her religion. The rest of them soon called her out saying she was only sulking because it hadn’t been about Whitney. They were right.

Then, after some fighting Silky bizarrely decided to tear off most of her clothes saying she’d been ready to lipsync for her life: Erm, Silky, your team WON!! The unflinching stoic response of the rest of the girls – especially Yvie was absolute art.)

Meanwhile, onstage all girls are judged and all blame their entire group. No-one is thrown under the bus.
This is good.
But …
You can see how the surprisingly low energy responses and lack of knowledge of the group as a whole frustrate Ru. You cannot be a Queen without a drive and at least some knowledge of LGBTQ+ icons and history.
Even when she listed a list of people they could have done there was never an “aha” moment.
This is odd.

There was only one person who had an excuse for not being completely informed about Pop-culture.

My heart went out to Plastique Tiara during this entire episode and Untucked, she seemed so lost and quiet. No-one seemed to believe her when she talked about not being aware of pop culture. But yes, it can happen in the environment she grew up in.

https://twitter.com/plastiquetiara/status/1106393941748957188

But she was the only one and as Ru said: the others should have helped her. But they clearly couldn’t even help themselves.

Back onstage: Ru is done and all the team is up for eviction. Which … O.M.G.
For a second it looked like Ru’s House for Drag Toddles with the bizarre antics that went on on the stage. The look on Ru’s face watching it all should be gif-ed to eternity.
Thankfully it’s over soon.

Poor Honey Davenport, you see how much it means to her and you feel her pain when her death-drop from stage turns … well, out wrong. Still, she is sent away and the scene in her Untucked leaving video is beyond heartbreaking.

A sad end to a very confusing episode.

17th March 2019