THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, New Victoria Theatre, Woking

    ★★★ | Dirty Dancing, New Victoria Theatre, Woking

    Set in the 1960’s, Frances “Baby” Houseman goes to Kellerman’s holiday camp with her family. She befriends the staff of the camp and develops a crush on charismatic dance teacher, Johnny Castle. When Johnny’s dance partner cannot perform at a show at a local hotel, Baby steps in to ensure that they do not lose their jobs. But as Johnny and Baby rehearse, they fall in love and learn more from each other than just the dance moves.

    Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, Dirty Dancing hits the stage with a show which follows the story of the film very closely, with the bulk of the script being comfortingly recognisable from the film. There are some additional scenes thrown in, which mainly expand on the political changes in the 60’s and some which flesh out the relationship between Baby and Johnny; whilst the show’s music came from a combination of both live and pre-recorded tracks, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Love Man” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

    Katie Eccles and Robert Colvin took the lead roles of Baby and Johnny, and had some chemistry between them; and they were supported by a broadly competent cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Unsurprisingly, the dancing was better than the acting, but given that the show’s main focus is the musical numbers it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The show has been given a major overhaul and is all the better for it. This production has a vibrant lighting design and has ushered in a luxurious, well designed and thoroughly detailed set which transform smoothly without ever interrupting the story; whilst the show has been sexed up a little with a few more bare chests and muscular arms on display. Overall, the production values here are very high and very impressive.

    But where the show really succeeds is in its ability to bring the movie to life and recreating it on stage. All of the familiar lines, plot points, dance routines and songs are there and there is something very comforting about watching such a faithful recreation of the movie. For those who have not seen the film, the show is a good introduction to the world of Kellerman’s. For established fans of the film, the show will be hard to beat.

    Dirty Dancing is playing at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking until 9th July 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre production

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Jane Eyre, Birmingham Rep

    ★★★★ -Jane Eyre, Birmingham Rep

    A rollercoaster of emotions that kept on plunging.

    Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is plagued by circumstances from which she has no power over; from childhood abuse, to later mistreatment in the Lowood School for orphaned girls, Jane suffered for the greatest part of her life. The National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic came together to create a haunting masterpiece that was seen last night at The Birmingham Rep. The rawness of emotion and the simplistic style of setting captured the audience’s attention and tugged on heartstrings.

    The acting and the synchronicity of movement were astonishing in Jane Eyre. The ensemble pieces were performed to such a high standard, even the breathing was in sync. Nadia Clifford, who plays Jane Eyre, was formidable in her captivating portrayal of Jane’s life. Nadia embodied Jane Eyre with so much sincerity and passion, it was as though Nadia had been through similar tribulations. Her movement and voice, as well conveyance of emotions throughout the play, were so strong and authentic. Nadia stole the show.

    Every cast member showcased uniqueness and dexterity with multipart playing, while acting, moving and singing. I particularly enjoyed Paul Mundell’s representation of Pilot, Mr Rochester dog. Paul used a device which he smacked against the side of his leg to simulate tail wagging which was a fresh take to a human portraying a dog without costumes or gimmicks. Paul’s canine mannerisms and movements really contributed to the sophisticated and brilliance of this production. Evelyn Miller was a fierce multipart player, portraying different characters so uniquely that, if it was not for the small-ish cast number, I don’t think I’d recognise her. She was soulful and powerful in delivery and the characters were really earnest. The queen of playing a plethora of characters was Hannah Bristow. Hannah played five characters and she was brilliant with everyone. Her portrayal of Helen Burns was very touching and emotional. Lynda Rooke was really great at playing the revolting Mrs Reed and then playing a sweet and homely Mrs Fairfax – great contrast of characters. The music trio were not only pleasing to the eye, but they were supremely talented both vocally and with playing different instruments – and acting too! I also really enjoyed Melanie Marshall’s angelic and demonic vocals as Bertha, creating an eerie and surreal atmosphere.

    Jane Eyre is a powerful novel, and seeing it live on stage is an experience that is unforgettable. Thank you, National Theatre!

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre width=

    Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the Milton Keynes Theatre until 16th September 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield Theatre production.

  • FILM REVIEW | God’s Own Country

    ★★★★ | God’s Own Country

    In 2005 there was Brokeback Mountain, and in 2017 there is now God’s Own Country.

    Being referred to as a West Yorkshire Brokeback Mountain, God’s Own Country tells the story of a young farmer who works on the family farm and has casual sex with some of the local boys. But when a Romanian migrant worker shows up to help him out on the farm, their working relationship turns into more than just work, changing both their lives. Shot against the beautiful backdrop that is Yorkshire, God’s Own Country is definitely this year’s hottest and most mainstream gay film. Director and writer Francis Lee, in his feature length directorial debut (he has acting credits that go back to 1994), has crafted a gay romance set on a farm, a romance that, when it gets lit, is explosive.

    Josh O’Connor is fantastic as Johnny Saxby, a young man who thinks he has only one purpose in life – the farm. He lives in a house on top of a hill with his grandmother (Gemma Jones) and sick father (Ian Hart). But as his father is unable to participate in the hard daily chores, a Romanian immigrant, and ruggedly handsome, Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives, and with his arrival comes the romance that we know is going to happen.

    God’s Own Country is not the perfect film, Johnny and Gheorghe’s first stab at having sex, outdoors, right in the middle of the farm, was a bit unbelievable (and it looked cold). And Johnny’s habit of taking presumably straight men into his local pub toilets for sex (that would be every gay man’s fantasy – no?) is far-fetched. But God’s Own Country is beautiful, complex and engaging, and it doesn’t hurt that we get to see both O’Connor and Secareanu naked.

    God’s Own Country has already won several awards, including Best Film at both the Berlin and Edinburgh International Film Festivals as well as the World Cinema Directing Award at Sundance. And it’s gotten rave reviews, with some critics calling it “The British Brokeback Mountain,” but better.

    In cinemas now

     

     

  • FILM REVIEW | Patti Cake$

    ★★★★ | Patti Cake$

    FILM REVIEW | Patti Cake$

    Can a white overweight girl from New Jersey become a rap star? You bet – and her name is “Patti Cake$”.

    Danielle Macdonald plays Patricia Dombrowski, an unemployed 23-year-old who has been given the nickname ‘dumbo’ by her contemporaries.

    There’s very little opportunity for her; she’s been fired from her most recent job, her mum is an alcoholic, her grandmother is confined to a wheelchair, and she’s a dreamer about hitting the big time. But when she gets together with her friends, including pharmacist Jheri (Siddarth Dhananjay), she’s no longer just plain Patricia, she’s Patti Cake$.

    When an opportunity arises for them to enter a rap contest, Patti has doubts, not only because the competition will be fierce, but also because she lacks the confidence which she never got from her own mother (Bridget Everett), who is always trying to show her up. But where there’s a will there’s a way, and Patti and her gang (now called PBNJ) must prove that they’ve got what it takes. And this makes Patti Cake$ a sweet and engrossing tale of a misfit girl who can and will make it.

    Australian Danielle Macdonald is superb as Patti Cake$. She nails it as the rough around the edges but very soft to the core Patti who will have the audience in her corner. Everett also has a showy role as Patti’s mother, always trying to look good for potential male suitors. New Jersey native and music video director Geremy Jasper showcases the real New Jersey in this film and brings us a sweet tale of a girl who has larger than life dreams and tries to make them happen.

     

  • DVD REVIEW | Shortbus

    ★★★★★ | Shortbus

    You’ll never look at a splatter painting in the way away again.

    If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to have your face stuffed into a film’s never regions, then Shortbus is the film for you to see. Stat.

    Director John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig And The Angry Inch) bravely circumnavigates the world of sexuality in this stylish, almost uncomplicated observation of sexual dysfunction.

    “Shortbus” is a New York club where the focus is sexual liberation with a heady blend of punters. Transgender people, ageing homosexuals, hot young boys, a straight female sex therapist all looking to get their rocks off – a bit like Piccadilly on a Thursday night but more scintillating.

    The creators and actors of Shortbus have genuinely created and sustained characters the viewer can befriend and have some feeling for.  You can feel that the actual actors forged a real relationship with each other, which gathering from the DVD’s ‘extras’ they had to, as part of the film development process was having sexual relations with each other.

    Shortbus did give me a tingling sensation. Not just because you get to see: self-sucking, a blinding rim job, a 3-way, the national anthem sung into a sizable cock and Mr Cameron-Mitchell himself being sucked off by a supporting actor (no really) but it caused me to think of my own sexuality and my relationship to it.

    Sex is ‘in your face.’ It is about sexual roles. It’s about ‘this moment, now’. Being British, and naturally reserved such talk and this movie is better left after two bottles of Chablis and a handful of bar nuts.

    Some fantastic performances and an introduction to one Jay Brannan – who I suggest you get yourself into – socially so to speak. He has a Facebook, twitter, albums and tours his music about regularly.

    If you’re sexually revolutionised you might watch this and think, what’s all the fuss about, but worth a punt anyway. You can always pass it off as porn with a story line and real actors.

    If you’re a fan of the slightly psychedelic, smash colour, animatic world of John Cameron Mitchell you’ll love this movie. It isn’t one, however, to watch with your Mother. You get to see quite a bit of peen!

    Available to buy on AMAZON

  • FILM REVIEW | Logan Lucky

    ★★★ | Logan Lucky

    The man who gave us Sex, Lies and Videotape, Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Magic Mike, and the Ocean’s Trilogy (Steven Soderbergh) has returned with a film that, while it’s not groundbreaking, is littered with excellent performances but its a case of been there seen that.

    So alike Logan Lucky is with Ocean’s Twelve and Thirteen that it could as well have been Ocean’s fourteen but set in the Confederate state of Virginia. Logan Lucky is the story of a bank robbery, a bank robbery that’s so cleverly planned and executed that it’s a bit unrealistic and unbelievable.

    Channing Tatum is down on his luck Jimmy Logan who can’t seem to get a break and keep a job due to his permanent limp. His daughter, Sadie (a memorable and amazing little Farrah MacKenzie) is a beauty pageant winner wanna be, and she’s in the care of his ex-wife Bobbie Jo (a very good Katie Holmes). His one-armed brother Clyde (a good as usual Adam Driver) owns a bar called Duck Tape, and they have a sister Mellie (Riley Keough). Jimmy, after talking to brothers Sam (Brian Gleason) and Fish (Jack Quaid), who have mentioned that their other brother Joe (Daniel Craig, at his best ever, better than his James Bond character), who happens to be incarcerated, can and will break out of jail and can help the gang break into the underground cash-handling system at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during one of the it’s busiest days of the year – the Coca Cola 600 race. Did I mention that the plot is a bit far-fetched?

    Clyde (who got himself arrested just for the sole purpose of helping Joe escape jail for the day) and Joe successfully, in another ridiculous moment, escape jail. And it’s then a dream team attempting to steal money from a stadium chock-a-block full of people yet there is absolutely no one guarding the underground area where the money is dropped in via a tube system. Absolutely no one, not a security guard, employees, garbage collectors, no one at all. And all seems to go according to plan, thus lacking in any suspense whatsoever.

    It’s in the performances where Logan Lucky is saved, barely. Craig is fantastic as the seasoned thief, Driver is good (as always) as the one-armed brother. Holmes surpasses expectations as Jimmy’s ex-wife who is now married to a wealthy man (more of her in the future please), while Seth MacFarlane is unrecognizable and fantastic as an arrogant personality famous for who knows what. The script, by Rebecca Blunt, has some very good moments but Logan Lucky is basically “Ocean’s 14” but with a better cast and a cool and quirky Southern vibe. Perhaps Soderberg’s next film will be an original, this one certainly wasn’t. But he’s putting together “Ocean’s Eight” at the moment, so it will be more of the same.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Loot, Park Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Loot

    THEATRE REVIEW | Loot, Park Theatre, London

    The late playwright Joe Orton wrote Loot more than 50 years ago, and it is now being revived at London’s Park Theatre in Finsbury Park.

    Loot is a farcical comedy that’s hilarious but it’s upstaged a bit by the life of Orton. He was only 34 when, at the peak of his fame, he was murdered by his boyfriend Kenneth Halliwell in their flat in Islington exactly 50 years ago because Halliwell was very jealous of Orton’s success. Orton had just had real success in the West End with both Loot and Entertaining Mr Sloane, and was even celebrating being notorious for when he and Halliwell served six months in jail for defacing books from the Islington public library.

    But back to Loot,  it’s a laugh a minute play about a funeral with a corpse which unfortunately does not get any peace in the afterlife. There’s also a bank robbery as well as a cunning nurse who will do anything to get her hands on as much money as she can.

    Mrs McLeavy (Anah Ruddin) has just died and her husband McLeavy (Ian Redford) and son Hal (Sam Frenchum) are in mourning at a funeral home. Nurse Fay (Sinéam Matthews) was hired to take care of Mrs McLeavy, but she’s got more up her sleeve than cotton pads and plasters. But Hal has just robbed a bank, in cahoots (and then some) with undertaker Dennis (Calvin Demba), and the money is in the same room as Mrs McLeavy. But self-proclaimed water inspector Truscott (Christopher Fulford) seems to be getting very interested in everyone’s business, starts to ask lots and lots of questions, while Hal and Dennis run amok trying to figure out where to stash the stolen money – and this is the beauty of Loot. Poor Mrs McLeavy’s corpse keeps on getting switched with the money and eventually her body is a prop where McLeavy and Truscott bewilderingly take no notice. And eventually Fay wants a piece of the action or else she will tell the cops. The corpse winds up in literally many hilarious places and positions which will keep you laughing for the duration of the show’s 90 plus minutes.

    Kudos go to Ruddin for playing the corpse. She, along with the hilarious script, are the real stars of the show. Matthews as nurse Fay and Redford as McLeavy are also brilliant but it’s a testament to Orton who had bucketfuls of talent taken away from him at such a young age, one can only imagine what else he would’ve accomplished. And we’re lucky we are no longer at the behest of Lord Chamberlain who heavily censored this show when it was originally shown, and when some of the audiences walked out because of the way the corpse is treated in the show. And we finally get to see Loot the way Orton originally intended it to be watched, in full.

    Loot play at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park until 24th September

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Between The Sheets, Underbelly, London

    ★★★★ | Between The Sheets

    Between The Sheets, Underbelly, London

    London’s most famous burlesque entertainer – Miss Polly Rae – is hosting a new show at London’s Underbelly Festival on the Southbank. It’s Between the Sheets, and between you and me it’s fabulous!

    Polly Rae, along with a cavalcade of other naughty acts, perform a variety of skits while scantily clad in a show that’s fun, and dare we say it, titillating. There’s so much on offer in the show for both men and women as Rae’s performers delight the late night audiences with the ability to do a variety of stunts while simultaneously taking their clothes off.

    Come and watch the amazing duo of Duo Visage (Beau Sargent and Sam Smith) combine their spectacular artistry, along with their perfectly lithe bodies, as they do spectacular stunts on the stage in a venue where every seat in the house is good. Then there is Tom Cunningham and Myles Brown, two very good-looking men who take off all of their clothes in one very cute skit while in another scene they most memorably perform a romantic and sensual dance with each other that’s both erotic and emotional and very memorable. We are then treated to the very funny Lilly Snatchdragon who provides comic relief in between the flesh-baring performers. But it’s Kitty Kitty Bang Bang who impresses us the most with her fire eating skills along with her splashing around in a very large cocktail glass semi-filled with water. Did I also mention that she’s scantily clad while doing this? And the gorgeous Beau Rocks rounds out the cast of Between the Sheets, and rounds out just simply describes her and her amazing body and personality.

    Playing for a limited time only, Between the Sheets will literally thrill you out of your seat with a spectacular show which takes place in one of London’s best venues. Kudos to Miss Polly Rae for bringing this sort of burlesque show back to London in a visually stunning and hilarious romp. It’s a night out that you will truly not forget.

    There are three more shows left of Between the Sheets – all on Fridays: August 25th, September 8th, and September 29th.

     

  • Afternoon Tea Review | Lost and Found, Birmingham

    ★★★★ | Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea and Tipples

    Afternoon Tea is a delightful, British experience which we do not often do. The fresh sandwiches, the warm scones, the ever-flowing tea and the high-end service is something of a treat nowadays. The Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea at Lost and Found takes all you know about tea and cranks it up a notch – and all for just £18.95 per person.

    To start off our afternoon marathon, we were greeted with a glass of prosecco each with a raspberry, and Josh provided us a warm and friendly service throughout. The menu for the Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea consists of meaty, bulky and monster sandwiches which were packed with flavour and you could taste the freshness with every bite. Crispy chicken and chorizo on a ginormous baguette halved was spectacular – fresh rocket and well-cooked chicken with just the right amount of chorizo that let the southern style chicken take centre stage. The glazed ham and homemade chutney baguette was very rich on the palate and the sweetness of the chutney really complemented the meat with an added crunch from the lettuce. The egg, mustard and cress sandwich was a really nice light and fluffy mix to the board. My favourite thing that went in my mouth, though, was the scotch eggs – what a highlight! The egg was cooked perfectly and freshly which had the yolk running and put your knife through, with delicious batter and pork paste full of flavour and the combination together sent fireworks. The feta cheese and caramelised onion pastry was another delicate yet fierce competitor for the palate. The pork scratching on chilli jam was okay, I found the scratching too hard to chew and it was just one on each ramekin with loads of chilli sauce underneath – not sure how I feel about this one. The scones were average, did not really stand out as a feature, but popcorn Tiffin was superb. The teapot was very big which meant we probably got about 5 cups each which was enough to go with until the food-athon was over.

    You can opt for any of the Afternoon Teas and attach a Tipple, where you select from one of the three cocktails to spice up the experience for an extra £5. It is definitely worth doing that.

    In the end, it was too much and we had to admit defeat – doggy-bagging half of the crispy chicken and chorizo baguette and two Tiffin cakes. I must say, I had the sandwich for my lunch the day after and it was equally as tasty and fresh as the day before. It shows that good ingredients and care is put into the afternoon tea platters. Presentation wise, it could have been more ornate considering the grandiose nature of Lost and Found with its botanical themes in the décor. I was half expecting some leaves to contribute to the aesthetics, but the whole tea was served on one slate board. It looked great, but I could have done with separating the cakes from the sandwiches for practicality.

     

  • TRAVEL | 25 Hours in Berlin

    When the 25 Hours Hotel opened in the City West of Berlin, it added a note of culture, nature and cosmopolitan all under the roof of what used to be a 1950’s grotty industrial office building.

    I could probably count on one hand the number of fun hotels that I’ve stayed at and this is definitely one of them. The hotel is neighbours with the iconic Berlin Zoo and so the theme of being in a jungle is carefully distinct especially with a personal hammock in your room to crafty spaces to lounge, dine and drink. Since the cocktail scene in Berlin has taken off and caught up in the growing desire for craft drinks and an obsession with rooftop bars, this hotel plays host to the popular Monkey Bar and Neni Restaurant – both positioned on the 10th floor with 360-degree panoramic views of bustling Berlin.

    Along with my guest, we are often suspicious of hotel restaurants and long lines of people waiting to gain entry into any bar however whilst dining at Neni with one of South Australia’s renowned food bloggers our doubts rapidly melted away into the leafy surroundings and heavenly balagan style dishes. After dinner which was showered with dramatic views and superb service we cut across the corridor and entered the Monkey Bar where we immediately noticed why the line to get into this celebrated bar was impressive – even on a random Tuesday night.

    When you eventually pull yourself away from the hotel you can adventurously explore Berlin with one of the hotel’s bikes or even one of their Minis (yep this is one of the impressive perks for guests). Make your way to the former East and weave through the updated streets until you arrive at the Hackesche Höfe.

    Once you have worked up an appetite the simply named Hackesche Hof Restaurant & Café is one of the areas favoured dining spots where a feast of people watching and exceptional food and drink are served. This restaurant has some impressive photos of the area which makes a dining experience here quite classical. Also nestled in this courtyard area is The Chämaleon Theater a unique theatre stylishly set in an art nouveau ballroom where cabaret style seating allows guests to eat and drink during performances. Hosting the latest contemporary circus creations such as the charismatic Scotch & Soda, described as a whiskey-fuelled circus party accompanied by live music.  The Chämaleon Theater continues to break all language barriers by welcoming the arrival of the forthcoming show Parade where acrobatics meet multimedia.

    British Airways conveniently has a direct route from London City airport to Berlin Tegel, however, be warned with all the monkey business in Berlin you will need more than 25 hours in this whimsical city.