THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • CAR REVIEW | Citroen DS 5 Blue HDi 180 auto Prestige

    I am in a bit of a pickle. I’ve spent a week with Citroen’s DS flagship brand and its 5. The problem I have is I am not sure if it is trying to be an MPV or a hatchback or somewhere in between.

    CAR REVIEW | Citroen DS 5 Blue HDi 180 auto Prestige

    It took me around 13 miles to feel comfortable in it. The driving position options are vast as you would expect with electronic memory driver seat with massage facility. The steering wheel alters for rake and reach. It’s just where do you position yourself in a car that has a high waistline and low windows? So 13 miles in I found it. Where it felt comfortable.

    I altered that three days later and soon found it best to sit just a little bit higher. If anything it’s the dashboard that makes it awkward at first. It’s huge! So big in fact that there are side windows between the windscreen post and door frame.

    It’s a nice place to be in. The French have a history of reinventing the dashboard of cars. Sadly no one else follows but to hell with it, this is Citroen. In an age were fascias are all becoming as similar as the outside, it is nice to know the DS 5 does it differently.

    For a start, there is a clock with hands just above the start button. Next to it on the infotainment screen is a digital clock. The clock itself is an optical illusion. Tall and narrow in shape and yet it always looks like the arms are going to get stuck around the 3 and 9. It’s a little bit of old in a lot of new.

    Some design bits don’t quite fit at first. The red digital parts conflict with the white printed parts and then there is the digital speedometer read out below the normal speedometer. It gives you many options all at once and not to good effect. You soon forget all this and forgive it because you’re soon too busy hunting for the window switches.

    DS 5 comes with the usual infotainment system that carries a tradition of annoying me with its grey over black on the satnav screen at night. Thankfully this can be changed. What can’t sadly is the pedantic way the finger touch inputs work. The screen is too flat and too far away to be really handy and this is amplified by the fact you need to touch the coloured logo spot on to get the phone system to display a text message that then needs further fingering to get it to read it out. It’s as distracting as using your phone by hand. Something we do not endorse so on a personal note this is a failure.

    The interior door panelling is finely sculptured as you’d expect in DS. Red lights highlight the door handle and cup holder. There is no apparatus on the doors. This works well. It means you keep your right hand on the wheel at all times. Remember I said about hunting for the window switches, they are found on the central tunnel in finely sculptured buttons. It’s all a break from the norm and I am starting to like it.

    If I can be blunt the inside is what Saab should have been doing. The cockpit is a mixture of automobile and aircraft. There is even a roof tunnel between the front glass panels for glasses and switches for the sun blinds. Opened and it makes the cabin feel light and airy. Rear seat passengers will also feel happy in the DS5. They will moan however at the window switches. In keeping them clutter free like the rears, they placed the window switches in the centre between the front seats. Nothing bad except 2 things, they are too far away for easy reach and they work upside-down. Down is up and up is down!

    Outside also has its mix of good and bad. Sadly in black, you can’t see the fine details unless up close. What is now missing is the absence of the Citroen chevrons. DS is now a stand alone product. So it manages to retain some Gallic charms and being outside of the double chevron is probably why it has been allowed to grow to an in between car of hatchback MPV and be so very different from anything the PSA company has to offer.

    The headlights are a nice place to start in terms of design. They are some 21” in total length. At night time the outer edge is illuminated in a brilliant white while inside that keep you focused with their steering ability. The headlights themselves blend seamlessly into the front wings and screen posts with an abundance of chrome. It’s all very showy. The side profile again is an awkward blend of 2 cars fighting for the same place.

    The ride and drive are ok. It suffers from some turbo lag as most diesels do but it isn’t annoying to get going. The Blue HDi 180 turbo diesel engine is quick off the mark though thwarted by traction control. It reminds you that this isn’t a sports car so don’t even try it. As a comfy cruiser, it is best but the ride is somewhat lost on surfaces where there are joins. It doesn’t crash over pot holes but irregularities do cause it to jolt around a tad when normally it is well behaved. It can be hustled but you will need to get used to its ways. When really pushed it will roll like a classic Citroen of the 70s and it will understeer with no attempt at scrubbing off speed when you let go of the throttle. Thankfully the chassis is more than capable and oversteer isn’t ever going to be a thing to worry about. To get the best out of it I found using the auto box as a manual. In auto, it just sometimes got a bit confused. In manual, it worked a treat and if you got too excited and carried away, it would change up regardless. The tactile contours of the gear stick made manual changes a joy. It felt very sensual and its response to inputs was quick.

    There is a lot to recommend about the DS 5 and certainly more-so if you are in the market for something that will stand out from the normal fleet cars found in the company carpark. You’ll win no prizes from management for stepping out against the crowd but to someone like me, you will be a hero. I like different.

    Love

    Subtle stand out from the crowd car
    Cabin design
    Solid feel

    Loathe

    Fiddly infotainment system
    Very black materials used inside
    Awkward switchgear

    The Lowdown
    Car – Citroen DS 5 Blue HDi 180 auto Prestige
    Price – £35,590 (as tested)
    MPG – 62.8mpg (combined)
    Power – 0-62mph – 9.2 seconds
    Top Speed – 137 mph
    Co2 – 117 (g/km)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Brighton Centre

    ★★★| Mamma Mia 2017 National UK Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Brighton Centre

    Sophie is determined to have her father walk her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. After finding out that there are three potential guys who may be her father, she invites them all to the forthcoming nuptials; but will she find out which one really is her father, and how will her mother react when three of her former lovers all turn up unexpectedly?

    Currently, on its first ever UK tour, Mamma Mia is a show which needs little introduction. Based around the hit songs of Abba, the show has been a phenomenon for many years and continues to pack out theatres with its sunny setting, perfect pop and feel-good factor.

    The show feels as warm as the weather in the Greek setting to the story, with a set made up of a backdrop of brilliant blues and two moveable parts to the set which transforms the locations of the story very well. The lighting design is well conceived, the costumes include some spandex and stomping platform boots, and the whole thing is fairly seamless in its presentation.

    Sadly, for such a slick and polished production, the lead cast was disappointing; with both the acting and singing not being of a standard one would expect from such a huge show. Someone in the foyer joked “at least we won’t have to listen to Pierce Bronson sing tonight” (referring to his much-maligned performance in the film version of the show); but at times, his dulcet tones may have been a blessing. It is the ensemble cast who really shone in terms of their enthusiasm, singing and dancing; with more gorgeous gals and hunks in trunks than you can shake a stick at; and an abundance of muscular and ridiculously attractive young men in the ensemble with vast amounts of six packs, biceps and perfect pecs on display.

    But the real star of the show is the music, and with a soundtrack which plays out like your ABBA Gold CD, there are more than a few songs here that you will know every word to. There are some storming numbers, which work really well; “Money. Money, Money”, “Mamma Mia” and “Does Your Mother Know” are good ensemble pieces, and the collision of the stag and hen do’s to “Voulez Vous” was an enjoyable highlight; with this show reminding you of just how good ABBA really were.

    But where the show really succeeds is in the fact that it remains an absolute crowd-pleaser and presents itself with a real sense of fun. It’s a show which cranks up the camp, ditches the story and plot and goes all out to enjoy itself. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but by the time the crowd are on their feet singing and dancing at the end, you know that you have had a good couple of hours of escapism and managed to kick-start your summer.

    Mamma Mia plays at the Brighton Centre until 3rd September 2017

    • Review is taken from the Sheffield Theatres production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    ★★★ | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Kings Theatre Glasgow

    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 King’s Theatre Glasgow until the 19th August 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Evita, Phoenix Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Evita


    The classic musical ‘Evita’ has returned to the West End to mark the 65th anniversary of the death of Eva Perón, the woman who was revered in Argentina not only as the wife of that country’s President Juan Perón but also as a woman who was perhaps more powerful than her husband.

    ‘Evita’ takes us through the highs and many lows of Eva Perón. Played by Emma Hatton (‘Wicked’), ‘Evita’ begins somberly at her funeral, attendees dressed in black – and this sets the tone for the first 30 minutes of this show – dark, deep and depressing. With lyrics by Tim Rice and Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, ‘Evita’ finally finds it feet with the rise of Eva, which was her real name. She becomes as actress in Buenos Aires, but she had bigger ambitions, ambitions that would lead her to meet Juan Perón at a party she’s helped to organize to raise money for San Juan, Argentina, which was devastated by an earthquake. Juan, played by Kevin Stephen Jones, falls head over heals with Eva – he’s met his match – she’s just as strong and confident as he is. But it’s the public that takes to her – they love her and see her as a queen and perhaps more – perhaps as a leader for their country. But as history tells us, Eva Perón never got to see her 34th birthday, she died at the age of 33 in 1952, and ‘Evita’ the musical takes us through this journey, with the help of narrator Che (excellently played and sung by Gian Marc Schiaretti).

    ‘Evita’ is pure musical joy. There’s not one word in the show that is spoken – the plot is all told in song, and what great songs they are, 39 years after they were first written. This includes the lovely melodies of ‘I’d be Surprisingly good for you’ – when Evita initially meets Juan; to the rousing ‘A New Argentina;’ and the show-stopping ’On the Balcony of Casa Rosado’ where we see, in a breathtaking scene, Evita speaking (singing) to the crowd from the balcony of the palace; also the classic ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ where Eva sings in the hospital after her fatal diagnosis; and the fantastic and very memorable ‘And the Money Keeps Rolling In’ where Schiaretti really shines, and proves, that he is the true star of this show. As Che, he literally steals the spotlight from Hatton. Schiaretti is a regular concert performer and has performed throughout Europe and has played Tarzan on stage – ‘Evita’ will definitely raise his profile. The rest of the production is just fine, with an excellent supporting cast (especially Sarah O’Connor as the mistress of the President who Eva replaces, and holds her own in the solo number ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall.’) ‘Evita’ is only on for three months, so if you’ve never seen it before (this is third version I’ve seen, though I’m a bit too young to have seen the original version which made Elaine Paige a star in London and Patti Lupone a star in New York), I urge you to see it. While Hatton is very good, Schiaretti is amazing. And in this touring revival, directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright, is staged perfectly in the cozy Phoenix Theatre.

    For tickets, please go to:

    http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/phoenix-theatre/

    Photo provided by Emma Holland PR

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Play That Goes Wrong, Cambridge Arts Theatre

    ★★★★★ – Dangerous, jaw-dropping and comedy genius!

    Mischief Theatre, in role as The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, brought to the Cambridge Arts Theatre stage an uproariously funny murder mystery entitled The Murder at Haversham Manor and it went south, literally.

    The Play That Goes Wrong was a comedic masterpiece, like its successor Peter Pan, Goes Wrong, with dangerous and risky tricks that left audiences clutching on to their seats as pieces of stage fell off and got thrown around, sometimes missing the actors by inches. The actors were so efficient in everything they did, from balancing three objects across two body parts, to expertly delivering their lines while dodging canvasses, candelabras and each other. What was sublime about The Play That Goes Wrong was that if ever you have seen an amateur, or a badly produced professional, play, this show embodies the different mistakes and disasters that have occurred in the former shows. There’ll be a moment where you cannot help but recall a bad production where sets had fallen down or actors had genuinely forgotten lines and asked for “line” throughout entire speeches.

    Jason Callender who plays Jonathan playing Charles Haversham was brilliant. His gag was always turning up at the wrong point in the play, revealing the ending every time. It was very comedic, too, when Jonathan was rarely allowed to play dead, for actors clumsily walked on him, sat on him, or fell on him. He made the audience laugh at his every entrance, and I chiefly loved his sneaking off stage wriggling subtly on the floor as if to kid the audience that we couldn’t see him depart. Patrick Warner who plays Chris playing Inspector Carter was a comedy genius. Every reaction was crafted to perfection, and his lines were well-timed with the action. The audience hung on to every word he said. He played the director too, so it was particularly hilarious when, under his breath, he would mutter a direction to understudies that had come on to fill in for a part. Ham acting is a feature often prominent in amateur murder mystery productions, and Alastair Kirton playing Max playing Cecil Haversham did a sterling job showcasing this. Max’s sawing the air with his hands and over dramatising his role while stopping to smile as the audience laughed during one of his lines, was incredibly entertaining. When Max changed role to be the Gardener he flashed his clothes to tell it was still him, and that he had returned, but as a different character. Absolutely hilarious. Lastly, Natasha Culley as Sandra Wilkinson enacting the role of Florence Colleymoore was a treat. Sandra was everything that had ever gone wrong with acting all sewn together in one actress. Her ticks, shallow demeanour, and not able to improvise without direction, was a great feast for the senses. Her overproduction of movement as she spoke, too, was hilarious. Overall, each cast member contributed to one of funniest nights I’ve had this year.

    The Play That Goes Wrong was especially entertaining for the set was a safety hazard, as the study, built atop of the drawing room, with no rails or support, collapsed gradually while the actors were still on there. It eventually fell down while an actor was under it, but the dexterity by which the actors moved and positioned themselves, made the accidents sort of safe, and we could exhale once again.

    Mischief Theatre is like Alton Towers, you queue to get on, you get several scares, and then you want to hop on again and again.

    The Play That Goes Wrong is playing at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, until 12th August 2017

    Originally reviewed at the Birmingham Rep

  • CAR REVIEW | Peugeot 3008 GT

    ★★★★  | Peugeot 3008 GT

    It’s a bit of a standing joke between a motoring journalist friend of mine and me about how I can wax lyrical about Peugeot products awarding them 5 stars when others don’t. And in truth I do but that makes me more critical because having been brought up with French cars for my first 20 years of motoring I want them to succeed and indeed they can if they only made them better in terms of quality.

    That, I am glad to say is now the case. The 3008 (the first Peugeot to carry over an existing number so don’t confuse it with that one) SUV is what I have been dreaming of from the company in Sochaux-Montbeliard, France.

    I have been excited about visuals shown on the new interior and the design of the cabin. If you are for want of a better word, going to reinvent the wheel, you’d best make sure it’s damn good and the 6 piano buttons that control the 8” infotainment screen work with German fluidity. You then look around the i-cockpit as they call it of this 3008 and you realise that this Peugeot has the potential to challenge VW head on in the quality feel arena for the first time. A car needs to have a tactile feel to remove any deadness about the cabin and certainly from the driver’s seat, the 3008 has it in spades.

    The window switches felt far superior in feel than they looked being not too dissimilar to the generic buttons found across the fleet. The dashboard really is like a massive chunk of contoured rubber and because of this has that tactility that makes it all the more inviting and the solid feel of quality. The design contours flow around the driver with little touches here and there that made it the most inviting Peugeot I have ever been in. The blueish wood grain effect door inserts added to the quality feel of a very upmarket Peugeot.

    And the wax lyrical praise doesn’t stop there. The ambience could then come with changes to the fascia panel in front of the driver and above the small steering wheel. Peugeot says this positioned closer to the road and more in the field of the driver’s vision making it safer for eye glances to be made. It feels very natural.

    The GT model also came with ambience choices within the set up allowing for lights within the dashboard and doors to be dimmed thus allowing you to make a cockpit to suit you. And then I found the massage seats. I could have stayed in it forever. What didn’t work for me was the two choices of amplifying settings available called “boost” and “relax”. While relaxing you could think of as basic settings, boost on the other hand changed throttle response, steering feel and pumps out engine noises through the speakers. To me, it didn’t change it enough for me to really notice other than when flooring it on the M20 and the change in exhaust note from nothing to a nice growl.

    The 3008 GT as tested is the flagship model and apart from the £1300 coupe Franche paintwork you really can’t fault it. Or so I thought. The Franche paint job is a blight on to the otherwise stylized body with an ungainly angled painted block of black colour up the rear door and over the boot. It’s nicely done and the paint edge is smoothed into the rest of the paintwork but your options money would be wisely spent elsewhere. Like the advance grip control unit and Visio 360 degree camera and park assist pack. Added together they come to £710. Two well worth options in my opinion.

    What I really can’t forgive the 3008 GT is its engine. More to the point, the choice of engine units available. There is only one. A diesel. It’s actually a very nice 2-litre diesel engine to use. It makes all its power of 180hp within a useable 3750rpm range and 400Nm of torque at a lowly 2000rpm. That big shove of torque power comes with limited turbo lag enabling rapid acceleration from T junctions a breeze. It runs through a 6-speed automatic gearbox that you couldn’t fault its gear selections though using the paddles and doing it yourself made it quite spirited. If it’s going to wear the GT badge, it best behaves like one even if it is an SUV. It did and l enjoyed the many miles I travelled in it.

    The ride and handling helped this sense of GT spirit. It wasn’t too harsh or too soft and it wasn’t Germanic. After years of wanting Peugeot to return to form and make their own suspension settings instead of copying the market leaders, they have created a suspension system that is compliant for almost every eventuality one could wish for in a drive across Kent. That eventuality was aided by a fantastic sat nav that l have to thank greatly for aiding me in avoiding 3 nasty hold-ups between South London and Folkstone. Tomtom and Peugeot have made a very useable system that doesn’t make you curse at it. It alerts you to any given problem and can navigate you around it.

    I’ve a lot of love for the 3008 and I am not the only one. This Peugeot has won many industry awards in 2017. It’s an easy car to live with and it’s a Peugeot built to last. Press cars are not treated with kid gloves so this one having a tow bar and over 10,000 miles on the clock when l got it still felt solid.

    What I can’t get out of my head is that the GT is only available with that diesel engine. In a time when the UK is uncertain which way to go regarding the derv engine, I am puzzled as to why they only give it this one option on the flagship model. As Peugeot quote in the brochure, the GT ”will leave you wanting for nothing” and it does except I want a petrol engine.

    Likes
    Cockpit
    Driving ability
    Kit as standard on the GT

    Loathes
    Very limited engine options
    Switches below the piano keys look out of place
    Auto close boot resistance very strong

    The Lowdown
    Car Peugeot 3008 GT
    Price £33,695 (as tested)
    MPG 58.9mpg (combined)
    Power 180bhp
    0-62mph 8.9 seconds
    Top speed 131mph
    Co2 124 (g/km)

  • DVD REVIEW | Gayby

    ★★★★ | Gayby

    I had some reservations about Gayby. A lot of these ‘gay films’ are usually clichéd drivel, almost always, an unlikely relationship sparks and then it’s just an hour of plot-holes and bad acting.

    Jenn, a yoga instructor, and Matt, a comic book store worker, are best friends from college who are now single and in their 30’s. In agreement with a pact they made in their youth, the two decide to have a baby (“Gayby”) together, even though Jenn is straight and Matt is gay. Jenn’s grandmother set her up with a trust fund for if she ever had a child, so Jenn is confident that she and Matt will have the finances to have one. However, Jenn states that she wants to have a baby through natural conception, so the two begin awkwardly having sex.

    Gayby was something very different indeed. I found it to be relentlessly charming in every way, with just the perfect amount of drama peppered in. Superbly written and directed by relative newcomer Jonathon Lisecki, It had something that all these other films are missing… A great script.

    The awkwardness of the “Attempted Conception” scenes was genius, with just the perfect combination of one liners, curious glances and the various montages of penetration were just divinely cringe worthy.Possibly the stand out performance of the film is that of Jenn Harris. Harris plays the quintessential fag hag (Jen) to the devastatingly handsome Matthew Wilkas (Matt). Harris brings a depressive vibe into a relatively overused character, which is surprisingly, a breath of fresh air.

    Although it’s the supporting characters that steal the show, both fag and hag have terrifically bitchy henchmen as it were, the ‘femme-bear’ “Nelson” and the incredibly bitchy “Jamie” (Jack Ferver)

    By far the highlight of the film is the fabulous wannabe bear, Nelson, played brilliantly by writer and director Lisecki. The character of Nelson wasn’t particularly appealing to me at the beginning, then suddenly; the character soon manifests as the star of the show. Clearly, Lisecki gave himself some of the best lines, yet you don’t really mind, seeing as he pulls them off in the most gorgeously sarcastic manner.

    Gayby’s plot isn’t really anything special; it is essentially a romantic comedy in disguise.

    It’s the characters that make the film stand out. They are multidimensional and most importantly they’re ‘real’.

    Uncompromisingly jovial, I would certainly recommend Gayby to anyone; it has buckets of charm, something that I find to be a rarity in gay cinema.

    BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON | BUY IT ON iTunes

  • DVD REVIEW | Milk

    Powerful, heartfelt and a strong testament to a force with that was Harvey Milk, the first openly gay political powerhouse that ran for major in San Francisco in the late 70s.

    Sean Penn, plays the central role of Harvey Milk and putting aside the hotly debated discussion of whether gay men should fill the roles of gay character’s in the films, I feel that Penn does a brilliant job. No ham involved. A remarkably sensitive portrayal of this pioneer in a backwards, gay loathing, back stabbing system. Of course, there is a certain bit of eye candy – that being one Mr James Franco who we’ve been seeing a lot of recently.

    Although his part is short, Franco brings a personal life to Milk’s political life.

    It is easy for us of a certain age, to forget or not to acknowledge those who went before in the equal rights cause and I say films like this need to be produced more and more, so that we never forget, how and why we are able to live in the western world freer than we’ve ever been able to.

    Available to buy/view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime | iTunes

     

  • DVD REVIEW | In Bloom

    ★★★★ | In Bloom

    This is the rather gritty story of a hip very young gay couple in Chicago’s ‘Boystown’ coming to terms with how tough one’s first love can be.

    Kurt is a small time drug dealer who supplies pot to his peers, whilst Paul his boyfriend of two years has a dead-end job in a local grocery store that he can hardly tolerate. When the long summer starts, they are having fun and very much into each other and seem the perfect couple, but some seven months later they have separated and can barely talk to each other.

    Everything had been going well with them until one night one of Kurt’s good-looking customers puts the moves on him, and although he initially resists Kevin’s advances, it does open his mind to the possibility that there is more to life outside of his cosy relationship with Paul. Suddenly that relationship starts to look painfully inadequate to him and in a fit of impulse, he starts a ‘break-up’ that he will only regret when it is far too late.

    If that is not bad enough, the real world outside is even scarier than usual right now as there is a serial killer on the prowl whose victims have all been young gay men from the area. With Kurt making late night deliveries to hip parties all over he is probably more at risk than most.

    This look at contemporary edgy youth culture is the work of filmmaker Chris Michael Birkmeier who based this work of fiction on his own story of when he broke up with his first ever boyfriend. The plot is steeped in innocence and naivete and full of well-meaning intentions. It’s a remarkable debut feature and as such one can overlook the slow-moving story line that almost grinds to a halt at times.

    Credit too for the great wee cast full of untried talent, and very good photography too.

    The comparisons between Mr Birkmeier and the French/Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan who picked up Awards at Cannes for his first movie at the tender age of 19, are natural. Especially when Birkmeier makes no bones about the fact that he is a big Dolan fan. But there is very little similarity in their work and this movie is of a much simpler construction and far more straightforward. The two young filmmaker’s works complement each other, rather than complete.

    No doubt at all that C M Birkmeier (as he bills himself) is one to watch in LGBT cinema, and I for one cannot wait to see how he follows this fascinating first movie.

    Available from Amazon and iTunes

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

    ★★★| Mamma Mia 2017 National UK Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

    Sophie is determined to have her father walk her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. After finding out that there are three potential guys who may be her father, she invites them all to the forthcoming nuptials; but will she find out which one really is her father, and how will her mother react when three of her former lovers all turn up unexpectedly?

    Currently on its first ever UK tour, Mamma Mia is a show which needs little introduction. Based around the hit songs of Abba, the show has been a phenomenon for many years and continues to pack out theatres with its sunny setting, perfect pop and feel-good factor.

    The show feels as warm as the weather in the Greek setting to the story, with a set made up of a backdrop of brilliant blues and two moveable parts to the set which transforms the locations of the story very well. The lighting design is well conceived, the costumes include some spandex and stomping platform boots, and the whole thing is fairly seamless in its presentation.

    Sadly, for such a slick and polished production, the lead cast was disappointing; with both the acting and singing not being of a standard one would expect from such a huge show. Someone in the foyer joked “at least we won’t have to listen to Pierce Bronson sing tonight” (referring to his much-maligned performance in the film version of the show); but at times, his dulcet tones may have been a blessing. It is the ensemble cast who really shone in terms of their enthusiasm, singing and dancing; with more gorgeous gals and hunks in trunks than you can shake a stick at; and an abundance of muscular and ridiculously attractive young men in the ensemble with vast amounts of six packs, biceps and perfect pecs on display.

    But the real star of the show is the music, and with a soundtrack which plays out like your ABBA Gold CD, there are more than a few songs here that you will know every word to. There are some storming numbers, which work really well; “Money. Money, Money”, “Mamma Mia” and “Does Your Mother Know” are good ensemble pieces, and the collision of the stag and hen do’s to “Voulez Vous” was an enjoyable highlight; with this show reminding you of just how good ABBA really were.

    But where the show really succeeds is in the fact that it remains an absolute crowd-pleaser and presents itself with a real sense of fun. It’s a show which cranks up the camp, ditches the story and plot and goes all out to enjoy itself. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but by the time the crowd are on their feet singing and dancing at the end, you know that you have had a good couple of hours of escapism and managed to kick-start your summer.
    Mamma Mia plays at Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre until 12th August 2017
    * Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre 

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre

    ★★ | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre

    Robbie Hart is a popular wedding singer who has his belief in love shattered when he is jilted at the altar by his fiancé. But as he has promised to sing at the wedding of affable waitress Julia to her sleazy, materialistic boyfriend, Glenn, he spends his time helping her prepare for her big day. But amongst the gift registry and dress shopping, the two of them slowly fall for each other, and as Julia’s big day approaches, will they both find the courage to tell each other how they feel?

    This 80’s set musical is based on the film of the same name and is packed with a full list of original songs, a smattering of ensemble pieces and a rapping granny. In terms of the cast, Ray Quinn (X-Factor) stood head and shoulders amongst the performers, with a good performance as Glenn, whilst Cassie Compton (X-Factor) and UK Eurovision singer Lucie Jones provided competent support and, to their credit, some superb singing.

    But aside from a handful of good performances, sadly, the whole thing just simply didn’t hang together. The onslaught of songs became intrusive to the progression of the narrative, the clunky and cumbersome set changes interrupted the flow and the show overall fell somewhere between lacklustre and dull. Add into that an incredibly cringe worthy seduction scene between Robbie and his ex-fiancé, a significant lack of chemistry between the two leads and some borderline offensive stereotypes of gay men which felt more like ridicule than parody and you have a rather disappointing production.

    But where the show really lets itself down is in its lack of an 80’s feel, especially given that the decade is ripe for the picking in terms of its cultural identity.  Part of the charm of the film that the show is based on is its nods to the decade, from the fashions to the music; something that is noticeably missing from this show. It takes more than a randomly placed Rubiks Cube, a Sony Walkman and a reference to the size of a mobile phone to set the 80’s scene. But the biggest omission is that the original songs didn’t have even a tinge of 80’s synth pop to them and were so generic that, on the whole, they could have come from any musical set in any decade; whilst the costumes missed the opportunity to fully exploit the decade that fashion forgot.

    The show did finally come alive during the last scene and the curtain call, but it was far too little far too late, and couldn’t avoid the show receiving a rather muted reception from the generally unimpressed audience.

    The Wedding Singer is currently playing at the Bromley Churchill Theatre until 5th August 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Production.