THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bat Out of Hell, London Coliseum

    ★★★★| Bat out of Hell

    Bat Out of Hell, London Coliseum

    Bat Out of Hell the album is now Bat Out of Hell the rock opera.

    Bat Out of Hell was born, literally, 40 years ago, when musician Meatloaf (along with composer Steinman) released the seminal and massive selling record that went on to sell millions and millions of albums around the world. It included massive hits such as “You Took the Words Right Out of my Mouth,” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and the most famous one – “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” – songs that are still popular even today, more so as karaoke and wedding songs. These songs, along with the other songs from the album, and newer songs written only for this production, are cleverly used as the story for this massive show. Yes, there is a story, it is, however, a weak one, you can practically see right through it, but for this show it’s all about the way the story is told, the production, that makes Bat Out of Hell not just different but memorable, and oh so much better than the horrible jukebox musicals that have played in the West End in the past including the dreadful We Will Rock You and the easily missed Let it Be.

    Bat Out of Hell is a goth lovers dream. We’ve got Raven (Christina Bennington) who is in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks – Strat (Andrew Polec – who’s going to be the next Killian Donnelly – and if you don’t know who that is, look him up). Strat hangs out with a very rough crowd, a group of outcasts called The Lost. Raven’s parents Falco (Rob Fowler) – who rules the post-apocalyptic Manhattan – and her mother Sloane (Sharon Sexton), are so overprotective of Raven that they, especially Falco, forbid her from seeing Strat. Of course Raven will do anything to see him, so she sneaks out at night (in her cleverly designed bedroom in a high skyscraper where unbelievably most of the show takes place – but it works!) to be with Strat, but there is a snitch in Strat’s gang who ends up telling Falco where Raven and Strat are. You can pretty much tell what’s going to happen next – Falco goes in search of his daughter, and then there’s a poorly choreographed incident where someone gets shot – a scene we could tell was going to happen a mile away. This is when Bat Out of Hell loses all credibility in its storyline, but it more than makes up for it overall with the visuals and musical aspects of the show.

    Director Jay Scheib had a big task ahead of him in telling this dark story with dark music, and he greatly succeeds. Using Raven’s bedroom as the focal point of hers, and the shows, anguish, heartbreak and young love, Scheib also employs video shot live from her bedroom projected onto at times different screens on the stage so the audience can see, up close, the actor’s reactions to the dramatic dialogue and story unfolding right before our very eyes. And props are cleverly used, especially a car that’s initially being used as a sexual romp between Falco and Sloane (reminiscing about their youth while singing “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”) and the car eventually winds up in the orchestra pit.

    Not enough good things can be said about the cast – they are all superb. Polec looks, acts and sings like a rock star – he’s got the vocal chops to prove he can sing just as well as Meatloaf. Bennington is perfectly cast as the lovely flower love interest Raven, she belts out quite a few numbers and can hold her own. Fowler keeps his head above water in such a talented cast as Raven’s stern and controlling father, but it is the beautiful Sexton as Raven’s mother Sloane who seems to be a natural – you can’t not stare at her when she’s on stage – she’s commanding and wonderful. Also, need to be mentioned are two members of Strat’s gang who end up having a bit of a romance, Jagwire (the wonderful Dam Hartley-Harris) and the amazing Danielle Steers as Zahara who does double duty as an employee of Falco – and she can sing – wow!

    It’s sensory overload in a good way. It’s an assault on your senses – the music, the lights, and the actors – wow – the actors can sing – very very good – like rock stars. They’re all over the place.

    By the end of the show, I was dripping wet from the heat, and I’d almost lost my hearing from the loud music, and my eyes were sensitive because of the strobe lighting used in the show, however, would I go back to see it again? Hell yes!

     

    Bat Out Of Hell is playing at the London Coliseum until the 22nd August 2017

  • Solo in Sitges: 24 hours in the gay beach town capital of the world

    Sitges: A beautiful Mediterranean coastal town, only 35 minutes bus ride from Barcelona Airport (BCN) makes this town an easy accessible standalone destination.

    24 hours in Sitges

    With the generous offering of 22 beautiful beaches (including 3 gay beaches), the natural pull of the blue waters encouraged me to continue my exploration from the seafront promenade on to the mild sandy beaches. Each beach is separated by stone stretched pathways that resemble shallow piers and graceful huge rocks to sit on perhaps with a cold drink in hand, served from one of the many friendly quirky pop up beach bars.

    The pebbled and quaint Playa Del Muerto is publicised as an exclusive nude gay beach. It’s an hour walk from the town area and having spoken to a few solo gay travellers they all agreed that if you embark on that walk alone then make sure you have plenty of water, running shoes, emergency phone number, a working cell phone and a warning to be at arm’s reach of fatal accidents.

    To reach Playa Del Muerto will mean that part of your walk will be very near cliff edges and open railway tracks (train speeds at over 140km per hour). The thrill-seeking solo traveller will almost be in his element especially when he finds that the name of the beach translates to ‘Dead Man’s Beach’. I was extremely put off when I heard all this so, of course, I was even more intrigued to embark on the walk with the fear of many others that are ‘missing out’ on something that could just be an illusion that we create and fantasise about.

    The views from the high cliffs were breathtaking. The beach itself seemed very private and on that particular day, it resembled a pretentious open air nightclub – without the socialising, dancing and music. There is a small hut that sells refreshments – cash only and take lots of it! (May 17)

    Accommodation in Sitges is saturated with shared apartment options and travelling solo did not echo anything to do with sharing (other than conversations) so I retreated at Hotel Alenti a brand new 4*, 10 room boutique hotel located in the centre of downtown Sitges. My jacuzzi suite was tastefully designed and quietly encased with floor to ceiling large non-intrusive windows. Hotel Alenti offered slick luxurious comforts, while its location offered the opportunity to step in and out of the hustle bustle at the heartbeat of gay Sitges.

    Many gay men wouldn’t think about travelling solo because of fear of being alone. If this sounds like you then allow Sitges and hotelalenti.com to host that fear, you will notice how that illusion can fade. The numerous group activities you can join, the amazing weather, dining places, fresh food, cold drinks and most of all – people watching. Soon you realise you are watching others in groups – on their phones, struggling to make conversations, staring into the abyss, then you start to think – they may as well be travelling solo!

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Sparrow, Lewisham

    ★★★★| Sparrow, Lewisham

    In a no man’s land part of Lewisham, there’s a restaurant doing amazing and fabulous things with Sri Lankan food. It’s Sparrow.

    At the end of the road that is Lewisham High Street, behind the Lewisham Shopping Centre, Sparrow sits all alone, facing the DLR and an unsightly massive construction site.

    But step inside and feel the charm and warmth of the staff, and enjoy the food that is different, delicious, and worth the trip.

    Me and a friend went for a Saturday brunch meal on what was one of the hottest days of the year. We immediately ordered cool drinks. I had the delicious pineapple, melon and grapefruit drink that hit the spot, sweet and colourful and yummy – and only £3.50. My friend had a smoothie that was very milky and white, with coconut, with condensed milk and raspberries thrown in, a bit too heavy for my tastes but he enjoyed it and drank it within minutes.

    I had seen a photo online of their pancakes so I knew this is what I was going to have. They were coconut pancakes with peanut caramel and pineapple salsa, with a dollop of sour cream on top, and it was superbly delicious – like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s the bits of pineapple with small bits of peanuts scattered about that give this dish the wow factor – and at only £8 I would definitely order it again. My companion enjoyed his chicken and curry pastry. It was like a pie only smaller, and he said that the crust was nice and light, and it was delicious, and a deal at £8 (it’s not alway on the menu, Sparrow does tend to mix up their offerings from day to day with daily specials).

    We would’ve been remiss if we didn’t try out the typical Sri Lankan dish Appam. It’s a type of pancake made with fermented rice and coconut milk, and comes shaped like a bowl. While I had a plain one, it is recommended that ingredients be put into it as this is a very typical Sri Lanka dish, and Sparrow does offer up various combinations of eggs and other ingredients to include, and not costing more than £6.

    Sparrow also has quite a unique dinner menu. From fried rabbit (£7.5), fennel and blood orange salad (£7), roast pork belly with harissa (£12) and then the malt duck with chilli jam (£13.50) all of which will probably knock your socks off. Along with Sparrow’s nice selection of drinks, Sparrow is perhaps one of the only reasons to go to Lewisham, unless you live there, and if you do indeed live there, you must pay a visit to Sparrow. It delivers delicious food at the right price.

    http://sparrowlondon.co.uk

    2 Rennell Street, Lewisham, SE13 7HD

    0208 318 6941

    Enquiries@SparrowLondon.co.uk

    Hours:

    Dinner: Tue – Sat: 6-10pm

    Brunch: Sat – Sun: 10-5pm

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Kite Runner, Playhouse Theatre, London

     

    ★★★★| The Kite Runner

    The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling 2003 novel, which was turned into an acclaimed 2007 movie and recently won rave reviews at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre, is back again and now playing at The Playhouse Theatre. Its story resonated so much with theatregoers, and after sellout crowds in its original run, it’s been granted to fly again in a limited 8-week run.

    The Kite Runner is the story of true friendship, and also true betrayal. David Ahmad is Amir, who lives with his wealthy father Baba (Emilio Doorgasingh) in Kabul, Afghanistan. They employ Baba’s long-time servant Ali (Ezra Faroque Khan), along with his son Hassan (Andrei Costin). Both Amir and Hassan lost their mothers, so Amir and Hassan have become close, even though they both come from different classes of society.

    They’ve formed a bond with each other and especially love to fly kites together. Hassan ends up becoming Amir’s kite runner – he basically retrieves the kite after knowing where it’s going to fall. The young men are practically inseparable, especially when the local thug Assef (Bhavin Bhatt) threatens them perhaps because he is jealous of their close friendship. But one day, after a kite competition, Hassan is captured by Assef, who proceeds to taunt and then rape him.

    But it’s Amir who witnesses the whole thing – he doesn’t even step in to help, and it’s a guilt that he carries around with him, enough so that he attempts to have his father get rid of Hassan and Amir. This is when the story goes in a different direction and takes us on a journey to America where Amir and Baba eventually find themselves after leaving war-torn Afghanistan. Amir eventually settles down in San Francisco with a wife, but he’s torn with guilt over what he did or did not do for Hassan. And this guilt has him trace his steps back to Afghanistan in the hopes of finding Hassan and to rekindle the relationship that they had when they were boys. But there’s more in store for him than what he bargains for.

    The Kite Runner doesn’t need any sort of magic wand or razzle dazzle to tell its story – it’s the story in itself that is strong enough to hold the audience’s attention. We see the beautiful friendship between Hassan and Amir that is eventually shattered and when the story takes it to another direction we feel Amir’s pain and heartbreak and guilt and we hope the characters will eventually find happiness, though deep down we know that’s not going to be the case. Matthew Spangler has successfully adapted the book for the stage (again) while Director Giles Croft works with an excellent acting ensemble with a very minimalist set as he excellently guides his actors to portray the characters very beautifully and emotionally.

    THE KITE RUNNER is playing at the Playhouse Theatre until 26th August 2017

     

  • CAR REVIEW | Volkswagen Golf R (2017)

    VW Golf R | ★★★★

    It might not be the best GTi out there but the Golf GTi does all things to all men and it is where manufacturers set the benchmark. So when you make the most emulated GTi out there, what do you do?

    What you do is not redeveloped your current GTi and make it the best, instead you make another GTi and call it the R. For £32,110 as tested, you also make it compellingly cheap compared to the current GTi at just £4000 more.

    Golf R review

    Let’s get the basic stuff out of the way first. Inside the Golf R it is all very much as the rest of the Golf range. It’s an ergonomic delight and everything feels built to last. Now though in the relaunched Mk7 we have new larger infotainment screen and adaptive dials too. The quality of fittings, while not all improved have had some VW engineering work carried out on them. It has moved Golf up higher in quality feel over its rivals.

    Everything is to hand. The dials are easy to read and with the new active info display graphics, it’s still as easy to read but this time you are given extras. The ability to allow the sat nav display within the fascia is a keen selling point for me. It allows split second glances and all the information you require is there. This is also true for the speed you are travelling at. In the Golf R it is something you need to keep a keen eye on. The display itself has 4 user settings. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing with a shared car. Sometimes you want to keep your driving styles when alone a secret.

    Golf R Review

    In the R model, we are treated to supportive seats with cloth inserts. I find cloth a much better option to have in view of leather being a bit slippery on hard cornering. In the Golf R you don’t want a loss of traction between your bottom and the seat when the cornering G’s are rising fast!

    There are little touches around the cabin to remind you that you are in the R model. Little touches that make it very distinctive. These also stretch outside too with blue being the colour choice instead of the GTi’s red that blends into the headlights.

    Back to the nitty gritty and £4000 of anyone’s money sounds a lot and if truth be told, the Golf range with any street cred isn’t cheap these days. You can get all the fun of having a Golf GTi with the £10,000 cheaper GT. What you don’t get though is a Golf R.

    The Golf R is a serious road warrior. I opted for the longer test route VW had set out during the relaunch of Golf 7. There were a few moments where l had to slow up the fun for the head rush was something else. The magic of the Golf R is that it does all this while also retaining a sense of normality. I’m not sure how Volkswagen has managed this but it is deep within the DNA of Golf.

    The GTi we tested had this ability to be humble to its basic principle and then a savage monster. It’s just that in the Golf R it is, even more savage when you want it to and it sounds it too.

    Now don’t think that being 4 wheel drive makes this an agricultural tractor. Remember the VW group have an enviable developments history with all-wheel drive systems. The 4 motion 4 wheel drive system adds about 119kg in weight and it doesn’t hinder its go fast forward motion. I’d go as far to say that the extra weight in the rear from the differential makes it a far more balanced chassis.

    With this in mind, the Gold R really can handle the power And that power is increased from the GTi’s 230 PS to 310 PS. That’s not just a bit more power but a bloody bucket full of moist making power.

    There is also no penalty either. While all this fun comes in at higher up the rev range, the pulling power of torque comes in much lower and lasts for what feels like it will never end starting from a lowly 2000 to 5400 rpm. It does it quickly but it has almost 1000 rpm more of a power band over the GTi to make it so worth while. 0-60 time is also smashed to just over 5 seconds. Remember then that this is all in a 5 door family hatchback! Or a 3 door hatchback and now in a very practical load-lugging estate!

    So as you can see then I am taken by the Golf R and that extra £4k is making sense. And it does. It’s blisteringly quick. Will put a MASSIVE smile on your face and then it will settle back to do the daily commute and sit in traffic like butter wouldn’t melt in its mouth.

    Would I have one? It’s a difficult six million dollar question but the answer is no. I’ll keep my £4k and go with the GTi. It’s less frenetic when it needs to be but also feels more in keeping with being a hot hatch. Somehow the Golf R with its 4 wheel drive and beautiful weight distribution just feels like I am cheating a bit.

    Likes

    Ability to drive like a bat out of hell or a commuter car
    Practical hatchback or estate
    Ride quality

    Dislikes

    Not enough exterior differences to make it look different to the GTi
    Comes in estate form too. Absurd. (I’m clutching at straws to make a list of 3 here)
    Too many choices of body (That’s actually a good thing too)

    The Lowdown
    Car – VW Golf
    Price – £ 32,110 (as tested)
    MPG – 37.7 mpg (combined)
    Power – 310 bhp
    0-62mph – 5.1 seconds
    Top Speed – 155 mph
    Co2 – 180 (g/km)

  • FILM REVIEW | Destination Unknown

     

    ★★★★★| Destination Unknown

    Twelve Holocaust survivors, tell, in vivid detail, the horrors they suffered in the concentration camps during WWII in the new documentary Destination Unknown.

    These men and women were lucky enough to have lived through, and survived, the suffering and the horrors in the Treblinka, Mauthausen and Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. They tell about losing their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, and how, now 70 years after the liberation of the camps, they are still haunted by the memories.

    We get to meet Ed Mosberg, who was 13 years old when the war started, and who lost all of his family, and how, 70 years later, him and his wife, who is in a wheelchair, visit Mauthausen Camp for the first time since they were liberated, with Ed wearing a prisoner’s outfit. His wife bittersweetly tells him that he never really left the concentration camp. Then there is Polish Eli Zborowski, who survived the war by being hidden by a local family, and Stanley Goglover, who had to remove his Auschwitz tattoo to completely erase the memories of his time in the concentration camps.

    Roman Ferber speaks in perfect English as he remembers when he was three years old that all of a sudden his Polish nanny disappeared only because she was not allowed to work for a Jewish family. The memorable story of couple Victor and Regina Lewis, who knew each other before the war and who, after the war, being the only members of their families to survive, ended up reconnecting and eventually getting married. Plus some of the lucky survivors who ended up on Schindler’s list and who thus were not sent to the camps get to tell their harrowing tales.

    Destination Unknown just doesn’t concentrate on death, the documentary also highlights these people’s amazing lives after the war, how they got married, had kids and even grandchildren, and how they created their own families after the horrible crimes against humanity that took place under Adolph Hitler’s short but devastating regime.

    Destination Unkown, completed in 2016, uses rare unseen archive footage from the war, as well as the participant’s own home video footage, to tell their individual stories of fear, hope, survival and courage. After 14 years of tracking down and talking to survivors, Producer Llion Roberts, along with Director and Editor Claire Ferguson, have made a documentary that is both memorable and still necessary, with an incredible and moving soundtrack. Sure there have been dozens and dozens of books, films and documentaries on this subject, but it’s a subject matter that still needs to be told for each survivor has their own story to tell, unique, frightening, courageous, and just as important, perhaps even more so, than anything in the news today.

    “DESTINATION UNKNOWN” is now in cinemas

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Play That Goes Wrong, The Birmingham Rep

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

    Mischief Theatre, in role as The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, brought to the Birmingham Rep 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 Birmingham Rep until 24th June

  • FILM REVIEW | Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

    FILM REVIEW | Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – Captain Jack Sparrow is back for the fifth and final time in the search along with everyone else for Poseidon’s Trident which is the only thing that can save him from an army of zombie pirates.

    Nutshell – Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and all are back for one final time before setting sail into the sunset – God even Paul McCartney turns up too. The undead Captain Salazar escapes from the Devil’s Triangle which Jack Sparrow had trapped him in. He wants revenge by eliminating every pirate from the earth and Jack’s only hope is an artefact that gives full control over the seas – cue the mother of all chases across land and over and under the sea to tie up all the loose ends of 11 hours of fun films in this hugely successful franchise.

    Running Time – 129 minutes; Certificate – 12A.

    Tagline – ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ or ”All Pirates Must Die’

    THEGAYUK Factor – Orlando Bloom is one hot fukka with the second biggest peen in Hollywood to Jon Hamm allegedly but he goes missing for the middle of the film so the eye candy is taken up by young newbie Brenton Thwaites. Pirates are hot and we’re sure they enjoyed each other below decks as you can see in the recently released gay porn version of this franchise ‘Pirates’ from Men.com featuring UK Gay Porn megastar Paddy O’Brian shagging over the yardarm on a real pirate ship.

    Cast – Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, David Wenham & Kevin McNally.

    Key Player – Ever since the first movie when he was a supporting character these films are all now about Johnny Depp and here he has a lot more funny lines than normal – he also has this character down pat and really carries the weight of this massive movie.

    Budget – $350 Million making it one of the Top 10 most expensive films ever – $90 Million was added due to Depp’s divorce trauma’s, him busting his wrist and having to return to the States and that dog smuggling into Oz problem but it will still make a nice profit worldwide.

    Best Bit – 0.31 mins; A truly great bank heist that fits the tone of these films perfectly although it is ripped hook, line and anchor from the climax to Fast And Furious 5, but hey ho, it still works a treat. Don’t get distracted at the end of the epic stunt sequence at the bridge bit though as there is an awful blooper where six horses suddenly all disappear at once.

    Worst Bit – 0.42 mins; The David Wenham character representing the British Navy is not so much unnecessary but wholly obsolete and somewhat confusing and why does he want the Trident anyway?

    Little Secret – The Pirates’ films are the 9th most lucrative franchise of all time and this is the most expensive to date. After Keith Richard’s from the Rolling Stones as his dad here we get Paul McCartney from The Beatles playing Jack’s Uncle and singing Maggie Mae from the Let it Be Album. This was supposed to be the last Pirates ever but just this week they have announced number 6 and Keira Knightley will be back for the whole thing next time.

    Further Viewing – The Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides for 11 hours of Jack madness plus Cutthroat Island, Blackbeard, Treasure Island, Hook and 10 years in the making Roman Polanski’s ‘Pirates‘.

    Any Good – It is basically a carbon copy of the first movie with bigger set pieces and more CGI. As that was the best one of the series and they have upped the humour here then this is definitely a return to form and is very welcome in that it is shorter too. All good fun but nothing really new here to be honest and it will get a bit lost in the midst of a very busy Summer of sequels.

    Rating – 65% out of 100.

     

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Bunny in Trans-Jester, Soho Theatre, London

    ★★★★| Lady Bunny in Trans-Jester

    She’s the queen of drag queens, and almost as famous as the Queen of England, Lady Bunny is back in town to perform her one-woman show called Trans-jester, and no one is safe from her catty claws and endless wit. It’s a no-holds-barred performance that is the best of Lady Bunny.

    She commands the stage in her glitteringly-best sequins and a wig that practically reaches the ceiling. With shiny jewellery that, she tells you, is bought at yard sales.

    Lady Bunny, direct but not straight from New York, provides her loyal and tongue-wagging audience with literally an oral history of her life, which included lots of black cock-sucking jokes, as well as her days as a no name drag queen in Atlanta Georgia USA when she and Rupaul used to be roommates.

    Lady Bunny also gets all political by discussing the ridiculous notion of how now everyone has to go by a label. She tells us that she remembers when it used to be only ‘G’ but now it’s LGBTQIA – she screams that it’s ridiculous to have labels – and the audience agreed with her with a roaring cheer! Bunny doesn’t hold back when discussing Bruce Jenner and the transformation to Caitlyn and how Caitlyn’s Republican arse and new pussy doesn’t come close to representing her community. And there are quite a few hilarious Kardashian jokes thrown in for good jester.

    But Bunny is best when she does jokes. They come fast and furious in the part of the show that is her tribute to the old US television show Laugh-In. It’s a skit she used to do at the late and great Wigstock Drag Queen festival she founded in the late 1980s and which sadly came to an end in 2001.

    Lady Bunny is an institution, and she should be in an institution (ha ha ha). But she’s one of a kind, the Queen, a pure Lady, and now’s your chance to go see her live in person before she’s put out to pasture. Long Live Lady Bunny!

    Lady Bunny in Trans-jester is playing at the Soho Theatre until Saturday, July 1st.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Miss Meena And The Masala Queens – West Yorkshire Playhouse

    ★★★| Miss Meena And The Masala Queens – West Yorkshire Playhouse

    Miss Meena’s drag club is on the brink of closing; and like Miss Meena herself, it is tired, run down and needing a boost. But two strangers are about to enter Miss Meena’s life, both of whom have very different consequences for her. With people that she can trust, and people she can’t, close by, Miss Meena must decide whether or not the show will go on.

    CREDIT: David Fisher

    Tackling the difficult subject of sexuality and drag in the British Asian community, Miss Meena is a socially relevant piece of theatre and one which serves both the purposes of being entertaining, but also telling the seldom heard stories of the British Asian drag community. The story is in many ways very familiar, and there are a number of elements which make the narrative and the characters feel a little like a British Asian combination of the Priscilla and Burlesque movies.

    From the small cast, Raj Ghatak stands out, with a heartfelt performance as the titular character; and there is some decent support from Jamie Zubairi as Munni; whist Nicholas Prasad fills out the sling backs nicely as Shaan.

    But it is the writing that really shines through, and whilst the story is a narrative which is familiar, it is the detail within the characters and the universal themes of conflict for the gay community which shine through. Most of the characters struggle with their sexuality or their identity in some way, and each of them tackle their internal struggle differently. There is a real theme of family running through the show, from the perspective of both family in the traditional sense, but also the family made up of those we chose to surround ourselves with. There is also a relevant and valid social comment about the LGBT community having a safe space to go to; and the purpose of that space; whether it is to express themselves, away from a repressive family environment, or whether it is somewhere to be supported by those who understand the impact of such repression.

    That said, and despite the themes, the show remains uplifting, comedic and fun, with some great Bollywood lip-synch numbers which serve the purpose of being musical interludes rather than narrative progression, some physical comedy, a few snappy one-liners and a genuine warmth that resonates from the stage. By the time the show concludes in a cascade of glam, sparkle, saris and a bhangra version of a gay anthem, the characters really do feel like old friends.

    Miss Meena and the Masala Queens is a relevant, entertaining and socially progressive piece of theatre.

    Miss Meena and the Masala Queens is currently playing at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds until Saturday 17th June 2017. Visit www.wyp.org for details. You can read our interview with Pravesh Kumar, the director, here

     

  • FILM REVIEW | Norman

    ★★★★ | Norman

    Richard Gere is excellent as always as a man who is desperate to do a deal but can’t seem to get a break in the new film Norman.

    Gere is Norman Oppenheimer, a New York hustler who appears to be living a life of lies – he doesn’t appear to have a place to live, he spends most of his time at a church that could possibly be a homeless shelter and talks about a daughter who may or may not exist. But he sees his fortunes possibly change upon a chance encounter with an up and coming politician. Then One day, after attending a conference, he sees Israeli politician Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi), Norman ingratiates himself with him by buying him an expensive pair of shoes, shoes that Norman probably can’t afford to pay for, but he does (though luckily for him Eshel refuses to get a suit as well). Three years later, as Norman still struggles to get one of his deals done, Eshel becomes the Israeli Prime Minister, so Norman realises that this could be his big chance to get into the big leagues. But what turns out to be a friendly relationship between Norman and the Prime Minister turns into nothing as Eshel sees Norman’s desperate attempts to be close to him a liability, which leaves Norman basically back to where he began – a fixer with nothing to fix.

    Gere does a nice turn as the ageing New York Norman who never quite seemed to have been much of a success in life. He plays Norman with such believability, desperateness, and a bit of wit that it’s hard not to fall for him a bit. The film’s subtitle – The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer – pretty sums up this film – but it’s Gere, who was excellent as a homeless man in 2014’s Time Out of Mind – who shines and makes this film worth a watch. And he’s as handsome as ever.

    Norman is now out in UK cinemas.