THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Four Play, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Four Play, London

    ★★★★| Four Play, Above the Stag Theatre, London

    The seven (and a half) year itch rears its ugly head for one gay couple in the new play ‘Four Play’.

    Now playing at the Above the Stag theatre until February 22, 2020 – Rafe (Ashley Byam) and Pete (Keeran Blessie) have been together for most of their adult lives, and unfortunately have not had much experience with anyone else. Yet they feel like their sexual relationship is starting to become mundane, lacking a bit of spark. So they enlist their frIend Michael (Declan Spaine) to spice things up. They then agree a deal among them: Michael will have sex with them separately, while Michael is not allowed to tell his boyfriend Andrew (Marc Mackinnon). But Michael does tell Andrew, and while he and Michael did have an open relationship, Andrew wonders out loud why the couple chose Michael over him.

    Meanwhile, Rafe and Pete are enjoying the friends with benefits with Michael, but is temporary gratification going to save their dulling relationship? And what will become of Michael and Andrew’s relationship now that Andrew knows what is going on behind his back? 

    Through sharp dialogue (Jake Brunger), good acting and good directing (Matthew Iliffe), and with an excellent set (a kitchen complete with a Madonna magnet on the refrigerator), Four Play is game, set, love and match.

    And at 85 minutes, it’s a winner.

    Book tickets here

  • TV REVIEW | Episode 10: A journey that will warm your heart

    TV REVIEW | Episode 10: A journey that will warm your heart

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    So there we are then: the end and damn it Rupaul, you almost made me cry!

    What a journey and how happy I am that I kept watching after a rough start, even though I am now sad about having to let go of my new drag family.

    Ruby and AJ have reached their destination: the Dallas pageant and it seems AJ is even more invested in Ruby winning than Ruby is. AJ is worried about how Ruby will fare without her once she leaves for her grandfather and wants her well taken care of.

    Meanwhile in New York Cocoa is visited by AJ’s mother again, this time she is ready to listen. Finding out where AJ is and where she is going she seems horrified. Stealing some money from Cocoa she quickly leaves to find her.

    AJ and Ruby find themselves in trouble: all the other queens seems to have brought busloads of fans with them to help their chances at winning. Ruby and AJ only have each other. AJ decides on a plan.

    Finding her police officer lover has let her down Cocoa travels to Dallas to join her friends. Ruby needs all the support as a call from Sanchez has sent her wavering.

    A lot of things happen: Sanchez realises he might have feelings for AJ, Lady Danger has escaped prison and has gone after him – he has all her money.
    The other queens, including the two divas destined for number one, played by Trinity the Tuck and Jujubee have noticed AJ trying to get their fans on Ruby’s side and they are not happy.

    Meanwhile, anti gay/drag protesters have descended onto the pageant.

    The pageant rehearsal is a joyous line up of former Racers and seeing Rupaul stand alongside them is so moving. You can see that despite being their former judge she is one of them too, she came from this world and this is her love letter to them, to drag.

    Meanwhile, Lady Danger seems rather jealous of the fact Sanchez choosing Ruby and searching for her stolen money she decides to trash her wigs. Finding out Ruby thinks the protesters did it, then the other queens. The speech Ruby gives the protesters is gorgeous but the way the other queens (the bitchy rivals) rally round to get Ruby wig hair so she can still compete is heartwarming.

    Sadly Ruby doesn’t get to compete as AJ’s scam and story has sent the police and child agencies to the pageant. Meanwhile, Ruby, in utterly gorgeous drag, is visited by Sanchez – he brings her the money and his heart, or so he claims. AJ drags Ruby out, with money and all – of to grandfather before it’s too late.

    While they flee Cocoa decides that even if Ruby can’t compete there is no reason to leave her place vacant. So for the first time ever Cocoa performs again, and she is everything!!

    Ruby and AJ have reached grandfather. Fearing he might be conservative AJ asks if Ruby can drag her up, to fit in. Then they say their sad goodbyes. Ruby’s face as AJ explains why Ruby can’t come with her to meet her grandfather is sad. 

    But things get worse: waiting in her van to make sure AJ gets home to Pop-pop safe and sound she makes a shocking discovery. She has to find her.

    Then, in such a beautifully acted and filmed emotional moment Ruby thinks AJ is finally hers. The daughter, friend and companion she always wanted. But then …

    No, you will have to watch it yourself to find out, please do. It is a journey that will warm your heart.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Sunset Limited, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Sunset Limited, London

    ★★★ | The Sunset Limited, Boulevard Theatre, London

    A middle-aged white male attempts to get on The Sunset Limited but is stopped by a middle-aged black man.

    What is The Sunset Limited? It’s the name of a new play that has just opened at Soho’s fantastic Boulevard Theatre, and it’s also a euphemism for committing suicide.

    The white man (English Actor Jasper Britton), is on his daily commute (as described by the actors) when, instead of wanting to go to work, he intentionally wants to jump in front of a subway train pulling into a strangely empty NYC subway station. But he is saved by the black man (an excellent Gary Beadle) who in turn takes him to his run-down apartment to discuss his motive for wanting to commit suicide.”

    So the play (written by Cormac McCarthy in 2006) takes place in the black man’s apartment (the two leads are not assigned proper names). So for the next 95 minutes we get to learn a lot about both men. The white man is a professor, an atheist, really hates his father and mother, and has very bad thoughts about all of his fellow commuters – everyday he has had these bad thoughts – and has had them for the past 20 years. The black man is an ex-con who served time for a crime we are not told, he is very religious, and is now the guardian angel to the white man, trying, very determined, to understand why he wanted to end his life. The play also tries to explore the meaning of life and especially the lives of people who have to endure a commute back and forth to work every day. But it also raises questions on the question – are we living the lives we want to lead? And when the show is over, and the black man finally lets the white man leave, what happens next, not just to him but also to the rest of us – back to our daily grind tomorrow, one that we might find depressing, depressing enough to take the Sunset Limited?

    Perhaps the white man is everyman – one who is sick and tired of his commute, of the people around him, of his life and of his relationships – just plain miserable as hell.

    Writer McCarthy wrote the brilliant ‘The Road’ (which went on to win a Pulitzer Prize, and which was turned into the classic 2009 film), which had themes of suicide and doom, was a brilliant piece of work. The Sunset Limited, apart from very good acting (Beadle is superb) and very good direction (Terry Johnson), is just a bit too thin to really care about the characters (white man is still a mystery to me) and what happens to them next.

    The Sunset Limited is now playing at Soho’s Boulevard Theatre until February 29th.

    https://boulevardtheatre.co.uk

  • TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen review episode 8&9: Learning to love

    TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen review episode 8&9: Learning to love

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    Poor, poor Ruby, AJ has gotten into her heart. 

    Finding themselves at a playground, Ruby teaches AJ how to swing (she had never played before). Sadly AJ asked for a push too much and flies of, breaking her arm.

    Overcome with fear and seeing something wrong with her arm Ruby takes AJ to the hospital. AJ, though, doesn’t want to go, she is terrified. Soon we find out why: a hospital is where she was separated from her mum.
    We find out AJ would rather be in pain than lose Ruby as she knows that difficult questions might be asked the moment the doctors and nurses separate them.

    She is right, soon people start to ask questions: what reason could a black gay man possibly have to travel with a white child? The fact that no-one even thinks of the possibilities: adoption, teacher, nanny, baby sitter is shocking.

    Stumped for an answer Ruby blurts out she is her pageant coach.

    This is both a tragic and hilarious episode all in one, as at first, the hospital staff all want something from Ruby. A cute young doctor wants drag advice, a nurse wants pageant advice for her grand doctor and – more offensive – a desk nurse wants to know if she could judge her daughter’s black boyfriend.
    The young doctor is the kindest one and helps out when Ruby has to take desperate measures to get AJ back.

    We flashback a lot between four key hospital moments: the present, AJ’s birth as well as the moment she got taken away from her mum, while the relationship between Ruby and best friend and drag sister Cocoa is further explored as we flashback to the incident that caused Cocoa’s disability. This gave Rupaul the chance to display one of her most fabulous looks of the series. To see her run through the corridors in that red dress is a visual delight. The scene of her talking with Cocoa in the hospital bed is beautiful. They have great chemistry.

    Back to the present where Ruby pretends to be a Jamaican intern. For some reason, RuPaul can really get away with this look and actually knows how to do the accent, which sells it. This end scene makes the episode end on a high.

    During the hospital visit, we got to see how much Ruby cares about AJ and how much AJ has started to care about Ruby. In the next episode, we zoom in deeper on this.

    When they reach Texas and the club Ruby was supposed to perform in is bulldozed down AJ asked if Ruby can maybe bring her to her grandfather immediately. Ruby immediately thinks of things they could go and do before that and quickly settles on visiting an old very rich friend (instead of, you know, the war museum.)

    There a lot of things happen, an important one is that Jane Krakowski plays Beth her old friend fabulously. Meanwhile: Ruby has to explore her own fears, Beth’s marriage and life isn’t as fabulous as she claims (though she is rich) and AJ befriends the couple’s reclusive son.

    The next day Ruby is roped in to be the entertainment of the party Beth is planning. The entertainment manager is non-other than Ginger Minj who proves herself to be another fabulous actor. These queens are so damn talented!!

    AJ haggles Beth’s husband to pay Ruby $4000. Then the poor girl collapses. It turns out that the innocent health juice she thought she drank was Beth’s special juice – 90% vodka.

    Ruby carries AJ in and looks after her. Spaced out the girl tells her “I love you” and Ruby breaks down.

    She is further upset when Cocoa calls her to say that the mother has visited her and she is sending the police after her.

    Ruby admits: she doesn’t want to give up AJ anymore. She has grown to love her as a daughter.

    The rest of the episode explores Ruby’s own identity. It turns out she was always afraid of her feminine side and instead of admitting it thought it was Beth who stopped her playing with dolls and with her female friends. It was her own fear holding her back.

    A positive trans message is included as well.

    AJ tries to break away with the couple’s son, crashing the van. She explains she tried to leave without saying goodbye because she fears she will never be able to say goodbye to Ruby.

    Both agree they want to travel together a little longer.

  • HOTEL REVIEW | The Nadler Hotel

    HOTEL REVIEW | The Nadler Hotel

    Down a tiny little street in the heart of Soho is a building that is so under the radar and discreet that you’d never know it was a hotel.

    With a sculpture of “Selene” standing proud on its facade, protecting it from the outside world, The Nadler Hotel is a calm oasis. Once you step inside you are totally immersed in peace and quiet, a world away from what is right outside the front door. Yet The Nadler Hotel is in the heart of everything, and while it does not offer any extra amenities or bells and whistles that most hotels offer (restaurant, spa, bar), this is because everything is right on your doorstep, seconds away.

    At the very west end of Carlisle Street, west of Soho Square, is The Nadler Hotel, on a dead end road, where dozens of bars and restaurants, and Oxford Street, are very close by. While people hustle hurriedly past the hotel on their way to work/play/socialize, as a guest of the hotel, where check-in is seamless, you will appreciate the peace and tranquility past it’s revolving doors. With a whopping 78 rooms, (it doesn’t look that big from the outside), The Nadler Hotel is perfectly suited for those who love to be in the middle of it all.

    Choose from several types of rooms, including the King, Superior, Deluxe, or the Carlisle Suite, or a single, small double – any type of room to suit your needs, whether you are on a business trip, bringing the family into town for a West End show, or if you have planned a party weekend to enjoy the sights and sounds of Soho – The Nadler Hotel is the perfect place to stay. Enjoy their pocket-sprung beds, comfy pillows, and rooms where the temperature is adjustable. And if it’s the gay nightlife of Soho you’ve come to London to enjoy, the bars and restaurants are minutes away. So skip the Gentlemen’s Club on the same street and walk, minutes away, to Old Compton Street where loads of gay bars, restaurants and clubs await you. And when you are ready to end the night, you can walk back to the hotel, and not worry about taking the tube, bus or Uber.

    The rooms are of high quality, with beds that are so comfortable it’s easy to not want to get out of bed too early the next morning. Spacious rooms, including spacious bathrooms with powerful showers, are waiting for you, along with a comfy robe and slippers, an in-room mini kitchen (which includes a mini-microwave, coffee maker, mini-refrigerator, etc.), work desk with power points, ultrafast WiFi, a safe, Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, as well as a big screen television with dozens of channels. But I doubt you will be spending time watching television as The Nadler Hotel offers loads of discounts from local businesses including offers at nearby places to eat and drink  (including a free bottle of champagne from Black Roe Poke Bar & Grill and a free cocktail at Chotto Matte), along with free passes to Marshall Street Leisure Centre. Weather and transportation information is also readily available. The Nadler Hotel does offer a minimal room service, including wine, beer, soft drinks, water and snacks, as well as a mini breakfast menu provided by The Daisy Green Collection. They also provide a phone adaptor in case you are from out of the country and have forgotten yours. What was not provided in my room, and should’ve been, was pen and paper, while the bathtub stopper was a bit hard to figure out.

    Please find more info on The Nadler Soho’s partners here

    And the damage for all this luxury and location? For a weekend in January a small double would be £240.00 per night in a room that sleeps two people. If you need more space, and a room a bit bigger, then a King/Twin goes for £276.00. A similar room at a hotel seconds away would set you back £348.00. If you want to splash the cash and impress your partner, then a deluxe would set you back £357.00.  A room at the same similar hotel seconds away goes for £408 per night. Booking is easy. Just go to the website, choose which Nadler Hotel you want to stay in, choose your dates, and then you are set and good to go for your time in Soho!

    With four sites in London (Soho, Victoria, Kensington and Covent Garden), and one in Liverpool, each property has been carefully designed to offer stylish accommodation that delivers on design, comfort and convenience in the heart of London’s main hubs. Specially trained front of house ‘Local Ambassadors’ provide suggestions and expert advice on the area, based on a your preferences.

    For more information and to book a room, please go here:

    www.nadlerhotels.com

  • TV REVIEW | AJ And The Queen, Episode 6 and 7

    TV REVIEW | AJ And The Queen, Episode 6 and 7

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    The metaphor in episode six might have been about AJ, but in many ways, it could have been about this series. Sometimes things start rough, but if you wait long enough there is a diamond at the core.

    Anyone that gave up on this show in the first two episodes, please continue, it gets so, so good!!

    At this moment I feel like I have been on a journey with these characters, and after all this time I’ve grown to love them.

    Here the team lands in a trailer-park to take a much-needed break. Sadly they don’t get much rest as very soon Ruby gets roped in by three excited women who are desperate for her to produce their show, while AJ befriends a shy boy and becomes obsessed with finding a diamond.

    Also, Sanchez and Lady Danger are still on the trail and soon two lovely gay Cowboys have to save Ruby from a snake attack.

    This episode in contradiction to episode two gets finding your identity and being yourself so right.

    There is Ruby who wants to be herself and loved, but she doesn’t know how to connect anymore.

    She thinks she is helping the women by trying to create the best show ever, but they don’t want that.

    Ruby trying to rehearse the unwilling Pink Ladies in their Grease performance made me remember all those times when I was in that position. Why do people always want to perform but never rehearse? Why is trying to create something good so wrong in some peoples eyes?

    Seeing her talk to her best friend about thinking that maybe she was too much for people to be around made me wish I’d had someone like her in my childhood, a person that actually wanted to put the work in, get the show done. She wouldn’t have been too much for me.

    Then AJ was thinking she was worthless and only a diamond would make her grandfather keep her. More layers of her anger are peeled away. 

    Then her young friend: his silence hid a desire to be on stage in drag, maybe he could even be transgender. Sadly his conservative gun-toting father would not allow him to wear his dress. The scene where Ruby confronts the father in full pleather Sandy drag was wonderful, but the finish where the son confronts the father himself was a delight!! Yes, being attracted to feminine things doesn’t mean you can’t be strong!!

    The cute ending with Ruby and AJ performing “You’re The One That I Want” is adorable.

    Episode 7 was a mixed bunch for me. Plus side Latrice Royale and Monique’s heart. Fabulous. RuPaul’s chemistry with Latrice is amazing, Their real-life friendship is clear for all to see.

    As seen in Drag Race Latrice is clearly a gifted actor and it would be wonderful to see more of her in the future.

    Meanwhile Ruby flirting and getting it on with a hot guy was great, glad to see her being playful for a change.

    Not great: The puppy story. The metaphor was a bit too obvious and the puppy seemed upset in various scenes. At least get an older dog for episodes like these.

    Also: sometimes both children and dogs are better of in a new home even though they might be homesick even if the unfit parents love them.

    The barbeque wasn’t needed either, as the scene didn’t really work or went anywhere we didn’t already know. Most Ru fans know she doesn’t like seeing people eat or eating in public and her discomfort was clear.

    Sanchez giving in to Lady Danger’s emotional and sexual blackmail, why? I mean … yuck.

    Which brings me to another plus side: Latrice and her drag gang getting that bi*ch good. Come through Miss Royale!!

  • TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen, Episode 5

    TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen, Episode 5

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    Yas Queen!! If episode 3 and 4 got me excited, this one snatched my wig!

    This is what I was looking for: warmth, joy, LGBT history, gay icons from history, gentle life lessons and camp and all this in Gilmore Girls Town. Girl, I was living for this episode.

    Following a performance gone bad, Ruby feels low, something that is worsened when finding out AJ is unaware of some of the most iconic performers in history. Diana Ross the main one.

    The scene where Ruby tries to explain what a Diana show was like is slightly confusing, as it makes you wonder why she doesn’t show AJ pictures and clips as she has internet. But Ru’s personal passion for Diana makes it work.

    Ruby decides to educate on camp and glamour, starting with AJ needing a more sparkly outfit, the girl isn’t convinced about this, though and refuses.

    AJ wonders why Ruby is so hung up on all these female performers and why she has no male icons she looks up to. Ruby has one: Bob Mackie and this time she does go online to try and make AJ aware of the famous designer. A good thing she did, as she finds out that there is a museum dedicated to the man close by. Well, six hours away.

    This is when we reach the best location yet: Mt Juliet, or as we know it: Stars Hollow – yes the whole episode takes place in Gilmore Girls town!!

    There is almost disappointment for Ruby as the museum turns out to be a house, a bed and Breakfast none the less. But things change when she meets the owner Lloyd Johnson who is as passionate about Mackie as she is and realises that the “house” contains all his most famous dresses.

    AJ decides to treat Ruby on a night at the museum, then leaves to have some fun of her own.

    As Ruby and Lloyd bond over camp and glamour, AJ soon realises she should have kept her money when she finds the puppy she always dreamed of. She quickly hatches a scam with a girl selling lemonade on the square to get the money.

    Here we reach the emotional heart of the episode. Ruby receives a call from Cocoa Butter who by now is VERY happy with the officer of her dreams, telling her they found out just who AJ’s mother is. It is worse than we or Ruby could ever have thought.

    AJ’s scam backfires when the girl she bought the stall from turns out to have a mother that is rather controlling and cold, wanting the money AJ earned back. Ruby protects her, saying things that are meant for the mother to hear but upset AJ. They fall out.

    If anyone claimed thatRupaul was getting “tired of drag” they should be forced to watch the “Endless Love” scene on a loop until the end of time.

    If anyone claimed that Rupaul was getting “tired of drag” they should be forced to watch the “Endless Love” scene on a loop until the end of time. The sheer joy and delight on Ru’s face when she comes down the stairs in that Diana Ross outfit and the perfection with which she mimics Diana’s expressions when she lipsyncs the song: she has waited for this moment all her life!

    Meanwhile, Sanchez and Lady danger are still out there, waiting. Though Sanchez isn’t sure he even wants to do all this anymore. He seems regretful and just can’t scam anymore.

    This episode makes you long for this being the place where Ruby and AJ settle down: Ruby should marry Lloyd and live her glitter dream forever and AJ should befriend that girl and help her rebel and find herself. But of course, they have to move on, after AJ learns actually having a mum that is “there” isn’t what it is cracked up to be either.

  • TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen, Episode 3 and 4

    TV REVIEW | AJ and The Queen, Episode 3 and 4

    Ah, what a treat!! These two episodes were much better. Ruby is slowly letting go of her victim-hood and is starting to present the glorious diva she is, while AJ has stopped her shouting and is growing as a personality.

    As a Ru fan, I was feeling so bad about disliking the show he has worked so hard on for so long, so it is such a relief to say that episode three really picks up. The storyline is less scattered, the acting gets better and the pacing has improved.

    It is good to see Ruby regaining some of her confidence and more importantly wit. Of course, she is still grieving for what she thought was true love, but she doesn’t let people take advantage of her anymore or sit quietly when others insult her.

    In these two episodes, she brazenly takes part in a wet T-shirt competition in a southern town to earn money and gives mean queens back as good as she gets. She even defies them when they sabotage her act. Yes, Miss Ruby Red is rising.

    Meanwhile, AJ has improved a lot: thankfully the caring side we glimpsed near the end of episode two has lasted and she is now taking care of Ruby as much as she is taking care of her. She has become fiercely protective of her. Most importantly: she has stopped shouting all her lines, which makes all the difference.

    Still on their way to Texas episode 3 sees them stuck in a small town as they the route across the Hershey Highway. The reason why they ended up there: trying to drive away quickly before Sanchez and Lady Danger spotted them they ran into a car leaving them with a broken backlight (and AJ with 200 dollars little con-artist she is!) An exasperated policeman (in a hilarious scene) orders them to get it fixed.

    Sadly the repair will cost $2000, as the man at the repair shop discovers that the van is more damaged than they thought.

    In the shop Ruby and AJ build a connection with the owner’s wife, after a rough start, which will become important later in the episode.

    Ruby tries to teach AJ that there is good in everyone and tries to get her to make up with her mom in between a big to-do about breastplates.

    The mum isn’t a well fleshed out character right now, still isn’t in episode four. I hope we get to know what happened to her, because right now she is a bit of a cliché.

    Meanwhile, episode four is glorious with both Chad Michaels and Kennedy Davenport in big parts. Here we get to know so much about Ruby and Sanchez and a slight hint that Sanchez might have cared … or is he trying to swindle Ruby all over again?

    This episode has catfights between queens, more gay cop revelations, Rupaul doing a big performance to Sia’s Chandelier and Chad being Cher.

    This episode also shows how much Ruby and AJ are a team now, even though AJ thinking she knows what’s best for Ruby is a little too soon.

    On to the next stop.

  • CAR REVIEW | Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip

    CAR REVIEW | Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip

    The Mockery Of A Three Star Review

    The 80’s yuppie years were good to Suzuki’s little go-anywhere-carry-cart. Young 20 year olds with red braces and mobile phones the size of a house brick would go off to Majorca for 2 weeks to get some sun. To get around they would hire a car and more often than not, the Suzuki with its allure of open top motoring would be hired. This translated into sales in the UK when they got home and soon the Suzuki SJ was as much a part of the 80’s landscape as a Porsche 911 Turbo and naked girls in a Duran Duran video. 

    Open top jeep type little fashion accessories suddenly popped up in music videos and TV consumer programmes but not always for the right reasons. Bros used Luke’s Jeep in their video ‘I Owe You Nothing” It wasn’t an SJ but a big American Jeep CJ. It was a 1979 model and by 1988 it was old and dated. 5 Star were hustled along in a Citroen Mehari. One-hit wonder Spagna had a Suzuki SJ come to her rescue. Open-top jeeps were a wanted thing for the city dweller and Suzuki had caught the British imagination.

    The SJ had three things in its favour. Relatively cheap to buy, very cheap to run and could, if you wanted to, go almost anywhere. This wasn’t just a vehicle to pose on in the pub carpark. It also had one major failing. It was ruddy awful to drive at anything over city speed limits. The live axles suspended by cart springs did nothing for the handling or day-to-day running. Not that this stopped the public buying them and the subsequent two generations that came afterwards. 

    As a footnote for the history nerd out there, the Suzuki 4×4 has been with us for 50 years and seen only 4 generations of change. Its life has been longer than that of the VW Golf and seen just half the development changes. In fact if you look at the icons of the 20th century, the Jimny has outlived the much loved Mini and 2CV and yet it is hardly mentioned when people talk about the ‘World Car’. And it’s quite significant and only beaten by the VW Beetle if you include the 25 years where it wasn’t officially available in Europe.

    New Jimny by comparison to the old is a revelation. Ride quality isn’t as bad as it once was. Gone are the cart springs and instead it now sits on 4 coil springs. Considering its diminutive wheelbase and angles of articulation afforded to the Jimny because it is a proper little off-roader, it felt quite muted. It didn’t crash in a spleen adjusting kind of way over some of the worst roads I traveled on.

    Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip review

    Ditch In – Dig Out

    The same applaud can’t be given to the handling. It really isn’t the best. At worst it will oversteer with little effort, at best you can use the capable 4WD system to get yourself out of the ditch. Used appropriately and you won’t have much trouble. The 1.5 petrol engine sort of sees to that anyway. Its maximum powers arrive high up in the rev ranges and because of the Jimny’s agricultural configurations, it voices these well through the chassis and into the cabin. 

    Transmission noise was something I’ve not heard of in a long time but you will need to get used to it. There is much of it should you wish to push on.  And push on you will especially when confronted with a hill when at speed. Above the national speed limit, he 100hp engine runs out of puff in 5th and the change down, through the long throws of the gear lever, are easy. Stick to 70mph and it shouldn’t cause much of a problem.

    The steering is of the muted kind. It doesn’t give a lot of feel though I never found this much of a problem unless I harassed the Jimny into doing something I shouldn’t have. It feels quite low geared and when you do provoke it to kick out, you need to twirl your arms quickly if only to keep the momentum. That is at the extreme because off road, it translates to very little kickback and the one thing you don’t want is thumb breaking kick back from a rapidly correcting steering wheel.

    Acceptable But You’ll Love It Anyway

    Equipment and price feel a little on the high side. There are better cars out there for less but they are less capable of getting rough and dirty. Equipment on this top of the range SZ5 model is generous. Climate control, cruise and limiter are standard. It also includes auto dim/dip headlights and forward collision mitigation alarm. Infotainment is the standard as expected with DAB and in-built Satnav. It’s just a shame the screen isn’t user friendly with its flat universal positioning and not angled towards the driver.   

    Real world usage makes this a 2 seater with luggage or 4  seater and nothing else. The boot really is non existent. 85 litres of luggage at minimum is smaller than you think. Where it plays its ace card is its adaptability of moving, folding and reclining the seats. To fit 6 ft planks of wood inside proves to be rather easy. 2 air mattress on top of the folded seats and you have yourself a large double bed. 

    And there lays a Tardis type of a problem. Shoulder width is huge for such a small car and rear seat leg room, more adequate than many city cars I’ve travelled in. And yet it is totally useless in the rear from most aspects.

    You Can’t Be Harsh To It.

    So to the new Jimny of 2019 and the big question. Is it any good? To answer that we need to remember what this is, what it does and do we care enough and what us motoring journalists have to say about it. Ask any owner of the previous model and they won’t really care what we say.  The Jimny is a cute looking box that does what you expect it to do. 

    With this in mind, the answer is it isn’t very good. But I don’t care enough to pick holes in its faults of which there are plenty. I’d gladly take one and be happy with it and chances are you would too. It has a lot of anthropomorphism in it that combats its failings. It’s just a shame there is a waiting list of over a year and no canvas top model in the pipeline.

    Love

    Cute looks

    Compact and easy to park

    Off-road ability

    Loathe

    Year long waiting list

    wading depth of just 320mm

    No soft top option 

    The Lowdown

    Car –  Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip

    Price – £ 19,149 (as tested)

    MPG – 34.3mpg (average)

    Power – 101bhp @6000rpm

    0-62mph –  UA 

    Top Speed –  90 mph

    Co2 – 154 (g/km)

    Pictures (C) Stuart M Bird / Suzuki

  • TV REVIEW | A&J and The Queen – Episode 2, Not a good message for female to male transgender people

    TV REVIEW | A&J and The Queen – Episode 2, Not a good message for female to male transgender people

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    This episode for me had a lot of the same highs and flaws as episode one. Ru and her queens (this time including the lovely Jinkx Monsoon) were a joy and the storyline set at the Pittsburgh club itself would have been enough for me.

    The show’s best moments are in the club where Ruby meets with old friends and a frenemy. Their history, culminating in the most hilariously bizarre performance of ‘Proud Mary’ ever, moving into their subsequent making up was lovely and something that deserved more attention. It had that lovely sense of: “we may fight, but when you are down or in trouble I will protect you” that is so strong in drag family.

    Sadly most of the episode revolved around AJ screaming and demanding.

    Her part is very odd. So far, once again, she just does nothing but insult Ruby and the other queens, she is still stealing things and at one point even threatens poor Ruby into taking her to Texas. Then when she is called out or Ruby asks questions she starts to act the victim, poor girl she has been through so much …

    But apparently this is acceptable and Ruby goes out of her way to please the little madame. Most people do. AJ is supposed to be this very special being for some reason and everyone treat her with such delicacy.

    A long part of the episode was all about AJ’s gender identity. She dresses and acts like a boy because, she claims, people “leave boys alone”.

    Sorry but what? This was a shocker to me. Claiming boys do not get abused or experience other forms of violence in any way is just not on. It is especially odd that this comes from the maker of Drag Race where the contestants often discuss all the terrible things they experienced as a child/teen. This often includes abuse.

    What is worse is that even though the show and Ru wanted to make this lovely statement of not putting gender in boxes and living life as you are, it is not a good message for female to male transgenders.

    It kind of states that any girl wanting to be a boy is damaged or probably had no good female role models. We are told that AJ has never seen any other example of womanhood than a hooker and a stripper. She has a mobile, access to the internet but no, that is all she knows. Okay, girl.

    Thankfully Ruby spends the rest of the episode educating her, almost willing AJ to become a girl again to the point of performing a show in her honour all about how important being a women is.

    The thing is, Netflix has so many strong feminist shows, it would have been great if this show could have focused on the strong LGBTQ+ message instead for a change. Why could AJ not simply identify as a boy? Such a wasted opportunity.

    With all this going on you’d almost forget that Ruby is still in great danger: her criminal ex revealed to be called Damien and his boss Lady Danger are hot on their tracks. Seeing the hell Ruby is going through seems to soften AJ somewhat near the end of the episode. Hope this lasts.

    Then one very important question that needs asking: why has Ruby never digitalised her Oprah tapes?

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Fafa’s, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Fafa’s, London

    ★★★★ | Fafa’s, Central London

    For the perfect, Pita , Mezze or Salad in the West End, you can’t beat Fafa’s

    Open only for four months, Fafa’s is on the cozy corner where Neal and Monmouth streets converge to face Shaftsbury Avenue. It’s a busy intersection and it’s easy to walk past Fafa’s, but please don’t. Pop in and you’ll be rewarded with very good food with prices that are very affordable.

    If it’s a quick meal you want, Fafa’s is perfect. The food comes in three choices: Pita, Salad, or Mezze box. The Pita options are falafel and meat or fish. I tried the Short Rib, with harissa and beetroot. It had a bit of a zing to it but it was a nice portion of Short Rib stuffed into the pita, very good and good value for £8.50. My friend had the Falafel Mezze Box which included several ingredients including aubergine, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, tabbouleh, and a bit of chilli. At £7.50 it’s a good deal if you’re not starving but need food prior to a show or an event. Chicken breast, grilled shrimp or Fafa’s burger can be added for a small supplement to the mezze box.

    Pitas are offered with several options including chicken liver with caramelized onion, chicken breast with tahini, Fafa’s Burger, tahini and aubergine, grilled shrimp, harissa and tzatziki (both at £8.50), and roasted salmon, harissa and tzatziki (£9). There is lots of variety to choose from!

    There are also salad options. Goats cheese, beetroot and pesto salad (£ 8), halloumi salad as well as chicken tabbouleh salad (both at £8.70).

    The yummy sides include Sweet Potato Fries with Tzatziki sauce, (ask for no salt to taste the real flavour of these), the Halloumi Strips with Harissa. These were absolutely superb and cooked to perfection – I’ve never tasted Halloumi Strips as good as these! a must. Other options include Fries with Beetroot Ketchup, Roast Vegetables, and Falafel and Tahini.

    Fafa’s has the best selection of drinks I’ve ever seen in a small cafe – it’s mind boggling with so much to chose from. Non-alcoholic choices include Char Tea, Square Root, Crooked, and Belvoir, to alcoholic drinks such as Eden Mill, Nice (wine), and Metroland (beer) – excellent selections.

    You can’t beat the location, the food, and the prices at Fafa’s.co.uk. Don’t rush by, go in and you will be pleasantly surprised.

    www.fafas.co.uk