THEGAYUK

Category: Review

  • FILM REVIEW | Chemsex

    A hard-hitting and eye-opening look at gay men and their sexual lifestyles is on full display in the new documentary ‘Chemsex.’

    It’s not all gay men, but, as the documentary tells us, it’s but a few who go on drug binges, coupled with lots of unsafe sex, that last all weekend. And it’s these men who are more than likely to become infected with HIV.

    We meet several of these men. One of the first is Dick, who is not shy to tell us about his sexual exploits, while on drugs, and freely admits that he’s just taken drugs before the camera crew arrives (a couple of the guys interviewed admit to this). We also meet clean cut Simon, a well-educated man who happens to be a geneticist. He’s had a hard time beating the temptation to take part in drugs and unsafe sex. He also admits that he’s HIV+, but he’s also a denialist who doesn’t believe that he’s got it. We then meet Enrique, a 30-something good looking Spanish man who says he was a commercial banker for 10 years but lost everything because of his chemicals habit.

    After losing pretty much everything, including his job, he resorted to prostitution to make money. More importantly, we meet David Stuart, Substance Use Lead, GUM/HIV Manager at Soho’s 56 Dean Street Clinic. We see his discussions with Simon, who he tells to try to go a week, and two weeks, then another without taking drugs. Stuart is the voice of reason in ‘Chemsex.’ He’s there as an advisor, and also as a friend, to many of his patients. Stuart bluntly says in the film that him and a friend used to regularly do cocaine while he was hooked up to a IV drip while he was close to death with an HIV illness many years ago. No doubt his experience with both HIV and drugs enables him to relate to his patients at the clinic. And his program at the Clinic is one of its kind and is being used as a model for clinics in the country.
    It’s a disturbing documentary. Not only after hearing about these men’s behaviour but also to digest the fact that there are organised private parties for men who want to combine unsafe sex and various types of drugs. We meet one party organiser who opens up his home to the cameras, and we see the men who are there, engaging in unsafe sex all around the house, with most of them openly taking drugs, mostly provided by the host.

    Of the estimated 107,800 people living in the UK with HIV, 24% are undiagnosed and possibly spreading the virus. And men who have sex with men have the highest risk of infection in the UK and, in 2013, they accounted for 54% of new diagnoses. One in 11 gay men in London is living with HIV. And a record high of 3,360 gay men were diagnosed with HIV in 2014. It’s statistics like these that make you wonder why gay men partake in drugs and unsafe safe, with Chemsex being the term for this. Directors William Fairman and Max Gogarty spectacularly highlight this epidemic in the gay community in a very powerful and potent film about the underworld of modern gay life with it’s easy access to sex using mobile apps and the internet, and drug

    Statistics in a chemsex study from 2014 by 56 Dean Street Clinic showed that 3,000 gay men accessing the clinic each month are using recreational drugs, though not necessarily wishing to address their drug use. 100 new gay men access specific ChemSex support each month; 70% of these reported no ‘chem-free’ sex in previous six months while 98% had never accessed statutory drug use support.

     

  • MOTORING REVIEW | Porsche: We’ve Never Had It So Good

    When the Gay UK received an invite to the Porsche experience l jumped at the chance and on a cold and frosty Monday morning l headed to Silverstone not really knowing what to expect other than testing 3 new cars that had been launched.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre

    America and Britain’s Got Talent has quite the same format and it’s this bi-coastal variety TV show that springs to mind and also celebrates the essence of The Illusionist.

    The Illusionist recently opened on Broadway in New York and currently running simultaneously with a different batch of Illusionist’s in London’s West End. I was accompanied by someone who was going to make this show her first Broadway experience and how rapid did any excitement dissolve and replaced with disappointment as the show came across as a highly, taut, expensive and stretched variety show.

    Audience participation was relied on and the faces on the unlucky chosen were illusions of willing victims that seemed as though they were not embarrassed to be on stage but more so embarrassed to be associated with some of acts.

    Ok, so despite the show being a glamorised magic show (thanks to the heavy advertising and prestigious theatres that house these shows), there were a few steals to be had. The Anti Conjuror shocked the audience by regurgitating a few razor blades that were strung through a piece of floss, ‘’how did he do that?’’, muttered the audience whilst covering their children’s eyes.

    Technology was revealed on stage by The Futurist and his acts with bright technology and perfect timing were very welcomed – finally something decent and suitable for the kids in the audience.

    No magic show is complete without someone escaping from something – The Escapologist made sure that was served up whilst being hung upside down in flames (of course).

    The Trickster continued to blow fresh air throughout the whole show with his adult focused comical one liners and had the kids muttering ‘’what does that mean?’’. The Trickster certainly left the stage with the adults wanting more.

    Good seats are important to view this show so everything on stage is beamed onto a screen for everyone that sits say beyond the 10th row in the orchestra. What’s the point of sitting beyond this and more so what’s appealing with going to a theatre to watch a screen?

    The Illusionists create their standalone performances so don’t expect them to interact together. The show doesn’t offer anything that most viewers haven’t seen before.

    I did leave the theatre thinking ‘’how did they do that…how does a show like this become Broadway worthy?’’ – that’s magic!

    The Illusionist live at Shaftesbury Theatre, London & Broadway, NYC, 14/11/15 – 03/01/16

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Birmingham Rep

    ★★★ – a delicious journey into Narnia

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  • HOTEL REVIEW | Hilton London Syon Park

    I’m starting a new trend, rather than having one big summer holiday in the year I’m going to have lots of little holidays!

    Preferably in places that I can get to within an hour or two. Maybe even in my own city? Because let’s be honest the getting there bit is rubbish. Lots of little breaks make you more evenly relaxed throughout the year.

    The key to this new concept is to pick somewhere that feels like you’re really far away from your life but you’re actually just a short drive away. I will be putting this theory to the test in 2016 but my first taster stop on the tour was Hilton London Syon Park for a spa weekend with my bestie.

    Hilton London Syon Park is in Brentford around 2 miles from Twickenham and easily reachable by car or public transport. Set in lovely grounds with Syon Park estate as a backdrop and modelled on the old stable block which originally sat there 200 years ago.
    When we arrived the staff on reception were extremely friendly and efficient. Sometimes they are not and you have to wait around but our request for early check-in caused no added stress or issue and we were whisked right through.

    When we got to our room the first thing we did was get in our fluffy white robes, lie on our beds and order room service because why not! We stayed in a twin with view and it really was gorgeous. Stylish, modern décor in grey and lavender hues with a stunning view of the grounds from our balcony. The best touch in the room was a TV in the bathroom above the bath; the lazy women’s dream come true.

    We were booked in for treatments at the Kallima Spa in the basement of the hotel so padded down there in our slippers. This hotel has some random quirks which add to it’s charm, for example the glass walkways talk to you or spit out film quotes and there is a fairly out of place statue of the blues brothers on the outside of the building.

    The Kallima spa is a tranquil space in the basement of the hotel. You can book individual treatments or just use the pool, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi. We did all of it! The spa is open to the public as a day spa so my top tip if you are staying the weekend is to have treatments on the Saturday and use the spa on the Sunday. The Saturday was really busy but on Sunday most people had left and children must vacate the pool by lunch time. I loved the pool and really did feel far away. I pretended to be back in Morocco for quite a while whilst floating around.

    We plumped for the Tranquillity face and body treatment. I’ve never had a body wrap so thought it might be a new fun experience. I loved this treatment. It combines a lot of elements so you get so much from it. The facial and massage made me feel fab and she got rid of some really gruesome knots in my back. I found the body wrap a little strange, it is quite something staring down at your naked body wrapped in cling film! However I have to say that my skin was the softest it’s ever been and smelt wonderful and fresh after. I highly recommend it.

    The Marco Pierre White restaurant at this Hilton is definitely its trump card. Make sure you pre book when you check in because it’s super popular in the evenings. Now I don’t make this statement lightly as I have eaten in some fine restaurants but the meal we had here was one of the best I’ve ever eaten. If you are a vegetarian or vegan you won’t find much for you as it’s a steak house and doesn’t really accommodate for the non-meat eaters. We chose the 10oz Sirloin steak and it melted in the mouth. It comes served with triple cooked chips, and was cooked to absolute perfection. The roast rump of lamb was equally great so much so I think about it roughly twice a week! Please please make sure you order the creamed spinach whatever you do because the only explanation for how amazing it tastes is that they have fairies casting spells in that kitchen, it’s heaven in your mouth!

    After that meal I slept like a baby (I’m sure the wine had nothing to do with it)
    I absolutely love hotel breakfasts so I was really looking forward to what was going to be on offer. It was a bit disappointing that there is a only a buffet as we had hoped to order something a bit more bespoke – Eggs benedict or an omelette freshly made. Having said that the buffet was very well put together and all tastes are catered for with plenty of continental breakfast choices and a hot plate for the full English.

    This hotel really meets a high standard for a very reasonable price point. It does feel luxurious and the pleasant and friendly staff add to its relaxed nature. We both left feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, well fed and like we had been away for way more than one night. I’m already planning a second trip there in the New Year. Maybe see you there for your first mini holiday of the year!

    Stays at Hilton London Syon Park start from £149 per room per night, based on two people sharing a Queen Guest Room on a bed and breakfast basis including taxes, complimentary WiFi and full use of the spa facilities. Reservations – www.londonsyonpark.com /020 7870 7777.

    Reviwed by Chloe Misson | @CselinaM

  • FILM REVIEW: Carol

    In the new film ‘Carol’, Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett play two women who fall in love at a time when it was not accepted and actually frowned upon.

    Director Todd Haynes, in his first film since 2007’s I’m Not There, has crafted this movie in a style and theme that he’s used before. In ‘Far From Heaven‘ Julianne Moore’s housewife faces a marital crisis – her husband is caught kissing another man so she takes comfort in the arms of a black man. Whereas in Carol Cate Blanchett‘s unhappy housewife falls into the arms of another woman. Both of these films take place in the 1950’s where it’s all dewy and lush and beautiful. And the attention to detail in both films is amazing, capturing the fashion and essence that was the norm of it’s time, where everyone made an effort to dress up, especially the women, even just to go shopping.

    Blanchett’s character, Carol Aird, is in a loveless marriage but it’s not because her husband is cheating on her with another man, it’s because Carol is cheating on her husband with another woman. It’s not a mid-life crisis that Carol is going through, she’s been linked to Abby Gerhard (Sarah Paulson) in the past, and Abby has always been in the shadows throughout Carol’s marriage to Harge (Kyle Chandler). Harge still loves Carol, he wants to stay married, but Carol insists that the divorce still goes ahead, which is very difficult for the both of them because of their young daughter. But one day Carol goes into a department store and is eyed by employee Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), who suggests to Carol to buy a train set for her daughter. Carol and Therese have chemistry, and the next day Carol invites Therese out for lunch to thank her for helping her out with her purchase. Eventually, they start seeing each other more and more, and they fall headstrong into a relationship. Carol, who has the perfect husband and the perfect house, pursues a relationship with Therese, at the risk of losing custody of her daughter. Harge, in utter frustration over Carol’s new found relationship, seeks full custody of their daughter using a morality clause as the reason. And Therese risks her impending marriage to her boyfriend Richard (Jake Lacy) to be with Carol, and she and Carol embark on several trips together. It’s not until New Year’s Eve where they consummate their relationship in a full on one-minute lip lock, which leads to a sexual act, again full on, there’s almost nothing left to the imagination. But will Carol’s impending divorce and the threat of losing her daughter and Therese’s burgeoning career as a photographer get in the way of their relationship?

    Blanchett is magnificent as Carol, who risks losing her daughter yet has strong feelings for a much younger woman. Mara is even more superb as Therese, her innocence and naivete in full display. Both actresses are excellent, yet it’s Mara who ups Blanchette in the acting arena. The movie basically revolves around Therese and her coming of age not just with her career but with her sexuality as well. It would be a shame if Mara is reduced to supporting actress level as Blanchett does get top billing, they both deserve Best Actress Academy Award nominations but it’s Mara who should be on the podium. Chandler is also excellent as Carols’ husband – he’s got an ideal 1950’s look about him. ‘Carol,’ Based on the novel ‘The Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith, was written at a time when it’s subject was considered scandalous, which Haynes truly captures.

    Carol was filmed with Super 16mm to produce the muted hues of glamour magazines of the era, it’s romantic and dramatic and lovely to watch.

     

  • CAR REVIEW | Mini Cooper S

    It seems barely believable that the first ‘new’ MINI was launched fifteen years ago before going on sale in 2001.

    Since that car’s introduction, we’ve seen the release of cabriolet, coupe, roadster and even crossover models with the iconic nametag. At the core of the range has always been the three-door hatchback, something which isn’t changing any time soon. All the more reason to look at this model, especially in potent Cooper S guise.

    Now on its third generation, the MINI has grown in all dimensions when compared to its predecessors to give improved safety and more room inside. While lesser models have shrunk in the engine department, the Cooper S now has a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet. Unsurprisingly power and torque are increased although not at the expense of fuel economy according to MINI.

    From the outside, the new model is unmistakably a MINI. Although it may have puffed-out cheeks and rear lights that look too big for the tail of the car, it’s still a cute little thing. Being a Cooper S, there are twin tailpipes out back, a jutting front spoiler and of course a letterbox air-intake on the bonnet. Inside will be recognisable to many as well; there’s the familiar circular theme running through the interior along with the usual row of toggle switches.

    It all feels more premium than ever before inside especially if you start opting for some of the swankier trim pieces. One option I’d definitely recommend is the head-up display that projects your speed, sat-nav instructions and other information directly into your line-of-sight. Anything that lets you keep your eyes on the road is a good thing in my book. I loved the rotary controller for the infotainment system too, much easier than a touchscreen. While it may be bigger inside, the boot is still on the small side while taller adults may be cramped in the rear seats.

    Not that you generally buy a MINI for practicality of course. Alongside those retro looks, you’ll probably be drawn to the driving dynamics the brand has always prided itself in. Despite the increase in size, the Cooper S still proves a playful companion on a country road, especially with the driving mode dialled round to ‘sport’. There are also ‘mid’ and ‘green’ modes for when you want to drive normally or as fuel efficiently as possible.

    It’s with the Cooper S in ‘sport’ that it really comes alive though. Throttle response is sharpened to allow you to tap into all 192bhp with ease while the exhaust makes some fantastic pops and crackles when you come off the throttle. The steering may not be as communicative as older versions but it is precise and well weighted. Handling is neutral but ultimately safe although there is still noticeable torque-steer at times. Overall I found it to be huge fun though.

    It isn’t all good news however. On top of the small boot, it can get expensive; you can easily spend over £25,000 with a few choice options ticked. While the MINI comes with a decent amount of standard kit including air-con, a Bluetooth connection and even a digital radio, many will want to spend more to get sat-nav, bigger wheels and other items to personalise their car. Economy won’t be brilliant with the Cooper S either; enjoy yourself and expect to average a low 30’s mpg figure. This is at least on par with other similar hot hatchbacks.

    In summary, the MINI is still a more style-led choice of hatchback than a Ford Fiesta or even Audi A1 for example. While it may not have quite as much space as many rivals and can become expensive quickly, it’s impossible to dislike once you’ve spent a decent amount of time behind the wheel. Not only does it drive well, the interior is well made and attractive too. It’s also worth remembering the One and Cooper models are cheaper to buy and run should you not be interested in going quickly. If you’re searching for a supermini, the MINI has a lot going for it.

    Pros

    Handling

    Interior quality

    Infotainment system

    Cons

    Inflated looks

    Small boot

    Gets expensive with options

    The Lowdown

    Car – MINI Cooper S

    Price – £18,840

    Power – 192bhp

    0-62mph – 6.8 seconds

    Top Speed – 146mph

    Co2 – 133g/km

  • TV REVIEW | London Spy

    Ben Whishaw in a gay spy thriller? What’s not to like?

    CREDIT: (C) WTTV Limited - Photographer: Joss Barratt

    CREDIT: (C) WTTV Limited – Photographer: Joss Barratt

    The cute and slightly broody looking Q from the Bond franchise in a new 5 part programme, in part inspired by the Gareth Williams case of the body in the bag, and in part by a 1960’s CIA handbook about covering up a murder by using an accident?

    Right up my street and no mistaking! We are less than 1/2 way into this programme, and am firmly gripped. I love programmes that throw up more questions than they initially answer, that keep you guessing, that offer false scents, false trails and you end up with no idea how it will all end – bit like life really. It starts with Danny, played by Whishaw, a 20-something in dead-end jobs who parties, flat shares and doesn’t have a steady boyfriend – a bit of an every-gay, nothing special, just living his life.

    A chance meeting early one morning with the enigmatic Joe/Alex/Alistair (Edward Holcroft) and suddenly love creeps into his life. Joe is secretive with no family, a job he doesn’t want to talk about and Danny laps it up – even when Joe fronts up and becomes Alex. Danny has a close friend in Scottie (Jim Broadbent playing an older gay in quite a respectable way) and confides in him about Alex and then after 8 months, the two finally meet. Fast forward to a possible romantic weekend away, and suddenly Alex disappears. Danny and Scottie have a heart to heart and Scottie’s past as a spy comes out, along with his suspicions about Alex and his area of work.

    Danny then receives a mysterious package at work, and so begins a game of cat and mouse.

    A key to Alex’s exclusive apartment complex leads Danny to discover a decaying body, a sex dungeon (but in the attic) and his boyfriend’s possible secret life. After questioning by the police and the assumption the body is that of his boyfriend, yet another identity comes out and Alex becomes Alistair, together with a whole other life and a family.

    Episode 2 introduces the iconic Charlotte Rampling in a role made for her – queen of her very own castle, a model of decorum and a woman of few words, but all packaged with a tinge of menace.

    Enter Alistair’s family. Where is this going? Who was Alex? Is he really dead? Why is Danny being watched, and by whom?

    The next 3 episodes promise more unanswered questions before the finale, but I intend to savour the acting skills of Ben, and the flashbacks to his handsome and taciturn boyfriend Joe/Alex/Alistair – along with Jim Broadbent’s superior character, who for me, reminds everyone that gay life doesn’t end at 40.

    If you like your spy thrillers with a realistic edge, watch this!

    London Spy is on Monday nights at 9PM on BBC 2

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Four Minutes Twelve Seconds

    James Fritz brings you West Croydon’s version of an Eastenders Christmas Day special, but with more tiers than one of Pat Butcher’s earrings and acting skills far superior to the likes of Dirty Den. ★★★★

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Prime of Ms. David Hoyle

    Have you ever loved a poxy, gaping wound that never heals?

    Have you ever loved a poy, gaping wound that never heals? Welcome to the pure disease of radical thinking, the open-heart artistry of David Hoyle. A precision provocateur, he’s a beautiful leper puking on the bland smirk of consensus dissent. Never afraid to offend, he’ll stare, point-blank, at dead-eyed conformity, and test-drive blanket idiocy to total destruction.

    So, tonight –in character as a no-limits, libertarian headmistress for tonight’s show, ‘The Prime of Ms David Hoyle’ – he’s in his element. And, as always – perhaps acknowledging some fractured, kindred mind-set – his intentionally smeared make-up is a cosmetic-Cubist’s spin on Liza Minelli. It’s pithy, visual ventriloquism, an instant, persona transplant of Liza’s unshakeable self-belief, an immediate, autocratic departure point for Ms. Hoyle.

    And it’s wholly appropriate. Tonight, David’s manifesting – and inverting – that patronising sense of belonging British schools cram into pitifully vulnerable minds. Quite brilliantly, he’s subverting the crypto-fascist overtones of Muriel Spark’s Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie novel into a school-night for unedited, sexualised scandal. How? With extreme satire, the preferred poison for killer, social comedy since theatre began. Essentially, it’s the freedom to question any standards of etiquette, taste and so-called decency, and push them to blatant heights of self-evident absurdity.
    Therefore – as headmistress in tonight’s mock, end of school-term assembly – David unflinchingly proclaims his inflammatory manifesto. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, and those clever enough to have transcended gender’ he begins, ‘We are now free from the ridiculous expectations of our genitals. It will be trans people, and trans consciousness that will liberate the whole of humanity’.Wow. Simultaneously utopian, hilarious and upstaging blinkered identity politics, it’s a typically stellar David Hoyle starting-gun, but not one winning full approval. One heckler –ex-forces, befuddled, confrontational – obviously feels his servile, binary-sexed values are being mocked, a surly, potential flash-point. But immediately, he’s beautifully love-bombed by David, and instantly evolves from feisty reactionary to besotted disciple.

    How could he not? David’s seductive power of surreal persuasion totally rewrites any opposed punter’s world-view with a stunningly queer lexicon. Fittingly, David queers our global pitch from its first, bedrock principle – education – and, as always, asks gloriously awkward questions.

    ‘Does education make us conform’ David ominously inquires, ‘by hacking off our beautiful eccentricities?’ Oh yes; British state and public schools give a kiss of Guantanomo Bay brutality for arty queens enduring term-time torment. But not tonight, as, quite gorgeously, our devil’s advocate headmistress unleashes three recent graduates of his maverick regime.
    First, there’s Bambi Sexsmith, self-styled, queer conversion therapist, with her projectile-diction sermon on avoiding ‘Straight Complex’. In an assured blizzard of quips, she diagnoses, treats and cures any obstacles to thoroughly liberated, thoroughly queer existence. And, remarkably, that’s just for starters; each fabulously unpredictable prodigy from the Hoyle class of honour ramps the anti-hetero stakes stunningly higher.

    Take Ray, a flawless, drag-king Fred Astaire clone. Tap-dancing like a frenzied needle probing an addict’s veins, she strips to a startling androgyny, all duct-taped, flattened breasts and stencilled six-pack. A take-no-prisoners attack on the mediocre, mundane and pointlessly mean, David’s graduates conclude with the starkest, cautionary warning yet; enter, ‘Cis White Male’.

    Naked, mute and nervous, his name scrawled on his belly, ‘Cis’ is a shocking indictment of state education crushing social and sexual dissent. Is there an antidote? For sure -Ms Hoyle’s fearless call to self-expression at any cost. It’s a fantastically liberating lesson that, ideally, should be taught and memorised from birth, the ferociously humane heart of David’s stunning rejection of global despair. Live free, live fierce, live now; there’s no finer riposte to mindless fascism.

    David’s next show is December 9th at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.

  • Travel Bag Review: Track Jack Board Backpack

    The Track Jack Board Backpack from Crumpler is the first and last bag you will ever need to take when you travel.

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