An American musical about a waitress who bakes amazing pies to cope with life sounds too whimsical for words. You’d expect to come out of the theatre feeling more nauseated than if you’d eaten an oven full of apple pies with whipped cream. This belter of a show is a surprising gem, though. Yes, it’s feel-good and frothy with sections that play out like a sex comedy but it’s also poignant and achingly sad, at times.
Based on the 2007 indie flick, it’s the story of Jenna (Katherine McPhee), a small town diner waitress who’s unintentionally become pregnant by her abusive loser husband who she dreams of leaving. To complicate things further, she’s smitten with her obstetrician (David Hunter). It’s also a story of the power of female friendship, with her colleagues, ditzy virgin Dawn (Laura Baldwin) and fierce Becky (Marisha Wallace) supporting her in her dilemma.
Katherine McPhee is staggering with a voice that could shatter the hardest of heart as she belts out the repertoire of rock/folk songs by singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles. She’s amply paired with David Hunter as the likeable and unlikely heartthrob doctor. It’s a sweet rom-com with cracking music and a versatile set that sweeps you off to small-town America.
There’s nothing not to like here. The songs are great, if occasionally forgettable, the cast nail it and the story is watchable. It’s fun and occasionally thought-provoking. Well worth seeing.
Waitress plays at the Adelphi Theatre, until October 2019, Book Tickets Here
For those of you who didn’t tune into Big Bro in the summer of 2016, Sam Giffen was one of the four gay guys the producers put into the house, can anyone say drama?
We caught up with the surprisingly down to earth Northern lad to run our hands through his thick lush hair and talk, thinking deep and Tina Turner – of course.
JH: What kind of student were you as a kid?
SG: I must admit I was a little shit at school. I was the kid that was always getting told off in class. Always had to sit at the front in lessons so I didn’t distract anyone else. I was hardworking, I wasn’t the brightest kid, but I definitely made an impact on the rest of my classmates. Bit of class clown.
JH: What did you want to be when you grew up?
SG: I was 11 and I wrote down saying I wanted to be a hairdresser, and I am a hairdresser. I was 14. I remember saying, “I want to be on Big Brother!” and ten years later it happened!
JH: What’s your happiest memory?
SG: Maybe, getting the Big Brother confirmation call. That was a massive thing for me to achieve at this age. And probably with my ex. Falling in love. The moments like that, that don’t happen very often.
JH: Have you got a guilty pleasure?
SG: My guilty pleasure is probably Tina Turner. I’d watch her all day on YouTube.
JH: What are you most afraid of in life?
SG: Losing people. I’ve lost people before. Close family and relatives. I think being on my own in the future. I’ve got a very small family, so it’s something I’m not looking forward to.
JH: What annoys you most about you?
SG: Probably my lack of motivation for the gym. I am such a food whore, I’d rather sit and eat 10 burgers rather than do ten sit-ups at the gym.
JH: If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would you invite?
SG: Tina Turner, Whitney Houston – I’d bring her back, I think she’s got some good old party stories to tell and also my Nan. A proper diva party.
JH: How old were you when you first did the deed?
SG: I have to be honest with you, I actually can’t remember. How bad is that? I honestly don’t remember. I think I must have been about 16… 16 or 17!
JH: Would you change that experience?
SG: Yes. I’d want to remember it. I’d like to know when it was and probably who it was with! (Laughs)
JH: What’re the top 3 things on your bucket list?
SG: I’ve done one of them – Big Brother, Travel the world, Meeting and greeting with Tina Turner. This might have well be called the Tina Turner interview. (Laughs).
JH: What keeps you up at night?
SG: I’m a deep thinker. I think too much at night. I think about the past a lot, which is not the best thing to do. I need to learn to live for the moment.
JH: What’s your best physical feature?
SG: My smile. I’ve got quite a moody face when I’m not smiling.
JH: What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learned?
SG: Not to take life too seriously and make the most of your loved ones
This interview was taken from Issue 24, release December 2016
If you’ve ever wanted to try something different in the bedroom, maybe it’s time to try tantric. Greg Mitchell explains
(C) BIGSTOCK
It seems to me that these days we do everything in a rush, and that includes sex. It’s on tap. Just open up that little app on your phone, and you can be f**king in minutes. Quick and easy. You can even organise a quickie for your lunch hour, and be back in your office with nobody any the wiser about what kind of sausage sandwich you had for your lunch.
Well tantra is something different. Even if you are in a relationship, when was the last time you and your partner actually took time to make love, made an evening of it, an evening of exploring each other’s bodies? So, for Valentine ’s Day, why not try something different? Instead of going for a romantic, and usually rather expensive, dinner out somewhere, followed by a tipsy quickie when you get home before going to sleep, why not have a quick light meal, and spend the rest of the evening exploring and enjoying each other’s bodies?
Here are a few tips on tantric massage to help get you started.
You can make an evening of it, take turns to massage each other. You can make it a prelude to sex or you can spend an entire evening massaging each other. Either way, you will achieve greater intimacy than you normally do. Admittedly it requires a little preparation, but I guarantee you it will be worth it.
Prepping.
Now most of us don’t have a massage table, but I would suggest taking things off the bed, and even out of the bedroom if you can. Why not spread some cushions on the floor and cover them with a duvet, a large sheet and some towels. As you’re going to be doing some massage, then the floor will also offer a firmer surface. If you have a futon, then that would be even better.
Candlelight is an absolute must, scented candles are even better, as are incense sticks (I particularly like Nitraj Original natural Masala incense available from Buddha on a Bicycle in Covent Garden). Music is also very important. There are plenty of massage, new age and tantra albums out there, but I’ve put together my own playlist, which is a mixture of all sorts; selections from chill out albums like Buddha Bar and Café del Mar, classical pieces, and bits and pieces I’ve downloaded from various tantra albums. I put it on shuffle, so I never know quite what is coming next, but the music often dictates the speed of my massage strokes, and even the pressure. My playlist is on spotify and if you are a member, you too can subscribe to my list.
Start off with loose clothing.
So we have now set up the room, we have created a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and it’s time to create the intimacy and the bond that will carry us through the next few hours. It’s best if you start in loose, easy to remove clothing. Stand facing your partner, take each other’s hands and close your eyes. Let the music wash over you and slow your breathing down, taking deep breaths deep down into your diaphragm. Then, eyes still closed start to explore each other’s bodies through your clothes. You will be amazed how sensuous this can feel. Don’t be afraid to touch each other’s intimate parts, but don’t concentrate on them either. Really feel all over each other’s bodies, and finish this section by holding each other closely for a few minutes, enjoying the intimacy and feeling of just being held. Then you can start to undress each other. Again, take your time. This can be unbelievably erotic. Caress each other’s bodies as you take off each item of clothing. Make love to each other’s bodies. Once naked, hold each other again, before lying down and starting on the massage proper.
One thing tantric massage emphatically is not is a rub down followed by a hand job. In fact Joseph Kramer, tantric massage guru, once stated, “The difference between Tao Erotic Massage and a hand job is the difference between banging on a piano and playing Mozart.” Now you are ready to start playing Mozart.
Choice of massage oils is personal.
Good ones are almond oil and coconut oil, but you could equally use baby oil. It can bea good idea to warm it on a radiator before using it, and then pour it into your hands first before rubbing it into your partner’s body. I usually start with my client face down and start on the back, sweeping my hands down to the buttocks. Play with your partner’s body. Remember what feels good for you will no doubt feel good for him too. Try it now. Gently caress one of your arms with your free hand. Doesn’t it feel good? You have magic in your hands. Use it.
Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to the naughty bits.
(C) BIGSTOCK
Take your time to get to know each other’s bodies. This is where you get to find those erogenous zones you didn’t know you had before. Also remember that, once you do get to massage the more intimate areas, whether it be the prostate or the genitals, your aim is to make your partner feel good and prolong orgasm, not just to bring him off. Use lots of lube if massaging the prostate, and plenty of oil on the genitals. Don’t just jerk him off. Play with his cock, caress it, massage it. You’ll be surprised at his reactions. Ejaculation may or may not happen. It is not the be all and end all of a massage. In fact, it is possible to achieve a full body orgasm without actually ejaculating.
This is just a tiny snapshot of how you can incorporate something more sensual into your lovemaking, but if any of this has excited your curiosity, then take a look at
Frankie Grande is back out on the prowl and has revealed that he’s dating again – and is not ruling out another three-way relationship.
After he recently revealed that his three-way relationship hadn’t worked out, Frankie Grande has revealed that he’s dating again and “and ready to meet whoever is the right person or persons out there for me.”
He hasn’t ruled out another thruple either saying he was ready for the “right person or persons”.
Speaking about single life Frankie said, “When [I became] publicly single, I got so many messages from boys that I had not spoken to in so long on Valentine’s Day, being like, ‘Boo, what are you doing today? How you doing?’ I was literally like, ‘Oh, my God, wait, what’s happening?
He added, “I think the single people smell that I’m single.”
LGBT+ activist and Pride’s Got Talent Finalist, Andrea Di Giovanni, is set to release the pulsing queer hit you’ve been waiting for.
The new track mixes strong synth backing with powerhouse vocals on the topic of self-liberation. Andrea believes we should “let go of everything that holds us back, so we can thrive and do what we love”, and ‘Bang’ is a track that reminds listeners to lose their inhibitions and live in the moment.
As a rising pop star and activist, Andrea’s music resonates not only with the LGBT+ community but with the pop music scene as a whole. With the main focus on “making a difference” and using the platform they have to inspire positive change, ‘Bang’ is a track that holds no barriers, persuades no minds, and allows the listener to simply break free and enjoy music.
Andrea Di Giovanni is an openly gay gender-fluid pop artist, from Italy and based in London, UK. Andrea’s unigue performance style has led the singer to be scouted by many well-known pop stars, such as 80’s pop icon Sinitta who stated the performer was, “A star… original and fantastic”.
Andrea’s music finds roots in the struggle for equality, combining memorable melodies with empowering messages of self-acceptance.
Bang will be released on Friday 8th March, and available via music platforms Apple Music and Spotify.
As I drive through the Welsh town of Pontypool I’ve lived in since I was born, with a population of approximately 36,000 people, I’m surprised to see a rainbow flag flying high outside the civic centre in the middle of the town. It’s LGBT history month, but the flag doesn’t just stay up during February. Instead, it has become a permanent feature, flying proudly with the Welsh flag and the European Union flag.
Whilst the future of the flying European flag is uncertain, the rainbow flag is there to stay. In this tiny Welsh town, it is almost historic. I’m a 23-year-old Welsh boy that struggled with coming to terms with my sexuality.
Wales’ track record of LGBT rights is a little bit hazy, but in 2018 The National Assembly for Wales was recognised as the top employer in Wales for LGBT employees. This sort of movement is quite a good sign of how Wales has changed over the years. We have gay clubs that are thriving, venues that host drag queen shows, and the smaller towns are beginning to accept what is normal. Just last year, Newbridge Memorial Hall hosted a drag queen event.
Growing up gay in Wales, I found it incredibly difficult. The town I live in is rather behind the times: we have poverty, we have more empty shops than booming ones, and the people who live here are rather set in their ways. We’re a country run mostly by Labour, yet my area voted leave, and many conversations I hear are in support of a Tory government and a hard Brexit.
As I grew up, the rather cliché saying of ‘knowing I was different’ rang true. I didn’t get along with ‘the lads’. I’d rather stand on the railings singing Girls Aloud – mainly Nicola’s lines; I was always Nicola – than play football. I got taunted for being a ‘girl’.
It hurt, but being young I didn’t really know what that meant. Then, through secondary school, I experienced almost daily taunts of ‘gay boy’, ‘faggot’ and ‘bender’. As puberty kicked in and feelings for guys intensified, so did the bullying, as hormones raged in every teenage boy in school, and the idea of a ‘queer’ being anywhere near them repulsed them. I remember experiencing comments from teachers. PE teachers would always treat me like a stereotypical ‘gay boy’ that would rather be brushing my hair than learning the rules of football. I remember a few of my PE classmates disappearing for a class to go on a drama trip. To snickers from the rest of my class, my teacher said, “so all the poofs have gone off to watch show tunes.”
No one blinked an eye at this comment.
Lisa McNally is a mother from Cwmbran, South Wales. She witnessed her son, Lewis, now twenty years of age, experience homophobic bullying. She agreed to talk to me to discuss her son’s bullying, as she thought it was important that parents who are aware of their children’s sexuality should be there to support them. “I have a son who grew up in Cwmbran and attended the local comprehensive school. He endured daily abuse from his peers and from the teachers. When I attended the school, I was informed by several teachers that Lewis should not tell people he was gay, and that he wouldn’t be bullied.”
When Lisa questioned why such a comment had been made, the teachers told her that her son would not be received well in the community. “I was told to remember that Cwmbran was still a village and ‘forcing the gay agenda’ wasn’t warmly received.”
“I have walked through school with Lewis to chants of ‘faggot’, ‘gay boy’, ‘bummer’, and I have endured this when walking through the town centre with Lewis, too. He ignores them. I found it hard to do so.”
Such was the regularity of her son’s bullying that Lisa visited the school Lewis attended in the hopes of stopping his heavy bullying. “I have walked through school with Lewis to chants of ‘faggot’, ‘gay boy’, ‘bummer’, and I have endured this when walking through the town centre with Lewis, too. He ignores them. I found it hard to do so.”
Lisa notes, however, that when the pair shopped in Cardiff, there were no comments and barely any stares from the people in the city centre. It paints an image that whilst city centres were more forward thinking, small Welsh towns were still very much being left behind. Due to Lewis’ bullying, he dropped out of school and left with no education. Lisa described that her son felt suicidal, and whilst better now, he did suffer with depression. Lewis said that ‘being made to go to school every day’ made him feel vulnerable, and his experience was a ‘living hell’.
Once I was out of school, like Lewis, I began to accept who I was and embrace it. It wasn’t until I started working as an eighteen-year-old that I was confident to admit that feelings for guys were there. I began by admitting to my friends. Yet I was still afraid of declaring that I was gay; the liberation of saying I liked both sexes was a step in the right direction.
Matthew Cleverly, an actor originally from Pontypool but moved to London to study, realised he was bisexual when meeting a group of like-minded individuals. Being in the same year as me in the same school, Matthew and I observed the treatment of those individuals that did ‘come out’. ‘Looking back I remember a few of my friends coming out as LGBTQ+ and although some were accepted by friendship groups and families relatively easily, others were harassed, bullied and rejected.’
Matthew reflects that as he grew up in the Welsh valleys, he suppressed a part of himself. “I didn’t grow up queer in Wales. It was only after I moved out that I realised what was always there. I’d moved to London to go to drama school, and was also, at that point in a four-year relationship with a girl. It wasn’t until I was given the freedom to move away from the judgement of a small-town, Welsh community, and was thrust into a supportive, creative environment, in which I had to constantly self-analyse, that I began to discover and accept the other side of myself.
“I realised that I had taken the path of least resistance my whole life,” Matthew continues. “And although the relationships I had were real and loving, I hadn’t been fully there because I was always concealing a piece of myself – even from myself.”
Matthew believes that part of his reasoning for not acknowledging his bisexuality was because of a lack of LGBT role models. ‘Not having strong queer role models definitely aided in me not coming out for so long. In a place such as small-town Wales, feeling different can be so much more isolating, because you can’t see anything beyond your circumstance. It’s important to remember that although you may feel you’re not in the right place now, you will find your tribe eventually, and they will love you for exactly who you are.’
Finding my own tribe was a key feature in my acceptance. Some of my best friends were also ‘experimenting’ with the same gender, and being able to talk honestly to people after so many years of hiding feelings was like a freedom movement.
At eighteen, I began to go out on the nightclub scene. In the town of Newport, I’d regularly have a group of same-dressed looking boys glaring at me from across the dance floor as I dared sing along to Miley Cyrus. I’d have people double take when they saw me kiss a man. Going out on nights out in my hometown was a whole other story. When waiting at the cash point one night, stood alone and not doing anything remotely attention seeking, a guy across the road shouted at me, “OI, FAGGOT!” Mature and annoyed by this, I turned to leave. But he wasn’t done. He shouted, “Yeah, that’s right. Fuck off before I punch you.”
At the same time, I discovered Cardiff’s gay scene. With new friends, I would go out and play the field. Cardiff was a lot more liberating than that of Pontypool or Newport.
Jennie Scrivin, from Pontypool, found solace in Cardiff’s gay scene when she was discovering that she was a lesbian. “There wasn’t a lot of gay people when I was growing up. Coming out was hard. Would I be accepted? I’d spend every night out on the gay scene, but that was in bigger cities, not my little town. I felt like I finally fitted in.”
At eighteen, Jennie came out and is now in a relationship. Older, and out, Jennie remarks that attitudes are beginning to change. “It’s not a taboo word anymore. I just hope it continues to become more and more accepted.”
I have to stress that growing up during my teenage years, I really did find it difficult to come to terms with who I was. I turned to a blade to keep my emotions at bay, and to cope with who I was I regularly sought solace in online webcam sites, where there were men and teenagers like me that felt the same. As I got older, I accepted who I was. I soon admitted that I was gay, rather than bisexual, and when I told my parents, they really couldn’t care less. I think my dad nodded and then said, “What do you want from the chip shop?”
Small Welsh towns still have a lot to do to promote inclusivity. When working in a pub in the town in 2016, I would regularly hear homophobic slurs. To the people saying them, they were just jokes. But to a gay bartender who had overheard, I had to bite my tongue. To promote inclusivity, Welsh towns could support those who are growing up gay that may feel afraid to tell anyone who they are. When I was younger, there were no support groups. Whilst I suspect many older adults such as teachers realised I was gay before me, I was never questioned on it in a nice way or made to feel like I could talk to someone about how I felt.
Yet every time I drive past the rainbow flag in the centre of my small town, I feel that sense of pride. I remember that there are people there that accept me for who I am and that flying a flag of many colours not only represents the gay people in my town, but the lesbian, bisexual, transgender and the queer community.
A small Welsh town that I call home is opening their arms and embracing change, and that is something we must all support.
It’s Barbie Bi**h!: With Barbie’s 60th birthday approaching on the 9th of March. London based artist and illustrator Phaedra Peer has captured what Barbie would like today if she was a real woman.
(C) Phaedra Peer
Phaedra has created this painting as a way of dispelling the myths of celebrity and model perfection. She highlights with this piece the fake and unrealistic representation of perfection within our society. A representation that has become more prevalent with the rise of social media platforms such as Instagram. Let’s face it who hasn’t used Face Tune to iron out last night’s mistakes in Heaven…
We all now seem obsessed with the concept of being “perfect” but this concept isn’t realistic. “Perfection” is unattainable and that isn’t a bad thing. Phaedra emphasises that we should celebrate natural beauty and diversity, not just the blonde, tanned and blue-eyed doll.
Now you may be thinking what has Barbie got to do with the predominantly male readership of THEGAYUK?
“…increasingly men are being put under the same pressure of being “perfect”, as our female counterparts. Whether you’re gay, straight, bi or anything in between, this pressure applies.
Well to put it bluntly for every Barbie, there is a Ken and increasingly men are being put under the same pressure of being “perfect”, as our female counterparts. Whether you’re gay, straight, bi or anything in between, this pressure applies. If I scroll down my Instagram feed now, I will be swamped with pictures of fitness models and influencers with Adonis-like bodies and flawless skin.
Now the fact is, these people don’t look like this in real life. By no means am I bashing fitness models or influences and I’m not saying they are not attractive people. What I am saying though, is that the perception of these people given through social media is highly edited. Working in this industry, I know that these photos are edited and the images are composed in a specific way, with specific lighting. This is all done to create the desired effect for the shot and portray a specific and often unrealistic representation of reality.
So, what should we take away from this representation of Barbie?
We should remember that beauty comes in all shapes and forms. That there is no such thing as “perfection” and we should all really aspire to be people not because of their looks but for their actions.
The Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities, Cllr John Cotton has spoken out at the anti-LGBT protest held at Parkfield Community School in Birmingham.
“Birmingham City Council’s first priority will always be to stand up for the rights of all children, whoever they are and whatever kind of family they are from. This city is built upon diversity and we value and celebrate difference as a strength.
“For many years, the council has supported various programmes, including No Outsiders, as a means of promoting the values of the 2010 Equality Act and ensuring all protected characteristics are respected. We have also championed the importance of ongoing dialogue and consultation with parents, so everyone is clear about what is and is not being taught in the classroom.
“We remain concerned at the continued protests by parents of Parkfield School and urge both the school and parents to come together in the spirit of cooperation in the best interests of the children. Parkfield School is an academy, but in spite of the restrictions this places upon the council’s scope to act, officers have been closely involved in supporting Parkfield and its staff.
“We are working with the Regional Schools Commissioner – which is responsible for academies – to address this issue. Whilst we recognise that parents have concerns, continuing protests only serve to attract extreme fringe movements taking an opportunity to further messages of division and hate.
“In recent days, we have been appalled to see attempts to divide the people of our city by using insulting and incendiary language targeting the LGBT community. This has no place in our city. Birmingham is a place of tolerance and mutual respect, where people of all faiths and none, all sexualities, all ethnicities, come together in pursuit of a common aim. This council will continue to champion these values and support all communities in putting them into action.”
If you like rugby there is the Hull Roundheads RUFC. They are a team of over 35 players and are an inclusive club where men of any gender, sexuality and race can come together for the love of the sport and get into rugby
We’d like to expand this list. If you run or manage an LGBT+ sports club and would like to be listed here, please leave a comment below and we’ll be in touch.
The Echo devices are Amazon’s popular voice-controlled speakers or TV screens, with improved sound and audio detection over the previous versions of the device. They allow you to stream music, tv shows and even call, for free, anyone else with another Echo device.
You can even use the clever Echo system to turn on and off lights,adjust thermostats, lock doors, find TV shows, and more with compatible connected devices.
Unfortunately the Echo Spot won’t be available until March, with the earliest shipping date slated for the 16th March. However you can order it now and benefit from the lower price.
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The UK’s largest LGBT+ charity Stonewall says it is pleased that Parkfield Community School has reaffirmed its approached to LGBT+ acceptance.
Stonewall UK, the UK’s largest LGBT+ charity has stood by Parkfield Community Primary and its “No Outsiders” campaign saying that it is vital that children “learn about and celebrate diversity at all ages”, but added that it was essential for the school to work with the parents and the wider community to resolved their concerns.
The school has been planning to deliver around five lessons to its pupils during the year.
“This approach also teaches children the invaluable lesson of acceptance, reducing the likelihood of bullying in the long run”
Wiltshire continued, “Schools that strive to create inclusive environments do so because they know the benefits this has for the whole school community. Not only do children feel able to talk about who they are and who their families are, but this approach also teaches children the invaluable lesson of acceptance, reducing the likelihood of bullying in the long run.
“We work closely with many faith schools and faith communities around the country to help them deliver LGBT-inclusive education to children and young people.
“We’re pleased Parkfield Community School has reaffirmed its commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all its pupils and we’re also pleased that it’s planning more conversations with parents and the wider community to resolve concerns, because the support of the community is essential in creating this inclusive approach.’
