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  • LEONA: “I was not sure I was going to make another record”

    The Bleeding Heart diva has unveiled the video for Thunder, taken from her new album ‘I Am’, out September 11th.

    However, the making of this album hasn’t been a straight forward process. At one point Leona wasn’t sure whether she was going to make another record, and was writing songs without a specific aim other than the sole, pure purpose of making music again. Luckily, a chance encounter spurred her on when she was invited to a small Fleetwood Mac gig. She had never met them before but has always been a huge Stevie Nicks fan. A friend shoved her forward to meet the band for the first time and Nicks was quick to greet Leona.

    “She grabbed hold of me, hugged me and started singing my song to me. She sang ‘Bleeding Love’ and then she was like: “You have to keep going, we need you, we need your music.” She won’t know what a huge impression she made on me and how much she inspired me and inspired this record but she did give me that spur of encouragement. She is awesome. Everyone needs a Stevie in their life,”

    she laughs.

  • First Woman Born By IVF Delighted For Gay Couples Able To Use IVF To Start Familes

    Louise Brown, the first person in the world to be born through IVF techniques, has told how delighted she is that same sex couples are now able to complete their families through science. (more…)

  • BREAKING: “Consistently” Pro Gay Jeremy Cobryn Voted As The New Labour Leader

    Jeremy Corbyn has been voted in as the new leader of Labour in a landslide election result.

    Jeremy Corbyn has been voted in as the new leader of the Labour party. Mr. Corbyn is an MP who has, according to theyworkforyou.com “consistently” voted for equal gay rights dating back to 1998 when he voted pro on lowering the age of consent to match heterosexuals.

    He got 59% of first preference votes (251,417 votes) – which was 40% more than Mr Burnham who was his nearest rival at 19%. Ms. Cooper was third on 17% and Ms. Kendal coming in with only 4.5% of the vote.

    Jeremy Corbyn beat Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall to the top, after the leadership contest was sparked due to Ed Miliband’s departure following a crushing defeat in the general elections. Tom Watson has been elected the new deputy Labour leader.

    According to the BBC 422,664 votes were cast.

    LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North and candidate in the Labour Party leadership election, speaks to supporters at the Rock Tower on September 10, 2015 in London, England. Voting closed in the Labour Party leadership contest with the results of which due to be announced on…

     

    The MP for Islington North secured 59.5% of the vote in a landslide election, which sees the left-winger politician become the new leader of labour.

  • LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: More than the sum of our parts

    This month, I happened to be invited to a sit down pasta/policy night with a well-known community leader. Around the table I was joined by five colleagues from the LGBT media.

    Yes, we are all individual and no we don’t all like Madonna, musicals or muscles, but there has to be something more than just the love of a certain type of genitalia that unites gay people. What about shared experience? Surely there’s a common understanding of what it feels to feel slightly out of the ‘norm’. We will never be the ‘norm’ just from a statistical point of view, we’ll always be a minority, doesn’t that imply a certain unity?

    Or what about the fear of coming out. Show me someone who has never feared coming out to anyone, and I’ll show you a liar.

    Haven’t we all watched a Hollywood movie with the perfectly presented heteronormative narrative and thought – “wow this does not apply to me in any shape or form?”

    But being gay does go deeper than willies and vaginas. Isn’t it about who we want to fall in love with? Isn’t love greater than that? Isn’t it about with whom we see ourselves growing old with? Isn’t it deeper than the sum of our parts?

    I find comfort in being and feeling part of something. A collective. A unified voice. That’s why pride parades can feel so incredible. All those voices – an incredibly powerful voice with an incredibly powerful message.

    We need to be a clear and strong community, to ensure our voices are still heard and that they continue to be heard. We may have almost legal equality, but there’s still a fight for acceptance and societal equality to be had.

    Enjoy the issue and as always please don’t forget to let us know what you think and rate us on Android and iTunes.

    Feel free to leave your comments below.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dusty, Arrives In London With A Thud

    A new musical about Dusty Springfield arrives in the West End – with a thud. ★★

    There’s something just not right with ‘Dusty,’ which is playing at the Charing Cross Theatre. Could it be the singing? Could it be the acting? Could it be the directing and script? Could it be that it’s multi-media theme just doesn’t work?

    I think it’s all of the above. Let’s start with that multi-media mularcky. The producers are calling this show a ‘Fusion Musical’ which means that the show is a combination of Alison Arnopp performing as Dusty mixed in with videos of the actual Dusty Springfield singing from her various television appearances (American Bandstand – 1964, The Ed Sullivan Show – 1965 and 1968, the Dusty TV series on the BBC – 1966 and 1967, Morecambe & Wise Show – 1970, plus others).

    Twenty video clips are included in the show, and while a few are cleverly done as holograms, it’s unfortunate that these video clips are much better than any live singing that’s performed. And it’s quite funny because the audience claps at the video clips, like they’re actually seeing Dusty live! And it’s not fair to have Arnopp’s voice competing with Springfield’s in the videos.

    And the acting and singing? Well, it’s OK. Arnopp is credible as Dusty. Sure she can sing, and sure she can dress like her, and she definitely can act, but Arnopp is a far cry from the real Dusty. And the wigs she wears? They’re a bit over the top – not her fault, but in a few scenes she looks a bit like a drag queen.

    A bit better is Francesca Jackson as Dusty’s friend Nancy Jones. She’s just as pretty as Dusty yet it’s Dusty who becomes rich and famous, however Jackson is a fine singer in her own right. And Whitney White owns the stage in her short bit as Martha Reeves. She’s bound to a huge star in the West End in a few years time. But Arnopp’s singing is a far cry from any other biography musical that’s currently playing in the West End (think ‘Memphis’ where Beverly Knight wows them every night at the Shaftsbury Theatre and Katie Brayben who brings Carole King to life every night in ‘Beautiful’). The rest of the ensemble are quite good, energetic and vibrant, and I also couldn’t help but notice that they are all very young.

    I’ll have to pin the blame on the direction and the script. Both by Chris Cowey, who used to be a producer on Top of the Pops. It’s not what you had hoped to expect from a musical tribute show to a British legend. Yes, Dusty Springfield is considered a legend, in her heyday and even today. She scored an incredible 18 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1964 to 1970 – her peak years. She was a cultural icon of the 1960s and was one of the best-selling UK singers in that decade. She’s been inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame, and was awarded on OBE. Yet, all this doesn’t seem to matter in the show ‘Dusty.’

    It presents Dusty in flashbacks, with Dusty’s life story told by Nancy to a presenter for the television show ‘Talk of the Town.’ It’s a device that doesn’t quite work. And her sexuality is handled a bit clumsily on the show. She was a Lesbian, and in the show she has a minor relationship with a woman who lives in Los Angeles, but it’s a part of the show that appears to be thrown in at the last minute, and before you know it the relationship is over. It’s an acknowledgement of her sexuality but it’s too quick and not enough.

    ‘Dusty’ opened on 25 May 2015, and had it’s official press night this week. It took 14 weeks for the production team to get this show done as they wanted it. However, another few weeks of additional tweaking won’t really save this production. And they left out any mention of her last hit, which became one of her biggest – What Have I Done to Deserve This – sung with the Pet Shop Boys. It’s a song that past and current generations are familiar with. Instead of ‘Dusty’ being a celebration of her and her career, it’s more like a minor tribute to a woman who deserves to be remembered in a bigger and better show.

    Performance Times:- Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 2:30pm and Saturdays at 3pm

    Run time approx. 2 hours.

    Until November 21. Tickets: 08444 930650; charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

  • FILM REVIEW | Monsters, Dark Continent, Beautifully Chilling

    The highly successful 2010 film ‘Monsters’ saw the arrival of giant tentacled monsters to Earth. It’s sequel ‘Monsters: Dark Continent’ has five army men in a Middle East war zone who are attempting to deal with an insurgency, and dealing with these monsters as well. It’s explosive and shattering.

    (more…)

  • BOOK REVIEW | Jessica’s Ghost by Andrew Norriss

    ★★★★★ | Jessica’s Ghost

    “Why, Francis wondered, should ‘being different’ be so painful? Why did it matter so much when, if you thought about it, everybody was different in one way or another.”

    These days we seem to be hearing a lot more about suicide then we did a few years ago. Stories of people committing suicide for many reasons. But also people thinking about suicide and, thankfully, suicide prevention. Is it an epidemic or are we simply more aware thanks to social media? It’s unclear, but one thing that is obvious is that there is always a reason why people decide to end their lives and usually this reason is called depression.

    The largest group to feel driven to suicide are teenagers and they are often the ones that can’t understand what is going on with them. They are usually unaware of depression so don’t know why they feel the way they do.

    Depressed teens are more often than not the ones that are seen as “different” from the rest for whatever reason and the ones that are bullied. The combination of all this, and the fact that teens find it difficult to communicate their feelings is often what is behind a teenage suicide attempt.

    Knowing all of this it is strange that there are so few books for (pre-)teens that explain depression in a way that is clear but also entertaining at the same time, until now.

    Jessica’s Ghost written by Andrew Norriss is an amazing book that deals with three early teenagers and a (teenage) ghost whom have all experienced depression and feeling “an outsider” for different reasons.

    Most The Gay UK readers might remember Norriss as one of the writer/creators of the classic sitcom The Brittas Empire featuring not only the dishy Chris Barrie (in tight shorts) but also the first and (only) gay couple to feature in a prime-time family BBC1 show. This show was not afraid to tackle difficult subjects for family audience in a funny and witty way and this book is no different.

    Jessica’s Ghost starts with protagonist Francis whom is mocked at school for his love of fashion and sewing and just not fitting in with the crowd. One day he meets a young girl called Jessica and she just happens to be a ghost. Through her his life and the lives of several others change drastically.

    It is a wonderful book and the way it deals with depression and even suicide is beautiful. Even though these subject matters may seem dark, the book is written in a way that is funny and relatable. During the course of many adventures the book describes how depression feels, how important it is to talk and how yes, things will get better.

    Andrew Norriss’ book is a breath of fresh air in a time where many people – including writers- still shy away from discussing mental health issues especially for young people despite a clear need for this.

    I feel this book should be recommended by (child) psychologists to help bring a better understanding about depression. Having been through this myself as a teenager I know that a book like this would have certainly helped me a lot.

     

    Available on Amazon

  • Harvey Fierstein Backs Southwark Show Casa Valentina

    Harvey Fierstein, the theatre genius who brought us Torch Song Trilogy and La Cage aux Folles, is the man behind two productions opening concurrently in London.

    Kinky Boots, a musical version of the 2005 film, (which everyone’s heard about and dying to see) opens next week at the Adelphi Theatre. And his other new show, Casa Valentina, is at the Southwark Playhouse with previews beginning Sept. 10th. And like Kinky, Casa Valentina comes direct from Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony Awards.

    It’s a story about the lives of several men who escape their humdrum Manhattan lives (and summer heat) and head on the weekends to the Catskill mountains. Not only are they escaping the summer heat, they are also escaping from their lives.

    You see, these men like to dress as women. And in Casa Valentina, they leave their family and friends behind and become their inner selves. And in this first look at the production, we see some of the cast getting transformed into their costumes.

    Expect a full review of the show next week!

    Casa Valentina is currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse.

  • Interview: Why We Need A Gay Film Festival In Shropshire

    This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Shropshire Rainbow Film Festival that takes place annually in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. (more…)

  • MUSIC REVIEW: Claire Richards: Deeper Shade Of Blue

    Erstwhile member of pop juggernaut outfit Steps, Claire Richards, gave us all a welcome surprise a few days ago when she posted a stripped-down version of one of their biggest hits ‘Deeper Shade Of Blue’ onto Soundcloud. ★★★★

    One of their most uptempo slices, this version forms a piano-led, torch song with an aching and alluring vocal from Richards, reminiscent of Barbara Streisand at her most devastated.

    The morose and bittersweet lyrics coupled with the quintessential passionate production from Steve Anderson make for one of the best songs to be released this year as summer begins to darken.

    This is light years away from anything Richards has previously released and is a wonderful tribute to her earlier career. In the wrong hands this could have been overblown, but Anderson and Richards seem to have tapped into a magical, yet simple blueprint.

    I’m not sure we can expect such success with a downtempo version of 5,6,7,8, but here’s hoping that this could lead to something quite special and fitting of the cruelly underrated Richards’s undeniable talent.

    Simply magnificent and irresistible.

    BUY THIS ON AMAZON

    by Nick Smith | @peripatenic

  • Caitlyn Jenner Is Onboard With “Transphobic” Halloween Costume

    It looks as though Caitlyn Jenner is totally okay with the Halloween costume which many on social media had called transphobic.

    In an interview with Today’s Matt Lauer he asked the 65-year-old former Olympian,

    “When you hear that there are companies out there that want to do Caitlyn Jenner costumes for Halloween from the Vanity Fair cover, are you in on the joke or do you think it’s offensive?

    Jenner replied:

    “I’m in on the joke. I don’t think it’s offensive at all.”

    “I know the community does and they’ve gotten a lot of criticism for doing it. I think it’s great.”

    She went on to say:

    “They could have a better looking outfit for him [the model], you know? I mean, that was a serious bustier on the cover of Vanity Fair, you know?”

    A petition which called the costume transphobic has attracted over 16,000 signatures to get the costume removed from retailers.

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