THEGAYUK

Tag: Edinburgh News

Get the latest LGBT+ Edinburgh news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Fat Friends The Musical – Edinburgh

    ★★★☆☆ | Fat Friends The Musical, Edinburgh Playhouse

    *Review taken from the Sheffield production*

    As her wedding day approaches, Kelly buys her dream wedding dress, even though it is two sizes too small for her.

    When Julia Fleshman, the head of a national slimming club chain, comes to town to judge a slimming contest live on TV, Kelly ends up going viral with her body confident comments; and seizing the opportunity for some publicity, Fleshman offers to pay for Kelly’s wedding if she can slim into the dress in time for the big day. But with the wedding only six weeks away, the pressure is on…

    Fat Friends is very much a piece of crowd-pleasing theatre. Pulling together multiple stories of the good folk of Headingly, a town near Leeds, the stage is filled with likeable, if slightly caricatured, characters and is a straightforward evening of undemanding fun.

    The show boasts a good cast, with Jodie Prenger taking the lead as Kelly, and doing so with a cocky northern confidence and a belting singing voice. Sam Bailey (The X-Factor) is great as Kelly’s Mum and Natasha Hamilton (from Atomic Kitten) is the scheming Julia Fleshman. Thrown into the mix is an affable turn from Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street) and ex-cricketer Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, who takes to the stage and fares better than expected with a slightly stilted, if not tongue in cheek, portrayal of Kevin, Kelly’s nice but dim fiancé.

    The songs are amiable enough and used to move the story forward, and whilst they were perfectly pleasant to listen to and shoehorned a few laughs into the lyrics, they served their purpose well enough in terms of keeping up the show upbeat and jolly, but were ultimately fairly forgettable. The live orchestra added to the atmosphere within the theatre and the set design was a colourful cartoonish affair which was well lit and effective in its simplicity.

    Written and directed by Kay Mellor, who wrote the original TV series that the show is based on; Fat Friends is a rather loud, boisterous and upbeat show, which really resonates with its target audience. It’s a rather clichéd musical by numbers, with a heavy-handed script, fairly trite lyrics and a rather unsubtle approach to its humour, but what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for with likeable characters, a few good belly laughs and buckets-full of near the knuckle, northern charm.

    Fat Friends is at the Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh until the 22nd April 2018, book tickets click here

  • 52 guys got completely starkers to raise money for testicular cancer in this calendar

    Praise be!

    The Naked Rugby Players calendar is here and it contains 52 nekkid mens!

    Six LGBT rugby clubs around Britain got starkers earlier this year to raise awareness for both inclusive rugby and the importance for guys to check their tackle for lumps and bumps, in partnership with the Balls To Cancer charity.

    From Edinburgh to London, Swansea to Manchester, Northampton to Newcastle, the teams braved the cold, the driving rain (and the rare occasion of sunshine) to bare all on the pitch, locker rooms and showers. Money raised from the sales of calendars help support the clubs involved and the Balls To Cancer charity.

    Photographer Monty McKinnen said,
    “Turning up to each club was a challenge as we didn’t know who the players would be, or how comfortable they’d be when we asked them to strip and get up close to pose with each other. It turned out in the end they didn’t need much encouragement to derobe. In fact at one club we turned around to find them all stood there naked on the pitch before I’d even got the camera out!

    “I have so much admiration for these guys who bared all for charity. 200,000 men are diagnosed with cancer every year. 80,000 of those will die from their cancer. It’s time we got to grips and get a hand on the situation. I hope this calendar empowers guys to check their packages more often and to feel comfortable talking about male cancers.”

    One in two men will suffer cancer in the UK during their lifetimes. Cancers which are detected early, such as testicular cancer, are beatable – but only if the message gets through that men should check their equipment regularly, which is why the Calendar features a cheeky monthly reminder.

    In total 52 guys of all shapes and sizes got completely naked for the calendar, which the organisers hope will bring much needed attention to testicular cancer and the importance of LGBT+ inclusive sports in the UK.

    The calendar is available to purchase directly from the Naked Rugby Players’ website or from Amazon

  • Motorists are being baffled by clashing speed limits

    Motorists have been left baffled after council workers painted two conflicting speed restrictions on the same road.

    CREDIT: SWNS

    • New restrictions are limiting speed limits to 20 mph across Edinburgh.

    • Around 80 per cent of Edinburgh’s road will have a limit of 20 mph.

    • Motorists caught speeding could be fined £100 and three penalty points.

    A controversial city-wide 20mph limit is set to be introduced across Edinburgh this year and some streets are already being painted with the new restriction.

    But on one road in Edinburgh, this has led to confusion with one side of the road saying the limit is 20mph and the other saying it is 30mph.

    Motorists have expressed their confusion on social media with one calling the situation “hilarious”.

    But council bosses have sought to reassure bemused drivers with the new limit set to come into force across much of the city a month from today on February 28.

    Similar signs have been spotted at the Leith Walk end of London Road.

    Accompanying the painted warnings will be traditional speed limit signs at the side of the road.

    The painted notifications of speed limits are part of a pioneering scheme to introduce 20mph limits across 80 per cent of Edinburgh’s roads.

    The initiative was rolled out in the city centre and rural west of Edinburgh last August to a groundswell of initial opposition – with a 2700 signature petition to get the decision reversed.

    CREDIT: SWNS

    AA spokesman Ian Crowder welcomed 20mph zones but only where “appropriate” – such as roads with schools.

    He said,

    “Most collisions occur in these types of streets and there’s a significant difference between hitting someone at 20mph, when there’s a good chance they’ll survive, and 30mph where there’s a good chance they’ll be killed.”

    But blanket 20mph zones across cities could be “counter-productive”, warns the motoring association.

    Mr Crowder added,

    “I would caution against putting 20mph limits across every street without good reason.
    “Drivers can become irritated by it. The majority of people respect 30mph limits but 20mph is quite slow and people can start to ignore them.”

    But subsequent city-wide consultations reported positive feedback – amid some remaining concerns around increased congestion, road safety and longer journey times.

    The scheme is the first of its kind in Scotland and is expected to be fully rolled-out by next January with £100 fines and three penalty points for drivers caught speeding.

    Key arterial routes are among the few that will retain 30 and 40mph limits.

    Bosses at Lothian Buses have previously warned the new limits could lead to higher fares and poorer services.

    A council spokesman explained the signs with the 30mph limit were for vehicles exiting onto the nearby Portobello Road while the 20mph is for those driving onto the residential street of Craigentinny Crescent.

    He said,

    “The 30mph road marking signifies the speed limit on Portobello Road on to which drivers exit.
    “This will be reinforced by an adjacent road sign signalling the end of the 20mph zone, which will be erected before the 20mph limit comes into force in this area on February 28.
    “The 20mph road marking refers to the 20mph speed limit on Craigentinny Crescent.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Compulsion

    ★★★ | Compulsion

    What’s your secret? What do you do in private that you wouldn’t share with anyone? What happens if the quiet, secret compartments in our heads start to invade our consciousness? And if the curtains are torn down for all to see, could we survive? Would we adapt or die?

    Tom Staunton’s a nice guy. A genuinely nice guy. A little damaged and a little quirky. Who isn’t? But his secrets and compulsions are coming to the fore in a very public way that he can’t control. The voices in his head won’t keep quiet. They have to be heard. What’s his secret? Why is it tearing him apart? Is any part of our nature as human beings too shameful for others to see?

    Join Tom as we examine the dark corners of his mind. Meet the different facets of his personality that hold power over him and witness the incidents in his past that have made him who he is.

    Compulsion is a darkly comic journey into one man’s sub-conscience. Tune into the noise in his mind that simultaneously tortures him and helps him to keep going. Witness the struggle of having to live with oneself.

    As I arrived at the theatre, I was amazed to see an empty stage with just two actors and a chair. I knew this was going to be a true Fringe performance. As I sat down and began to cool down, I was instantly drawn in. Evidently, we were dealing with a gay man being haunted by the different elements of his subconscious. We were presented with three variations of his psyche played by Kim Maouhoub, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe.

    We were immediately transported into Tom’s mind by the exquisite use of lighting that matched perfectly with the angst dealt Declan Cooke’s character. Kim Maouhoub, who had an air of Helena Bonham Carter, played her parts brilliantly. Each new character portrayed was performed beautifully with excellent characterization. The other two actors, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe were also great with real determination and emotion in their performance.

    The only downside was the length; it only lasted just under 50 minutes with the majority of the time being the scene changes. An interruption which I feel could have been done better. I would have liked to have seen the play developed more and made into more of a developed narrative rather than a glimpse into his innermost thoughts. Furthermore, the LGBT themes seemed to be a bit cliché; a gay man with an abusive past that had been accused of being a paedophile. It is these clichés that I wish were avoided. Instead I would have liked to have seen a deeper dive into Tom’s mind and even perhaps not having a clear and concise answer to why he felt the way he did, however all in all an excellent and true Fringe performance.

    More details in the link below:
    https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/compulsion

    Or feel free to ‘Follow’ them on Twitter: @thecompulsion or ‘Like’ the page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Keep-You-Company-thecompulsion/533083020145519?sk=timeline

    Final words: An interesting production with clichéd themes. Definitely worth a view if you’re in the area especially for Kim Maouhoub. Not bad!

  • REVIEW | Deborah Frances-White, Half a Can of Worms

    ★★★★★ | Deborah Frances-White, Half a Can of Worms

    Deborah Frances-White was adopted at ten days old and up until late October 2012 she had no idea who or where her birth family were.

    An extraordinary run of events meant that she was suddenly living as a round the clock internet Nancy Drew, finding out more information every hour about her birth mother, aunts, uncles, grandparents and even possibly half brothers and sisters. What she is learnt was that you can’t open half a can of worms.
    Armed with a cut price private detective, a lot of social media to trawl through and a template of her own distinctive eyebrows, Deborah navigated her way through a family search that would have flummoxed lesser mortals.

    This is a rare feat: narrative stand-up that is warm and moving and very human. The audience is instantly on Deborah’s side and her persona has the room eating out of her hand. She even helped an elderly lady turn off her ringing phone without the slightest hint of irritation. Stand up comedians can be terribly nice as well as being very funny.

    The show is well composed, backed up by well put together film clips and manages to entertain with a ripping yarn as a backdrop. Deborah certainly deserves to have a hit show with this piece.

    Catch the show at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 1st to the 25th of August
    Buy tickets here: https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/deborah-frances-white-half-a-can-of-worms

  • Police in Scotland call for condom ban in Edinburgh saunas

    Police in Edinburgh have called for a ban of ‘all items of a sexual nature’, including condoms in all saunas in Edinburgh, in a move which could put lives at risk.

    Police Scotland want condoms banned from all saunas across the Scottish Capital, including the two gay saunas that are based in the city.

    The story being widely reported is that a number of heterosexual saunas or saunas that are known to have sex workers working there are affected by the potential ban, but speaking to a gay sauna in Edinburgh TheGayUK has discovered that the ban would also have an impact on all gay saunas in Scotland.

    The police set out the contentious plans in a letter which was delivered to the city’s licensing committee, who is deciding on the license renewals on several of the city’s saunas.

    The letter asks the licensing committee to include new licensing conditions, one of which included: “no items of a sexual nature will be permitted on the premises”.

    A Police Scotland spokesman said,

    ‘Police Scotland recently provided reports to the Council Regulatory Committee in respect of a number of public entertainment licence renewals.

    ‘In cases where there was evidence of criminality or premises operating out-with the conditions of their licence, objections were made to those licences being renewed.

    ‘Police Scotland will continue to work with partners to inspect and report on licensed premises operating within Edinburgh in order to keep people safe.

    ‘Whenever criminal activity, or licensing contraventions are detected within these venues, officers will respond appropriately and report all offences to the relevant authority.’

    DRACONIAN

    The call for the ban has put Scotland’s HIV/Aids charities on red alert, with Robert Mckay, the nation director of the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland saying that the idea was ‘Draconian’

    He went on to say:
    ‘We would be keen to see the full details of any proposals that would prevent saunas from having condoms on their premises. Taking away condoms doesn’t stop people from having sex; it does however result in unprotected sex and increased rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. It is vital that people can protect themselves wherever they have sex.’

    ‘Our point of view is to make sure that people are kept safe. Condoms have proved very successful in preventing STDs and HIV transmissions.’

    GAY SAUNA RAIDS

    Earlier in the year Police Scotland raided two gay saunas in Edinburgh, a report lodged by the police stated that:

    ‘One member of staff and six male customers were found within.

    ‘During the inspection, officers found evidence to indicate that the premises were used for activities other than those permitted by the licence, specifically sexual activity.

    ‘On behalf of the Chief Constable, I object to the renewal of the licence under the terms of Schedule 1, Paragraph 5 (3) (d) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 on the grounds that the premises have not been operated in accordance with the activities on their licence.’

  • EDINBURGH FRINGE: Gay Pick Of The Fringe

    Well it’s almost time for the biggest Arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe, to kick off this year. With almost 3000 shows to choose from, we have chosen a selection to get you started. Keep checking our site for updates and reviews for the rest of the month!

    (more…)

  • EDINBURGH | Just over a week until Pride Scotia

    TheGayUK is happy to annouce that in just over a week Pride Scotia, Edinburgh’s very own pride parade will take to the streets.

    The march will assemble outside Scottish Parliament from 11:30 – and will move promptly at noon on the 15th June 2013

    The march route will be High Street, crossing in portions at North Bridge.

    A pause outside the City Chambers for speeches. March resumes along George IV Bridge to Bristo Square.

    TheGayUK is a proud media sponsor of Pride Scotia – we’ll be bringing you news about Pride events in Edinburgh during the forthcoming week.