THEGAYUK

Tag: London News

All the latest from London, the capital of the UK, home to the UK’s largest gay community.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | When Harry Met Barry, Above the Stag Theatre, London

    ★★★| When Harry Met Barry, Above the Stag Theatre, London

    It’s not When Harry met Sally but When Harry Met Barry at the Above the Stag Theatre in Vauxhall.

    Unfortunately there is no orgasm scene in sight, just a few catchy tunes and a few laughs in a show that is cute and lively and a fun night out.

    Harry (Brandon Gale) and Barry (Sam Peggs) had a ‘thing’ seven years ago, but now TV chef Harry is dating fashion designer Spencer (Austin Garrett) while junior lawyer Barry has hooked up with the quirky yet adorable Alice (Maddy Banks). Spencer and Alice are serious about their relationships with Barry and Harry, respectively, even to go so far as to discuss wedding plans! Gads! But when Harry and Barry accidentally bump into each other, their love and desire for each other is rekindled, enough so that it causes a whole heep of heartache and a breakdown in their current relationships. Set to trendy and memorable musical numbers – very modern and hummable with ‘Why Ask for the Moon’ one of the better songs – When Harry met Barry is a true musical romance with a love triangle that will set your heart aflutter. All adequately sung and acted by the very young cast, with Banks doing a particularly good job in her role as the jilted young woman. It’s got cute music, a goodlooking and energetic cast, and one all too brief scene of two of the sexy actors in their underwear. It looks like Above the Stag theatre has another hit on their hands.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Angels in America, National Theatre, London

    ★★★★★| Angels in America, National Theatre, London

    Angels In America 2017 review

    It’s seven and a half hours long, and it’s shown in two parts, but Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is well worth a watch.

    Calling it epic does not even describe the show. Now playing at the National Theatre, it is monumental, larger than life, phenomenal, engrossing, but it is in no way too long or too boring – sure it may be a bit complex, but it’s first class theatre. And both parts of the production – Millennium Approaches and Perestroika – really do need to be seen together. And the cast in this current production is top notch – actors you might not be able to see in such a production again in your lifetime. But more on the cast later.

    Unfortunately, Angels in America is totally sold out – it’s been sold out since tickets went on sale, and calling it the hottest ticket in town is an understatement (the upcoming Hamilton may come close, but Angels is in a limited run, only up until August 19th). So If I were you, I would do anything to get a ticket. But more on that later.

    Angels in America has won almost every theatre award up for grabs. Written in 1993 by Tony Kushner, it has won the Tony and Pulitzer Prize awards, and both parts were performed in London in the early 90s. What is it about? Well, first and foremost it’s about AIDS in New York in the 1980s – that horrible decade when friends were dying right and left, disappearing only never to return. There was no cure, and when people started to see purple lesions on their skin, they knew that it was all over. But Angels in America is also about so much more. It delves deep into relationships that we have with each other and especially with ourselves, it deals with power, greed, lust, lies, betrayal as well as fantasy, ecstasy, religion and last but not least life (notice that I did not mention death). The show is complex only in that it goes off into the deep end at times for the necessity of one of the characters. Angels is also still very timely, as it touches on immigration and discrimination based on heritage – themes we are seeing first hand in the much-changed political climate that we now live in.

    Andrew Garfield is Prior Walter – and he’s got AIDS. He’s good looking yet very thin and has the tell-tale signs of the disease (Kaposi’s Sarcoma). James McArdle is Louis Ironson, his boyfriend who’s having a hard time dealing with Prior’s illness. Then there’s Joe Pitt (Russell Tovey), who is married to Harper Pitt (Denise Gough). The Pitt’s are Mormons from Seattle and live in Brooklyn. Harper Pitt has problems, she’s agoraphobic and has hallucinations. Joe, a clerk in a law office, is deeply closeted.

    Then there is Roy Cohn (Nathan Lane), a notorious ruthless lawyer who happens to be gay but doesn’t quite believe it himself and definitely doesn’t want anyone to know this. So for over seven hours, we go on a ride with these characters as Angels in American puts them, and us, through a rollercoaster of emotion and drama. Louis is unable to care for Prior and walks out on him at the moment that Prior needs him most. Louis strikes up more than a casual friendship with Joe as they both work at the same law firm. Meanwhile, Joe, who becomes more than a bit friendly with Cohn his mentor, eventually falls in love with Louis. Meanwhile, Prior (and eventually Cohn) are taken care of by nurse Belize (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett). But all’s not right in Prior’s life – he’s seeing angels, angels that are trying to tell him a message, angels that are a response to his illness, yet there’s not much these angels can do for him except only to be by his side (or to fly over him)… they’re helpless just as much as he is. There’s also a crisis in the Pitt home – Joe’s mother sells her house in Utah and goes to Brooklyn to look for her son who has just announced to her that he is gay. And Cohn can’t accept the fact that he’s got AIDS – he informs his doctor that it’s liver cancer that he’s got. And Belize turns out to be the real angel in the show – taking care of the dying, the ones who don’t accept the fact they’ve got AIDS and the ones who are way too young to die of AIDS.

    Angels in American deals with a dark time in gay history – the AIDS plague. Conservative President Ronald Reagan didn’t help matters. He did nothing about the disease, Rock Hudson had just died, and the stigmatisation of the disease pretty much erased all the gains that the homosexual community had achieved in the late 1960s and 1970s. But in this retelling, and for those of us old enough to be around where all this actually happened, it takes us back to the time when there was nothing we could do for our friends dying of the disease but to just hold their hands and watch them die. And Angels in America takes us back to those horrible time. It’s a credit to the story and the production that the performers excel in their roles and take it to the next level. Garfield has a field day playing Prior – he’s in agony because he’s dying and because Louis has left him – and Garfield gives it his all and succeeds enormously. Lane was made to play Cohn – caustic yet not a bit remorseful, even after the ghost of Ethel Rosenburg practically stands over him waiting for him to die. Lane is just simply superb. Tovey – in his biggest stage role yet – doesn’t disappoint. His Joe Pitt is vulnerable yet determined to be who he’s supposed to be, and he accidentally falls in love with Louis yet is still in love with his wife, and Tovey is very believable every second he is on stage. Stewart-Jarrett, practically an unknown, holds his own with the acting heavyweights on the stage. His nurse and friend Belize

    Russell Tovey in Angels In America 2017 review

    It’s a credit to the story and the production that the performers excel in their roles and take it to the next level. Garfield has a field day playing Prior – he’s in agony because he’s dying and because Louis has left him – and Garfield gives it his all and succeeds enormously. Lane was made to play Cohn – caustic yet not a bit remorseful, even after the ghost of Ethel Rosenburg practically stands over him waiting for him to die. Lane is just simply superb. Tovey – in his biggest stage role yet – doesn’t disappoint. His Joe Pitt is vulnerable yet determined to be who he’s supposed to be, and he accidentally falls in love with Louis yet is still in love with his wife, and Tovey is very believable every second he is on stage. Stewart-Jarrett, practically an unknown, holds his own with the acting heavyweights on the stage. His nurse and friend Belize

    Stewart-Jarrett, practically an unknown, holds his own with the acting heavyweights on the stage. His nurse and friend Belize is practically the glue that holds the other characters together – and Stewart-Jarrett does it so sarcastically and beautifully. A star is born. McArdle is adequate – he’s got a lot to do and say and it’s perhaps one of the hardest characters in the show as so much centres around him – and McArdle just about succeeds, but less so Gough as Mrs Pitt who doesn’t quite wow us as the others do. Other notable performers include Susan Brown as Harper Pitt, Joe’s mother, and especially Amanda Lawrence, who plays the Angel, a nurse, a homeless woman, and a Sister, among others, is there nothing this talented performer can’t do?

    Of course, the sets and music are all amazing, and director Marianne Elliott brings it all together in excellent fashion – but it’s all about the acting (and the message) in Angels in America, the message is loud and clear – this show is history in the making and relevant to all of us now, even 25 years after it was written.

    The National Theatre is running a ballot for £20 tickets so I urge you to give it a try. There are two ballots left:

    Ballot no.’s 4 and 5
    Show dates included in the ballot: 11 Jul – 29 Jul and 2 Aug – 19 Aug
    Ballot opens at midday on: 26 May and 30 Jun respectively as per the dates above

    You’ll need to log-in to your National Theatre account or create an account to register for the ballot, you can do so here:
    https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/angels/login?destination=node/5066

    Also, Angles in America will be broadcast live to cinemas around the UK and internationally. Part One will be broadcast on 20 July and Part Two will be broadcast on 27 July. For more information and to buy tickets, please go here:
    http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk

    Photos by AiA Perestroika Production Images (c) Helen Maybanks

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Late Company, Finborough Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Late Company, Finborough Theatre, London

    Much like the recent Netflix smash hit series “13 Reasons Why”, “Late Company” examines the events surrounding the suicide of a teenager.

    In this case, Michael and Debora, a wealthy politician and artist have invited round for dinner another boy involved in the online bullying campaign which they blame for contributing to their gay son’s death. Accompanied by his parents Tamara and Bill, Curtis is a mess of teenage angst as they face a dinner party with the potential to be a vision of hell. No prizes for guessing that the earnest plan for ‘closure’ that Tamara is hoping will help Curtis to move on isn’t going to be easily attained.

    Young Canadian writer Jordan Tannahill has created a thing of devastatingly tender beauty in this one act play addressing some of the issues around being a teenager or a parent of one in the 21st century, responsibility for our acts and grief. It sounds gloomy and hard going and at points it is but it’s also surprisingly humorous and compelling to watch.

    It’s a tense but brisk 75 minutes and is a play where the audience feels a constant switch in allegiances and perspective. Was Curtis such a monster? Were Michael and Debora really such good parents? Was the bullying all it seemed? What at first glance seems to be a given set of circumstances is more complex, as things so often are in life.

    The play is tightly scripted and well acted with five sterling performances. This is a startlingly relevant play which will is both entertaining, thought-provoking and heartbreaking. Go see it.

     

    Late Company plays at The Finborough Theatre until 20th May 2017

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW: VQ Restaurant – Bloomsbury

    RESTAURANT REVIEW: VQ Restaurant – Bloomsbury


    ★★★★ | VQ Restaurant – Bloomsbury

    There are greasy spoon diners and then there are nice upscale diners. VQ restaurant is the later and it’s the perfect place for a meal anytime of the day.

    I’ve been to the Bloomsbury location many times for dinner, but hadn’t been there yet for breakfast. So on one very sunny Sunday morning, me and a friend hopped over to Great Russell Street to experience the breakfast on offer there.

    And VQ doesn’t just offer breakfast only in the mornings, it’s breakfast menu is of the 24 hour variety – so anytime you feel like eating breakfast VQ will satisfy your craving. But in the Sunday morning we went, the restaurant was very busy with a mix of tourists (The St. Giles Hotel is right upstairs), locals, singles and families, all enjoying their breakfast.

    We were lucky enough to get a seat in front – their floor to ceiling windows are perfect to watch people walking by – whether tourists looking for the British Museum or healthy and fit gym bunnies going next door to the YMCA.

    I desperately needed a cup of coffee, and Jessica the manager delivered it pronto. The brand was Musetti (which I’ve never seen served anywhere before), and it is a perfect blend with a nice flavor, so I ended up having two of them, black. But of course the visit was also all about the food. I had one of the most delicious omelette I’ve ever had. The Spanish Omelette had everything I wanted in an omelette (chorizo, potatoes, tomatoes and onions) and it was perfect. I asked for it to be cooked a bit well done, and that’s what I got! (That almost never happens when I order eggs – they always arrive runny!) And at £8.50, the omelette is good value because it’s quite big and very filling. My breakfast companion very much enjoyed her scrambled eggs, smoked salmon with granary toast – it was very healthy, was a generous portion, and was very inviting – and she said it was very very good! And at £9.50 – good value for the huge portion of salmon on the plate. We also decided to share the buttermilk pancakes. There were three, scotch pancake size (We were disappointed that they were not American style – very large and fluffy), but served with fruit and a large portion of bacon, they were good and adequate. It was the very lovely Monin syrup (syrup that you normally get with coffee) that, when added to the pancakes, gave the pancakes an extra flavor and a kick, and with a price tag of £7.50 it was an adequate price. Other breakfast items that might take your fancy include Bubble ’N’ Squeak (£7.95), Veggie breakfast which comes in two sizes (£6.95 and £10.95), Baps, as well as Eggs in various dishes – Benedict, Florentine, and Royale – plus don’t forget their English Breakfast (two sizes depending on how hungry you are – £7.50 or £11.50) – and you can also have them make your own omelette with ingredients of your choosing! So something for everyone. And you must must try their lovely Fruit Salad, served with yogurt & honey – it’s a massive serving at only £6.50.

    If coffee or tea isn’t your thing, then perhaps try one of their breakfast cocktails. Bloody Mary £6.95, Mimosa £5.95, Punch Bellini £6.95 or a yummy Breakfast Margarita (with orange marmalade) will be the perfect starter to any meal! Of course, juices, soft drinks (and beer and wine if you fancy) are on the drinks menu as well.

    But what sets VQ apart from the other is that 1.) it’s open 24 hours, 2.) it’s in a perfect location as it’s only one minute away from Tottenham Court Road Station and 3.) the ambience is just about perfect whether you prefer to be exposed and sit in a table up front or in the middle of the restaurant or perhaps sit in one of the many private and semi-dark booths for some clandestine rendevous, and last but not least 4.) the food is absolutely delicious and the service is excellent. With three locations to chose from (including Notting Hill and the newly reopened Chelsea location), and look for an Aldgate branch coming soon.

    My breakfast companion added: VQ, with its floor to ceiling windows and well spaced layout creates a light, airy ambience, whilst providing straightforward but well executed options on a varied menu. The competitive prices, well sized portions and importantly, delicious food, would certainly encourage me to revisit, and the unique selling point of the place being open 24 hours a day is a further bonus. Definitely my favourite breakfast so far in 2017.

    Reviewed by Tim Baros

    Telephone: 020 7636 5888
    Website: vqrestaurants.com
    Email: bloomsbury@vqrestaurants.com

    Hours:
    7am every weekday morning (8am Saturday & Sunday) until 3am on Thursday-Saturday, 1am on Monday-Wednesday and midnight on Sunday
    Bloomsbury – 111A Great Russell Street London WC1B 3NQ – 020 7636 5888 – 24 hours
    Chelsea – 325 Fulham Road London SW10 9QL – 020 7376 7224 – 24 hours

    Photos by Samphire Communications

  • TODAY IN GAY | The Admiral Duncan Bombing

    TODAY IN GAY | The Admiral Duncan Bombing

    In 1999 a nail bomb went off in the popular gay pub The Admiral Duncan, killing three people.

    Three people were killed and dozens injured when a bomb, left in an unattended bag, placed by David Copeland, exploded on the 30th April 1999.

    Andrea Dykes 27, Nik Moore 31 and John Light, 32 were killed. Andrea was four months pregnant at the time. Around 70 people were injured.

    David Copeland was captured that same evening. He had terrorised Londoners with two other bombings, one in Brixton on the 17th and one in White Chapel on the 24th. His two other bombs, fortunately, did not kill anyone. It was thought that Copeland was trying to stir up race and homophobic tensions.

    Copeland was convicted of three murders and three offences of planting bombs on 30 June 2000 and given six life sentences. The minimum time he’ll spend behind bars is 50 years.

    Read more about the attack here and to see pictures from the attack click here.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Pam Ann, Leicester Square Theatre, London

    ★★ | Pam Ann: Touch Trolley Run to Galley 20th Anniversary Tour, London and other UK cities

    Trolley Dolly Pam Ann returns to London with her 20th Anniversary tour – Touch Trolley Run to Galley – but it’s pretty much the same schtick she’s been doing year in and year out.

    Australian Pam Ann (real name Caroline Reid) has been making the rounds as the self-described ‘Queen of the skies’ for the past 20 years all around the world, and in this show she lets us know it. Now playing at the Leicester Square Theatre, the show begins with a video montage of her previous shows and the famous people she’s hung out with. Yes, from the minute the video starts we are reminded that the show is all about her. She lets us know that she’s an iconic international celebrity air hostess who has developed cult status over the years with her fans (most of whom are gay and who love her bitchiness and candor). And then when she’s out on stage she picks four audience members and invites them onto the stage to create a new Spice Girls band (who are also celebrating their 20th anniversary). On the night I saw the show, she conveniently picked four gay men from the audience (after all, gay men are so much more likely to ‘get her’) to ‘become’ the Spice Girls. Picking on audience members is a time and tested old tradition used by comedians when they don’t have enough material to fill a show (‘what’s your name?’, ‘where are you from?’ is the usual repertoire), and it’s a bit lazy to do so at the beginning of a show! Anyways, Pam Ann was very good with them; she was quick with one-liners and put-downs, and the men took it all in jest. It’s funny, but I wanted more jokes about the current state of the airline industry and the in-the-news bad treatment of passengers (she did open up with a joke about the United Airlines fiasco but it was a bit too short and too quick).

    The second half of the show had her bring out a trolley filled with, of course, alcohol, as well as a bevvy of dolls that represented airline stewardesses from all over the world (an Australian transgender doll was quite funny). But we’ve seen this from her many many times. Pam Ann tells us why she loves BA, and her alter ego Lilly ‘comes out’ all too briefly, and of course, she makes fun of Ryanair (who wouldn’t?). But as the show goes, it’s ‘we’ve seen and heard it all before’, and two hours in she leaves the stage and tells the audience to expect something great – but when she comes back out all she presents to us is a glittering outfit where she then proceeded to take selfies with the audience members whom she chose to be the Spice Girls, and then thud, the show ended, with not a laugh in sight. Pam Ann: Touch Trolley Run to Galley 20th Anniversary tour is 2 hours and 20 minutes long, but this consisted of a 20 minute interval and 20 minutes of video footage, including two videos of her interspersed into scenes from the Great British Bake-off – it would’ve been a bit funnier if she would’ve done this live, but that would’ve been perhaps too much effort?

    Pam Ann plays at Leicester Square Theatre until 27th May 2017

     

    For more information about Pam Ann and the rest of her UK tour, please visit:
    pamann.com / @pamannairbitch / facebook.com/pamannairhostess

  • Greens set to launch their gay rights manifesto in a CHURCH

    In what’s being described as setting a “clear distance” between itself and the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party is launching its LGBT+ manifesto in a church.

    • The Green party has said it will commit to supporting LGBT+ asylum seekers.

    • Co-leader of the Greens Jonathan Bartley, said they were the party to ‘always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people’

    • The party has the only openly trans spokesperson in UK politics.

    GPLGBTIQA+GroupShot2
    The Green party is vying for LGBT+ support today after it revealed that it would set out its LGBT+ manifesto in a London Church, a move it says which separates it from the Liberal Democrats. The launch is to take place at The Trinity United Reform Church in Camden, well-known for its progressive views and inclusivity.

    Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said,

    “The Green Party has a proud history of leading the way when it comes to LGBTIQA+ rights. While other political parties struggle to say what they believe, Greens are clear – we will always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people.

    “We believe in a fairer world, a more equal economy, human rights protected by law, recognition and representation for all gender identities and education and health services which care for and include everyone.”

    Last week, the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron was criticised after initially failing to answer questions on whether he thought, as a committed Christian, if “gay sex” was a sin. He was asked numerous times by Channel 4’s Cathy Newman, 11 times by an LBC reporter and once in the House of Commons. He finally revealed that he didn’t think it was a sin by saying in a BBC interview,

    “I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin.

    “I take the view though, that as a political leader, my job is not to pontificate on theological matters.

    Aimee Challenor, Green Party LGBTIQA+ spokesperson, who is the only openly trans spokesperson of a UK Political Party, said,

    “Let’s be clear, LGBTIQA+ rights are under threat. From Gay and Bi men being tortured and killed in Chechnya, to Donald Trump weakening protections in the US and the UK’s threat to repeal the Human Rights Act, 2017 has already been a concerning year for everyone who cares about LGBTIQA+ people.

    “The Green Party is proud to stand against the erosion of LGBITQA+ rights and launch a manifesto which proudly fights for bodily autonomy for intersex people, legal recognition for trans and non-binary people, for PrEP for all that need it, and for greater protection for LGBTIQA+ asylum seekers – and more.”

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Whisper House, The Other Palace, London

    ★★ | Whisper House
    whisper-house review

    The Whisper House is a 2009 musical with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, writer of the multi-award winning rock musical Spring Awakening. Never performed before in the UK, this felt like it could be an exciting possibility for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new venue. The bar has been set high with recent jazz musical The Wild Party and the raucous studio hit This Joint is Jumpin’. Sadly, this ghost story felt more soulless than spooky. It was more of a stifled yawn than a sneaky whisper. In spite of a great cast, clever use of lighting and an evocative set, it’s a musical with a dreary book and songs that seem to merge into one anther.

    In wartime America, pre-pubescent Christopher is sent to his aunt’s eerie old lighthouse following the death of his father and his mother’s subsequent admission to a psychiatric hospital. Aunt Lily is a mournful woman, encumbered by a club foot and haunted by a past event. Oh, there’s also two convenient singing ghosts who waft about the stage making dramatic hand movements around people’s faces and pulling quaint horror film faces. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds. There’s also a flimsy plot involving a Japanese man who works for her and the xenophobia of the times. There are storms, of course, and water swishing about. It’s a weak storyline and an inadequate framework for the equally dull songs. There’s something strangely hypnotic about the whole thing and not in a good way. I came away unsure how long I’d been in the theatre, whether there was a storyline and without any ability to recall the songs.

    If you’re a die-hard musical theatre fan and love Spring Awakening then you might enjoy this as a rare chance to see a musical that unsurprisingly failed to hit London before. You’ll definitely enjoy the cast and their fine voices. My general advice, though, would be hollered loudly rather than whispered: stay away.

     

    Whisper House plays at The Other Palace until 27th May 2017

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Riverfront Bar & Kitchen, London

    ★★★★ | Riverfront Bar & Kitchen, London

    Where’s the perfect place to eat breakfast and watch London wake up? It’s the Riverfront Bar and Kitchen tucked away under Waterloo Bridge at the National Film Theatre on the Southbank.

    Whether all you want is a freshly-brewed cup of coffee or a full on breakfast bachannalia, the Riverfront Bar and Kitchen is the place to go. With floor to ceiling windows that face the booksellers under Waterloo Bridge, and with gorgeous views facing north to Covent Garden and the City, you can enjoy hours of people watching while at the same time soaking up the very trendy and casual atmosphere.

    Opening up at the early hour of 9:00 a.m. every day, and 10:00 a.m. on bank holidays, The Riverfront Bar and Kitchen is the perfect place to start your day. I’ve been there for breakfast a couple times – the first time was a bit of a fiasco as everything that could go wrong did – so me and a friend decided to give it another try, and we were very glad we did.

    Greeted by the lovely Jackie – we didn’t waste any time ordering as we knew exactly what we wanted. My breakfast companion ordered a breakfast cocktail – the English Breakfast Martini – tea infused with Sipsmith Gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and tangy orange marmalade – and he really enjoyed it. And at £8.00 he said it was worth the money! As I do not tipple before 5pm, I had a glass of the refreshing tomato juice. But it was actually the food that counted the most.

    I ordered the American (and not because I am American but because it had exactly everything I wanted in a breakfast – pancakes, eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage and the all important syrup) – and it was enormous! It was, as expected, delicious, but a bit uneven. All the slabs of bacon, but one, were cooked well done as I had requested, and the pancakes were different colors (one was a perfect brown while the other was on the light side – huh? exactly!) Sure I know these are minor quibbles but I like it when my pancakes are cooked evenly. A bargain at only £9.50 considering how much food was on the plate! My friend had Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes – a steal at £6.50 – and they were also enormous. Three very large, all the same color, with grilled banana on top, mixed berries and cream along the edges – and lots of maple syrup. He wasted no time in downing it – I really don’t think he chewed – he said it was that good! I am defninetly getting this next time. They were true American style pancakes – soft and brown and absolutely yummy. We also ordered – to share – the Chorizo Mash (£7.50). Smashed & fried potatoes, eggs, spinach & parmesan cheese, with of course chorizo, it arrived in a grill, very hot, and my friend ate most of it! I did enjoy the small portion I had – the chorizo was perfect and it’s just something different to eat then your everyday breakfast. But there’s more the Riverfront’s breakfast brunch menu, they also offer the Full English (£9.50), Vegetarian (£8.50), Eggs Benedict (£7.50), Scrambled Eggs and toast (£7.50) and Smashed Avocado with egg and tomato on toast (£6.50) are some of the other options which is a very good selection. They will also serve the typical Bloody Mary and Bucks Fizz drinks (£7.50 each) and even offer a kids breakfast (at a bargain £4.00).

    If you can’t make it for breakfast/brunch, the lunch and dinner menu is full on whatever you want you’ll get. There are also daily specials which the friendly staff will tell you about. And in warmer weather, the restaurant has loads of outside tables for you to dine (or drink) the day (and night) away people watching (as well as barge and boat watching). The venue can’t be better situated – it’s just minutes away from Waterloo, and a nice stroll over the Thames on both the Waterloo and Charing Cross Bridges. And of course the restaurant is in the National Film Theatre – and there’s always something going on – either a film festival, older films or new releases, you can combine a meal with a movie along with a stroll on the South Bank to make a day of it. It’s, for me, the best place to be in London, and once you visit – you’ll feel the same way too.

    Tel: 020 7928 0808

    www.benugo.com/restaurants/riverfront-bar-kitchen

    Email: riverfront@benugo.com
    Address: BFI Southbank,
    London, SE18XT

    OPENING HOURS
    Mon-Wed: 9am–11pm
    Thur-Sat: 9am-1am Sun: 9am–10:30pm
    Bank Holidays: 10am–10:30pm

  • London’s highest ranking Police Officer, Cressida Dick comes out

    London’s highest-ranking police officer, Cressida Dick has revealed that she’s in a same-sex relationship with a co-worker.

    Speaking to The Evening Standard, London’s highest-ranking police officer, Cressida Dick revealed that she’s in a relationship with another woman. The woman is called Helen and also works in the Metropolitan Police force.

    Cressida Dick was appointed London’s Commissioner in February 2017 and is the first woman to take the job. She was appointed by the Queen and was recommended by the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd.

    This week marks her first week on the job and she’s spent it by visiting various London boroughs and meeting as many of her officers and staff as possible.

    Speaking about her first week, Commissioner Dick said,

    “I have been spending my first few days getting around London meeting and listening to officers, staff and members of the public. I want Londoners to feel they can approach anyone in the Met and talk to them about their concerns and what matters to them.

    “This city deserves a truly modern police service based on our traditional policing values. Being back in the Met has reminded me of how special our officers and staff are, and the extraordinary job they do day in and day out for London. It’s wonderful to be here.”

    She was made a CBE in 2015 by the Queen. She also holds the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

  • THEATRE | Fancy Chance is coming back to Soho Theatre

    This April, Soho Theatre audiences are set to embark on an extraordinary journey courtesy of one of London’s most celebrated and versatile cabaret performers: Fancy Chance.  Her debut autobiographical show Flights Of Fancy runs for 5 nights from April 25-29 following sell-out previews in 2016. 

    c. Bodhan Cap

    A globe-trotting, time-traveling mini-spectacle with turbulent polemics and unexpectedly poignant stop-offs, Flights Of Fancy tells the true story of the artist’s journey from Korean refugee to international cabaret performer. In-flight entertainment includes offbeat humour, songs, and scenarios, written and performed by the artist herself and developed and directed by Nathan Evans.

    Fancy Chance says,

     “For years I’ve wanted to put together something long-form that allows me to expand on themes I’ve explored in shorter work, such as feminism, racism and body politics, using my own experiences as a starting point. Which isn’t to say it’ll all be serious, but there may be tears amongst laughter”.

    Fancy’s own travels started prematurely when as an abandoned baby, her life took an unchartered turn: “To this day I know nothing of my birth parents or birth name. If I hadn’t been adopted into a white family from the USA in the 1970’s then found home in London’s cabaret scene, who might I have been?  This show is used to explore the politics of identity and migration, the ethics of interracial adoption and global gentrification and to leave the audience questioning their own privileges and perspectives”.

    Fancy Chance’s work incorporates comedy, burlesque, drag, circus, cabaret and live art. Having made London her home she is consistently working and travelling. From Las Vegas (Caesar’s Palace no less..) to Latitude, and from Gothenburg to Glastonbury, cities as far afield as New York, Helsinki and Dubai have played host to Fancy’s multiple skills and personas.  In 2009 she was crowned the Alternative Miss World by national treasure Andrew Logan after hanging by her hair from the rafters of the Roundhouse and in 2016 Fancy collaborated with Marisa Carnesky in Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman prompting positive reviews.  She regularly performs at London’s Wonderground, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Leicester Square Theatre and The Box.

    ‘Twisted. Sick, even. But that’s the point.’ The Independent

    ‘Politically charged social critique with powerful feminist undertones.’ Exeunt

    ‘Consistently hilarious.’ The Stage

    Nathan Evans is a writer, director and performer whose work in theatre and film has been funded by the Arts Council, toured by the British Council, broadcast on Channel 4, archived by the British Film Institute and awarded a few statuettes. Previous shows for Soho Theatre include 7 Deadly Sins with The Tiger Lillies, Unplugged with David Hoyle and I Love You But We Only Have Fourteen Minutes To Save The Earth with Fancy Chance. www.nathanevans.co.uk 

    Listings:

    Date: 25-29 April 2017

    Time: 7.30pm 

    Title: Flights of Fancy

    Credits: performed by Fancy Chance, directed by Nathan Evans

    Venue: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE

    Tickets: £10-15

    Booking: www.sohotheatre.com 

    URLS: facebook.com/fancychances

    TWITTER: @fancy_chance