THEGAYUK

Tag: London News

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

  • BAR REVIEW | W Hotel Bar Leicester Square Review

    ★★ | W Hotel Bar Leicester Square Review

    Waspish Welcome, What’s Wong With W?

    Before jumping Prada antiqued-calf-leather laced-derby shoes first into your eatery of choice on a Saturday night, it’s best to lift spirits with a couple of pre-supper sharpeners. Central London is chokka with slinky cocktail bars, trendy boozers and popular pop-ups. THEGAYUK’s finely-tuned ear caught wind of the W Hotel Lounge Leicester Square donkey’s ago. It was time to see what all the flap was about.

    We arrived at the entrance 8.25pm Saturday 16th May and were acknowledged by two towering, dapper burly bouncers. One-half of the brothers-grim asked if we were staying at the hotel, or there for drinks, without so much as a glimpse at his gnashers. We informed moody-chops we were planning to have a drink. We were then ordered to stand behind a roped-off area and queue. We were the only people there.

    Eventually, a guy that had to be RuPaul’s not-so-friendly brother minced towards us. His foul mood could only be explained by the fact that his dry cleaner must have shrunk the jacket he was squeezed into.

    The hotel’s door staff have mastered the art of not revealing their ivories. They’re wasted working in a hotel – they should step in where Keith Harris left off, god rest his soul.

    He scanned us with his mince-pies as if we were tinned pilchards at a Waitrose checkout, then directed us to the lifts. Entering the W hotel was about as pleasurable as spending an afternoon in Clacton.

    The lounge’s décor looks like it’s been pulled from the 70s but with a modern edge. A porn-star, low-black-leather-style sofa in a horseshoe shape swamps the main section of the room. Two large glass pillars with dancing flames, and a Tron-style, yellow-lit sunken ceiling gives the feel you’re in a Bond villain’s den.

    Hurrah, not all the employees were fit for stuffing their hand up a puppet’s arse. Our waiter beamed at us from ear to ear before taking our order.

    W’s cocktail menu has its own take on some classics, and a few signatures.

    We started with a Secret Garden and a Godfather / W Twist.

    The Secret Garden: Tanqueray, Crème de Fraise & honey syrup, fresh strawberries, lemon juice and cucumber topped with champagne. Reminiscent of a not so heavy, more sophisticated strawberry daiquiri. Pleasant.

    The Godfather / W Twist: Johnnie Walker Black Label stirred with Amaretto and Creme de Cerise, finished with fresh cherry, sprayed with Laphroaig. Over complicated. It was as though the bartender had exhaled his cigar into the glass while enthusiastically pouring in the Creme de Cerise.

    W’s website is welcoming, unlike the door staff, and encourages you to join their glamorous crowd for divine -people-watching in their lounge.

    The other punters clearly flew in from Marbella that morning or had travelled on a South West train. Manmade fibres and Burton whistle-and-flutes were much in evidence.

    Ru and another member of staff, sporting a cowboy hat and denim jacket, paraded around the lounge looking as busy as Matt Lucas’s hairdresser.

    Our second round: a Cool Britannia and W’s take on an Old Fashioned: W Fashioned.

    The Britannia: Tanqueray, cucumber, lemongrass and grapes, Pomme Vert apple liqueur, topped up with Viognier. Packing an intense apple punch to the nose and tastebuds with a cheeky zesty tickle from the lemongrass, with lush aromatic notes produced from the Viognier. Winner.

    W Fashioned: Zacapa 23yr Antica Formula infused with pomegranate, cherry sugar and a slash of chocolate bitters. This is a prime example of: if it’s not broken… It was like sucking on a boiled-cherry sweet soaked in whisky.

    The bill came to £57.60 including service charge.

    Our visit was much like Taylor Swift’s performance at this year Brits. But at least we’ve found a new home for Orville.

    REVIEWED BY: Thabian Sutherland
    ADDRESS: W London Leicester Square, 10 Wardour Street, London W1D 6QF
    WEBSITE: http://www.wlondon.co.uk
    Phone: 020 7758 1000
    STAR RATING: ★★ (explained)
    PRICE: ££££ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: Service charge

  • Gay Ally Ben Cohen Accused Of “Bullying” After Blasting Uber Driver

    Longtime LGBT Ally and supporter Ben Cohen has been blasted by some on social media as a “bully” after he blasted an Uber driver for being “horrible” and rude.

    The rugby star has been criticised by some fans after he posted a message and photo on his facebook profile of Mohamed Uzair, an Uber driver who he claims “is the most horrible & rudest man”.

    He then questioned why the man was working for the app based taxi firm. Uber works via an app by which users can order cars that are closest to them.

    Ben has remained tight lipped about exactly what went wrong with the driver. The post on Facebook has now been liked by over 358 people and shared 23 times.

    One Facebook member, Neil Rogers, accused Mr. Cohen of making an mistake in posting the message in front of hundreds of thousands of people. He wrote,

    “I don’t think you should be putting this up on your page in front of 361k people. That could be considered bullying.”

    Whilst another, Bobby Long, wrote:

    “Ben, please don’t use your status for this, he won’t have a nice time with any of your fans who recognise him, he maybe rude, but he will become worse after this.”

    Whilst مصعب المقدسي wrote:

    “Ben, that is a shame to use your influence to bully people who are rude to you.”

    The firm’s drivers have received their fair share of criticism in the past. In January a gay couple said they were kicked out of an Uber taxi for kissing and cuddling.

    In May an Uber driver told Neil Shah and his friend “no gays allowed” when they started kissing. The driver has since been suspended pending an “internal investigation” by the US based firm.

    In Oklahoma, USA, the transport bill was re-written by Republican Senator Jason Smalley in April to allow drivers to discriminate against LGBT users. However Uber have made it clear that their policy is not to allow discrimination in any form.

    Breaking this policy will result in the removal from the app platform.

     

  • Pride London bans UKIP LGBT from March

    London’s pride event has banned UKIP’s LGBT group from marching in the parade over “safety fears”

    Pride London’s committee has rejected UKIP Pride’s application to march in the world famous parade.

    The board of Pride London released a statement that said,

    “For this year we have reached the decision that UKIP’s application to join the Pride in London Parade, 27th June 2015, will be turned down.

    “This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis.

    “We appreciate many in our community have strongly held views about UKIP, their policies and comments, but is undeniable that there are LGBT+ members of UKIP, including their MEP for Scotland, and it is important to remember that Pride in London aims to be an inclusive event.

    “However, of paramount concern to us is the experience of all participants at Pride, most especially the position we would be putting our volunteer stewards in.”

    A petition for the ban of UKIP LGBT had reached just 2383 supporters.

    UKIP LGBT decried the ban saying it was “a sad day for diversity and freedom.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | McQueen

    ★★★ | McQueen

    Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen committed suicide in February, 2010 at the age of 39. But his work and memory lives on, including in a new play simply called McQueen.

    Stephen Wight plays (and looks just like) McQueen, who was one of the most celebrated UK fashion designers of our time. McQueen, though very successful, had a troubled life; drugs, depression, the suicide of his friend and muse Isabella Blow, who practically helped McQueen become the success that he was, and the death of his mother are some of the factors that probably led him to take his own life in his Central London flat on Feb. 11, 2010.

    McQueen is written not as a play about his life but more about the journey McQueen took to build his career. The journey is brought on by fictional character Dahlia (Dianna Agron) – the idea taken from McQueen’s 2008 collection ‘The Girl Who Lived in the Tree.’ She’s basically a stalker who breaks into McQueen’s flat. He’s startled at first, but her childlike personality and beautiful looks and curvy body appeal to McQueen in a visual sense.

    So McQueen and Dahlia travel through a few important milestones in McQueen’s life; the tailor shop where McQueen got his start and where, on the spot, he makes a dress for Dahlia. They go to his mother’s home, where she is upstairs in bed, sick. And McQueen gets to be reunited with the ghost that is Blow (a smashing Tracy-Ann Oberman), the woman who bought up all of McQueen’s first collection but who still wants to know why he didn’t take her with him to the top, and why did he leave her behind when it was she who made him what he was. In between these pit stops we are visually treated to very slow moving dancers who change the set and morph with, through and in between each other. Visually it’s stunning, you don’t realise the set is changing because the movements are so mesmerising. But this doesn’t make up for the fact that McQueen the play is a bit too thin and doesn’t provide the theatregoer with a true celebration and story of McQueen’s life.

    Wight is amazing as McQueen. In fact, he looks exactly like McQueen did in his later years. Wight captures all of his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, including the scene where he instantaneously creates a dress for Dahlia. It’s an excellent performance. Agron as Dahlia is given lots of soliloquy dialogue to recite – is she talking to McQueen, the audience, or to herself? And yes, she does recite, likes she’s reading from a teleprompter. Hers is not a great performance as she’s with the amazing Wright during the whole show. But Oberman practically steals the show from Wright in her all-too-brief turn as Bow. It’s a showstopping performance, with Oberman dressed in a sexy negligee. Playwright James Phillips and Director John Caird have produced a play that is weak in biography but beautiful in its presentation, but we’re still left wanting to know more about McQueen and his life and his fashions. We will have to do with the V&A Museum’s Savage Beauty exhibition as well as the highly-acclaimed book about McQueen; Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin, by Andrew Wilson, as well as Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, by Dana Thomas.

    McQueen is playing at the St. James Theatre until June 27th:

    http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/theatre/mcqueen

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Ember Yard Soho

    Ember Yard Soho is Timeout’s number two destination restaurant at the moment. Chiltern Firehouse is their top-of-the-pops. Leaving the reservation arrangements to the last minute meant THEGAYUK had more chance of interviewing Banksy than securing a table a Chiltern. Ember Yard could squeeze, literally, a table for two in at 9.45pm. Leaving plenty of time for pre-dinner sharpeners.

    A busy gentleman greeted us with beaming pearly whites and led us to the table. It’s a good job neither party was of a large persuasion. We were wedged into a corner table, thus making lav trips a bit like putting ya fave skinnies on after they’ve been washed.

    Our waitress Gabriella appeared at all the appropriate moments, guided us through the menu and suggested all our tapas. Gabriella had an air of landlady about her, she was natural and knowledgeable.

    The venue has a cosy, contemporary loft-apartment feel with dark wooden floors, pillars, beams and grey walls. There’s a mixture of seating, from high stalls and counters to tables, chairs and banquettes. All warmly lit by bulbous exposed light bulbs dangling from pipes on the ceiling.

    The place was full of diners that could no doubt walk, or jump in a rickshaw home.

    We went straight in with vino and opted for the Mas Macia Blanc Catalunya 2014. One word in the description pulled us towards this minerally, ripe-apple-enriched number: honeyed. We should have been shooing bees away once the cork was popped.

    Ember’s cuisine is inspired by Spanish and Italian chargrill methods of cooking. The menu is broken up into bar snacks, tapas and a couple of larger dishes to share.

    Each plate arrived as soon as it was ready.

    First up, burrata with chargrilled ciabatta, heritage tomatoes and wild garlic pesto. Gabriella’s favourite. It was like cutting into a chocolate fondant with a melted centre. The mozzarella outer layer hides a buttery smooth core. A great balance of crunch and creaminess all elevated by a right hook from the pesto.

    Next to appear, applewood-smoked bream carpaccio with pomegranate, coriander and bottarga. The sea bream was slightly overpowered by the salty fish roe and coriander. Zesty, delicate and enjoyable.

    To follow, courgette flower stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with honey. If you’re going to clog your arteries with fried food this is the way to do it. The strong flavour from the cheese lifts the courgette while the honey brings a floral element to the dish. The three amalgamate like a pair of Grenson brogues, a crisp-white Burberry shirt and slim-fit Nudie indigo jeans.

    And then, roasted and chargrilled Ibérico pork ribs with quince glaze and celeriac purée. Once we’d tackled the charcoal, fig-like-flavoured crispy shell the meat slid off of the bone. The textures worked. TGI’s should come and take notes.

    The last dish, smoked and grilled beef burger with pickled courgette, chilli jam and scamorza. Perfectly formed. The chilli jam, or chelly, left a sweet but fiery undertone.

    If you need an excuse not to don ya frilly apron and turn the oven on, Ember’s burrata will suffice. We ordered a second.

    Pud came in liquid form.

    One glass of Finca Antigua Moscatel. The first sip unravels a silky layer over the tongue, followed by a sweet frill.

    And a glass of Lazio Shiraz. A peppery and berry perfumed little tinker. Reminiscent of those cherry-liqueured chocolates you get from M&S at Christmas. But much more palatable.

    The bill was a reasonable £106.16. Chiltern Smiltern. We still had enough in the kitty to swing around a pole at The Village, hit the Shadow Lounge and spill into an Uber home.

    Reviewed by Thabian Sutherland
    Ember Yard
    60 Berwick Street
    London
    W1F 8SU
    Tel: 0207 439 8057
    info@emberyard.co.uk
    http://emberyard.co.uk
    STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
    PRICE: £££ (explained)

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | L’Escargot

    With a rather grand welcome from the fabulously loud front of house, we were taken to our seats giggling as he continued to tickle us with his wit.

    The grand element continues, taking in our surroundings. It’s a posh crowd- a mix of business bods and rich romantics (one couple in particular really should have hired one of L’escargot’s private rooms). The lights are dim, and I find myself sinking into the comfy seat whilst admiring a lot of classic décor touches that surround us.

    We were brought a selection of warm, homemade crusty breads with a moreish tapenade- being advised that the selection of tapenades and bread accompaniments often change seasonally. After forgetting completely where I was and asking for Prosecco in a French cuisine restaurant, we asked the sommelier’s recommendation on the Roses available. Rose has gained a better reputation recently and there are some lovely varieties out there now. We went for the Bandol Rosé, Dom. La Suffrene, C. Granvier, 2013 (£38.00). Which you have to try- fantastic. Their wine list is ridiculously extensive so you have plenty to suit your taste!
    To start I went for the Foie Gras with kumquats & brioche (£18). Despite this being straight from the fridge kinda cold, the quality coming through was great, and they had not messed around with the dish at all- Foie Gras in it’s simplest and best form. Even the word kumquat makes me want to gag so these were left at the side of my plate.

    My friend went for the Six Snails with garlic & parsley (£12). The snails were plump and came easily out of their shell. Great garlic flavour and the oil in the dish made an amazing dip for the bread, of which we were offered more of at this point.

    After our table was “crumbed down”, our mains shortly followed. Clearly I had the taste for suffering that day as what followed my Foie Gras was a huge slab of Veal (£18)- a massive portion of well cooked meat in a light lemon breadcrumb. With the menu being a la carte we ordered a few sides that I found on the small side for their price.

    Green beans cooked in garlic (£5) – perfectly cooked. Dauphinoise (£6) – there is never enough dauphinoise, but this portion of creamy garlic potatoes and cheese was minute. New potatoes (£5) cooked with herbs, these had slightly too much bite for my preference, but I always say rather al dente than mush with vegetables.

    The other main we ordered was the Sea Bass – crispy skin and succulent flesh served with a sauce vert- lemon, cream, parsley. This really was a lovely dish and I’m not normally a fan of sea bass but the execution was flawless.

    So very much looking forward to the desserts at a fine French restaurant, I was not disappointed. Cream cake extravaganza. The tarte du jour (£6) was an almond galette. Uber rich and uber tempting to re-create that Smack The Pony sketch with, where they face plant the dessert tray whilst slurring jibberish-French lingo.

    Double teaming the cream cakes we also took on the Paris Brest – made with choux pastry, hazelnuts and bursting at the seams with cream. So simple but so good my favourite of the two. My love for praline is insatiable.

    The food is very simple, but very well done. For me this is a restaurant serving fantastic food with seasonal changes, and a lovely professional (but humorous) team. I personally feel that the pricing is a little over, but L’escargot has been regularly voted one of the best French restaurants in London, so I would encourage you to take a look and experience for yourself.

    An extra star goes for the venue itself. The venue of L’escargot is huge (four floors). You don’t quite realise being sat in the restaurant how many more levels and rooms there are to the place. With six rooms for hire, I feel this really gives L’escargot a unique edge.

    The different rooms are named simply after the colour of them (Blue, Violet, Red etc.). There is also an upstairs exclusive club which you will need to contact L’escargot for more details on. But it is rather swanky up there, spotting some Versace home ware pieces as we walked through. Ask for the grand tour.

    If you were to become a member it means you can take advantage of exclusive hire of any of their rooms, free of charge. Dinner packages are available pre and post-theatre (2 or 3 courses – £17.50/£21.50).

    They also have a dog-friendly club policy offering complimentary food & treats for your pup.

    REVIEWED BY: Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: L’Escargot, 48 GREEK STREET, LONDON, SOHO, W1D 4EF
    WEBSITE: http://www.lescargot.co.uk
    STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
    PRICE RATING: £££££ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: There is a discretionary 12.5% service charge added to your bill.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The House of Ho, Soho, London

    Bang on Old Compton Street lies The House of Ho (and according to a rather comical page on their menu; “We might be called Ho’s but we are, at least, classy ones”.

    Hos aside, the restaurant was busy for a Tuesday 7pm. Our initial welcome was lukewarm from a waiter clearly feeling the burn of “suicide Tuesday”, but this was swiftly rectified by the lovely waitress that hadn’t lost the will to live, could actually speak, and presented us with the wine list & suggesting some edamame beans and Asian crackers for the table.

    Bobby Chinn owns the restaurant, as well as another in Hanoi, and has a successful TV series “World Cafe Asia”. Bobby is clearly a man who knows his food but also how to have fun with it. Both food and drinks menu include a page bound to make you giggle; “Duct tape is available for hyperactive children”, and Bobby’s “10 Stages of Drunkness”, my favourite being number 4: Clairvoyant.

    The décor is far more serious, showcasing some dramatic red drapery, low lights, grey tones, and brushed steel. An odd pairing of artwork, being sat adjacent to a painting of people with no heads, and tables decorated with a couple of token touches of copper via candle votives.

    Their drinks menu is extensive, some fantastic and relevant to the Vietnamese theme including ingredients; lemongrass, coconut water, cucumber, lychee, Vietnamese coffee etc. Loving some of the great rose wines out there now, I opted for the Terra Vecchia Rose 2013 (£29), a really light, clean tasting and fresh wine- a great paring for the robust and fresh flavours we were about to enjoy.

    Ho serves food in the same manner as tapas, there are no strict starters/mains etc. They recommend 3-4 dishes per person, and left it in our waitress’ hands to decide what we had, to great success across 7 dishes that was the perfect amount of food for two.

    Bobby’s Warm Duck salad (£10.50) a touch disappointing after being advised of its spiciness and the heat being a little underwhelming. It was however lovely, light and crispy, although coriander’s presence was overpowering. The Grass Fed Angus Fillet Rolls (£6.50) were a triumph. My friend had visited Vietnam and said the flavours of this dish enchanted fond memories of his time there. Light rolls filled with fresh mint that complimented the rich wok tossed beef perfectly, with a little bit of sweetness in there too from some crispy onions- one to try.

    Seafood Ceviche (£12.50) – prawns, sea bass, and scallops combined with mangosteen (a fruit with amazing health benefits, a joy to see on the menu), nestled amongst peppers and avocado in a light coconut fresh lime jus – fresh to death! A lovely dish to have alongside the crispy 7 Spice Vietnamese Squid (£8.50), where its real winner was the dip accompaniment; perfect proportions of sweet & fiery with interesting flavour layers.

    The next dishes were the ones that made the meal. Shaking Beef (£12), 30-day grass-fed Angus beef. Ridiculously tender bite-size morsels. Plain in its seasoning with a strong peppery flavour. The meat speaks for itself here. Griddled Duck (13.50), in my notes I actually cussed against this dish it was that good. Only a little pink, and the notoriously fatty element of the duck almost going undetected it was cooked so well. Another bringer of ‘nam memories for my friend. Heavy smoky flavours, and comes served with a cabbage leaf stuffed with black rice. The stuffed cabbage was very plain and verging on under seasoned, but as an avid fan of both black rice and cabbage, I loved its purpose on the plate.

    The richness of both duck and beef dishes would require something light like a salad next to it. Our waitress had decided that we would receive Morning Glory (£6) – cooked spinach and toasted shallot oil with peanuts, a great simple side- but would have preferred a raw element at this point of the meal.

    With always room for pud, we chose the lemon scented crème brulee (£5.50) – lovely strong citrus, and overall a good brulee, but it came fridge cold which I’m not a fan of, believing it should always be served a little warm, even if it’s room temp to take away the image of bundles of brulees sat in a fridge.

    Also chosen was the trio of homemade gelatos- keen to see what varieties would be served due to the restaurant’s constant compliance to a Vietnamese theme. Apparently, a lemongrass was served but I could not identify between this one and another that only appeared through apparent pods, to be vanilla. A chocolate was also served and despite the gelato in their consistency being superior and luxuriously creamy- the flavours lacked any identity. I would have loved to have seen some flavours like on their cocktail menu. A Vietnamese Coffee Gelato sounds lovely!

    In my view, there were a few errors with a couple of instances involving overpowering flavours, and where the flavour lacked altogether- the dishes otherwise had clever composition. The House of Ho offers stylish dishes packed with exciting and fresh flavours that would definitely make me come back to explore the rest of the menu.

    The restaurant will also now be open till 1 AM on Fridays & Saturdays for “Late Ho”, with a resident DJ and Vietnamese bar snacks.

    Reviewed by @lohanjordan
    ADDRESS: 55—59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 6HW
    PHONE: 020 7287 0770
    PRICE: ££££ (explained)
    STAR RATING: ★★★ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY:
    http://www.houseofho.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Carrie The Musical

    A musical adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural novel Carrie, which was a hit 1976 film, has just opened, and it’s very good!

    It’s hard to believe that music could be used effectively to tell the story of Carrie White, a high school student who’s picked on by her fellow classmates. But the songs in the show work, telling the tale of this strange young woman, who lacks self-confidence and has an overprotective and very religious mother, helped by a super-talented cast who look like they have just stepped out of the pages of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

    Evelyn Hoskins, in the role that made Sissy Spacek a star (as well as receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance) plays White. Timid, meak, and small in stature, she’s not like the rest of the girls in her school.

    Carrie the Musical, told in narrative form by one of the girls who survives the climactic ending, opens (as does the film) with Carrie experiencing her first period in the gym showers. She has no idea what is happening to her body, and this gives her female classmates the opportunity to ridicule her, and to call her names, including Scary White. Carrie is angry about this, and uses her supernatural powers to make the lightbulbs explode. Meanwhile, one of the girls videotapes it and soon enough the other students are watching it on their mobile phones.

    The female classmates are led by Chris (Gabriella Williams). She’s mean, evil, yet glamorous and very popular. She’s got a ‘thing’ for teasing Carrie, and the rest of her friends follow suit. Carrie is taken under the wing of gym teacher Ms. Gardner (Jodie Jacobs), who makes the girls reluctantly apologize to Carrie. All but Chris apologises, so Ms. Gardner bans her from the upcoming prom. Chris vows to get even with Carrie. Meanwhile Sue (Sarah McNicholas) feels sorry for Carrie, and feels bad for making fun of her in the locker room. So she asks her boyfriend Tommy (Greg Miller-Burns) to take Carrie to the prom. At first he says no, but then agrees to take her after Carrie is inspired by a poem he had written that he read aloud in class, which is one of the shows most poignant scenes.

    Carrie’s mom (Kim Criswell), just about treats her daughter like a small child, not listening to her but praying for her sins and singing religious songs. She’s fanatical yet motherly in a creepy kind of way.

    So Tommy asks Carrie to the prom, and she says yes, much to the utter dismay of her mother. There’s no surprise what takes place at the prom if you’ve already seen the film or read the book. Carrie and Tommy go to the prom and Carrie gets blood dumped on her as they stand on stage after being voted Prom King and Queen (with the vote being manipulated by Chris’s gang of girls). Carrie uses her powers to cause mayhem, death, and destruction, and it’s all expertly executed by the cast and crew of the show.

    Hoskins is perfect as Carrie. Though while at times her singing is reminiscent of a watching a high school musical, she really comes into her own as the show proceeds, especially after showing some real emotion when Tommy asks her to the prom. As her mom, Criswell is superb. She’s Piper Laurie (who played the mother in the film) with pipes, especially when singing ‘ When There’s No One.’ Williams is fantastic as well. She’s the bully, yet she’s also the beauty. Carrie is Williams’s professional debut. But Miller-Burns is the standout among the cast. As the young man who takes Carrie to the prom, we see a sparkle in his eye, a richness and emotion to his voice, and he’s the perfect actor to play Tommy, the man every boy wants to be like and the man every girl wants to be with.

    The stage becomes, from one minute, the locker room, then a class room, then Carrie’s dining room, to the finale – the school’s gymnasium where the prom is held. The dumping of the blood on Carrie’s head and the mayhem that follows is superbly executed, and extremely intense. Director and Choreographer Gary Lloyd has done an amazing job in putting together this production. Carrie the Musical, with music by Michael Gore and Lyrics by Dean Pitchford (of Fame fame), was a big flop when it debuted on Broadway in 1988 and subsequently in an Off-Broadway production in 2012. But with its London debut the show looks ready to hit the West End. Let’s hope it does, with the same cast and crew – it’s bound to be a hit.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Oh What A Lovely War, Theatre Royal Stratford East

    ★★★★ | Oh What A Lovely War, Theatre Royal Stratford East

    Oh What A Lovely War, written by Joan Littlewood in 1963, depicts the essence of the First World War unbelievably well. Littlewood galvanised the idea of hunger, loss, bravery and even fear very convincingly. She said she wanted to write songs that were gritty and truthful to the events of the trenches. The most moving moment in the musical was when the soldiers sang I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier after having been shown real-time war images that showed trenches where men had been blown up or even the image of a few soldiers managing to brave a smile for the passing camera, as there was destruction in the foreground.

    I was touched by the homage that The Theatre Royal Stratford East production paid to the fallen 2.5 million men who fought bravely in WWI. Even as an audience member in 2015, I felt that the pain and sadness felt at the time were shared across the spectators during some scenes and the use of multimedia was the best I have seen in a long time. In occasional scenes, a screen would come down and facts of the number of deaths during the different stages of the war were displayed, as the action ensued, which added to the nostalgic effect.

    As an ensemble, The Theatre Royal Stratford East performed formidably, with natural singing, dancing and acting flair, in particular, Alice Bailey Johnson whose voice was sublime, and multi-part played roles in a dynamic fashion, especially with different accents. Ian Redding, who most might remember as Tricky Dicky in Eastenders, was a delight to watch. His comedic timing was outstanding, and the funniest part of the show for me was when he played the Sergeant. In this scene, Ian’s character was shouting at his platoon, but instead of words, he was just spitting spluttering and talking gibberish at them.

    Although the set was ornate and well designed, it appeared to look unstable, as when actors leaped onto certain staircase-like stages, it wobbled and did not look safe. However, this did not distract us from the action, as the cast leaped around beautifully.

    The ending was the most moving moment of all. After singing They Didn’t Believe Me, the audience were shown more images of the First World War and it paused on the last picture, where four soldiers smiled and it looked as though they were staring right at us. Here, the cast paused too and looked up to screen in respect to the spirited soldiers.

    Not only did this show break the fourth wall, it also summoned onto the stage the emotions that would have been felt during the era of 1914-1918, where the Great War took place. A must see, but with a word of warning: bring your own tissues, to contain your tears of joy, but also of grief.

  • London Gay Bar The Yard Safe For Now

    A London gay bar is safe as plans to turn the popular venue into luxury flats has been thrown out by Westminster council.

    London has lost a number of gay bars in the last 2 years including, Profile, Lower Profile, Green Carnation, The Black Cap, Manbar and Escape. The Yard, seemed to be next on the chopping block after a planning application to build flats above the site were lodged with Westminster Council.

    However, plans have now been rejected and a second proposal was withdrawn by the developer. The site has been designated as an area of historical importance as the site is the last carriage yard in the area. The venue is one of the only sites in Soho with a sky opening, making it possible to drink and smoke within its confines.

    Pinknews reports that Andy Jones, owner of The Yard, said:

    “It is a great relief that the second application has been withdrawn from the Council by the landlord. The application would have severally damaged the last remaining 19th Century stables in Soho.

    “I would like to thank everyone for their support towards the campaign.

    “Hundreds of objections were formally made against both applications by residents, customers and the greater Soho community.”

    Campaigners had sent over 600 messages to the council slamming the plans, which could have resulted in another London gay bar closing.

    It is not known if the developer plans to lodge anymore proposals.

  • Green Party Launches The Green Gay Manifesto, “Much Work To Be Done”

    Green Party leader Natalie Bennett is to launch the Greens’ LGBT+ manifesto today at 3:30 on Old Compton Street, London’s gay centre.

    Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, will be campaigning in Soho in with deputy leader Amelia Womack and leading LGBTIQ campaigner Peter Tatchell. They will talk to voters as the Green Party launches their LGBT+ manifesto.

    The manifesto contains pledges to

    • Review the discriminatory blood ban

    • Introduce LGBTIQ-inclusive sex education

    • Protect LGBTIQ asylum seekers

    • Improve services for trans people

    • Promote LGBTIQ rights abroad

    Bennett who will be releasing the full manifesto at 3:30 is expected to say,

    “The Green Party has consistently been at the forefront of pushing for LGBTIQ rights.

    “We were the first UK party to support marriage equality and in parliament, Caroline has pushed for a review of the discriminatory ban on gay blood donors, wider provision of gender identity clinics and an end to the transphobic spousal veto.

    “However, there is much still to be done. Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia remain too common in our society. Green MPs will work with others to ensure that LGBTIQ rights are enhanced over the course of the next parliament.”

    The Green Party is polling at record levels ahead of a General Election. Membership of the Green Party, the third largest party in England and Wales, sky-rocketed by 123% in 2014 and continues to surge in 2015. The combined membership of UK Green parties now stands at over 70,000.

    The Green Party is standing candidates in over 90% of seats, meaning more people than ever before will be able to vote Green on May 7th 2015