THEGAYUK

Tag: London News

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

  • Dolly is coming back to the UK

    Dolly is coming back to the UK

    Squeal.

    Dolly Parton

    Dolly Parton is coming back to the UK – with her musical 9 to 5 – and it stars,  Louise Redknapp, Brian Conley, Amber Davis and Natalie McQueen.

    To celebrate, the Queen of Country Music uploaded a camp AF promo starring the cast mates. Check it out

    Book tickets now

    WE. ARE. SO. THERE.

  • A monthly group for LGBT+ people living with dementia celebrates 1 year anniversary

    A monthly group for LGBT+ people living with dementia celebrates 1 year anniversary

    The group, called Rainbow Memory Cafe has just celebrated its first birthday.

    Opening Door London’s group for LGBT+ people living with dementia, concerned about cognitive decline or caring for someone with dementia is still going strong since its first meeting in October 2017.

    The group meets on the second Monday of every month from 2-4pm at Tavis House in Euston. Members have reported a real sense of ‘coming home’ in the group meetings, feeling safe to share free of judgement from others.

    It’s been a busy year for the group, which has had high profile media coverage from Channel 4 and BBC London News.

    Whilst numbers are steady, Rainbow Memory Cafe is still keen to welcome new members. Find out more click here.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Keith Kat Klub – Phoenix Artist Club – London

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Keith Kat Klub – Phoenix Artist Club – London

    ★★★★★ | The Keith Kat Klub –The Phoenix Artist Club

    Keith Ramsey is just fantastic in his new one-man show ‘The Keith Kat Club.’

    Now playing at The Phoenix Artist Club, London’s ‘most loved late night local,’ Ramsey is Keith Kat in a show that will razzle and dazzle you (while the musical Chicago plays upstairs at The Phoenix Theatre and is no match for Keith!). In perhaps the most entertaining and best 90 minute show currently playing in the West End, Keith will take you to his own version of Berlin’s Kit Kat Club where he sings songs from the greats, reminiscent of a combination of Joel Grey and Liza Minelli in the film Cabaret.

    Keith completely takes control of his evening and entertains the audience with his winning smile and amazing voice, and convincingly sings songs with the voices of Cher, Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and many many more. But he wows his fans by singing Stephen Sondheim’s ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’ and he saves the best for last, including stunning interpretation of Edith Piaf’s ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.’

    It’s a show that ends too soon and we are left wanting more and more. Keith Ramsey in The Keith Kat Club is just the best. Enjoy being whisked back in time by the wonderful voice of Ramsey and his superb talents.

    Upcoming show dates are: 12th, 19th, 26th September

    To book, please visit this link:

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-keith-kat-klub-tickets-49000396505
  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Allegory, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Allegory, London

    ★★★★| The Allegory, London

    If you like your boozy brunches, then you’re going to love The Allegory.

    For 2 hours, (and £40 per person), you can drink four different types of alcoholic drinks while being served various sorts of brunchy type foods (nibbles are more like it) all in the confines of a cool trendy setting in a venue where staff are more than happy to continue to pour the alcohol before your two hours are up, when the time is up the alcohol stops.

    The Allegory is in the section between the City (the very top of Bishopsgate) and Shoreditch in an area that used to be a sort of no man’s land (where now a 50-story residential tower is being constructed). It’s a part of town that used to be a bit lost, but you won’t be lost trying to decide what to have from The Allegory’s Garden Brunch menu because you get it all!

    First, let’s start with the booze. Your choices are Pornstar Spritz (refreshing and beautifully presented), Bloody Mary (with a tomato, celery stick with a lemon inside and watercress), Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer (330ml) and Rosato Spumante (125ml) (served in a classy champagne glass). 

    And for the food? Does it really matter? You’re not really there for the food anyway! But for your FYI, the first course is a Grilled pink grapefruit with créme fraiche & Pistachios, and Greek yoghurt with honey-baked granola. The Granola was fine and served in a small oval shaped glass – a very healthy dish, but the grapefruit was very hard to eat as it was not precut by the kitchen – so in trying to eat it the pulp flew all over the place, including in my lunch companions face!

    The second course was much easier to eat – Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine – classic dishes that need no explanation.

    After the second or third booze round, (or was it the fourth – whose counting?), a small bench was placed on our table that would be the plate holder for the next and final course, but not really a course but more like a harang of nibbles. Buttermilk chicken, bacon & maple syrup with avocado, and fruit & honey – all served in small sandwich style, tiny but tasty, and adequate. We also received a bowl of Breaded mushrooms & halloumi. This is the type of food that lines the stomach, but it’s not necessarily gourmet nor fine dining. But as mentioned before, you are not here for the food, it’s all about the alcohol, and there will be plenty of it,  and you will definitely get your money’s worth if this is your thing.

    The Allegory

    1a Principal Place, Worship Street, EC2A 2BA

    OPENING HOURS:
    Monday to Wednesday: 7.30am till 11pm

    Thursday and Friday: 7.30am till late

    Saturday: 10am till 00.30am

    Sunday: available for private hire

  • CABARET REVIEW | Black Cat: Bohemia

    ★★☆☆☆ | Black Cat: Bohemia

    The Black Cat cabaret has been slinking its way round the London circuit for a good few years and frankly, it’s starting to look a bit mangey round the haunches. This autumn’s incarnation is themed around Bohemia with an attempt at a demi-monde atmosphere but which has about as much relation to the bohemian style as an afternoon sipping Sherry and nibbling on Bourbon biscuits with your auntie Pam from Dagenham.

    The problem lies, not in the acts but in the overall show which is lacking in edge. If you’ve seen cabaret before you’ll also have seen it all before and it’ll either have been similar, better or worse in quality than you witness here, which isn’t the problem.

    There’s the usual acrobatics, fire-eating and hoop work and all of it’s pretty much faultless. However, the seven performers feel like a backdrop to the talents of compere Laura Corcoran (a.k.a. Frisky). She banters with the audience, makes jokes, sings a medley of uninspired musical choices (and at times unwise ones such as the choice of trying to cover ‘Wow’ by Kate Bush (who’d even try that?)

    There’s nothing wrong with her work. She’s archly funny and generally fun but there’s just too much of her. Way too much. It feels like the cabaret performers get a brief chance to pop on, do a turn and pop off again and then she’s off again. On the rare occasions that there’s an atmosphere building up or the remotest hint of thrill then she quickly re-appears and the mood returns to bawdy comedic chit chat, dashing any hope of anything that feels cohesive or novel.

    If you’re a huge fan of Miss Frisky then knock yourself out. This is her night and she’s largely only briefly interrupted in owning the stage. If you’re after something darker and more edgy and with some variety then there’s plenty more cabaret shows on the circuit.

  • Two women sexually assaulted in the heart of London’s Soho

    Two women have been sexually assaulted in the heart of London LGBT+ scene.

    The Metropolitan Police are appealing to the public for witnesses after two women were approached on the streets of Soho and sexually assaulted.

    The incident was reported on the 11th May at 10:25 PM on Frith Street, which is the heart of Soho. According to police reports,

    The victims, two women – aged 27 and 28 explained how they were walking along the road when a man approached them from behind and sexually assaulted them.

    He then made off on foot towards Dean Street and the women ran, contacting police.

    Police have now released an image of a man they wish to question in connection with the assault.

    The suspect is described as a dark-skinned white male, with black hair. He was wearing a pink and white striped shirt and had a black backpack.

    Detective Constable Paul Durrant, from the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences team, said, “These young women were just walking down the road when this despicable individual went up to them from behind and sexually assaulted them. It is important that he is caught to prevent him from targeting anyone else.”

    Anyone with information or who recognise this male please contact DC Durrant on 0203 733 5999 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Indian Accent, London

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Indian Accent, London

    ★★★★★| Indian Accent, London

    Why settle for a brunch of steak and eggs with champagne or ordinary American-style pancakes when you can have an exquisitely unique and totally different brunch of Indian food at a reasonable price?

    Then Indian Accent is the place for you. Nestled amongst high end shops (including Paul Smith) in Mayfair on Albermale Street and across the street from Brown’s Hotel, Indian Accent is now serving a weekend brunch that takes its inspiration from regional dishes, but with a twist of fusion which redefines Indian food where the food is not at all spicy yet very delicious and, dare I say it, perfect.

    Their brunch menu, at two courses for a mere £25, or the shared brunch which features nine dishes for £40 per person, has food that you will find to be totally unique and totally wonderful.

    It was a bit difficult to choose dishes from the £25 menu as I don’t usually make a beeline for Indian restaurants, but luckily my brunch companion was Indian and knew the dishes on the menu to save me asking the wait staff what each dish was. Of the nine first course choices, I ordered the Lamb Seekh Kebab with cumin potato and stilton – and it was delicious. The two pieces of lamb were shaped like two sausages with chutney and was a very good choice for a starter. My friend had the Chilli Crab Cheese Toast, with summer cucumber pickle and a dollop of tamarind ketchup, where he said was good but a bit too cheddary. It was, however, the mains where Indian Accent proved to be one of a kind.

    My Paper Roast Dosa, Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts was just superb. The mushrooms and chestnuts are served under a teepee-style covering in a beautifully designed dish. The mushrooms and chestnuts go so well together and are served in an oil and is perhaps one of the best dishes I’ve had all year. Also excellent was the Chicken Chilli Dabba Gosht (Indian Mutton), Baked egg and Paratha (fried dough bread) that my friend had. The Mutton, even though it was chicken, had a ground beef taste, and the egg was a nice touch, to make a beautifully-tasting dish that is just so so different. We were also treated to the Potato Sphere Chaat – which is a street-style Indian street crunchy snack food that is just wonderful! For those of you who are Indian or who have been to India you would know what these are, but I had never had one before and I am now hooked! They are delicious!

    The main courses, by the way, come with nan (kulcha) so you will be quite full after your two courses. But you are craving a typical bacon dish, then the flatbread naan-style dish (Kulcha) stuffed with bacon will be your dish.

    But wait! You must order dessert! I luckily had the ‘aamras’ (beautiful) cardamom sauce with summer berries on a bed of mango sauce littered with pineapples – absolute heaven and perhaps the best dessert I’ve had all year! And it was not heavy at all! What looked heavy was my friend’s Makhan Malai made with saffron milk cream – a beautiful mound of all these ingredients sprinkled with almonds and rose petal jiggery brittle – it’s quite large but actually very light, and I might add very delicious. Two five stars for the desserts – they both almost made us cry!

    Of course, their brunch menu has more options to choose from, as does their lunch, dinner and Pre-Theatre menu, and all can be viewed here: http://indianaccent.com/london/#menuID– but we feel that we had the perfect combination of food on the brunch menu, and I highly recommend you have the same dishes as well.

    But of course, there are drinks to be had as well. And of course, the drinks we were given were just perfect. The Transcendental Meditation drink, made with Honey Infused Gin, Mountain Sage Liqueur and Thyme & Lavender, and served in a copper cup, was absolutely divine, delicious, refreshing and perfect. And the wines chosen for us – the chardonnay Macon-Vinzelles Clos de Grand Pere and the Barbera d’Alba DOC by Francesco Rinaldi (Italian Red Wine) were just superb.

    Indian Accent is chic, elegant, modern, with great prices and food that is top notch. Chef Manish Mehrotra puts his unique spin on brunch with expertly spiced, imaginative plates and the restaurant has won much critical acclaim since opening just a few months ago and with the arrival of brunch alongside a whole host of new menus – including the arrival of the Summer menus earlier this month, a 45-minute £19 business lunch and a two course pre-theatre at £28. Indian Accent is firmly establishing itself as a restaurant for all occasions. I urge you to go…excellent food at excellent prices.

    16 ALBEMARLE STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON

    +44 207-629-9802
    Restaurant Hours:
    Dinner: Sunday – Thursday; 5:30pm – 10:00pm; 10:30pm on Friday & Saturday
    Lunch: Monday – Thursday; 12 noon – 2:00 pm; 2:30 pm on Friday
    Brunch: Saturday – Sunday; 12 noon – 2:30pm
    Pre-Theatre: Monday –Thursday; 5:30pm – 6:00pm (One Hour Seating)

    http://indianaccent.com/london/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

    ★★★★☆ | Little Shop of Horrors – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

    There’s a human-eating plant in Regents Park, and the more it eats the bigger it gets – and it’s all at the wonderful Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the new show ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’

    On skid row in downtown Manhattan, a flower shop called Mushnik’s is not doing much business. But Seymour Krelborn (a wonderful Marc Antolin), who works at the shop owned by Mr Mushnick (Forbes Masson) has mysteriously acquired a plant, a plant so unlike any in the shop. It’s a plant that looks like a venus flytrap, but this plant is very different. It’s a plant he has called Audrey II (Vicky Vox plays the plant later in the show), named after the co-worker he is secretly in love with Audrey (Jemima Rooper). This plant doesn’t want water like all the other plants in the shop, as discovered by Seymour when he pricks his fingers and drips blood on the plant, and it’s happy drinking his blood. But the more blood Seymour feeds the plant, the bigger it grows, and soon enough Seymour can’t give any more blood to the plant, and it’s grown so huge that’s it’s become a celebrity (and so has Seymour). But how can Seymour continue to keep his plant happy and all the while attaining his new celebrity status (and the money that comes with it?). He has to give Audrey II more blood, and this includes people. The first to go into the plant is Audrey’s abusive boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Matt Willis – of pop group Busted). But who will be next? The plants keeps telling Seymour ‘I’m Hungry’ so he’s at odds as to what to do next. And this all takes place in the beautiful outdoor theatre.
    Playing until Saturday, September 22, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is great fun to watch. Let’s hope the good weather continues until the end of the shows run – as Little Shop of Horrors is best enjoyed when it’s not raining. The cast are all wonderful, and Vicky Vox is larger than life as the plant. With music and lyrics by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, Little Shop of Horrors is still good fun and even better set amongst all those trees in Regent’s Park. Just be careful and don’t get too close to one, it might eat you!
  • Artists: Ever wanted to create and run your own LGBT+ event?

    Artists: Ever wanted to create and run your own LGBT+ event?

    After 10 successful years of annual LGBTQI+ cross art event, GFEST – Gayise FESTival is calling upon organisers to create and hold their own events.

    The theme for GFEST 2018 is ‘Socially EQUAL’, and events should run from Monday 12 November to Saturday 24 November.

    GFEST – Gaywise FESTival® (known as GFEST) is recognised as an annual LGBTQI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex +) cross-art celebration. Over the last 10 years, the festival has presented LGBTQI+ films, music, performances, art exhibitions, interdisciplinary art, poetry, book reading, workshops, participatory events, debates, etc. events each November.

    GFEST producer arts charity Wise Thoughts is inviting community and arts groups, local museums, local authorities or libraries etc. to join and share awesome LGBTQI+ arts and stories from all over the world, as this year’s festival events. GFEST 2018 events, wherever they will take place, now can be added to the events list and promoted on the GFEST website.

    The festival has been endorsed by all three Mayors of London, many celebrities, ministers, and cross-party MPs.

    Niranjan Kamatkar FRSA, artistic director of GFEST said, “We want to reach out to audiences that we couldn’t in the past, and where there is a greater need to promote the LGBTQI+ cultural issues. To help ensure this we are changing the format from this year. We will include more web-based events and podcast etc. and we can also present a recommended programme, acts and films list from next year”.

    He added, “If you have got it, flaunt it! Young or old, fresh or established, show the world that real talent always shines the best! GFEST events value and promote diverse talent from diverse art forms and promote artistic excellence. Celebrating diversity continues to endorse LGBTQI+ equal rights and reduces possible discrimination. GFEST ethos is to develop cultural and social equality for and amongst diverse LGBTQI+ people from all age groups, including people from different religious or/and cultural backgrounds. The festival actively supports individual creative abilities and participation in the society.”

    If you are interested in organising your own event please visit and list the event details: https://gaywisefestival.org.uk/submissions/

  • Man’s back broken in hate crime hours after Pride In London

    Man’s back broken in hate crime hours after Pride In London

    A victim has been left with a broken back, after an attack in central London, which cops are calling a “hate crime”.

    CREDIT: ©-ronfromyork-Depositphotos

    A 49-year-old man has been left with life-changing injuries after being attacked hours after Pride in London on the 8th July He was struck in the back, the impact from which broke his spine.

    He was walking along Greek Street at around 1:30 AM on Sunday morning towards Tottenham Court Road, where he planned to catch a bus home.

    He also had his mobile phone stolen.

    The victim was able to make his way to Stratford Underground Station where he was given medical treatment by officers before being taken to the hospital. He was found to have suffered a broken back and continues to receive treatment.

    Details from the Metropolitan Police suggest that “offensive language heard by the victim shortly before the assault” so it is being treated as a hate crime.

    Detectives have carried out extensive CCTV enquiries to identify the suspect(s).

    They would like to hear anyone who witnessed the assault which happened following Pride in London. The area would have been busy at the time. Officers would also like to speak with anyone who helped him off the tube at Stratford.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact the Community Safety Unit at Westminster via 101.
    Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

    There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

  • Another LGBT venue in London closes without warning

    Another LGBT venue in London closes without warning

    A North London LGBT+ venue, Her Upstairs has closed abruptly, without warning for unspecified “legal reasons”.

    North London’s gay scene has been dealt another blow after the popular LGBT and drag venue, Her Upstairs, closed with no warning. The venue’s management announced the sudden closure on its Facebook page.

    The statement reads,

    “It is with great sadness that as of today Her Upstairs is no longer open for business at 18 Kentish Town Road.
    “For legal reasons we cannot share the details of this sudden closure.
    “We regret that we have had to do this so abruptly and without giving our incredible community a chance to say goodbye to the space.
    “Our queer spaces are so vital, but it’s the people, not the bricks and mortar that make the space. We may be lacking in a physical space but we feel each and everyone of our family with us no matter where we go.
    “This is a goodbye for the present but not a farewell.
    “With love from the Her Upstairs family, stay tuned and we’ll see you very soon.”

    The closure comes just a few years after the landmark venue, The Black Cap was forced to close in Camden. The only LGBT venue that now exists in North London in permanent form is Central Station which is close to Kings Cross train station. THEGAYUK.com has been running a campaign called Lost LGBT Scene which keeps track of LGBT venues closures in London since the year 2000. The loss of Her Upstairs take the number of venues closed to around 117.