THEGAYUK

Tag: London News

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

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Passing By, Tristan Bates Theatre

    ★★★ | Passing By, Tristan Bates Theatre

    ‘Passing By’ is an early work from award winning playwright Martin Sherman (Bent, Mrs Henderson Presents) that was first produced in New York in 1974. In terms of theatrical history, this play was hugely significant.

    Rather than being a play about homosexuality itself, where gay people were portrayed only as being tortured and struggling with life, this play is a romantic comedy where the characters just happen to be gay men. This was ground breaking stuff for the era it was written in.

    Toby (Rik Makarem) is a hypochondriac artist about to leave New York for a sabbatical in France and Simon (James Cartwright) is a diver, visiting New York to apply for a job as a sports reporter. The pair meet up, sleep together and then experience a bout of acute hepatitis which brings them together in spite of their differences in temperament.

    It’s a sweet play and is touching in parts but for me, the humour felt a little dated at times with a sit-com feel to it and some of the comedic moments seemed to fall slightly flat with the audience. The staging was superb with a clever set which captured the early 1970’s period well and made good use of the intimate space of the Tristan Bates Theatre but at times the acting felt almost too exaggerated for such a small space with slap-stick humour which again failed to fully deliver.

    Overall, I’d say this is a play which is worth seeing as a diversionary period piece and as an example of an early work from a fantastic pioneering playwright who has contributed a huge amount to modern theatre.

    You can catch ‘Passing By’ at the Tristan Bates Theatre until the 30th of November 2013

    Buy tickets here: http://www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk/passing_by.asp

  • THEATRE REVIEW | WTF! With Helen Lederer

    THEATRE REVIEW | WTF! With Helen Lederer

    We must point out that Helen Lederer is amazing. There you go. End of review.

    We’re sitting in the packed out studio theatre in Victoria, London, when the, zesty, energetic, self-effacing Lederer walks out to rapturous applause, looking amazing we must add.

    Her new show WTF! is a hilarious – part stand-up part chat show, where she delves into the nooks and crannies of celebrity’s lives.

    Sitting with Lederer this evening in the first half is the gorgeous Kimberley Walsh, 1/5 of the super girl group Girls Aloud, who is probed and prodded, by a genuinely interested Lederer, who has clearly done her research. Walsh quips, ‘Gosh you’ve really read the book, I’ve never had an interview this good…’

    In the second half she is joined by columnist heavyweights Yasmin Alibhai Brown and Suzanne Moore. Who equally shine in their roles as interviewees, particularly Alibhai-Brown who throws herself into Lederer’s wonderful format.

    If you’re looking for a Paxman or Frost type interrogation, you’re probably in the wrong theatre, but if you’re looking for a relaxed, irreverent, very Channel 4 and slightly odd cross examination and dissemination of a celeb then WTF! Is the show for you.

    Helen Lederer returns to the studio theatre at St. James’s Theatre in Victoria on the 28th November.

  • Gaga makes a surprise appearance at G-A-Y

    Lady Gaga stunned London club-goers at London’s biggest gay club, G-A-Y at Heaven, to sing her forthcoming single.

    The impromptu performance of Venus took many by surprise as she wasn’t on the billing. However, Gaga is the UK to perform on the X Factor this evening.

    Her previous single Applause from the upcoming album Artpop failed to get to number one, being beaten by Ellie Goulding’s Burn. However, we loved the video

    Lady Gaga will be joined by The Wanted on this evening’s broadcast of X Factor, starting at 8.00PM on ITV1.

  • Teen to lose virginity for art class

    Student Clayton Pettet has decided to lose his virginity in front of an audience as part of an art project for his degree at Central Saint Martins Arts School in London.

    The student in his second year, is to lose his gay virginity in front of a crowd of around 50-100 in an undisclosed location in Hackney in January as part of his art degree, the Huffington Post has revealed.

    Speaking to the online newspaper, Pettet said,

    ‘I’ve held on to my virginity for 19 years, and I’m not throwing it away lightly. Basically, it’s like I am losing the stigma around virginity.

    ‘I want the audience to see if anything has changed between me and my partner.

    ‘Since culturally we do hold quite a lot of value to the idea of virginity I have decided to use mine and the loss of it to create a piece that I think will stimulate interesting debate and questions regarding the subject.’

     

    We’ve spoken to the art department here at THEGAYUK (a position that simply doesn’t exist) to ask their opinion on the artistic expression of this young man.

    They said,

    ‘Make sure the cheque clears before committing to any stunt…’

    The art student hasn’t yet told his parents, but it’s safe to assume they’ll have heard by now.

    What do you think? Do you call this art?

  • THEATRE FEATURE: From Russia, With Love

    A theatrical fundraiser which aims to tackle homophobia in Russian is to take place on Sunday 27th October 2013.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Roots

    ★★★★ |Roots by Arnold Wesker, Donmar Warehouse

    It’s 1958 and Beatie Bryant has been living in London with Ronnie, a young socialist full of ideas and ideals. As she anxiously awaits his arrival to meet her family for the first time at their Norfolk farm, her head is swimming with new concepts of a bolder, freer world enhanced by politics, art and music, not caring that her views promise to clash with their traditional rural way of life.

    Roots is the centrepiece of Arnold Wesker’s classic post-war trilogy of plays and in spite of being over 50 years since its first staging, still carries a strong and pertinent message today in a world where apathy and mediocrity still abound.

    The play is naturalistic and heavy on dialogue but the inherent humour of the situation and characters lightens the tone enough to make it a thoroughly enjoyable piece to watch. The characters interact as they perform a background of daily chores such as cooking, cleaning and bathing, all punctuated by their exchanges which are spoken in broad Norfolk accents and dialect.

    Beatie is played by the beautiful and very talented Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) who manages to convey her naivety, exuberance and vulnerability along with her optimism as she hopefully anticipates a new world emerging. Raine is supported by a strong cast, particularly the magnificent Linda Bassett and Ian Gelder who play her taciturn and complacent parents with great dramatic and comic effect. The contentment of a family happy to live in their rural world, never questioning their routine and allotted roles, is subtly built up as the play slowly burns towards a dramatic finale.

    Director James Macdonald has created a flawless piece that proves that classic drama can be performed to great effect and made fresh and challenging, provided it is performed and staged well. This is an excellent production that is well worth viewing if you don’t know the play or worth revisiting if it’s a familiar piece to you.

    Roots is on until the 30th of November 2013

    Book tickets here: Roots

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Picture of Dorian Gray at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse

    ★★★★ | The Picture of Dorian Gray at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse

    Staged in a Georgian townhouse in Greenwich “modernised” to suit a wealthy Victorian resident, The Alchemist Order have presented an exciting and innovative production of this classic Oscar Wilde play.

    For those that don’t know the story, The Picture of Dorian Gray is the tale of a young man who trades his soul for eternal youth and beauty. As he lives a life of hedonism and decadence, a portrait painted of him as a young man ages in his place. Often cited as one of the finest examples of Gothic literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exquisitely dark but peppered with Wilde’s trademark wit.

    Dorian, played by the brilliant Mia Hawk, is both innocent and debauched, and Hawk conveys both with conviction. Although momentarily distracting that he is played by a female, the combination of great acting, inventive staging and clever writing soon forgives this. Chatting to the cast after the performance, I learned that Mia had less than a week to rehearse this role following an injury to the original actor, which makes her portrayal of this complex character all the more impressive.

    Samuel Orange, Creative Director of The Alchemist Order, plays Lord Henry Wotton utterly convincingly and has a natural ability to hold a stage, in even the most intimate of spaces. The interplay between Lord Henry and Dorian strikes just the right balance of tension and allure. Similarly notable is Jonathan Redfern, playing Basil Hallward, who brings a somewhat mesmerising flair to his role and is completely believable as the tortured artist.

    An outstanding highlight for me, though, is the fantastic Louise Larchbourne, whose Mrs Leaf is thoroughly engaging, and carries just the right balance of servitude and mastery appropriate for her role. From the moment one steps through the door into Mr Gray’s salon, all through the interval and right through to the time you leave, Larchbourne remains perfectly in character, entertaining and serving guests with a respectful wit.

    This is the inaugural production of The Alchemic Order, and if it is any indication of what is to come, the future of creative and imaginative theatre is very, very secure.

    THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY plays at Dorian Gray’s Townhouse, 2 minutes’ walk from Greenwich station (exact address revealed upon booking) Tues – Sat until 28 September. Tickets are £35 (£25 on Tues) from www.thealchemicorder.com

  • Ride Out for Human Rights

    Mystery bicycle ride to landmarks of famous humanitarians & LGBTs

    If you enjoy cycling, join us for our Ride Out for Human Rights around London on Sunday 6 October, starting at 10.30am in central London – at Gays The Word 66 Marchmont Street, WC1n 1AB

    We’re inviting you to join our fun bike ride to 11 mystery landmarks associated with famous LGBTs and humanitarians.
    It’s not a race. The ride is not timed, so you can ride as fast or as slow as you wish.

    If you haven’t got your own bike, consider hiring one from the London blue bike hire scheme.
    Spread the word. Bring your friends and family.
    The Ride Out for Human Rights is a fundraiser for the for Peter Tatchell Foundation. The registration fee is £20. Find out more and register via our website.

    If you can’t join us, please consider a donation.

    We receive no government funding and rely entirely on your generous donations. Your support makes a big difference. It enables us to continue speaking out for human rights.

    Please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends. Ask them to join us.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bourgeois And Maurice At The Soho Theatre

    You know those occasions when you meet your mates in town for a drink after work. It gets to about 9 and you think it might be nice to round off the evening in some way.

    Well instead of heading to your local kebab house, why not nip down to the Soho Theatre for a bit of cabaret, where you can catch one of the final performances of Sugartits, by the award-winning duo Bourgeois and Maurice? It would be a great way to round off a convivial evening with friends.

    And convivial, for the most part, is what this cabaret is. The duo delivers a selection of self-penned songs, covering a range of contemporary topics, such as tax, internet junkies and the homogenisation of our town centres (an “improvised” song about Birmingham could be about any town in the UK, which is actually the point). However, though engaging and entertaining, it’s not quite as hard hitting as they’d like to think, pandering, as it does, to middle-class Liberal sensibilities. I felt it could have done with a set of sharper teeth.

    That said, I could hardly fault the performances of the duo, who are the perfect foil for each other. Bourgeois, looking rather like a cross between the Divine David and the MC from Cabare, (I loved the Putin decorated jumpsuit he changed into half way through) delivers his songs and linking dialogue with a sardonically laconic wit, whilst Maurice, sporting a 60’s beehive, which would be the envy of Marge Simpson, has an engaging goofiness, and a rare talent at the keyboard. I particularly enjoyed her surreal attempt to tell a joke, in the manner of Michael McIntyre.

    Certainly, worth a trip, you can catch the show at the Soho Theatre Downstairs until September 21st.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Speed Twins, Riverside Studios

    This warm tale of love and last chances weaves together three very different characters as they are brought together in the afterlife bar, Dyke Heaven.

    Queenie, a 60-something year old ex-beauty queen, has spent her life making what she feels are the right choices by society’s norms and so is very surprised to be spending her afterlife in a lesbian bar. Polly Hemingway is wonderfully expressive and brings a warmth and softness to her character that could easily be lost beneath the difficult choices she has had to make.

    Ollie, on the other hand, is a Beryl Reid / Oliver Hardy hybrid (harking back to the days when lesbians were forced into the butch-femme role-play that is still too-often perceived as their only reality) and has lived her life true to her desires. Amanda Boxer is entirely convincing, and delivers her witty one-liners with excellent comic timing. Ollie is delighted to be in Dyke Heaven as it is so very reminiscent of the Gateways Club, a popular lesbian bar in Chelsea made famous by the 1969 film The Killing of Sister George (in which Beryl Reid dresses as Oliver Hardy). Indeed, several references to this movie are made throughout the play – both explicitly and implied.

    The arrival of Mia Mackie’s Shirley to the bar causes something of a stir. Queenie flits from rages of wild jealousy to blank-faced denial, while Ollie jumps from lustful to intrigued and back again. Mackie brings forward some very difficult emotions and handles the complicated character with skill.

    Overall, Maureen Chadwick has written a piece that is dark but tender, and infused with warmth and gentle humour throughout.

    The Speed Twins plays at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith until 28 September. Tickets are £22.50 (£15 conc.) from http://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/cgi-bin/page.pl?l=1370426957

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Confessions Of Gordon Brown, Trafalgar Studios

    ★★★★ |The Confessions Of Gordon Brown, Trafalgar Studios

    Fresh from the Edinburgh fringe, this hit one man show has transferred to the prestigious Trafalgar Studios in London.

    This satirical look at the reign of Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party is both laugh out loud and moving in equal parts. Written by Emmy award winning Kevin Toolis, the script swiftly moves between discussion of Brown the public figure and Brown the man.

    Ian Grieve (a remarkable likeness of the man himself) gives a strong, grounded performance, getting the audience onside and empathising with one of the most well known faces in British politics.The script reaches deep into the soul of the character, and one can only wonder what those close to Brown, and the man himself, would make of the writers interpretation of his character.

    Until 28th September,7.45pm daily

    http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-confessions-of-gordon-brown/trafalgar-studios/#overview_tab

    Twitter @GordonConfesses