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  • One man comedy by Jonathan Harvey to tour England in Feb

    One man comedy by Jonathan Harvey to tour England in Feb

    The show, which stars Andrew Lancel, will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for six performances over three nights, this will be the first live performances at the theatre since closing in March due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

    The show then moves on to The Atkinson Southport, Lighthouse Poole, Swan Theatre Worcester, Belgrade Coventry, Dukes Lancaster, City Varieties Leeds, and Capitol Horsham. All venue will present to socially distanced audiences and more dates are to be confirmed soon.

    Swan Song was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1997, before transferring to Hampstead Theatre with award-winning comedy actress Rebecca Front in the lead role. Jonathan Harvey adapted the 70-minute play especially for Liverpool Theatre Festival for Andrew Lancel to play the solo role of Dave Titswell. Due to critical acclaim, the play will now perform at venues across the UK next year, these new dates replaced the November 2020 dates which were cancelled due to lockdown, now a longer tour is planned for Spring 2021.

    The news also comes as Andrew Lancel is set to have an appearance in the Royal Variety Performance, which is televised on Tuesday 8 December. Andrew appears as Brian Epstein in Cilla The Musical, he also played Brian in Epstein The Man Who Made The Beatles in 2012, where Andrew Lancel first met Bill Elms who produced the play in Liverpool and London’s West End.

    “Funny, clever and inspiring production”

    Producer and the artistic director of Liverpool Theatre Festival, Bill Elms said: “Swan Song is a funny, clever and inspiring production which opened the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival. Andrew Lancel, Jonathan Harvey, and Noreen Kershaw are an incredible blend of creative talent, and the play went down a storm in Liverpool. It is such a lovely piece that I approached Andrew and the team with the idea to tour. People are excited for the return of live theatre – and we’re excited to give them that experience back after such a long time with a really special production.”

    Swan Song is a bittersweet comedy written by Jonathan Harvey. Set in Liverpool, it is Christmas 1997, the world is changing and in the staff room, Gay, forty-something, English teacher Dave Titswell finds that not all change is welcome. He has a crush, but life, love, and work are never straight forward for Dave. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even be a Dave themselves.

    Andrew Lancel in Swan Song by Jonathan Harvey
    Ⓒ DAVID MUNN PR SUPPLIED

    Andrew Lancel is no stranger to audiences. Well established on the national theatre scene, Andrew is also widely known for his television roles as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and super-villain Frank Foster in Coronation Street. He has twice played Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein on stage to great critical acclaim, first in Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles (also produced by Bill Elms) which premiered in Liverpool and went on to play London’s West End, as well as playing Epstein in the national tour of Cilla The Musical, Bill Kenwright’s stage adaptation of the TV series written by Jeff Pope.

    Andrew Lancel commented: “The last play I saw before lockdown was Jonathan Harvey’s Our Lady of Blundellsands at The Everyman Liverpool, which I loved – so it’s very cool, and a little ironic, that my first play back is with Jonathan. We have known each other for years and worked together a lot but never on stage, so it’s humbling that he has adapted this play for me. It’s very funny, moving, and I think people will really relate to it today. His characters are literally gifts to play and to watch.

    “This play is about reuniting too. Reuniting theatre and audiences with live performance is extra special. To be back with Epstein producer Bill Elms is a buzz, and I’ve worked on some very serious storylines on Corrie with Noreen Kershaw. It feels like coming home for us all in so many ways.”

    Award-winning Jonathan Harvey’s credits include Gimme Gimme Gimme; Murder Most Horrid; Coronation Street; Call The Midwife; and Tracey Ullman’s Show. His plays include Beautiful Thing, Corrie, Canary, Hushabye Mountain, Babies, Boom Bang A Bang’ and Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club. He also wrote the 2001 stage musical Closer to Heaven with the Pet Shop Boys and its sequel Muzik. He has won the John Whiting Award, the George Devine Award, two Manchester Evening News Awards, an Evening Standard Award, two British Soap Awards and a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award.

    Jonathan added: “Swan Song is a comedy about a teacher who’s trying to hold onto his dignity while the education system crumbles around him – and I’m thrilled Andrew is playing Dave. I’m delighted to also be working with Noreen again, she directed many of my Corrie scripts and my last episode of Call The Midwife. As the original Shirley Valentine, Noreen definitely knows a thing or two about one person shows.”

    Noreen Kershaw’s directing credits include Our Girl, Moving On, Scott & Bailey, Emmerdale, Shameless, Heartbeat and Coronation Street. She is also known for acting in Life On Mars, Brookside, and Watching. Noreen also originated the title role of Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre.

    Andrew Lancel in

    SWAN SONG

    by Jonathan Harvey

    UNITY THEATRE

    Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG

    Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 February 2021

    Performance times: 5pm / 7.45pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    ATKINSON THEATRE

    Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB

    Friday 12 – Saturday 13 February 2021

    Performance times: 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.theatkinson.co.uk ON SALE SOON

    THE LIGHTHOUSE

    Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG

    Saturday 20 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.lighthousepoole.co.uk ON SALE 11 DEC

    THE SWAN THEATRE

    The Moors, Worcester, WR1 3ED

    Sunday 21 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.worcesterlive.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    BELGRADE THEATRE

    Belgrade Square, Coventry, CV1 1GS

    Wednesday 24 February 2021

    Performance times: 2.30pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.belgrade.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    DUKES LANCASTER

    Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1QE

    Thursday 25 February 2021

    Performance times: 2.30pm / 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.dukeslancaster.org ON SALE NOW

    CITY VARIETIES MUSIC HALL

    Swan Street, Leeds, LS1 6LW

    Saturday 27 February 2021

    Performance times: 2pm / 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.cityvarieties.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    THE CAPITOL THEATRE

    North Street, Horsham, RH12 1RG

    Sunday 28 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 6pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.thecapitolhorsham.co.uk ON SALE NOW

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Muzik, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Muzik, London

    ★★★★★ | Muzik, Leicester Square Theatre, London

    It takes someone with a lot of talent, energy, charisma and pizzaz to keep you mesmerised, enthralled, entertained and laughing non-stop in a one hour show. Frances Barber does just this playing Billie Trix in the show ‘Muzik.’

    Barber is, in a word, brilliant in her one woman show where she recounts the life, and acting as, Billie Trix, who was an icon, rock star, screen goddess, and drug addict.

    In a show written by Jonathan Harvey and with songs by the Pet Shop Boys, Barber (Trix) tells of her life when she belonged to the Warhol crew (there is a funny joke about a gun and Valerie Solanas – the woman who shot Warhol), to her time in Paris, and how her and her mother never saw eye to eye. The jokes are fast and furious and hilarious. Barber keeps the momentum going singing the hilarious songs about anything and nothing. No stone is left unturned when she, truth or not, recounts the time when she was Donald Trumps lover and how she could’ve been the princess to Prince Harry.

    This one hour show is jam packed with her stories; Madonna is in disguise in the audience, and her agent, also in the audience, is happily eating away. If you get a chance go see this show. I knew nothing about Trix, and Barber until now – Barber made me laugh until I cried.

    MUSIK
    Written by Jonathan Harvey
    & Pet Shop Boys

    Leicester Square Theatre
    6 Leicester Place
    London WC2H 7BX

    Wednesday 5 February – Sunday 1 March

    Tues-Thurs £22.50, £34.50 & Premiums £42.50
    Fri-Sat £22.50, £42.50 & Premiums £49.50
    Sun £22.50, £37.50 & Premiums £45.00
    These prices are inclusive of all booking fees and theatre levy

    Ticket Booking Line
    0207 7342222

    www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

  • 11 LGBT+ celebs who are totally sober and living their best life

    11 LGBT+ celebs who are totally sober and living their best life

    Not all celebrities need a drink to have a good time! In fact, many of them have sworn off the booze for good and are living their best lives.

    Frankie Grande

    CREDIT: Channel 5/ Youtube

    US reality TV star Frankie Grande recently celebrated a year and a half sober. He took to Instagram to celebrate the amazing milestone and released a colourful artwork featuring a picture of him smiling and the words, “sexy, sassy and strong” added.

    He also took a moment to reach out to anyone who is struggling with depression or unmanageable or overwhelming feelings to offer the words of encouragement, that you don’t “have to drink and use over them…”

    Bradley Traynor

    If you’re outside the US, you might be more familiar with Brad’s former alter ego, drag queen Wanda Wisdom, the first-ever drag queen to host her own podcast. She made a big point at the start of every show to say that she was a “single, sober drag queen”. Nowadays, Brad is still sober but works as a presenter on the radio, MyTalk 1071.

    RuPaul

    Speaking to THEGAYUK in 2014, RuPaul told us, “Well you know I’ve been sober for 14 years. I feel incredible. If you wanna lead a life on this planet there’s an evolution a storyline, somethings get left behind. It’s like a rocket and a fuselage.

    “To launch a rocket into space you need to use the fuselage but at some point, you leave Earth’s atmosphere and you don’t need that fuselage anymore and you realise its important to break it off, if you want to move further. My point is you have to be present enough to understand when it’s time to give certain things up, but you also need tools to know how to deal with being present, because sometimes being present is really f**ked up.

    “Sometimes you get really bored, sometimes you have a lot of pain, a lot of loneliness, but you need the tools to deal with that otherwise you’re gonna be in a lot of pain”

    Jonathan Harvey

    Embed from Getty Images

    The writer and creator of some of the best gay stories, like the film Beautiful Thing and Gimme Gimme Gimme, celebrated one year of sobriety in January 2020. Taking to Twitter he wrote,

    https://twitter.com/JOJEHARVEY/status/1220617488054071297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1220617488054071297&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftweetdeck.twitter.com%2F

    Matthew Mitcham

    Matthew Mitcham
    CREDIT: Matthew Mitcham/Instagram

    The Aussie Olympian, Matthew Mitcham is sober and last year celebrated another year sober. He took to Instagram to say, “I also reached another recovery milestone, and I’ve never felt cleaner or serener”.

    Zachary Quinto

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    The actor Zachary Quinto has just celebrated 3 years of sobriety on Instagram, writing, “III years sober today. I guess I wore the right jumper for the occasion. when I think about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown and how much more I love myself,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m really blown away. very far from perfect – but perfectly flawed. and working every day to honor and realize my full potential.

    “Three years ago I had lost a connection to gratitude almost entirely. today i am brimming with it. for this touchstone. for life’s abundance. for true friends. for support. for the sweet freedom of this journey. may it continue with compassion – curiosity – honesty and above all… LOVE.”

    Elton John

    © S Buckley Depositphotos

    Elton John‘s fight against drugs, drink and eating disorders started in 1990. The music legend was propelled to get sober 28 years ago in 1990 in the wake of seeing how the AIDS scourge inflicted itself on the community. The Fix quotes, “Within six months I became sober, and clean, and have been for the last (28) years.”

    Tyler The Creator

    Embed from Getty Images

    Tyler may rap about liquor and meds, but apparently he’s totally sober, he said, “Not to drugs, I never spark it.”

    Jake Hook

    Songwriter and editor of this very magazine Jake Hook has spoken about the benefits of being sober, including the monetary and well-being benefits. He became sober in the summer of 2014. Speaking about the night before coming sober he wrote, “…one night, when I was alone and I started to drink by myself and after the first half a bottle of Malibu, or whatever it was I was drinking, a thought popped into my head. ‘What am I doing and why am I doing this?’ I wasn’t happy and jolly, I wasn’t being the life and soul of any parties and I certainly wasn’t looking, feeling or acting the sexy beast that I know myself to be! Looking into the mirror, I saw how miserable I had actually become”.

    Kelly Osborne

    ©-s_bukley-Depositphotos

    Kelly Osbourne shared a passionate post on Instagram in August 2018 celebrating one year of restraint. She said, “This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life and I feel it’s time share that with you guys,

    “To cut a long story short things got really dark … The only way I knew how to function was to self medicate and go from project to project so I never had to focus on what was really going on with me.”

    Sia

    Embed from Getty Images

    In September 2018, the artist tweeted about being eight years without drink.

    “Eight years sober today,” she wrote on September 11, 2018. “I love you, keep going. You can do it.” During an appearance on The Late Late Show, the singer talked about her struggles. She said, “I was a singer already for like 10 or 11 years to mediocre success, and I was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and I sobered up and decided I didn’t want to be an artist any more, “I was starting to get a little bit famous and it was destabilizing in some ways…so I thought, ‘What doesn’t exist in pop music at the moment?’ and it was mystery.”

  • Jonathan Harvey had the perfect clap back for “gay sin” bigot

    Jonathan Harvey had the perfect clap back for “gay sin” bigot

    When one the world’s most famous gay authors makes a clap back against religious bigotry towards gay people – he does it well.

     

    Beautiful Thing writer, Jonathan Harvey had a few words for a person on Twitter who claimed that giving into sin, and in particular being gay, could “ruin” us if we let that sin “rule” us.

    In the Tweet, Lisa Bedrick, who describes herself as having a BA in English and a “minor in Bible” wrote, “Maybe gay people are born gay. We are All born with an inclination toward some sin, but we can either have self control over that sin or we can let it rule us and ruin our lives”.

    https://twitter.com/angel28kc/status/1159958159689166848

    The Tweet has gone viral with over 7,000 responses to it.

    Gimme Gimme Gimme creator Jonathan Harvey wasn’t having any of it and clapped back, “Jesus would be ashamed of you dear. Your humble braggery about your perfection is a fuckin sin dear. Pipe down.

    He then tweeted Lisa directly, adding, “I’m a bit worried about your claim that Jesus loves you. I’m not sure he will if you spread incorrect information like homosexuality is caused by child abuse. He’ll see that as bearing false witness and the bible considers that a no-no.”

    However, Jonathan wasn’t the only celeb to get involved, Lord Michael Cashman wrote, “Take your opinion about other peoples lives wrap it in tinfoil and place it in the fridge of your god and if you really are a true believer allow them to decide.

    “You commit the ultimate blasphemy by sitting in the place of your god and telling and judging others. Move along”.

    While Drag superstar Lady Bunny, wrote, “Maybe some straight people are born straight. Even though they’re born with an inclination to yell at sports games with hot dogs on their breath while wearing fanny packs & Uggs, gays pray that they’ll exercise fashion self control b4 they ruin the world!”

    “Is homosexuality caused by a fear of having children?”

    Inexplicably, Ms Bedrick followed the tweets a few other questions and comments which were beyond EXTRA.

    One read, “This might make some of you mad but I think this is a valid question. Is homosexuality caused by a fear of having children?”

    In another, she said that she thought that homosexuality was caused by sexual abuse, saying “Regarding homosexuality, my heart goes out to those who are because I could have been there. I think it is caused by being sexually abused, and I was. But All things are possible with God. You might not like the opposite sex due to fear from sexual abuse, but you can overcome. ;)”

    Jonathan had a response to this doozy of Tweet, saying “The only thing I’ve ever been abused by is your humongous ego, y dozy melt. Yours, a gay.”

     

     

     

     

  • BOOK REVIEW | The History Of Us

    BOOK REVIEW | The History Of Us

    Jonathan Harvey is a writer with stature. He penned the gay classic Beautiful Thing and writes for Coronation Street as well as creating the high camp sit-coms Gimme Gimme Gimme and Beautiful People. Sadly, this novel doesn’t live up to his prior reputation.

    The History of Us Book review

     

    Based in Harvey’s hometown of Liverpool, the story follows three friends at two points in time. In 1985, teenage Adam is dreaming of a writing career, Jocelyn wants to be a singer whilst Kathleen’s dreams are a bit more mundane: she wants to be an embalmer. It’s all mooning over boys (Adam’s gay), mooching around and listening to Alison Moyet in teenage bedrooms. Fast-forward to 2015 and Adam’s writing career has floundered, Kathleen is a failed flight attendant who has a drink problem and Jocelyn has met a sticky end after a career as a professional bitch and celebrity Twitter troll (think Katy Hopkins but meaner).

    The strongest sections of the book are the in the first half where the narrative switches between the back streets of Liverpool and Adam and Kathleen’s current lives in London. The humour is twisted and wry and when it works raises the odd snigger but never a real belly laugh. The problem comes in with the arc of the story line. It starts to peter out and feels woolly and unfocused and the humour drops down a notch or two until by the end of the novel it’s non-existent. This gradual shedding away of the comedy to reveal something darker would work well if the story line didn’t fizzle out along with it.

    Harvey’s knack is often in presenting unsympathetic characters but the ones in this novel feel wooden and tired. The story switches between characters but their individual voices don’t feel strong enough to carry the plot. It’s a book that doesn’t find its place at all. It sits neither as effective comedy, drama or thriller.

    A disappointing dud of a book.

    Out 8th September 2016, Order from Amazon

    Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

  • Beautiful Thing Makes Westend Return

    Jonathan Harvey’s classic play, Beautiful Thing, will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year with a brand new production at the Arts Theatre in the West End from 13 April – 25 May, with a press night on Wednesday 17 April, followed by a short UK tour visiting Liverpool, Leeds and Brighton. Directed by Nikolai Foster, and designed by Colin Richmond, the production will star Suranne Jones, with further casting to be announced. (more…)