THEGAYUK

Tag: Soho News

Get the latest LGBT+ Soho news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Soho, England, UK

  • COMMENT | Just What Is Happening To Gay Soho?

    COMMENT | Just What Is Happening To Gay Soho?

    Is extremity passé? Pre-Crossrail Soho thinks so. F**k nurturing nonconformity – now, it’s virtually a shoot-on-sight thought crime. Don’t believe it? Think again; clubs, landlords and speculator scumbags w**k themselves raw for imminent, sky-high rents. Forget Soho’s mass misfit culture spanning centuries – this is Ebola economics, toxic to anything but itself.

    Forget Bohemian heritage. Those stinky, if beloved, Soho streets – strip-mined of any meaning but money – are being massacred by real-estate morons. It’s systematic, social abortion, a vicious kick in the pregnant belly of deviant culture. Forget dissent – the future is Yummy Dummy Yakuzas en mass, brutal corporate clones sipping lobotomised lattes, Orwell’s perpetual boot in the face with added, f**k-you froth.

    More vicious still, it’s deliberate, a long-term, strategic pacification sicker than stowaways falling from 747s. In common with deleting council tenants in desirable postcodes for lucrative redevelopment, any breeding grounds for debate also vanish. Notice a pattern? Not just gay bars and venues, but any establishment encouraging behaviour beyond ticked boxes.

    And the first casualty? Arguably, the Colony Room, Dean Street’s lusciously depraved den of artists, whores and lost souls, closed in August 2008. Commandeered (no other phrase fits) by the dulcetly vulgar dyke of distinction, Muriel Belcher – a typical greeting was ‘Alright, c**ty?’, despite actual gender – the club festered, Addams-family style, one taut, confining, sludge-green upstairs room with attached bar and drug-dusted lavatory. Part confessional, part pick-up joint and liquid muse Mecca for regulars Francis Bacon and his ilk, a utopia of free expression regardless of gender, desire or class, the Colony was Soho personified, the rank piss on a Duke’s pantyhose.

    Which meant what, precisely? Oh, everything that bigoted, reactionary wage-slaves hate – blanket irreverence and relishing life’s quality, not quantity. Puking, farting, publicly squirting spunk, Soho, at best, was life raw, erudite, and flawlessly finessed at level ten on Viagra.

    No longer. There’s a creeping disease – scorched-earth stupidity – alive and necrotising Soho daily. It’s called greed and property profiteering in the wake of London Transport’s Crossrail project gutting the area. A prime example? One neighbouring club – and here discretion demands anonymity– which as an amiable, if less intense, but enjoyably polysexual version of the Colony – which suffered appallingly.

    Acquired by interests blatantly misunderstanding the letter B in Bohemianism to mean business, it became a pressurised, bums-on-seats cash-cow overnight. Previous founder memberships were revoked en mass, the boozy Dylan Thomas ambience severely discouraged, and every expansive inch of unprofitable eccentricity press-ganged into table-service. Result? A win-win for mediocrity par excellence; Hello to the least welcoming, fleecingly expensive, stunningly intolerant faux-Starbucks in town.

    If only the scummification – the Battery Farm Bohemianism beloved by non-entities – had died there. No such luck – Jojo’s, the Black Cap, Soho’s 12 Bar Club and more have been shot faster than US police suspects. And that’s despite non-stop, impassioned celebrity pleas. ‘Stop the destruction!’ Vivienne Westwood recently demanded. ‘London is a disaster! People hate it! Clubs and dives are going, going, gone’.

    Exactly. It’s Artistic Abbatoir time ASAP, the ruthless culling of any possible activity not devoted to coining cash for city coffers. Who needs ISIS demolishing irreplaceable icons with Westminster Council in town? Insanely, Ruling Baron Bojo’s forgotten – or never knew – a society’s quality of life and civility is embodied by the amenities available. Not here; Tories despise the ‘useless embellishments’- like Culture and public toilets – encouraged by an inexplicably contrary Europe.

    In any form, philistine bigotry is ugly, especially posing as benign gentrification. Given free rein – like right now- Cameron and pals prefer a dead-by-night London choked with brain-dead worker ants by day. Their ideal city? A walk-away, stay-away, w*nker’s wonderland with all the cachet of a mass urinal. It’s divide and rule, a classic dictator strategy; people terrified by job insecurity simply ignore minority plights and issues.

    Well, so sorry, boys- we’re human beings demanding Humanity. Ever heard the phrase, while furiously deleting Human Rights from the statute books? If an ideal city – Paris or Rome – embodies all the poise, compassion and nurture vital to sexual, social and artistic diversity, then London 2015 is a psychopathic, brain-dead glutton, eating itself alive with greed. Do you – do we – truly want to barely exist, not live, in the rancid puke it’ll toss back as a bland, back-door Bohemia? No way, José. Stick it right back up where Bojo’s brain don’t shine. Just as Westminster’s done to Soho’s Rainbow wilting in the gutter. Poor Oscar Wilde; he’d be sobbing his heart out crying to the indifferent stars.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Transformer: A Night With Lou Reed At Soho Theatre, Polymorphous Perversity

    Does gay culture have Alzheimer’s or rather, collective amnesia? Sure, for straight, non-artistic philistines Jonny Woo seems ground-breaking, but truthfully, he’s one rich link in a historically brilliant chain. ★★★★

    The once-signature beard, teamed with trowelled-on make-up? Straight from the Cockettes, the 1960s, San Franciscan performance art troupe, via David Hoyle’s car-crash Liza Minelli make-over. Ditto the confrontational rants, identity politics and shot-gun conflation of trash and fine art – uh, hello, John Waters and Divine, anyone?

    And let’s not forget gorgeous lifestyle peacocks Quentin Crisp and Colin Swift (don’t know them? Do a Google), the epitomes of waspishly debonair decadence. ‘I love watching ballet’, Crisp hissed, ‘You never know when the dancers will slip and break their necks’.

    And something of that same, devilish relish instantly curdles easy, audience enjoyment tonight. Because, if ever a show demanded snarling contempt for punters, it’s this. See, Lou Reed – the ragingly gay, rock ‘n’ roll beast so timidly evoked tonight – wasn’t even borderline polite. Screw social graces – he brutally massacred finesse with the aplomb of a fresh, human turd served at a Buckingham Palace banquet. Sure, Woo serves up a live, Reed songbook and patter, but it’s a pale, disappointing Xerox of Warhol sleaze, venom and spunk, West End Wendies doing a Lou Reed-Lite karaoke.

    Let’s get specific. The biggest, howlingly apparent problem is a skewed, dramatic spine, all Hunchback of Notre Dame excess but no pay-off. It’s the sin of pride. perhaps, or, less religiously, King Midas Syndrome, the belief that sexually diverse mind-sets turn everything they touch to pure gold.

    Not here. Unshakeably sure of his own cachet, Woo simply assumes, limpet-like, that his blessed touch automatically annexes and glorifies all things queer in his own image. If only, if only, as Tennessee Williams should’ve said to Salvador Dali. Full points to Jonny for even trying, but I deeply missed Lou’s clinically insane, live-gig frazzled mania, nowhere evident tonight.

    It’s unfair, perhaps, to compare Transformer to the utterly deranged, swamp-rock transvestism of The Christeene Machine, another Soho Theatre stand-out. But frankly, Jonny, bless his surely rock ‘n’ roll heart, just pussyfoots, and merely apes, but never memorably embraces, piss-stained leather pants dementia.

    Still – as with the filthiest, most depraved sinner – there are points of brilliant redemption. Breaking London drag superstar Pretty Miss Cairo is an outstanding Candy Darling, even though that transsexual, Warhol luminary would rather cut her bashful, self-effacing dick off than get naked on stage. And better still is Fi McCluskey’s jaw-droppingly stunning Valerie Solanas, the militant feminist who shot Warhol nearly point-blank in ’68. Reciting still-incendiary verses from the SCUM manifesto – the Society for Cutting Up Men – McClusky gives every ounce of witchy, confrontational venom a sublime, poison perfection.

    So should you see Transformer, and part with your hard-earned, precious shekels? Oh god, yes, even for just the memory of that glorious, unrepeatable era when the streets of early 70s Soho were awash with drugs, pansexuality and promise – a time, we hope, might soon come again.

  • Andrew Hayden Smith To Get Soaked For Hot Fellas

    Banana and Cucumber star Andrew Hayden Smith is playing a DJ set tonight at Ku bar to celebrate the launch of a calendar of gay men getting soaked in aid of charity, Prostate Cancer UK.

    Speaking to TheGayUK, Andrew said,

    “It’s for a great cause. I was happy to lend my support and go down and spin some tunes for them and there’s going to be some hot fellas as well – so that’s always good!”

    Clonezone and Soho based KU Bar have joined forces for a charity evening of surprises, cocktails and guest DJ’s to present the launch of Project SOAKED, brain child of photographer Mark Lister.

    Project SOAKED is a visual venture from the award-winning photographer showcasing striking portraits within a calendar and hard back photo book of men amidst a downpour of water. Lister launched the project to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer with proceeds going to Prostate Cancer UK.

    “It’s important to us to support Project Soaked and assist Mark in his efforts to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK” said Clonezone’s Marketing Manager Topher Taylor. “We’ve found as a company that a surprisingly low-number of men know the basic facts of Prostate Cancer, including not knowing how to examine themselves for symptoms. We are excited to build a long-term relationship with Project Soaked, with 100% of proceeds from the calendar going directly to the cause”.

    The event will take place at KU Bar’s award winning gay bar on 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA in the centre of vibrant London’s Soho tonight from 8PM.

  • REVIEW: L’escargot Upstairs Private Members Club

    Is Soho artistically dead? Hardly. Greek Street’s L’escargot – the superlative, French restaurant open since 1927 – has opened a sumptuously upscale, deeply gay-friendly, member’s club.

    And it’s crucially needed, because frankly, Soho was looking tired, tattered and – most shockingly – decayed, the worst crime imaginable for a hedonistic paradise. Like other endangered species, the floridly artistic, theatrical and merely eccentric citizens of London’s prized, premier Bohemia have been systemically disenfranchised.

    Not surprising. A scorched-earth policy of insensitive redevelopment has closed iconic venues and shut gloriously eccentric shops, junking the avant-garde for the averagely-grotesque. But mercifully, there’s still gorgeous life in Soho beyond chain stores on every corner. Without doubt, L’Escargot’s new member’s club heralds a quantum-leap, quality Renaissance for the entire area.
    It’s the staggeringly beautiful brainchild of two highly-esteemed bon vivants and lovers of the arts, Brian Chivas and Laurence Isaacson. Both have impeccable, cultural gourmet credentials, with Brian Chivas having run private member’s clubs Home House and Mayfair’s Arts Club, and Chez Gerard restauranteur Laurence Isaacson co-founding the Covent Garden Arts Festival. Together, their talents create an irresistible force for positive, cultural change, and they’re comprehensively addressing one inexplicably gaping hole – the lack of refined luxury for mature creatives – in Soho’s existing member’s clubs.

    Astonishingly, that issue’s never been addressed before, and most probably, stems from creative laziness. Too often, new venture planning assumes a below-40s demographic as a shaping aesthetic. The results, of course, are shockingly mediocre – a voluntary torture regime designer-cut for sociopaths. Jarring, over-loud music and harsh lighting discourage cosy quality time, and encourage rapid, uncomfortable but lucrative, member visits.

    But who wants such an empty, soul-destroying experience, especially if you’re a forty-something, gay creative wanting to unwind? Why endure bars, clubs and restaurants where pumping sound-systems drown even bellowed conversation? Mercifully, L’escargot embraces an entirely different philosophy – the soothing of the savaged, civilized soul.

    Fully appreciating that its’ members relish experiences beyond a crass battering of the senses, L’Escargot is the discrete, unarguable pearl of Soho’s artistic urban oyster. Set within the glorious of a 200-year old Georgian townhouse, even the slightest, first step across the threshold induces a psychological ‘Narnia Effect’ – the sense of extraordinary, hidden wonders.
    Is it really that impressive? In a word, yes. And in a beyond-bland world where corporate ‘adventurism’ spells fifty brands of beige, this is luxury run fabulously riot. Forget sterile atriums with the icy panache of dentist’s drills; L’Escargot is a four-storey, Faberge Easter egg of eclectic excellence.

    The multi-sensuous mystique begins with the first, frosted kiss of the restaurant’s cut-glass chandeliers downstairs. All warmly inviting, dark scarlet walls and pale oak floors, Art Deco classicism is married to an enviably French conviviality. Immediately, the space becomes a feast for the appreciative senses, the furthest point possible from globally-franchised minimalism.
    That’s barely the tip of a Crown Jewels iceberg. Step upstairs beyond the five-star cuisine and wine cellar, and you’re entranced by a jewel-box warren of six rooms on four floors. With each a uniquely themed highlight in a consistently opulent aesthetic, it’s tempting to draw comparisons with Prince Regent’s beautifully eccentric Brighton Pavilion and Hugh Walpole’s stunning, mock-Gothic mansion Strawberry Hill.

    Throughout, there’s a sheer, unrestrained joy in decor designed, in an almost Noel Coward sense, for the pleasure of enlightened living. Designed and executed by the formidable Russell Sage studio, whose clients include Quaglino’s and The Hospital Club, the decor fiercely rejects the English fear of vibrant colour and longing for Laura Ashley limpidity.
    Instead, quite triumphantly, there’s a hot-house fantasia of sensations, each richer than the last. A plushly-carpeted, spiral staircase leads to a startlingly elegant, lushly pale green and high-ceilinged dining-room, a delight of white linen and beveled wall mirrors. Turn again, and there’s a secluded library complete with fire, an erudite echo chamber to one’s own thoughts and those of others, and awash with Oscar Wilde associations of fine rococo book leather and mulled wine over fine cigars.

    And the jewels – like refugees from the otherworldly Arabian Nights – keep on coming. One brilliant royal blue room is offset by Romanesque gold-mosaic patterned accents, and another, imperial purple chamber boasts gleaming, gloss-black highlights like exotic, patent leather. The compact, all-crimson boudoir especially impresses, like a shimmering mirage of heated desire. And finally, there’s the matt-black, barrel-vaulted and brilliantly sky-lit upper Grand Siècle Salon, artfully set with studded, black leather Chesterfields, a baby grand piano and an en suite bar.
    Overall, it’s a superb, and much needed, reclamation of the art of intelligent Maximalism, as exemplified in the pop-art perfection of British artist and dandy Duggie Fields. Never cringingly retrospective or faux-nostalgic, this exuberant maximalism is a furiously effective antidote to an increasingly passé minimalism. In brief, it’s a life-style, art and philosophy cherishing the full richness of possibilities, in art, deportment and mind-sets.

    So no wonder that vision’s so dynamically realised here. Artworks by talents as diverse and challenging as Dali, Grayson Perry, Matisse and Alternative Miss World doyen Andrew Logan gild the walls as assured conversation pieces. In essence, the club’s become a deeply addictive space for urbane glamour, a bohemian kaleidoscope as equally suited to F.Scott Fitzgerald’s Lost Generation as to style gourmands David Hockney, Nancy Dell’Olio and Benedict Cumberbatch.And better yet, beyond its’ luxuriant, physical beauty and imminent roof terrace, L’escargot eagerly facilitates pocket music, theatre, arts and film night events. But unlike other grand, London spaces, where opulence is also icily formal, L’esgarcot prizes member friendliness as its’gold standard. ‘The most important thing is how they treat the receptionists and waiters’, co-founder Brian Chivas has said. ‘There have to be places people of my age (he’s an effortlessly charming 55) can go without all the madness that goes with youth culture’.He’s right. In an increasing fractious world swamped by youth culture attitudes, demands and tastes, any contemporary Oscar Wilde or mature epicurean would feel excluded. That’s no critique of youth, just acknowledging that we deepen and become increasingly nuanced in maturity, and gain appreciation of new pleasures never previously considered. They’re states of mind brilliantly evoked by flâneur, raconteur and debut author Phillip Mann, in his upcoming, cultural critique Dandies At Dusk (Flammarion Books, £40). It’s a title which succinctly applies to L’escargot’s inimitable, nurturing ambiance, and which makes it, unarguably, the soul of the new Renaissance Soho.
    REVIEW L’escargot Upstairs Private Members Club.

    48 Greek Street, Soho.

    5 Stars

  • INTERVIEW: DAVID TAYLOR: Say Hello To The New Balans

    Have you seen the new Balans? Well, it’s not strictly called Balans anymore. We delve into the world of Balans Soho Society and why it’s all change at London’s most famous gay eatery.

    For those in the know, Balans Soho Society is a stalwart fixture on the Soho scene. Every king, queen and fairy has walked through its doors to be waited on by some of the most beautiful people in the business, to lap up its gloriously transitory environment and to be served the best salmon on toast at 5AM in the morning after a heavy night of Heaven. We speak with the owner, DAVID TAYLOR to see what’s new, what’s changing and if the hot waiters will still be a permanent fixture.

    JH: When Balans began life, Soho was at its heart and, in particular, the gay community. Is this the new guise of Balans and will the gay community play an important role or still be considered an important consumer?

    DT: Nothing will change and we will be as gay friendly as ever. Our simple mission and instruction (as it has always been) is to indulge and enjoy oneself in the company of fellow bon vivants. We are a café, a restaurant, a bar and definitely a place where rules are made to be broken – a place to go when you feel like doing things you probably shouldn’t.

    Balans has always acted as a refuge for outsiders: minorities, eccentrics, bohemians, dreamers… people drawn together by a shared conviction that normal rules don’t apply to them and this could never be more relevant than to the gay community.

    Nothing communicates what Balans Soho Society now stands for quite like the design of its façades and interiors, curated by the outrageous Simon Costin (who first made his name creating fashion shows for Alexander McQueen and now his work can be seen at The Met in New York and London’s V&A). Every detail is specifically designed to start conversations such as the genius illustrations detailed on the cutlery and plates of the eye symbolising awareness, tolerance and inclusiveness whilst the key logo represents freedom where a world of pleasure opens up…

    We even have match boxes cleverly give some serving suggestions ‘For whatever sparks you up’ which capture the heart, soul and spirit of Soho.

    JH: Many famous faces have passed through the doors of Balans. Who has been your favourite and who do you want to see come in for a slap up nosh?

    DT: We’ve entertained everyone from ageing rock stars to the likes of Barbara Windsor and Gok Wan who actually worked for us as a waiter.

    We’ve also enjoyed the camp company of Dale Winton when he was looking for work as a young man (and when he made it) as well as Davina McCall and all the reality show and soap actors. Two of my favourites of all time would be Amy Winehouse and Adele. This week we had drag queen and gay rights activist, Panti Bliss coming in to eat before her show.

    Since opening the restaurant in the early 90s we’ve probably had most of the great and good pass through at some point but we’ve never made it our business to broadcast this as we want people to feel safe and relaxed without the glare from the outside world. The lock logo featured on the new Balans Soho Society branding symbolises just this – in other words – what happens in Balans Soho Society stays in Balans Soho Society.

    JH: Tell us why this rebrand is important?

    DT: When we opened the Soho restaurant in 1993 we shocked and thrilled many. The first design was described in the press as “a launderette on acid”. We were the first openly gay friendly venue on Old Compton St and, in fact, in London. There were many known gay pubs and one or two restaurants but they were all hid away or behind dark shop fronts. We literally opened the doors with a sliding full height glass shop front and the party spilt onto the street. The Village, Yard etc. quickly followed. Having bought out my partner from the English Balans, I’m now more determined than ever to bring back some sparkle and excitement to the restaurants and invite the outsiders in.

    JH: What is the key to being a successful restaurateur?

    DT: Masochistic tendencies of course.

    JH: What’s your favourite cocktail on the menu?

    DT: Having had more than my allotted share for this lifetime I am no longer allowed to drink them BUT, if I did, it would have to be the Pornstar Martini – although we are proud to present the Ode To Madame Jo Jo on our new cocktail menu.

    JH: The gay scene in Soho seems diminishing by the day. What’s going on? High rates and rents, difficult trading economy or less gay people out on the scene?

    DT: In the early 1990s there was no social media, Grindr or Scruff and so the only way to meet was to go out but now the dynamics of ‘socialising’ have changed. I also believe that whereas before there were only a few areas with a collection of gay venues, now there are many places in London where one can go out, especially in the East of London, and so the gay scene has become more dispersed.

    JH: Which celebrity chef would you give a job to in the Balans’ kitchens?

    DT: Skye Gyngell.

    JH: Will there continue to be a bevvy of gorgeous waiters at Balans Soho?

    DT: Is the Queen Madonna?

    Kensington High Street has also just relaunched (187 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SH)

     

  • London Gay and Drag Pub Up For Sale

    After a spate of closures on London’s gay scene Molly Moggs is up for sale.

    The popular Molly Moggs pub on the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road is apparently up for sale according to GayStarNews.
    The Alan Sugar owned pub’s leasehold is up for grabs for £275,000, however, the pub’s staff has not been told about the pub’s future.

    Molly Moggs is set in a listed building so only the leasehold is available to purchase and it is likely to remain a pub because of the licensing conditions, this is not a guarantee that it will remain a gay venue once new owners are found.

    According to GSN, the listing for the pub suggests, “An initial discreet viewing on a customer basis is required. Staff are unaware and should not be approached.”

    The London gay scene has seen a number of venues close. The Black Cap, The Joiners Arms, Barcode, The Green Carnation are just some of the businesses which have been shuttered in recent years.

  • 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.

  • The Secret Is Out, The Shadow Lounge Is Back

    If you’re in London this weekend with post pride blues wondering where the next party’s at, then check out the newly refurbished Shadow Lounge in the heart of Soho.

    Soho’s Biggest Secret has been unleashed and it’s clear there’s been no expense spared when it came to refurbishing the sophisticated venue. From the installation of the latest sound system sourced from Vegas to the ceiling and walls covered in special LED screens which display a whole range of graphics including images of clubbing guys to our favourites; the twinkling stars.

    Gone is the ‘hole-in-the-ground-bull-ring’ dance area, complete with 70’s disco floor and the limited walking space, and say hello to a roomier, more open, intimate-warehousey space, it doesn’t sound possible but they’ve done it.

    Shadow Lounge is a great club to party and lose yourself in the music. Ensconced within one of the private booths TheGayUK team were served by the cute and attentive bar staff who were on hand to serve and make us feel at home. Special shout out to Antonio who made us all feel incredibly welcomed.

    You don’t have to be a member to visit the Shadow Lounge, however there are a host of benefits in becoming one including, complimentary entry for you and a friend, birthday champagne and personal table service. Full details can be found at www.theshadowlounge.co.uk

    Wednesday’s are hosted by The Family Fierce, Thursdays Minty, Fridays Miss Dusty O’ and Saturdays Johanna Londinium.

    Shadow Lounge is located in Brewer Street (number 5), right next to Prowler and is open from 9:00PM to 3:00AM and is available for private hire. Find out more visit: http://www.theshadowlounge.co.uk

  • Soho Remembers Soho Nail Bomb Attack 15 Years On

    At approximately 6.10pm a group will the walk round to St Anne’s Garden in Waldour Street for a short service in the gardens next to the Triangular Bench (which was commissioned after the attacks to represent the link between Westminster, Tower Hamlets and Lambeth) and the three cherry trees which were planted in memory of the Soho victims. Earlier this year one of the three cherry trees was replaced.

    Today is the 15th anniversary of the Soho bomb, so 17-24-30 have invited representatives from Westminster, Tower Hamlets and Lambeth to join them this year to reaffirm their cross-borough commitment to tackling all forms of hate crime.

    Honorary Alderman Miss Frances Blois will be representing the Lord Mayor of Westminster, joined by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman and Cllr Christopher Wellbelove representing the late Mayor of Lambeth Cllr Mark Bennett.

    The Diversity Choir will be joining them this year to perform a couple of songs after the three minute silence that will take place at 6.37pm (the time of the Soho bomb), a minute for each of the three bombs – Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho, and for each of the Soho victims John Light, Andrea Dykes and Nick Moore.

    Members of the Moore family have confirmed that they will be attending this year, along with survivors from the Brixton and Soho nail bomb attacks.

    If you have a twitter account you can tweet your support for the Soho Remembers 17-24-30 Act of Remembrance 30th April 2014 by using the hashtag #SohoRemembers172430

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Address Unknown, Soho Theatre

    ★★★★ | Address Unknown

    Is it possible to explain the incomprehensible? How can anyone begin to understand what would make a man abandon a deep friendship in favour of joining a radical political movement? ‘Address Unknown’ is a stunning play from 1938 in which Kathrine Kressman looks at just these issues.

    Max and Martin are close friends with strong bonds but when Martin moves back to his native Germany a rift grows between them; a rift that will eventually lead to rejection, betrayal and revenge. The problem being that Max is Jewish and Martin is beguiled by the emerging National Socialist Movement and becomes an official in the Nazi party.

    Max and Martin are close friends with strong bonds but when Martin moves back to his native Germany a rift grows between them; a rift that will eventually lead to rejection, betrayal and revenge. The problem being that Max is Jewish and Martin is beguiled by the emerging National Socialist Movement and becomes an official in the Nazi party.

    It’s a powerful piece, well staged and well acted by the two men and is much more than a dry political commentary. The story is a very human one which subtly unfolds in a well paced and intriguing manner and makes the audience both squirm in horror and laugh with glee.

    It’s a powerful piece, well staged and well acted by the two men and is much more than a dry political commentary. The story is a very human one which subtly unfolds in a well paced and intriguing manner and makes the audience both squirm in horror and laugh with glee.

    He has a good point. Essential viewing for our modern times.

    ‘Address Unknown’ runs at The Soho Theatre until the 27th of July 2013

    Book tickets here: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/address-unknown

  • Petition To Pedestrianise Old Compton Street Launched

    The gayest street in Soho could look very different soon if a petition to Westminster Council is successful in lobbying for pedestrianisation of the iconic Old Compton Street.

    (more…)