The Evening Standard has appointed its very first LGBT+ Correspondent.
CREDIT: By Philafrenzy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsOne of London’s most read news outlets, The Evening Standard has appointed its first LGBT+ correspondent, Amy Ashenden, who is also the outlet’s online Assistant Video Editor. The writer is also the editor of The Gay Word, a documentary about the evolution of the word “gay” asking the question, “Is it homophobic or has language evolved?”
CREDIT: Amy Ashenden/Twitter
Speaking to THEGAYUK.com Amy spoke how important the new role way for the LGBT+ community saying,
“I feel it’s an important role because London has a huge queer community.
“There’s so much happening here and being queer myself, I’ve always been keen to make sure LGBTQ voices are heard and that all of London is represented. LGBTQ content is something I’ve been doing a lot of ever since I started at the Standard and I’m delighted the new title will formally recognise that”
Having an LGBT+ correspondent is very rare for mainstream media and Amy suggests that it’s a great way of making content inclusive, representative and a brillaint way to bring more diversity across the media,
Amy continued,
“I think having a LGBTQ Correspondent is a great way of making content inclusive and more relevant to wider audiences. There is a lack of diverse content across many media outlets, and being fair, representative and inclusive is something I think all journalism should strive to be”
“I am very proud to be the Evening Standard’s first ever LGBTQ Correspondent and it goes to show you should never shy away from telling stories you feel passionate about. If there’s something LGBTQ happening, particularly in London, please get in touch! I’m always keeping an eye out for stories”.
British Transport Police is appealing for information from the public after two boyfriends were attacked on a London-bound train after a night out in Reading.
Police confirmed that the pair sustained injuries and were transferred to hospital by ambulance.
The police were called at 1.04 AM.
Phillip Poole, 35 and his boyfriend, Zbynek Zatloukal, 26 were apparently brutally beaten on a London-bound train travelling from Reading on Valentine’s day. Mr Poole said that the couple were set upon by a gang of five “for being gay”.
According to Mr Poole, the thugs boarded the train in Ealing, West London and verbally abused the couple with a homophobic insult before physically attacking them. Mr Poole says that he was sleeping on his partner’s shoulder when a punch to the face woke him.
Anyone with any information about the incident should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or 61016 citing reference 30 of 15/02/16.
A 100-year-old railway bridge which passes through the gay village of Leeds has received a rainbow makeover.
CREDIT: Joe Burke / JoeMB Media
The rail bridge HUL4/53, which is called the Leeds Freedom Bridge, has been coloured the colours of the LGBT rainbow flag. The update is all thanks to Network Rail, Leeds City Council and local LGBT diversity campaigner Thomas Wales.
Speaking about the update, Thomas Wales, ‘Leeds Freedom Bridge’ project leader and LGB&T campaigner, said,
“Each colour represents something different, from Life and Harmony to Nature and Spirit, it is also a scheme that has been adopted internationally to celebrate freedom in sexuality and gender identity in our city. It is destined to become a landmark we can all be proud of.”
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy executive member for culture, said,
“This bridge represents a tremendous show of support for the city’s LGBT community. Not only will the Leeds Freedom Bridge be an eye-catching addition to what is already a lively and electric part of Leeds, it will also make a huge statement to our many visitors, that here, we embrace and celebrate diversity and the contribution it makes to ensuring Leeds is such a warm, welcoming and successful city.”
The rainbow paintwork commenced in December and was completed in February 2017, just in time to share the Freedom Bridge love over the Valentine’s weekend.
In 1988 over 20,000 people took to the streets of Manchester to protest the Conservative Government’s controversial anti-gay legislation known as Section 28.
(C) BIGSTOCK
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 meant that local authority employees, including school teachers, could not “intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”.
It became law in England, Scotland and Wales on the 24th May 1988 under Margaret Thatcher‘s Tory government. Section 28 was repealed in 2003 by the Labour government. The Scottish government was able to repeal this bill in 2000 and was, in fact, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament.
Watch this incredible footage of the protest in Manchester.
★★★★| The Pet Shop Boys Super Tour – Leeds First Direct Arena
32 years ago, The Pet Shop Boys burst onto the music scene with West End Girls, their first single and their first of many number ones. 32 years later, they have kicked off their UK tour, Super, at Leeds First Direct Arena, touring off the back of their latest two albums, Super and Electric, their set featured selected tracks from those albums along with a host of classic tracks and a few unexpected songs. The question is, have The Pet Shop Boys still got it? TheGayUK were there to bring you the lowdown.
(c) Tej
Opening with Inner Sanctum, the band rattled though some of their more recent tracks, including The Pop Kids, Burn, and The Dictator Decides from their latest album, Super, and Love is a Bourgeois Concept and Inside a Dream from their Electric Album. These latter two albums have had a heavy dance music slant, and the songs sounded great performed live, with the crowd on their feet and the bass reverberating in your chest. Scattered amongst the set list were some unusual, but welcome choices, such as In The Night, New York City Boy, The Sodom and Gomorrah Show and a beautifully subtle version of Home and Dry, the latter being a real highlight of the show.
But it was, of course, the classic hits including West End Girls, Love Comes Quickly, Domino Dancing, Always On My Mind and new versions of Left To My Own Devices and Go West, which really got the crowd going; and the seminal It’s A Sin was a clear winner within the sold out arena.
Accompanying the music was a projected backdrop and a jaw dropping light and laser show, creating a visual feast and an assault on the senses, as the lasers reached out into the audience, jabbing them with bony coloured fingers, before bathing them in soft sheets of light which penetrated the smoky atmosphere of the arena. Dispensing with the need for backing dancers and elaborate dance routines, the band’s presentation of electronic entertainment neatly mirrored their pioneering electronic sound. The visuals in themselves are worth the price of admission.
Tennant’s voice still sounds as solid as ever, the vocals were clear and songs that were over 30 years old still sounded contemporary as they neatly nestled between the new tracks. However, whilst the light show was incredible, there were times when you were so blinded by the constant flashing lights aimed directly at you, that the movement on stage and the band themselves were obscured as they became washed out in a sea of light; and judging by the reaction of the crowd, a few more of the classic hits would have been welcome, although with such an extensive back catalogue to choose from, it is inevitable that there will be some omissions.
With an extravagant stage show, breath-taking visuals and a sound which never seems to age, the question is have the Pet Shop Boys still got it? And they absolutely have.
The Super Tour kicked off on the 18th February 2017 and tours at various locations including Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, London and Blackpool. Visit the official website at http://petshopboys.co.uk/tour for details.
A gay couple were brutally beaten in what’s been described as a homophobic attack on a London-bound train on Valentine’s Day.
CREDIT: Phillip Poole
Phillip Poole, 35 and his boyfriend, Zbynek Zatloukal, 26 were apparently brutally beaten on a London-bound train travelling from Reading on Valentine’s day. Mr Poole said that the couple were set upon by a gang of five “for being gay”.
Mr Poole took to social media to share the shocking images of his and his boyfriend’s injuries. The attack has left him feeling anxious and “jumpy”.
HAPPY TIMES: The couple before the attack – a happy Valentine’s night out.
The thugs boarded the train in Ealing, West London and verbally abused the couple with a homophobic insult before physically attacking them. Mr Poole says that he was sleeping on his partner’s shoulder when a punch to the face woke him.
“I can’t really remember much about what happened because I was in such shock when I woke up. I managed to get up and stumble down the carriageway but then they followed me.”
He said that he was not a violent person and did not know how to defend himself against the abusive onslaught. The 36-year-old said he was still jumpy from the incident.
The couple, who have been together since November 2015 sustained cuts and bruises and were taken to Ealing Hospital.
Mr Poole took to his Facebook profile to thank his friends and family for their well wishes
“Just wanted to thank everyone so much for your comments of support❤means the world to Zbyněk and I. We are home resting now but are very bruised and swollen”.
British Transport Police have said they are aware of the incident and was investigating and Mr Poole confirmed to THEGAYUK that they would be contact them next week.
Arthur Schnitzler’s turn of the century play ‘La Ronde’ is a frequently performed and adapted classic, partly because it’s an intriguing concept and also often because it’s usually staged with just two actors and a minimal set, making it easy to put on.
Taking the idea of a roundel, where people are linked through their sexual encounters, the original play looks at power, class and politics from the standpoint of sexual encounters. For example, in the original: a prostitute has sex with a soldier, the soldier has sex with a parlour maid and the parlourmaid has sex with a young gentleman and so on till we complete the circle back with the prostitute. It’s a bit like six degrees of separation (or six degrees of Kevin Bacon if you prefer). David Hare adapted the play into ‘The Blue Room’, which became notorious for featuring a naked Nicole Kidman. The gay version, ‘F*cking Men” was a witty and timely adaptation with cleverly drawn characters and a frisson of raunchiness. Sadly this version flounders and is an anti-aphrodisiac.
Writer/director Max Gill has come up with a novel take on the concept. His version features four actors and Wheel of Fortune type spinning wheel featuring their faces. Each scene is preceded by a spin of the wheel which results in a choice of which actor joins the remaining actor from the previous pair, meaning that there are (apparently) over 3,000 possible actor combinations in the play. Also, this makes the play gender neutral. The couples could be two women, two men or a man and a woman. The pronouns and language in the script allow for this. It’s a lively concept and one served well by Frankie Bradshaw’s arresting set and Jack Weir and Nathan Klein’s atmospheric sound and lighting. The gimmick works but sadly it’s not at all well served by the script.
The tone of the play is light comedy and despite some glimpses of promise and the odd flash of insight, on the whole, the script feels dated and pedestrian with few laughs and little depth. The characters mostly feel stereotyped and the acting is turned up to full stagey volume. I found myself looking forward to each scene ending and the wheel to spin again. I love a gimmick and am all for innovation and originality but there needs to be a more sturdy and polished script to make this work.
La Ronde plays at the Bunker Theatre until 11th March 2017
A man who admitted shouting homophobic abuse, whilst drunk, has been fined £150.
CREDIT: Google Maps 2015
Twenty-two-year-old Ellis Birnie, of Sandveien, Lerwick, was fined £150 after he pleaded guilty to behaving “in a threatening or abusive manner” in Lerwick, Shetland, in Scotland.
He made homophobic remarks according to a witness who said that the accused had made “derogatory remarks about the females’ perceived sexuality” last year at the Thule Bar and Captain Flints on 27 September.
Shetland News reports, Mr Birnie’s defence said that he suffered from epilepsy and diabetes and according did not manage his condition by not managing his diet.
Sheriff Philip Mann remarked that the behaviour was “really stupid” and said he hoped it would be a wake-up call for the man.
“Look after your health and be wise enough to understand you can’t go out and abuse alcohol in this way”.
Reduced Shakespeare Company put on a masterful performance combining Shakespeare’s most and least known plays and characters into a fiendish cauldron, summoning up hilarious crossover tales that made the audience laugh out loud. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor designed ‘William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play’ with all Shakespeare levels in mind. Whether you are a beginner or a scholar, there was something for you to laugh at, recall the connection, and laugh again. Perhaps rekindle fond memories of school, rehearsal and at a theatre.
The three actors commanded their craft with expertise and mastery. It was very clear, very quickly, that Joseph Maudsley, Matthew Pearson and James Percy had studied, played and understood the plots and twists written by the Bard. I chiefly loved the scene in which one actor was attributing Disney connections with Shakespeare’s plays. The ‘Frozen’ and ‘A Winter’s Tale’ link was one of the funniest moments because when the other actor contested that connection, the other said ‘let it go’. The speed in which the three actors morphed, transformed, and changed to represent the different characters was astonishing, as well as the effervescent energy that glued the audience to their every move. The plot crossovers were also something to remember, in particular, Lady Macbeth coming onto Hamlet, and Richard III getting it on with Falstaff. It was so enjoyable to watch the twists and contrivances that got them to be together. Archenemies Ariel and Puck were the thread that brought the stories together, played by Joseph Maudsley and James Percy respectively, convincingly demonstrated that all of Shakespeare’s plays could coexist in the same universe. Who knew?
The set was very stripped down with only one arch as the backdrop. However, this made it even more special because it became all about the actors, with their props and fanciful attires that coloured the stage with the gags, tricks, and exquisite storytelling that we saw last night. I want to see them again!
Its premise explores the many thoughts that people have before trying to fall sleep, and then still not being able to do so hours later. It’s a great concept for many of us can relate to the drivel that goes through our minds prohibiting our brain to switch off and go to sleep. However, Francesca’s stories were too disconnected for the average person to relate to. The odd story resonated some recollection in the back of our memory archive – like the supermarket couple scenario, but the rest were just tales that didn’t quite grip spectators, having to wait a while for a punchline. It would be a great sketch for a Spoken Word night, but as performance it lacked spark. We were merely watching a woman talk about things that go on in her own head. Sadly, they were things that not many people could connect to, alienating us in parts. It was neither comedic, nor was it dramatic. Stories To Tell In The Middle Of The Night would have been something to play on the radio to help you fall asleep.
There were some poetic notes to the writing. So, audibly, and in some instances, it was pleasing; particularly when Francesca came back to the middle podium and described where we were in the night using astronomical angles and nautical references to help us imagine the arrival of the dawn, and the familiar feeling of ‘oh shit, I need to be up in a few hours’.
The Rep Foundry is a fantastic programme that gives new writers the opportunity to create, and later perform, their own work. Perhaps the next draft would benefit from a framing device whereby the three podia that the protagonist utilises may represent the id, ego, and superego of the insomniac psyche portrayed. As it stands, the stream of consciousness text is lost in the back waters.
Jamie is 16 and is not like his friends at school. His best friend wants to be a doctor, but he wants to be a drag queen. Raised by his mum in a single parent family on one of Sheffield’s tougher estates, Jamie finds himself, and his alter ego, Mimi Me, with the help of fading drag queen, Hugo, and with the support of his ever doting mother and her best friend. But Jamie’s difficult relationship with his dad dents Jamie’s confidence; and the school aren’t particularly enthused about the big question on everyone’s lips – namely, whether Jamie will go to the school prom, or whether Mimi Me will. ★★★★★
Writer Tom MacRae’s script is beautifully written, packing into it a wealth of instantly likeable and relatable characters, plenty of laugh out loud one liners and genuine heart. He gets the story across by celebrating the protagonist rather than victimising him and Jamie’s journey is well paced, moving and entertaining. Complementing the book perfectly are the musical numbers written by Dan Gillespie-Sells, which, quite honestly, doesn’t have a bad song amongst them. The show opens with “You Don’t Even Know It”, a bubbly piece of contemporary pop and each and every song that follows is a delight. Balancing out the upbeat numbers are some tender ballads, including “It Means Beautiful” and “My Man, My Son”, the latter quite literally bringing a tear to my eye. Kate Prince’s choreography fuses multiple styles of dance, from street dance to ballet, with energetic, fresh and uplifting routines, whilst Jonathan Butterall’s steady direction seamlessly blends comedy with pathos and makes the most of his well-rounded and diverse cast.
With such well written characters, you need a solid cast to bring them to life. John McRea is delicious in his portrayal of Jamie, vacillating between oozing self-confidence and brimming with self-doubt, most of which was done whilst strutting around in a pair of heels so large that even RuPaul would shy away from them. Josie Walker gives a touchingly understated performance as Jamie’s Mum and belted out her two main numbers with a powerful voice which seemed to come out of nowhere; and she was complimented well by Mina Anwar’s comic performance as her best friend, Lee.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a coming of age story which is more reflective of today’s society than most of the genre. Gone is the stigma of sexuality, and gone is the major struggle for acceptance by his peers. Jamie is embraced by his supportive mother and loved by his friends at school. The story is more about Jamie’s internal struggle and his relationships with family, rather than it being “him against the world”. This refreshing approach makes for a more intimate and focussed narrative and one which genuinely pulls you in. It has been a while since I have seen an audience get so much behind a show, with cheers of support echoing around the theatre at key points in the story, which can only be a testament to the quality of the production.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is everything a musical should be – well-crafted with instantly catchy songs, makes you laugh, cry and cheer and amounts to a thoroughly entertaining piece of theatre with a strong heart at its centre. Jamie is not to be missed, and is simply uplifting, joyous and inspirational.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently playing at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield until 25th February 2017. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 0114 249 6000
