THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • Two men bailed after arrest in connection with homophobic attack

    Two men bailed after arrest in connection with homophobic attack

    Police in Oldham, in Greater Manchester, have released two men on bail, after their arrest in connection with an alleged assault on a 21-year-old gay man.

    Yorkshire Street homophobic attack
    CREDIT: Google Maps

    Two men were arrested on the 23rd January in connection with an alleged assault involving a 21-year-old victim. They have been released on bail until 8th March, pending further enquiries.

    Police say that a man was homophobically abused at around 3:20 AM outside a club on Yorkshire Street, in Oldham Town Centre. Police say he was punched in the face repeatedly and homophobic abuse hurled at him.

    He was hospitalised after the attack.

    On the evening of Monday 23 January, two men aged 22 and 28 were arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault and have been bailed until Wednesday 8 March 2017 pending further enquiries.

    Police Constable Laura Cheetham of GMP’s Oldham Borough, said,

    “I’d like to thank the public for their help, which resulted in two people in custody in less than 12 hours since we issued CCTV images.
    “Thanks to the power of social media, two people presented themselves at custody last night, having seen the appeal.
    “We are continuing with our enquiries and I’m encouraging anyone who has any information about this incident to come forward.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8922, 101 quoting reference number 1940 of 05/11/16 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

    Oldham is around 8 miles away from Manchester where one of the UK’s biggest gay scenes is located. Manchester’s gay scene was made famous in the late 90s and early 2000s after Channel 4 broadcast the series, Queer As Folk, which centred its drama around the Canal Street area of Manchester.

     

  • 28 crimes against gay men in Manchester were related to Grindr

    28 crimes against gay men in Manchester were related to Grindr

    A shocking freedom of information request has revealed that 28 crimes against gay and bisexual men in Manchester were related to the dating app, Grindr.

    Grindr has been heavily criticised after a freedom of information request revealed that 28 crimes reported by gay and bisexual men in Manchester were related to the gay dating app. These crimes took place between 2013 and 2016.

    Fourteen of those crimes resulted in rape or sexual offences against the victim. Theft, non-sexual violence and drug trafficking were also reported.

    The news comes after a series of high-profile murders in 2016 including,

    The serial killer Stephen Port, who used Grindr and other gay dating apps to lure his victims, all young men under the age of 25, to his home before drugging and killing them.

    Stefano Brizzi also used Grindr to find his victim Gordon Semple.

    In November a teenager, Ben Bamford in Sussex, was found guilty of murdering a man he found on the dating app.

    John Leech, who will now lead a campaign to get dating apps to display safety notices. Speaking about Grindr and Tinder he said, 

    “It is completely unacceptable that neither of the two leading dating apps display safety alerts or notices at any point from download to real life use, not even anything as simple as meeting somewhere public and letting a friend know where you’re going.

    “Something as serious as rape has an enormous and life-shattering impact on so many lives, from the victim to their friends, family and co-workers.

    “Tinder and Grindr should not be let off the hook over such a serious and shocking lapse in care to their users.

    “They must introduce safety alerts immediately and dramatically increase the safety of users, and they must do it now.” 

    Grindr does have a full set of tips on how to keep safe whilst using the app.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Brasserie Zedel

    RESTAURANT REVIEW | Brasserie Zedel

    ★★★★★ | Brasserie Zedel – perhaps the best restaurant in London?

    Steps away from Piccadilly Circus is one of the most beautiful, elegant and affordable restaurants in London. It’s Brasserie Zedel.

    If you walked by the entrance to the restaurant you would have no idea that beyond the front door, and down several flights of steps, is a grand Parisian brasserie, with vaulted high ceilings, marble columns, Beaux Arts/Art Deco decor with dozens and dozens of tables to accommodate you for either lunch or dinner. But not only will you find a restaurant, this huge cavernous complex also houses a cabaret lounge (Crazy Coqs) and the elegant Bar Américain. And if that’s not enough, there’s the ZL Café upstairs which is sneakily and actually the entrance to the entire complex.

    The restaurant serves traditional French food at amazingly very affordable prices. In what is perhaps the best dinner deal in London, they offer, for a mere £12.75, a three-course Prixe Fixe meal which includes Carottes Rapées, Steak Haché with Frites, and a Café Gourmand or a Tarte aux Fruits. It’s a very delicious and satisfying meal. Or, you can splash out a bit more by trying their Plats de Jour – Plates of the day (£14.25 each), ranging from Poulet au Curry on Mondays to Cassoulet de Toulouse on Wednesday. Highly recommended, however, is the Boeuf Bourguignon, a delicious and tender beef braised in a red wine sauce with a helping of mash potato – it’s absolutely divine (£12.50). Other meat dishes include a whole roast free range french chicken for two (£14.75 each) – I’ve seen it and it’s huge. Other meat dishes include smoked belly of pork (£14.00) or a massive Rib Eye Steak (£25.75). If fish is your thing, Zedel will deliver. Deep fried whiting, trout, and seabass, among others, are all on offer, and all under the friendly price of £17.75. Side dishes (entrées) are all in abundance – with cheeses, onion soup, endive salad, steak tartare and fish soup and more to allow you to start the evening with a nibble. And to end the evening you can pick from cheese dishes to a Tarte au Citron, a Chocolate Souffle, to my favourite – champagne poured over mandarine sorbet – an absolute steal at £5.50. And the drinks list has top notch wines, biéres and cidres and champagnes to complement any and all the main courses.

    As mentioned above, there is also the Crazy Coqs cabaret room, offering top notch talent in the world of cabaret and beyond. Previous performers have included Brian Batt, Steven Brinberg (the world’s most famous Barbra Streisand impersonator), to actress Sally Kellerman and Julian Clary. Coming up is an, even more, star and talent-studded lineup including the comedy cabaret of Coqs favourite Miss Hope Springs, X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, restaurant Critic Grace Dent, drag queen extraordinaire La Voix, and the House of Q, an all new night of cabaret, burlesque, music, mime and more. Have a look at the website as there are a lot more upcoming acts and so the programme really needs to be looked at and studied.

     

    For more about the program and the restaurant, please go here:
    https://www.brasseriezedel.com

    Reviewed by Tim Baros

    Brasserie Zédel opening hours:
    Mon – Sat: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight
    Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
    20 Sherwood Street
    London
    W1F 7ED
    Telephone: 0207 734 4888
    For general enquiries, please email: info@brasseriezedel.com
    BAR AMÉRICAIN
    Monday – Wednesday: 4.30pm – Midnight
    Thursday – Friday: 4.30pm – 1.00am
    Saturday: 1.00 pm – 1.00am
    Sunday: 4.30pm – 11.00pm
    ZL CAFÉ
    Monday – Friday: 8.00am – 11.00pm
    Saturday: 9.00am – 11.00pm
    Sunday: 11.30am – 11.00pm

    PRICE: £££ (explained)

    STAR: ★★★★★ (explained)

  • Two men jailed for homophobic attack in Brighton

    Two men jailed for homophobic attack in Brighton

    Two men have been jailed for a homophobic attack that took place in Brighton last year.

    CREDIT: Brighton Police

    Gage Vye-Parminter, 18, of Breydon Walk, and Matthew Howes, 19, of Weald Drive, have both been jailed for five years for the homophobic attack on two men in Brighton. They admitted GHB and assault on two men in the city’s centre. They were ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.

    The youngest of the two victims suffered fractured eye sockets, nose and cheekbones. Pictures of the victims shocked the community last year after news of the attack made its way onto social media.

    The court heard that officers in a patrolling police car were flagged down by a passing taxi driver who told them two men had just been attacked in Kings Road, on the south pavement opposite the Queens Hotel.

    Vye-Parminter and Howes were arrested at the scene and taken into custody for questioning. The victims said the pair were walking behind them along the seafront shouting homophobic comments at them. The 22-year-old, who now lives in Camberley, Surrey, said he then remembered being knocked to the floor and attacked before losing consciousness.

    The attack was just one of the anti-gay attacks that rocked Brighton’s gay scene in 2016.

    Detective constable Sarah Townsend said:

    “This was a violent and unprovoked homophobic attack on two men who were singled out for their sexual orientation.

    “This sentence sends out a clear signal that we will take a robust approach to those who target individuals based on their race, disability, gender identity, religion or sexual orientation.

    “I hope this case will encourage other victims of hate crime to report such behaviour and violence to the police.”

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Bitches Ahoy!, Above The Stag

    THEATRE REVIEW | Bitches Ahoy!, Above The Stag

    ★★★★ | Bitches Ahoy! : Above The Stag

    Batten down the hatches, all hands on your AussieBums, and anchors – prudes advised to stay on dry land – aweigh.

    Bitches Ahoy review
    CREDIT: Above The Stag

    Gareth, Max and Fat Pam set sail for a new adventure on the Mediterranean awash with a couple of love interests in close-quarters.  This is up-and-coming Playwright Martin Blackburn’s second production – an all-at-sea sequel to Aright Bitches! – and in Blackburn’s previous style: pummelled with more innuendos than a Navy Officer in the engine room after six months at sea.

    Buoyant party-buoy Gareth (Ethan Chapples) is holibobing with new squeeze Drew (Chris Clynes), and giving monogamy a stern-go onboard a queer cruise with two thousand homo-hotties – will either walk the plank of infidelity?  Nothing’s ever plain-sailing on this ship.

    Max has embarked on a new career as a cabin boy with a firm eye in every porthole and a love/hate taste for his surroundings. Pam (Hannah Vesty) has harpooned the Moby of all Dicks and flaunts new French fiancé Patrice (Simon Burr) from port to starboard causing a splash with the whole crew’s rudders. Straight guy aboard a gay cruise – what could possibly come adrift?

    Blackburn clearly knows how to quill a boat-rocking quip, but on this voyage, some of the jokes were washed ashore unnoticed, mainly due to the delivery.

    Come aboard this vessel for cock-capers, tampon-tomfoolery and to catch a glimpse of Pam wet wiping her lady bits.  This is a camp factor 50 with the potent UVAs radiating from Vesty and Chapples  – giving you the Jolly Rogers and the January blues the heave-ho.

     

    Bitches Ahoy is at Above The Stag Theatre until 26th February

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Holding The Man, Jack Studio Theatre

    THEATRE REVIEW | Holding The Man, Jack Studio Theatre

    ★★★ | Holding The Man, Jack Studio Theatre

    Holding The Man
    CREDIT: Nicholas Chinardet

    Holding the Man is a play by Tommy Murphy (Strangers in Between) that was also made into a film in 2015.

    It’s based on Timothy Conigrave’s 1995 memoir, an elegy to his late partner, John Caleo. The pair met as teenagers in 1970s Australia and fell in love, facing parental disapproval, trying to find where they fitted into society and experimenting with their sexuality. Sadly, Conigrave died aged 34 from an AIDS related illness shortly after completing the book. This is more than just a play about the AIDS crisis, though. It’s a tender love story and a reflection on the problems faced by young gay people, which is still pertinent today.

    Director Sebastian Polka has taken a clever starting point to staging this play. The play is wide in its scope, covering Tim’s Catholic school upbringing through to his death, looking at his first experiences of the gay scene and gay activism, his career as an actor and the highs and lows of his relationship with John. Polka takes Tim’s acting career as a point from which to present the characters with the stage being a dressing room where Tim conjures up scenes from his life. Tim is played with skill and sensitivity by lean and angular Christopher Hunter along with astonishingly good muscle hunk Paul-Emile Forman as John. The astonishing thing is that this is Forman’s professional debut and he gives an incredibly subtle and nuanced performance. The rest of the characters from Tim’s life are played by four actors who constantly change clothes and accents along with their roles.
    It’s an interesting play that is well staged but ultimately the problem lies in the play itself. It’s a major task to try to present twenty-five years of a man’s life in such detail in one play.

    The focus on so many events ends up detracting somewhat from the whole effect and leaves it feeling oddly bloodless. The actors barely have space within the dialogue to convey much and the piece occasionally feels superficial and has less emotional depth than it could have.

    Holding The Man plays at the Jack Studio Theatre until 4th Feb 2017

  • Man subjected to homophobic attack in Oldham, Police say

    Man subjected to homophobic attack in Oldham, Police say

    Police are looking for two men they want to speak to after a man was subjected to a homophobic attack in Oldham, Manchester.

    Homophobic attack manchester
    Manchester Police

    Police say a 21-year-old victim was subjected to a homophobic verbal and physical attack in Greater Manchester. Police are looking to speak to two men in connection with the incident which happened in Oldham in November 2016.

    Officers in Oldham, Greater Manchester, have now released images of two men they wish to speak to in connection with the attack.

    At around 6.35pm on Saturday 5 November 2016, police were called to reports of a hate crime that occurred at around 3.20am that morning, outside a club on Yorkshire Street, Oldham Town Centre.

    A 21-year-old man was in a club with his partner when an altercation ensued between himself and three other people.
    Following this, two men were ejected from the club.

    Yorkshire Street homophobic attack
    CREDIT: Google Maps

    The victim then went outside with his partner for a cigarette, where the altercation that began in the club continued before he was repeatedly punched in the face and had homophobic abuse hurled at him.

    A short time later, the victim was walking along Yorkshire Street when a further confrontation ensued.
    He was taken to hospital with facial injuries.

    One of the men is described as white, aged between 20 and 25-years-old and was wearing a blue t-shirt.
    The other man is described as Asian, between 5ft 8in and 5ft 9in and also aged between 20 and 25-years-old. He is of a chubby build and was wearing a shirt.

    Police Constable Laura Cheetham of GMP’s Oldham Borough, said,

    “We have been carrying out our enquiries for more than two months now but need the public’s help to make further progress.

    “I’d encourage anyone who recognises the men in the CCTV images or the description of the men who were in the area at that time, to get in touch with us.

    “We take reports of hate crimes extremely seriously and I’d like to stress that it will not be tolerated on the streets of Greater Manchester.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8922 101 quoting reference number 1940 of 05/11/16 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

     

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Laughing Gravy

    ★★★★ | The Laughing Gravy

    A restaurant with a funny name sits between Southwark tube stop and Elephant & Castle – it’s The Laughing Gravy.

    Blackfriars Road is a bit of a restaurant no man’s land. Right near Southwark Tube station is the excellent upscale Polish restaurant Baltic, and then a few blocks south is The Laughing Gravy, nestled into it’s spot amidst the new expensive apartment blocks and conversions that have made this neighbourhood upscale.

    And upscale you will need to be as The Laughing Gravy is not cheap. Most of the hearty mains are priced between £22 and £24 each (though there are few lesser-priced options as well), while the starters are all above £8 each and the puddings no less than £7.50. The Laughing Gravy has been operating as a restaurant for around 6 years, and they are definitely doing something right. Head chef Michael Facey, along with a very friendly staff, deliver a varied modern British Menu, and it has just been named best restaurant in the Southwark and Waterloo area by Time Out.

    There is truly something for everyone at The Laughing Gravy. The starters range from Pigeon and Oxtail Sausage Roll to the Roasted and Pickled Heritage Beetroot and the Wild Garlic Infused Roasted Artichoke. The Beetroot (at £8.50) was an absolute explosion of colours and flavours. Served on a black plate, it was a rainbow of beetroot with goat’s cheese and apple puree, candied cashews and kale. Served as a cold dish, it was sexy and perfect. The Artichoke starter was quite the opposite, a bit bland, though the artichoke puree and potatoes saved it from being a total waste – though at £8.50 there wasn’t a whole lot on the plate.

    For the main course, my dining companion and I decided to have meat and fish. I ordered the Lincolnshire rib eye steak (225 grams), and I am glad I did. With onions, plum tomatoes and mushrooms, it was perfectly cooked (I asked for M to MW), and that’s exactly what I got. Both sides were cooked dark brown, and it was tender and scrumptious. It was served, under the meat, with delicious Madeira (wine) sauce. At £23, it was worth every penny. My companion had the Roast Lemon Sole (£22.50), and it was a panoply of seafood. Not just sole, the dish also included Devonshire crab and sweetcorn dumplings, kale, braised celery and sweetcorn curd and crab bisque. She was very happy with her portion, which I thought was a good value considering how much seafood was on the plate. Other menu choices in the lower-priced range include the Aberdeen Angus burger (£13.50), Superfood Salad (£11.50), and the Roast Heritage Vegetables (£14.00). Other higher-priced recommended items include the Roast guinea fowl (£22), Pan-fried seabass (£22.50), and the Lamb Rump (£22.00). Sides are a must and include Hand cut or Truffle chips, or the excellent Salt baked champs (mash potato) (£4-5 each).

    I recommend having a dessert as there was quite a selection. My companion had the Plum, quince, Madeira and honey crumble, and it was just as we expected, crumbly delicious. I had the Champagne, mango and lime cheesecake, and it was small yet heavy and came with a tiny doughnut. Next time I will order the Treacle and apple tart or the Salted caramel mousse (£7.50 to £8.50).

    The restaurant’s wine, beer and cocktail list goes on for days. There are about 24 cocktails to choose from, my companion was happy with her margarita, while I was happy with my Lemon Drop (Ketel One vodka, fresh lemon juice and Cointreau) – though it was very sweet. Other options include the LG Bloody Mary to the Hazelnut Martini and the divinely sounding Waterloo Sunset (elderflower liqueur and gin topped with champagne and Chambord – and the most expensive drink on the menu at £13.50). With my steak, I had the full-bodied and delicious French 2014 Cotés du Rhone – highly recommended. The Laughing Gravy’s wine list includes wine from other countries including Italy and Spain – it’s one of the most exhaustive wine lists I’ve ever seen.

    The Laughing Gravy sits about 50 people, it’s got a small welcoming bar past the entrance, and a room that’s big with high-pitched ceilings. Beautiful wood floors and a smart decor makes The Laughing Gravy cosy and comfortable. Noise levels get a bit high when they are busy (we were there on a Saturday night), but it’s bearable. The staff are very welcoming and our waiter Oliver and hostess Freddi made us very welcome from beginning to end, including when I accidentally put the menu on top of the candle and it caught on fire. Luckily the restaurant survived the fire though your wallet might not be so lucky.

    Reviewed by Tim Baros

    Telephone: 020 7998 1707

    thelaughinggravy.co.uk

    RESTAURANT HOURS:
    Monday to Thursday: 1200 – 1500 & 1700 – 2200
    Friday: 1200 – 1500 & 1700 – 2230
    Saturday: 1200 – 1600 & 1700 – 2230
    Sunday: 1200 – 1630

    Address: 154 BLACKFRIARS ROAD, LONDON SE1 8EN

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Promises Promises, Southwark Playhouse

    THEATRE REVIEW | Promises Promises, Southwark Playhouse

    ★★★ | Promises, Promises – Southwark Playhouse

    Promises, promises review southwark playhouse
    CREDIT: Claire Bilyard

    ‘Promises Promises’ has a fine pedigree. It’s a 1968 musical based on the classic 1960 Billy Wilder film, ‘The Apartment’. The script is by King of the one-liners Neil Simon and the music is from the outstanding duo Burt Bacharach and Hal David.  The set list contains the lilting ‘A House is Not a Home’ and the glorious ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’ which topped the charts for Dionne Warwick and Bobby Gentry. Surely, this a case for high expectations being met if ever there was one? Sadly it’s a bit of a mixed bag and isn’t all it pledges to be.

    The main problem with the piece is the tone of the musical which feels dated and uncomfortable to watch. It’s more reminiscent of Benny Hill’s stomach curdling capers than the suave sex appeal of ‘Mad Men’. Chuck is a junior executive who accidentally hits on a way to curry favour with his married bosses by lending them his bachelor pad to take their girlfriends to for sex. After a lot of songs, dialogue and an inordinate amount of set up, Chuck realises that the object of his affection, waspish cafeteria worker Fran, is being taken back to the flat by the boss of the company. The first act limps along and feels uncomfortable because of the dated references to women whilst the second act takes a darker turn but feels equally uncomfortable in its bizarre response to one character’s suicide attempt.

    There’s a cringe-worthy set piece in Act One where a group of married executives prance around and sing about where to take a girl to have sex on the sly. The girls are of course young and pretty (and largely devoid of character) whilst the executives are overweight and lumbering. The rest of the songs blend into one at times and the script feels less than zippy. Chuck addresses the audience and feels like he should be hilariously funny to watch but he just isn’t. The odd strong one liner that should be really funny (a woman downs a drink in one and he says ‘I’d hate to see her eat!’) barely raises a laugh, feeling lost amongst a swamp of too much dialogue and too many songs.  At three hours there feels like not much content over a lot of time.

    There are plenty of positives, though. The cast is really skilled and likeable. In spite of his humour falling flat, there’s something really quite loveable about Gabriel Vick’s portrayal of Chuck. Vick is a decidedly good looking man who can belt a tune out and is magnetic. He’s worth the ticket price alone. I defy you not to come out of the theatre with a slight crush on him. Equally strong is Daisy Maywood as the sharp-tongued but soft-centred Fran. Naturally, there are good songs among the setlist (it’s Bacharach and David. They write bloody good songs). Simon Wells slightly creaky set feels fun and is versatile and the choreography is filled with joyous moments.

    Although this musical misses the mark by a mile in many ways it’s still worth a stroll to the delightful Southwark Playhouse just to see such strong performances and sit back for a few hours and let the music wash over you. Just don’t listen to the words too closely.

    Promises, Promises plays at the Southwark Playhouse until 18th February 2017

  • The UK’s first LGBT TV channel set to launch

    A brand new LGBT TV channel is set to start broadcasting in the UK from February.

    The UK is about to get its first terrestrial LGBT TV channel. Broadcasting from February 2017 Latest LGBT+ TV will be bringing the best in LGBT news and entertainment to viewer’s TV screens on Freeview Channel 7 and Virgin Media 159 in the Greater Brighton area, as well as online globally.

    Fronting the channel will be two of the city’s best-known journalists.

    Presenter and Head of Latest LGBT+ TV, Sophie Cook joined Latest TV in 2016 and was the first ever transgender woman to front a news programme in Europe.

    Sophie said,

    “I’m thrilled to be leading one of the most exciting developments in British television for decades!  This represents a real opportunity to change people’s lives. We want to entertain, educate and inspire our viewers.”

    Andrew Kay, the presenter of Amazon Prime’s ‘International Chef Exchange’ will bring his wit, charm and soufflé to the channel.  

    Andrew said,

    “I see this as my chance to enjoy, in a public arena, being gay – but also to contribute towards a better and more equal world. Working with the Latest TV team is going to be exciting, challenging and fun and I hope that people – whether they are LGBT or not – will join in.”

    Bill Smith, Latest TV’s CEO and nominee for the National Diversity Award said,

    We’re delighted that our channel will be creating daily LGBT news programmes, entertainment shows, as well as screening the very best LGBT films from across the world.  We’ll also provide a platform for all LGBT filmmakers to share their work. With support from Coast to Capital, Latest TV has launched LGBT+ TV.  However we receive no ongoing public funding, so we’ve turned to crowdfunding to finance our service.”

    People power can change the world from the ground up and help to combat prejudice and injustice wherever it may appear.  Together we can be the change we want to see in the world.  We are giving people pride, not prejudice. 

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Sister Act – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Sister Act – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

    ★★★| When 70’s disco lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses Curtis, her married, crime-boss lover, murdering one of his cohorts; she is placed in witness protection in the last place on earth anyone would look for such a sassy little lady – a convent. Trying desperately to fit in, whilst doing nothing but standing out, she is assigned to take over the choir, whose screeching vocals are enough to curl your wimple. But as the singer tunes up the choir, Curits finds out where Deloris is, and sets out to make sure she doesn’t testify against him.

    Picture Credit – Curve Theatre PR Supplied

     

    Featuring the songs “Raise Your Voice”, “Take Me To Heaven”, “Fabulous Baby” and “Spread the Love Around”, Sister Act is a fun, spirited and vivacious show with very catchy songs, warm characters and a spring in its step. With a large, static set and a vibrant lighting design by Liam Jones, the production is bolstered by the presence of Alexandra Burke who, to her credit, could certainly belt out the big numbers. There was some very able (and tuneful) support from Joe Vetch as Detective “Sweaty” Eddie Souther, and a real smooth criminal in Aaron Lee Lambert as Curtis, the Shaft influenced, soul styled bad guy. Throw into the mix some enjoyable physical comedy from Curtis’s cronies, and you have the basis of a good show.

    But with every heavenly blessing, there are some sins to atone for, as Craig Revel Horwood’s direction doesn’t quite hit its stride, with a heavy reliance on over-exaggeration of movement and gurning facial expressions; which meant that instead of the comedy flowing naturally from the effervescent script, it felt somewhat forced. The inclusion of musical instruments being played by the cast on stage worked in parts, but served as a distraction in others; and felt as though it stifled the choreography, which is a shame given the directors “Strictly” credentials. But once confession is over, all is forgiven as the show yields to its musical-number-filled second act and feel-good finale.

    Sister Act is a high energy bundle of fun, and whilst this production and ensemble cast doesn’t sparkle quite as brightly as other productions of this show, it has enough big tunes, bold characters and beating heart to make for an toe-tapping, if ultimately throwaway, evening at the theatre.

    Sister Act is currently on a UK Tour until 7th September 2017 and details can be found at http://www.sisteractuktour.co.uk/ . The show was reviewed at Sheffield Theatres, who’s upcoming production of new musical “Everyone’s Talking About Jamie” opens on the 9th February 2017. Visit https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/everybodystalking-jamie for details.