Tag: UK

THEATRE REVIEW | Thebes Land

★★★★ | Thebes Land

CREDIT: Alex Brenner

Our fascination with murder shows no sign of waning. Crime fiction, newspaper headlines and ‘true life’ series like Making a Murderer and Serial present tales that are still as grimly compelling to us as the story of Oedipus murdering his father was to the ancient Greeks. ‘Thebes Land’ promises us the story of Martin, a young man who has committed a particularly grisly act of patricide. Not only is documentary maker ‘T’ going to tell us about the story of how he met Martin in order to write this play but he’s also going to present the real Martin on stage. The audience are safe, though. Martin is contained in a 3-metre high wire cage, as per Home Office regulations. Or is he up on the balcony under armed guard? Or is he watching us watching him via video-link?

Daniel Goldman’s cleverly adapted version of this South American piece is a wily beast of a play. It beguiles, tricks and twists until the audience aren’t quite sure what to believe at any point. It starts innocuously enough and promises to be a slightly dry but nonetheless intriguing academic discourse on the nature of theatre-making and storytelling. That’s the first trick of many. It’s a whole lot more than that. What evolves is multifaceted with reflections on multiple issues including the father/son relationship, truth and ego.

It’s a lot more than that too. It’s a grisly crime story, it’s titillating (whilst making you feel perturbed that it’s titillating) and it has a disturbing undertone of sexual tension that crops up between the two men. Hell, it even has a weird little segment where there’s a Whitney Houston number. There’s so much contained here that it leaves you reeling at points and not sure what to think about next.

There is the odd discordant moment where the self-mocking misses the mark but these are few and far between and the two actors are entirely credible. There’s something impish, attractive and likeable about Trevor White’s ‘T’ and Alex Austin gives good vulnerable but terrifying disaffected youth. If you like to be toyed with and want an unconventional night at the theatre then head down to The Arcola and take a cage-side seat. You won’t regret it.

Thebes Land plays at the Arcola Theatre until 23rd December

Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

7th December 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Beauty On The Piste

✭✭ | Beauty on the Piste

CREDIT: Above The Stag

It’s Panto season in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, and with that comes shows that are silly and campy, some good and more than a few not so good. But does it really matter?

This year’s panto at Above the Stag is Beauty on the Piste, a reimagining of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and it’s exactly what you would expect, but perhaps a bit less.

This is the plot, in a nutshell: Morag (David Moss) and her son Mac (an adorable Ross Tucker) own a tea house high up in the mountains in a town called Les De Nice (Les Dennis – cue laugh here).

Passing by the tea house is the young lithe and blond boy Beau (Joshua Oakes-Rogers) and his father Gustav (Andrew Truluck). Beau is eternally horny and always on Grindr (we’re getting tired of Grindr being in almost every gay play nowadays). But nearby is where The Beast (Jamie Coles) lives, behind huge gates in an old mansion, and he’s hardly ever seen.

One night Morag and Gustav decide to take a walk to get to know each other better, but they are kidnapped by The Beast, and it’s up to Morag and Beau to go looking for them. They find them in The Beast’s home, and Beau trades places with his father to let him free, and it’s only a matter of time before sparks fly between Beau and The Beast. But trouble lies on the horizon; the gay Sebastian St. Moritz (Simon Burr), who owns lots of the property in Les De Nice, wants to raise the rent of the tea house, so what’s the newly rescued Morag and her son going to do? Throw in Mabel the Fairy (a cute Briony Rawie), and The Beasts housekeeper – Heidi (Ellen Butler) – who keeps morphing into various items one finds in the house- and what you’ve got is a show, with a sing-a-long, that’s full of glitter and glee.

Does it matter that the songs are awful? No!

Does it matter that this production is not one of the Stag’s better shows? No!

And does it matter that most (if not all) of the cast can’t sing? Of course not!

Why?

Because you’re not going to see Beauty on the Piste because it is sold out for the rest of it’s run! So perhaps console (or congratulate) yourself and buy a ticket to their next production – Bitches Ahoy – a show that bills itself as a “gay holiday hilarity” – hopefully it’s a return to the Stag’s better quality shows. Just one month to go until Panto season ends, whew!

Just one month to go until Panto season ends, whew!

Beauty On the Piste plays at Above The Stag until 14th January 2017

6th December 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | The Shawshank Redemption – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

★★| Andy Dufresne, a quiet and mild mannered banker, arrives at Shawshank Prison after being convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. As he settles into his new life, he befriends old timer, Red, the prisoner fixer and a man who is known to “acquire certain items from time to time”. Andy splits his time between maintaining his innocence, carving rocks, avoiding the violent “sisters” (a predatory gang of sexually violent inmates) and trying to improve the lives of those around him. But when Andy overhears a conversation between two of the guards, he is provided with opportunity which he simply cannot pass up.
Picture Credit – Mark Yeoman

The Shawshank Redemption is based on the Stephen King novella, and the 1994 film of the same name. The film has gone on to become one of the nation’s favourites, and with this in mind, the stage show has some big prison-issue boots to fill. The static set is reflective of the prison setting, with its tall, oppressive walls towering over the proceedings; and it’s bland, dreary appearance is being quite befitting for the fictional prison. In the book and the film, the story of Dufresne’s time in Shawshank is one which is filled with optimism and hope; and it is the contrast of that emotional warmth juxtaposed with the cold starkness of the confines of the prison walls which works so well.

Paul Nicholls (Eastenders) leads the cast as Andy Dufresne, with TV stalwart Ben Onwukwe (Eastenders, London’s Burning, Coronation Street) playing Red, both of whom gave functional performances without ever really capturing the refinement of the two lead characters or their relationship. The remainder of the cast, sadly, seemed to replace acting with shouting, leading to some rather unsubtle performances; with only Jack Ellis in his portrayal of the Warden and Nicolas Banks as Tommy ever really finding their feet.

Adapted by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, the script is choppy and never seems to gather momentum or develop into having any natural flow, with somewhat clunky transitions from one plot development to the next. Rather than allowing the drama to play out on stage, comedic moments are added to scenes of tension, which had the audience laughing when they should have been on the edge of their seats, lessoning the impact of the story and the events portrayed. Whilst the story does not shy away from the harsh reality of prison life, David Esbjornson’s direction is as bland as the prison walls and as heavy handed as the prison guards themselves, often leaving much to the imagination and hinting at the acts of violence rather than portraying them.

The show is a bold attempt to bring to life something which is so well loved, but as much as it pains me to say it, the writing, acting and direction all had their own issues which meant that they never really came together; and whilst some of the audience clearly enjoyed the show, for me personally, it simply didn’t work.

The Shawshank Redemption is currently winding up its national tour. The show was reviewed at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk ), who are soon hosting the world premiere of a new musical based on the BBC3 show “Jamie: Drag Queen at 16” Search #TalkingAboutJamie.

29th November 2016
Gay couple have homophobic graffiti painted on their pub

A gay couple in Devon have had graffiti painted onto the side of their pub in Buckfastleigh.

CREDIT: Google Map 2016

A pub, owned by a gay couple in Buckfastleigh, South Devon, has had homophobic graffiti sprayed onto its wall. The word “puff” was sprayed in black onto the white wall of The Globe Inn pub, on Plymouth Road in Devon. Several of the pub’s windows were also daubed with the black spray.

Dan Simpson, who co-owns the pub with his partner Lee Boxall reported the graffiti to the police as a hate crime.

According to the Plymouth Herald, Dan said,

“It seems that one individual has used a spray can on the CCTV camera, before then targeting the windows and doors, before spraying the word ‘Puff’, not spelt properly, on the wall.

“There was some real community spirit shown and it is great that people did come out and support us.”

Taking to the pub’s official Facebook page, the owners thanked a team of volunteers for offering to help clean off the graffiti.

“Thank you to all the volunteers who offered help with cleaning the graffiti off the pub this morning… It’s really appreciated! Some festive pics to lighten the mood…”

29th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Testosterone, New Diorama Theatre

✭✭✭✭ | Testosterone
CREDIT: Testosterone
Kit Redstone – a female to male transgender actor – explains what it’s like to enter a men’s locker room for the first time in the new play Testosterone.

The play, at the New Diorama Theatre near Warren Street tube station, is a semi-autobiographical look at Redstone’s coming out as a man and what it’s like to do so in such a testosterone-heavy environment as the locker room. The show also briefly delves into Kit’s previous life as a woman, as well as the first time he received testosterone – at the doctor’s office.

Told with a bit of drama, and humour, it’s a story that Kit is brave enough to have written and again to tell on stage. But Kit doesn’t just tell his story, he relives it, cleverly, with the locker room as a device to explain the whole male-heavy environment that he now belongs to.

The show, successfully, looks at how masculinity is so prevalent in a locker room environment, and questions whether it is real or is it a facade? Alongside thirty-something Kit are three other actors who display their manliness (not literally), and masculinity; two jocks (Matthew Wells and Julian Spooner) and the fabulous singer/drag queen Daniel Jacob (also known as Vinegar Strokes). They help Kit to tell his story as well as perform in fantasy sequences that move the story along which helps the audience to better understand Kit’s journey. It’s a straightforward, and brave, telling of Kit’s transformation and the new world he lives in.

Testosterone plays at the New Diorama Theatre until the 3rd December 2016, 020 7338 9034

29th November 2016
RESTAURANT REVIEW | Pho and Bun

★★★★ | Pho and Bun
PR Supplied
We know what a bun is but what exactly is Pho? Find out at the West End Vietnamese restaurant called Pho and Bun.

Its menu is a feast, and a mystery, to the eye. Dishes with names you’ve never heard of (MIẾN TRỘN TÔM THỊT and GIÁ XÀO NẤM) – coupled with ingredients and tastes that you’ve never had (lemongrass tofu and dill mayonnaise) make this for a unique and excellent meal.

‘Bao’ is the new ‘it’ food in London, and Pho and Bun has a full menu of Bao. How to describe it? It’s a very light (and white), and very fluffy but not too heavy or filling bun. And Pho and Bun is using bao as the bread for their steamed bao burgers. You can have honey belly pork with fried shallot, confit belly pork with soy sauce, but I opted for the 28 days dry aged beef. It was, as I told my dining companion, the best burger I’ve ever had in London. The meat was delicious and tasteful, small yet satisfying, and the red onion relish, house pickle and smoky mayonnaise inside gave it a very unique and sumptuous taste (excellent value at £7.50). Our waiter recommended the sweet potato chips with chilli mayonnaise to go with the burger, and they were so so good. My dining companion had the Pho noodle (Pho is soup) with red wine braised beef. It was hearty, with lots of vegetables, vermicelli and the beef, which was nicely soft and moist, and is a dish I’ll order next time I go back. Other pho choices include the corn-fed chicken, seafood or crispy tofu, a spicy imperial version, as well as a stir fry version (beef rump steak and tofu and mushroom), and all under a bargain price of £9.50. My dining companion ordered a fried dough stick with his dinner – it was nicely textured and very soft.

Starters are highly recommend. The BÁNH TÔM HÀ NỘI -Hanio Prawn Pancake with sweet potatoes and lettuce wrap – was brilliant! Sweet potatoes are the base for the prawns, so it’s served pancake-style and chopped up into chunks. It’s crispy, crunchy and oh so good! And it’s served with lettuce so you’re supposed to wrap the chunks into the lettuce and dunk into a fish sauce, but I preferred to eat it on its own – absolutely divine! And at £6.50 it’s a must. Trust me! If you prefer a taste of everything then go for the P and D Special Platter Summer Roll Prawn that includes delicious spring rolls, nicely textured, lite and not too chewy chilli squid, served with onions and peppers, and prawns on top of shredded mango with cole slaw, nuts and basil and lettuce (so refreshing), which was amazing, and summer rolls with tofu and tiger prawns, wrapped in lettuce, served plain but peanut sauce is given on the side which highly complements the dish. All this comes a price of £13.50 but they will let you mix it up if there is something you don’t want or something else on the menu you want to add to it.

Of course, no meal would be complete without dessert. Pho and Bun’s dessert menu is small, which makes it easier to decide what to have. We ordered two to share – the Pandan and Coconut Panna Cotta with Peanut and Pineapple Salsa and the Flan caramel with Vietnamese Ice Coffee syrup. The Flan was hands down the winner; it was rich and tasteful and the coffee flavour gave it a nice kick. The Panna Cotta was a bit tasteless, I was expecting to be a bit more wowed by it but I was not. I’ll order the flan again next time. Also in mind for next time is the grilled banana with coconut sorbet and roasted peanut or a trio bean dessert with pandan jelly – which sounds highly unusual. All deserts are under £5.00.

Pho and Bun offers a nice selection of coffees and teas; the carrot juice was very fresh and elegantly served in a tin cup. The Homemade lemonade was refreshing and good. Wines are also on offer, as is the recommended Saigon beer.

I’ve briefly touched on the menu above, it’s such a diverse food menu and there is truly something for everyone at Pho and Bun. As mentioned above, the burgers are yummy and different, the Pho and Noodle soups are hearty and good value for money, rice and vermicelli dishes (BBQ pork with salad and fresh herbs or the glass noodle with minced pork, tiger prawn, fresh herbs and confit aggs, or perhaps plain beef rump steak or tiger prawns with bean sprouts and stir-fried lemongrass) – all at a good value price of £9.50. There are also salad and vegetarian dishes, a great value set lunch menu (two courses) for a mere £9.50, or a highly recommended 6-course tasting menu that gives you a bit of everything (including a sampling of four starters) at a low price of £22.95.

Pho and Bun is conveniently nestled in London’s West End, right on Shaftsbury Avenue, in the heart of the theatre district and Chinatown. It’s in the location where Young Cheng, a very popular and cheap Chinese restaurant, used to be. The venue has been redone to resemble a Vietnamese cafe, nicely wood panelled and cosy. But now that winter is here, avoid sitting near the front door, it’s very very drafty. Downstairs may be a better option for you as it’s warmer but it still retains a typical restaurant basement feel. Quang our waiter was wonderful, very charming and friendly, and recommended dishes that we didn’t realise we wanted but enjoyed eating! While Pho and Bun is not quite 5 star overall, it’s food is five star. I will be going back very very soon.

Reviewed by: Tim Baros

Telephone: 020 7287 3528
Email:phoandbun@vieteat.co.uk

Address: 76 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6ND, UK

Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 23:00
Friday – Saturday 12:00 – 23:30
Sunday 12:00 – 22:00

PRICE: ££ (explained)

STAR: ★★★★ (explained)

28th November 2016
People are being triggered by Rainbow Laces which are trying to eradicate homophobia in sports

Highlighting the problems of homophobia in sport has never been so clear, as today the Premier League used Rainbow Laces to show solidarity with the LGBT+ community – making some people very very very angry.

CREDIT: TheGayUK

A number of football clubs have decided to use rainbow laces to shed light on homophobia in sports. It is a Stonewall and Premier League collaboration and it’s seemingly triggered some fans spectacularly. Homophobic fans have been showing off their inability to be accepting left, right and centre.

One of the worst threads on social media was from Manchester United’s Twitter and Facebook feeds. The club, which is supporting the campaign, tweeted that they were proud to show their support of the rainbow laces campaign and said that sport was for everyone.

They also changed their Facebook profile picture to include the rainbow laces and it made over 8,600 people use the angry emoji. Thankfully 177,000 people managed to find their “like” button.

Some fans on Twitter and Facebook were having none of it with at least one suggesting that all gay should be killed.

26th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped

★★★★★ | Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped
CREDIT: Nate Watters
I have to confess that I had mixed emotions at the prospect of seeing Jinkx Monsoon (Seattle’s youngest M.I.L.F. and the victorious underdog from Season 5), and Major Scales at the Soho Theatre. Firstly, I’m a huge fanboy of Jinkx. Who doesn’t love a narcoleptic Jewish drag queen? Secondly, though, I don’t like Christmas and this is a Christmas show. When I say I don’t like Christmas I mean in a pathological, itchy toothed, nails scraping into my palms kind of way. Whilst Jinkx is my favourite queen of all time from RuPaul’s Drag Race the prospect of a Christmas-themed show in November made me feel vaguely psychotic and almost had me reaching for the brandy bottle.

I really needn’t have worried. Major Scales describes this as a show holiday show for those exhausted by the holidays. There’s not a trace of Mariah Carey and no fake bonhomie. Instead Major takes on the role of pro-Christmas advocate whilst Jinkx drily drawls about how rubbish it actually can be. Especially for an unconventional queer Jewish drag artiste.

They cover subjects such as what gifts to give to give to queer children, why singing a song about seducing a fat old man is just plain weird (Santa Baby) and how to spend time with your right wing Trump/Brexit loving relatives. There are some witty covers of Bowie, a Del Ray and Miley Cyrus as well as a clever reworking of a Kander and Ebb number. Predominantly, they sing their own compositions with Jinkx showcasing her fabulous singing voice. She not only looks good and has impeccable comic timing but she’s a cracking singer and can belt out a tune with panache. Her persona is waspish and bitchy but not in a terrifying way. There’s an underlying inner kitten that is hiding under the bitchy exterior. Whilst the show is slick and professional it still has a dark and anarchic edge to it that is endearing.

Major Scales is not only a great writing talent and ‘straight man’ to Jinkx’s distinctly kinked woman but is also a fine pianist and singer too. This is a duo that shouldn’t be missed. Whether you’re hiding in a bunker till January to avoid all the tawdry fuss or are already humming Christmas tunes under your breath and decking a tree with glittery things, this is an endearing and funny show. Get down to the Soho Theatre for an intimate experience with one of America’s hottest drag queens.

Run at the Soho Theatre until 10th December 2016

Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

26th November 2016
Who were Stephen Port’s victims

Remembering Stephen Port’s victims.

CREDIT: Met Police

Who were Stephen Port’s victims?

Four families have been left devastated by the actions taken by serial murderer Stephen Port, who used drugs to “stupefy his victims” without their knowledge to rape or sexually assault them. He then murdered them and disposed of their bodies near and around his home in Barking, East-London.

Stephen Port was found guilty of the murders of Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21 and Jack Taylor, 25. He has been handed a “whole-life term” for their murders.

Anthony Walgate

Anthony Walgate was Stephen Port’s first victim. He was 23 at the time of his murder.

Anthony was pronounced dead at the scene. His top was pulled up, consistent with his body having been dragged along the ground. A holdall next to him contained a bottle with traces of drugs.

In a victim impact statement released by Anthony’s family, they spoke of their devastation.

“Not only has this devastated our family it has broken it as well and I don’t know if it will ever be fixed. Tom has lost his only child, Paul has lost his only sibling and I have lost my youngest child, who was my baby.

“Anthony was a clever, funny, talented young man. All he ever wanted from being young was to be a famous fashion designer and with his passion and determination I’m sure he would have made it.”

Gabriel Kovari

Gabriel Kovari was 22 at the time of his murder. Port met Gabriel Kovari, who had come to London from Slovakia to begin a new life, on a dating website in August 2014 and let him move into his flat. On the morning of 28 August, a dog-walker came across Gabriel’s body propped against a wall in Abbey Green, Barking, about 500 metres from Port’s flat. Gabriel’s clothing was also pulled up as if he had been dragged.

Gabriel’s brother wrote that he couldn’t describe the loss and that his brother’s murder would change his family’s life forever. In his victim impact statement he wrote,

“The impact of the loss of my brother Gabriel can hardly be described in words. He was my only brother. His death was so unnecessary and he had so much to experience in his life. He was so young. I was the one who had to tell our mom, my brother had died. There is no pain greater than losing a child.

“What happened changed our lives forever, we are no longer the same family we once were. He was a great guy discovering himself, when he became a victim of this atrocity.”

Daniel Whitworth

Daniel Whitworth was the youngest of Port’s victims at just 21-year-old. Daniel, a chef from Gravesend, was found dead on 20 September 2014. Port suggested to Gabriel’s partner that maybe Daniel had killed Gabriel and then himself. Daniel was also found slumped against a wall in Abbey Green, by the same dog-walker who had found Gabriel. The top half of Daniel’s clothing had again ridden up and there was a small bottle containing liquid and traces of drugs in his pocket.

Daniel’s family describe a man who had a “zest for life”

Amanda Pearson, speaking on behalf of the Whitworth family said,

“I, alongside his father and partner, witnessed his lifeless body 17 days after his death in the morgue…the one and only farewell from us and a vision that will remain with me for all time, not just the image of young life lost, but of the love of my life pressed against the glass that divided him from his son. A chapel of rest was not available to us on the return of his body in November 2014 due to decomposition and his Grandma was bereft at having had no chance to say her goodbyes at all’

Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor was 25 at the time of his death. He was the last of Port’s victims and his body was found in September 2015. Jack is believed to have died soon after he met Port as four-and-a-half hours later Port blocked Jack’s account on Grindr. On 14 September Jack’s body was found by a refuse collector in Abbey Green, slumped against a wall with his shirt pulled up. A bottle containing liquid and traces of drugs plus a syringe and a bag of drugs were found on him.

His family described how their lives have been destroyed since the death of Jack,

“Our worlds turned upside down and our lives were destroyed when we were told about Jack’s death.

“We were originally told that Jack had died of a drug overdose and we all knew instantly that he had not done this to himself. We had to investigate this ourselves as we were not going to accept that Jack had done this to himself.

“The black hole that has now been left in our family can never and will never be filled. We have to face this for the rest of our lives.”

25th November 2016
Stephen Port handed a whole life term over murders of four men he found on gay dating apps

Stephen Port has been handed a whole-life term prison sentence for the murders of four men he found on gay dating apps.

CREDIT: met police

The former chef, Stephen Port was handed a whole-life prison term by the judge Mr Justice Openshaw, who remarked Port should die in prison for the four murders of men he found on gay dating apps and websites.

The 41-year-old was also found guilty of 10 offences of administering a substance with intent, four rapes and four sexual assaults.

Port was convicted at the Old Bailey in London where the judge said that Port had carried out the murders to “satisfy his lust” for sex with men who were rendered unconscious.

Port was found guilty of the murders of Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21 and Jack Taylor, 25. Their bodies were dumped in or near a graveyard in Barking. The graveyard was 500 meters away from his flat in east London.

This is a breaking news story more details will be added. Refresh for more content.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, who are currently investigating the Metropolitan Police for their response to the deaths of four men in London are looking for witnesses who may have had contact with Stephen Port to come forward.

25th November 2016
Man who murdered four men he found on gay dating apps to be sentenced

Stephen Port is due to be sentenced today for the murders of four young men he found on the gay dating app, Grindr and other gay dating websites.
CREDIT: ©-chrisdorney-Depositphotos
Serial killer Stephen Port, 41, is due to be sentenced today for the vicious murders of four men that he found on online via gay dating apps and websites. He was found guilty of their murders earlier this week with a majority verdict of the jury.

Port was found guilty of the murders of Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, Daniel Whitworth, 21 and Jack Taylor, 25. Their bodies were dumped in or near a graveyard in Barking. The graveyard was 500 meters away from his flat in east London.

The 41-year-old was also found guilty of 10 offences of administering a substance with intent, four rapes and four sexual assaults.

The murders took place between June 2014 and September 2015.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, who are currently investigating the Metropolitan Police for their response to the deaths of four men in London are looking for witnesses who may have had contact with Stephen Port to come forward.

25th November 2016