THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • TRAVEL REVIEW | Crescent Turner (Whitstable) and Crescent Victoria (Margate)

    If you’re looking for an excuse to escape London and see the sea, sand and scenery, then head to Kent! Here you’ll find the beautiful seaside town of Whitstable, famed for its oysters and only a short drive down the coast, you’ll find the up and coming art scene of Margate.
    ★★★★

    While in Whitstable, why not stay in a retreat of absolute relaxation and solitude, the Crescent Turner boutique hotel. This hotel is perched at the top of Wraik Hill, with views over Whitstable town and out to sea, encompassing the famed oyster beds and only a 10 minute drive from Canterbury. The 18 bedroom boutique property, also boasts a seaside staple and an iconic Whitstable Beach Hut the ‘Sundowner’, complete with kitchen, BBQ, chandelier and 3 canoes for guests for daily exclusive use, and also a chef to cook for you for the day too.

    The hotel’s bedrooms are all individually designed, with luscious soft furnishings, and details such as exposed brick and nooks to while away the hours reading and relaxing. Designed with distinct headboards, each covered in a different fabric to create layers of interest. Each room also features ornate mirrors and eclectic furnishings to complete the boutique aesthetic.

    The food is exquisite thanks to new Head Chef Mark Kember, a Whitstable local who has developed a menu of classic British fayre such as fillet of beef, potato fondant, smoked garlic and mushroom puree, sea-bass, sweet potato hash brown and kale and rich desserts such as dark chocolate torte, berry soup and raspberry sorbet. Afternoon tea is made from scratch (apart from the clotted cream) where the strawberry, raspberry and fruit jams are made from local berries and the scones, and cakes including sticky toffee sponge and carrot cake and sandwiches made on site.

    All produce is sourced locally as much as possible, supporting local Whitstable suppliers Salvatori, Whetwhelks and Chapmans who all help to ensure a local flavour. A trip to Whitstable would be incomplete without sampling the Rock Oysters, which are available in the hotel from just £1.40, (for one) to as many as you can fit. Eaten plain or with a chilli and mango salsa, they have been paired by the GM come Sommelier Toni with Chenin Blanc, Riesling or Grillo, or Champagne. If staying in Whitstable you can sample the famed Oysters of Whitstable, which have been a delicacy for over 2000 years, when the Romans discovered them and shipped the delicacy across Europe back to Rome.

    There is no doubt that Whitstable is the family-orientated and fashionable seaside town, famous for its beach huts, Oyster Festival and quaint harbour. There is an eclectic and quirky mix of independent boutique shops and galleries, Whitstable Castle and an increasingly popular arts festival,the Whitstable Biennale. However if you’re looking for something a bit livelier, Canterbury is only a 10 minute drive away and also accessible by bus.

    Visit Whitstable Castle, which also has a lovely Tearoom and a pirate inspired wooden playground for the kids and beautiful gardens. Jojo’s Tankerton, just a few minutes on from Whitstable and Tankerton Slopes is JoJos right on the beach with views of the sea which has a coffee shop and lunch & dinner menu with meze and Mediterranean salads, fish and meat. There’s also Crab & Winkle Way, which is a lovely countryside cycle route all the way to Canterbury.

    For more details:
    The Crescent Turner Hotel, Wraik Hill, Whitstable Kent, CT5 3BY
    Classic Double’s B&B from £110 per night for two
    Suites B&B from £145 per night for two
    Exclusive rental of the Whitstable Beach Hut from £150
    Reservations: info@crescentturner.co.uk or 01227 263 506
    www.bespokehotels.com/crescentturnerhotel

    Only a little bit further down the coast, you’ll find the Crescent Victoria in Margate. The sister hotel to the Crescent Turner, this 14-bedroom boutique escape by the sea, is a hop, skip and a jump from the Turner Contemporary Gallery. The Crescent Victoria and Crescent Turner are the first 2 hotels in the Crescent Groups portfolio.
    Only a little bit further down the coast, you’ll find the Crescent Victoria in Margate. The sister hotel to the Crescent Turner, this 14-bedroom boutique escape by the sea, is a hop, skip and a jump from the Turner Contemporary Gallery. The Crescent Victoria and Crescent Turner are the first 2 hotels in the Crescent Groups portfolio.

    The Victoria Margate offers individually designed bedrooms and a plethora of opportunities for convivial eating and drink, the Hotel boasts a restaurant, bar and courtyard lounge area and an enviable location for exploring a quintessentially English resort.

    Victoria Margate embodies the changing face of this historic seaside resort. It is home to artists, galleries and vintage shops peppered along cobbled streets overlooking the beach with fishing boats lining the shore. General Manager Mat Pugsley said “The Victoria Margate aims to be a sanctuary by the sea. Celebrating the great British coast and offering a modern take on seaside heritage.”

    The restaurant with attached courtyard will serve delectable food throughout the day with afternoon teas being a highlight with everything from the jam to the petit fours made from scratch. The chefs will seek out the freshest local produce from suppliers he has worked with for many years; they’ll be found wandering down from the hotel to Mannings daily on the seafront to find out what the catch of the day is.

    Margate has been a popular seaside haven for over 250 years, drawing busy Londoners to its peaceful Victorian winter gardens and the restorative sea air of its beaches. The hometown of Tracey Emin, its recent regeneration has firmly established its place on the British art map. The town’s new Turner Gallery – just a stone’s throw from the hotel – celebrates British artist J M W Turner, who described the skies around Margate as the loveliest in all Europe. In neighbouring Broadstairs, you’ll find Bleak House, Charles Dickens’ summer home, on the clifftop of a pretty old smuggling town.

    For more details:
    The Crescent Victoria Margate, 25 – 26 Fort Crescent, Margate, Kent, CT9 1HX
    Classic Double B&B from £100 per night for two
    Reservations: reservations.victoria@bespokehotels.com or 01843 230 375
    Website: www.bespokehotels.com/crescentvictoriahotel

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Ember Yard Soho

    Ember Yard Soho is Timeout’s number two destination restaurant at the moment. Chiltern Firehouse is their top-of-the-pops. Leaving the reservation arrangements to the last minute meant THEGAYUK had more chance of interviewing Banksy than securing a table a Chiltern. Ember Yard could squeeze, literally, a table for two in at 9.45pm. Leaving plenty of time for pre-dinner sharpeners.

    A busy gentleman greeted us with beaming pearly whites and led us to the table. It’s a good job neither party was of a large persuasion. We were wedged into a corner table, thus making lav trips a bit like putting ya fave skinnies on after they’ve been washed.

    Our waitress Gabriella appeared at all the appropriate moments, guided us through the menu and suggested all our tapas. Gabriella had an air of landlady about her, she was natural and knowledgeable.

    The venue has a cosy, contemporary loft-apartment feel with dark wooden floors, pillars, beams and grey walls. There’s a mixture of seating, from high stalls and counters to tables, chairs and banquettes. All warmly lit by bulbous exposed light bulbs dangling from pipes on the ceiling.

    The place was full of diners that could no doubt walk, or jump in a rickshaw home.

    We went straight in with vino and opted for the Mas Macia Blanc Catalunya 2014. One word in the description pulled us towards this minerally, ripe-apple-enriched number: honeyed. We should have been shooing bees away once the cork was popped.

    Ember’s cuisine is inspired by Spanish and Italian chargrill methods of cooking. The menu is broken up into bar snacks, tapas and a couple of larger dishes to share.

    Each plate arrived as soon as it was ready.

    First up, burrata with chargrilled ciabatta, heritage tomatoes and wild garlic pesto. Gabriella’s favourite. It was like cutting into a chocolate fondant with a melted centre. The mozzarella outer layer hides a buttery smooth core. A great balance of crunch and creaminess all elevated by a right hook from the pesto.

    Next to appear, applewood-smoked bream carpaccio with pomegranate, coriander and bottarga. The sea bream was slightly overpowered by the salty fish roe and coriander. Zesty, delicate and enjoyable.

    To follow, courgette flower stuffed with goat’s cheese and drizzled with honey. If you’re going to clog your arteries with fried food this is the way to do it. The strong flavour from the cheese lifts the courgette while the honey brings a floral element to the dish. The three amalgamate like a pair of Grenson brogues, a crisp-white Burberry shirt and slim-fit Nudie indigo jeans.

    And then, roasted and chargrilled Ibérico pork ribs with quince glaze and celeriac purée. Once we’d tackled the charcoal, fig-like-flavoured crispy shell the meat slid off of the bone. The textures worked. TGI’s should come and take notes.

    The last dish, smoked and grilled beef burger with pickled courgette, chilli jam and scamorza. Perfectly formed. The chilli jam, or chelly, left a sweet but fiery undertone.

    If you need an excuse not to don ya frilly apron and turn the oven on, Ember’s burrata will suffice. We ordered a second.

    Pud came in liquid form.

    One glass of Finca Antigua Moscatel. The first sip unravels a silky layer over the tongue, followed by a sweet frill.

    And a glass of Lazio Shiraz. A peppery and berry perfumed little tinker. Reminiscent of those cherry-liqueured chocolates you get from M&S at Christmas. But much more palatable.

    The bill was a reasonable £106.16. Chiltern Smiltern. We still had enough in the kitty to swing around a pole at The Village, hit the Shadow Lounge and spill into an Uber home.

    Reviewed by Thabian Sutherland
    Ember Yard
    60 Berwick Street
    London
    W1F 8SU
    Tel: 0207 439 8057
    info@emberyard.co.uk
    http://emberyard.co.uk
    STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
    PRICE: £££ (explained)

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | L’Escargot

    With a rather grand welcome from the fabulously loud front of house, we were taken to our seats giggling as he continued to tickle us with his wit.

    The grand element continues, taking in our surroundings. It’s a posh crowd- a mix of business bods and rich romantics (one couple in particular really should have hired one of L’escargot’s private rooms). The lights are dim, and I find myself sinking into the comfy seat whilst admiring a lot of classic décor touches that surround us.

    We were brought a selection of warm, homemade crusty breads with a moreish tapenade- being advised that the selection of tapenades and bread accompaniments often change seasonally. After forgetting completely where I was and asking for Prosecco in a French cuisine restaurant, we asked the sommelier’s recommendation on the Roses available. Rose has gained a better reputation recently and there are some lovely varieties out there now. We went for the Bandol Rosé, Dom. La Suffrene, C. Granvier, 2013 (£38.00). Which you have to try- fantastic. Their wine list is ridiculously extensive so you have plenty to suit your taste!
    To start I went for the Foie Gras with kumquats & brioche (£18). Despite this being straight from the fridge kinda cold, the quality coming through was great, and they had not messed around with the dish at all- Foie Gras in it’s simplest and best form. Even the word kumquat makes me want to gag so these were left at the side of my plate.

    My friend went for the Six Snails with garlic & parsley (£12). The snails were plump and came easily out of their shell. Great garlic flavour and the oil in the dish made an amazing dip for the bread, of which we were offered more of at this point.

    After our table was “crumbed down”, our mains shortly followed. Clearly I had the taste for suffering that day as what followed my Foie Gras was a huge slab of Veal (£18)- a massive portion of well cooked meat in a light lemon breadcrumb. With the menu being a la carte we ordered a few sides that I found on the small side for their price.

    Green beans cooked in garlic (£5) – perfectly cooked. Dauphinoise (£6) – there is never enough dauphinoise, but this portion of creamy garlic potatoes and cheese was minute. New potatoes (£5) cooked with herbs, these had slightly too much bite for my preference, but I always say rather al dente than mush with vegetables.

    The other main we ordered was the Sea Bass – crispy skin and succulent flesh served with a sauce vert- lemon, cream, parsley. This really was a lovely dish and I’m not normally a fan of sea bass but the execution was flawless.

    So very much looking forward to the desserts at a fine French restaurant, I was not disappointed. Cream cake extravaganza. The tarte du jour (£6) was an almond galette. Uber rich and uber tempting to re-create that Smack The Pony sketch with, where they face plant the dessert tray whilst slurring jibberish-French lingo.

    Double teaming the cream cakes we also took on the Paris Brest – made with choux pastry, hazelnuts and bursting at the seams with cream. So simple but so good my favourite of the two. My love for praline is insatiable.

    The food is very simple, but very well done. For me this is a restaurant serving fantastic food with seasonal changes, and a lovely professional (but humorous) team. I personally feel that the pricing is a little over, but L’escargot has been regularly voted one of the best French restaurants in London, so I would encourage you to take a look and experience for yourself.

    An extra star goes for the venue itself. The venue of L’escargot is huge (four floors). You don’t quite realise being sat in the restaurant how many more levels and rooms there are to the place. With six rooms for hire, I feel this really gives L’escargot a unique edge.

    The different rooms are named simply after the colour of them (Blue, Violet, Red etc.). There is also an upstairs exclusive club which you will need to contact L’escargot for more details on. But it is rather swanky up there, spotting some Versace home ware pieces as we walked through. Ask for the grand tour.

    If you were to become a member it means you can take advantage of exclusive hire of any of their rooms, free of charge. Dinner packages are available pre and post-theatre (2 or 3 courses – £17.50/£21.50).

    They also have a dog-friendly club policy offering complimentary food & treats for your pup.

    REVIEWED BY: Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: L’Escargot, 48 GREEK STREET, LONDON, SOHO, W1D 4EF
    WEBSITE: http://www.lescargot.co.uk
    STAR RATING: ★★★★ (explained)
    PRICE RATING: £££££ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY: There is a discretionary 12.5% service charge added to your bill.

  • Julian Clary To Rub His Ring For Panto

    Punters are you ready? King of Camp, drinker of Blue Nun and fister of politicians, Julian Clary is ready for Panto.

    Following last year’s record-breaking production of Jack and the Beanstalk, Birmingham Hippodrome has announced another all-star cast for this year’s action-packed pantomime Aladdin, which runs from Saturday 19 December 2015 until Sunday 31 January 2016.

    Julian, 56, who will play Spirit of the Ring, (insert ring jokes here) will be joined by MARTI PELLOW, LEE MEAD, MATT SLACK and ANDREW RYAN.

    Julian Clary has established himself as one of the country’s most recognisable and popular stage and television entertainers. He has turned his hand to comedy, acting, presenting, writing and in 2012 Julian won Celebrity Big Brother. As well as his autobiography, Julian has become an accomplished novelist with a number of best-sellers to his credit. He is a hugely- popular panto performer and has headlined some of the biggest pantomimes around the UK, including Dick Whittington at Birmingham Hippodrome opposite Joan Collins in 2010. Julian plays the Spirit of the Ring.

    Hurrah! Get Booking campers.

  • The untold story of Bletchley Park And Alan Turing comes to Cast, Doncaster

    Following the recent 70th anniversary celebrations of VE Day, Idle Motion’s That Is All You Need To Know brings the untold story of Bletchley Park to Cast, Doncaster on Wednesday 17 June in a stunning piece of visual theatre.

    Total Theatre Award nominated Idle Motion takes the audience back to 1940s England and the melting pot of Britain’s greatest minds; to the eccentric country house whose grounds, filled with chess champions, Oxbridge graduates and young debutantes. Among these were the visionary Alan Turing (recently portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in Oscar nominated The Imitation Game), the exceptional Gordon Welchman, and the thousands of dynamic women whose work was the hidden heroism of the war.

    Idle Motion are one of the countries leading visual theatre companies who tour nationally and internationally to critical acclaim. They integrate playful stagecraft with innovative video projection to create highly visual theatre that places human stories at the heart of the work. Their humorous and sensitive past productions include the Edinburgh Fringe Sell-Out Borges and I, and The Seagull Effect exploring a couple’s crumbling relationship as Britain is hit by the unexpected 1987 storm.

    Alan Turing was prosecuted for his homosexuality in 1952, Idle Motion learned about his life and subsequent premature death (while researching chaos theory for The Seagull Effect) before he was posthumously pardoned in 2013. Fascinated by this British mathematician, cryptologist and co-author of the foundations of computer science, the Idle Motion team intended to base their next work on his life story.

    Following research into Turing’s incredible work during the Second World War at Bletchley Park and visits to the site itself, the Idle Motion team realised that Bletchley Park was full of astounding stories and people. What stood out most remarkably was that the thousands of people who worked there kept it all a secret throughout the war and for most of their lives, and this was the story the company wanted to tell.

    Artistic Director Paul Slater read Gordon Welchman’s ‘The Hut Six Story- Breaking the Enigma Codes’, first published in 1982 and written in the 1970s. This book was one of the earliest memoirs of life at the park to be published after the ‘secret’ history came out in 1974. The style of the writing in and the insights it gave to the life and work provided an ideal foundation to the wider story of the Park itself and the structure of That Is All You Need To Know.

    That Is All You Need to Know incorporates correspondence; including Turing’s 1952 “Yours in distress” letter to his friend and fellow mathematician Norman Routledge shortly before pleading guilty to gross indecency; and voice overs of interviews with veterans who worked there during the war from the Bletchley Park archives .

    Using personal testimony and multimedia on a stage busy with filing cabinets and typewriters; That is All You Need to Know is an insightful, innovative and immersive celebration of the remarkable men and women who cracked the Enigma code. The play is a celebration of humanities ability to solve the impossible, to crack the most complex of problems, and of the extraordinary people whose quiet work changed the course of our history.

    Tickets for That Is All You Need To Know on Wednesday 17 June at 7.30pm are £15 adults / £13 concessions* available from Cast’s Box Office on 01302 303 959 or castindoncaster.com.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The House of Ho, Soho, London

    Bang on Old Compton Street lies The House of Ho (and according to a rather comical page on their menu; “We might be called Ho’s but we are, at least, classy ones”.

    Hos aside, the restaurant was busy for a Tuesday 7pm. Our initial welcome was lukewarm from a waiter clearly feeling the burn of “suicide Tuesday”, but this was swiftly rectified by the lovely waitress that hadn’t lost the will to live, could actually speak, and presented us with the wine list & suggesting some edamame beans and Asian crackers for the table.

    Bobby Chinn owns the restaurant, as well as another in Hanoi, and has a successful TV series “World Cafe Asia”. Bobby is clearly a man who knows his food but also how to have fun with it. Both food and drinks menu include a page bound to make you giggle; “Duct tape is available for hyperactive children”, and Bobby’s “10 Stages of Drunkness”, my favourite being number 4: Clairvoyant.

    The décor is far more serious, showcasing some dramatic red drapery, low lights, grey tones, and brushed steel. An odd pairing of artwork, being sat adjacent to a painting of people with no heads, and tables decorated with a couple of token touches of copper via candle votives.

    Their drinks menu is extensive, some fantastic and relevant to the Vietnamese theme including ingredients; lemongrass, coconut water, cucumber, lychee, Vietnamese coffee etc. Loving some of the great rose wines out there now, I opted for the Terra Vecchia Rose 2013 (£29), a really light, clean tasting and fresh wine- a great paring for the robust and fresh flavours we were about to enjoy.

    Ho serves food in the same manner as tapas, there are no strict starters/mains etc. They recommend 3-4 dishes per person, and left it in our waitress’ hands to decide what we had, to great success across 7 dishes that was the perfect amount of food for two.

    Bobby’s Warm Duck salad (£10.50) a touch disappointing after being advised of its spiciness and the heat being a little underwhelming. It was however lovely, light and crispy, although coriander’s presence was overpowering. The Grass Fed Angus Fillet Rolls (£6.50) were a triumph. My friend had visited Vietnam and said the flavours of this dish enchanted fond memories of his time there. Light rolls filled with fresh mint that complimented the rich wok tossed beef perfectly, with a little bit of sweetness in there too from some crispy onions- one to try.

    Seafood Ceviche (£12.50) – prawns, sea bass, and scallops combined with mangosteen (a fruit with amazing health benefits, a joy to see on the menu), nestled amongst peppers and avocado in a light coconut fresh lime jus – fresh to death! A lovely dish to have alongside the crispy 7 Spice Vietnamese Squid (£8.50), where its real winner was the dip accompaniment; perfect proportions of sweet & fiery with interesting flavour layers.

    The next dishes were the ones that made the meal. Shaking Beef (£12), 30-day grass-fed Angus beef. Ridiculously tender bite-size morsels. Plain in its seasoning with a strong peppery flavour. The meat speaks for itself here. Griddled Duck (13.50), in my notes I actually cussed against this dish it was that good. Only a little pink, and the notoriously fatty element of the duck almost going undetected it was cooked so well. Another bringer of ‘nam memories for my friend. Heavy smoky flavours, and comes served with a cabbage leaf stuffed with black rice. The stuffed cabbage was very plain and verging on under seasoned, but as an avid fan of both black rice and cabbage, I loved its purpose on the plate.

    The richness of both duck and beef dishes would require something light like a salad next to it. Our waitress had decided that we would receive Morning Glory (£6) – cooked spinach and toasted shallot oil with peanuts, a great simple side- but would have preferred a raw element at this point of the meal.

    With always room for pud, we chose the lemon scented crème brulee (£5.50) – lovely strong citrus, and overall a good brulee, but it came fridge cold which I’m not a fan of, believing it should always be served a little warm, even if it’s room temp to take away the image of bundles of brulees sat in a fridge.

    Also chosen was the trio of homemade gelatos- keen to see what varieties would be served due to the restaurant’s constant compliance to a Vietnamese theme. Apparently, a lemongrass was served but I could not identify between this one and another that only appeared through apparent pods, to be vanilla. A chocolate was also served and despite the gelato in their consistency being superior and luxuriously creamy- the flavours lacked any identity. I would have loved to have seen some flavours like on their cocktail menu. A Vietnamese Coffee Gelato sounds lovely!

    In my view, there were a few errors with a couple of instances involving overpowering flavours, and where the flavour lacked altogether- the dishes otherwise had clever composition. The House of Ho offers stylish dishes packed with exciting and fresh flavours that would definitely make me come back to explore the rest of the menu.

    The restaurant will also now be open till 1 AM on Fridays & Saturdays for “Late Ho”, with a resident DJ and Vietnamese bar snacks.

    Reviewed by @lohanjordan
    ADDRESS: 55—59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 6HW
    PHONE: 020 7287 0770
    PRICE: ££££ (explained)
    STAR RATING: ★★★ (explained)
    TIPPING POLICY:
    http://www.houseofho.co.uk

  • UK COURT: Unlawful Discriminaton For Christian Bakery Who Refused Gay Cake

    BREAKING: A UK Court has found that a bakery in Belfast, owned by Christians acted unlawfully when it refused to fulfil an order which had an inscription in support of same-sex marriage.

    Ashers Bakery in Belfast, Northern Ireland refused an order by Gareth Lee in July 2014. The cake in question had a message that supported same-sex marriage.

    The bakery owners refused the order based on their Christian beliefs Gareth Lee a gay rights activist took the civil case against the bakery with the support of the Equality Commission.

    A judge has ruled that the bakery’s refused to make the cake was unlawful. The judge commented:

    “Whilst defendants have right to religious beliefs they are limited as to how they manifest them.”

    https://twitter.com/DeborahMcAleese/status/600598827700224000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    Speaking outside the Belfast court just before the ruling, Ashers general manager Daniel McArthur said:

    “We happily serve everyone but we cannot promote a cause that goes against what the Bible says about marriage.

    “We have tried to be guided in our actions by our Christian beliefs.”

    Mr Lee told the court that the decision to refuse his order him feel “unworthy” and ” a lesser person”.

    A Belfast judge said Ashers were not exempt from discrimination law adding that the bakery were “conducting a business for profit”, they are not a religious group.”

    They were found to have discriminated against Mr Lee on the grounds of sexual orientation.

    https://twitter.com/DeborahMcAleese/status/600594149063204866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • INTERVIEW: Chris Urch on The Rolling Stone: Homophobia In Uganda

    Theatre can evoke many emotions – happiness, sadness, optimism, fear, anger and laughter…. but to be able to combine all of those emotions into one production shows just how powerful theatre can be.

    So when playwright, Chris Urch, decided to write a play about love and homophobia in Uganda, he was determined to ensure that the audience were taken on a journey which drew on a range of emotions and the result is a play which tackles the subjects with compassion, realism and in a way which allows the audience to connect with the characters and events portrayed, despite the disparity of the play’s setting and where it is being performed.

    The play is about Dembe and Sam, who have been seeing each other for a while. They should be wondering where this is going and when to introduce each other to their families. But they’re gay and this is Uganda. The consequences of their relationship being discovered will be violent and explosive. Especially for Dembe, whose brother goes into the pulpit each week to denounce the evils of one man loving another. The Rolling Stone tells the story of two lovers at odds with their society.

    The write of the play, Chris Urch, a Bruntwood Playwriting prize winner caught up with TheGayUK as the play opened its run at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.

    TGUK – Your new play, The Rolling Stone is a story about love, prejudice and homophobia in Uganda. How does the subject matter of the play resonate with the UK audience?

    CU – I’m not going to lie, my play The Rolling Stone is a hard sell. There’s no famous people in it. This is only my second play so my name isn’t of any help. And then there is the subject matter…. The play focuses on a Ugandan family who’s local paper is outing gay men and the repercussions of this are mighty and heartbreaking. The story is fictional but is based on truth. In Uganda it’s still illegal to be gay and this paper did ‘out’ men, some gay, some not. These men’s lives were utterly destroyed. Some went to jail, some had to leave town, some were killed….Yes, the play is about an important subject, prejudice. A subject most of you readers have probably experienced in one form or another. And yes, throughout the play there is the story of two men in love who have been represented as people not lazy stereotypes. But at the plays heart is the subject of family, something a huge amount of us can relate to. How far will we go for the people we love? Can we support those closest to us when who they are goes against our own beliefs and morals? Why should we love our families when they can’t seem to love us?

    TGUK – And the play has been critically well received to date….

    CU – In late 2013, the play won the Bruntwood award which is the biggest playwriting competition in the country and I’m mighty proud of the production which has transferred from the Manchester Exchange to the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

    TGUK – Does your playwriting come from a love of theatre from a very young age?

    CU – I write plays for people who don’t go to the theatre. People who don’t think the theatre is for them. I was raised on a diet of television and VHS movies but no theatre other than the local pantomime. Come to think of it, I don’t think I saw a play until I was eighteen.

    TGUK – So what does theatre give us that film and TV doesn’t?

    CU – Well, it gives us the live experience. Where else do you sit in a room made up of people you mostly don’t know, turn off your phone, turn of your email, your Facebook and Twitter and all watch people pretending to be other people. Sounds bonkers and maybe it is. But some of the best nights of my life have been sat watching someone say or go through something that I’ve felt, experienced or know. That feeling of being less alone. I believe great theatre should make you laugh, cry and gasp but most importantly when I sit down to write a play my mantra is I WILL TRY NOT BORE MY AUDIENCE. So when writing this play I thought about you the audience. That’s why there’s lots of laughter, a few tears and always an audible gasp.

    TGUK – So a completely different experience in your view?

    CU – Absolutely, I say “put down the Netflix for a night and come and let me and six incredible actors tell you a new story”.

     

    The Rolling Stone is currently playing at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds until 23rd May 2015. For full details, tickets and information, visit www.wyp.org.uk or call the box office on 0113 213 7700.

     

     

  • Domestic Abuse Help Instant Chat For LGBTs To Run 7 Days A Week

    Instant chat service to open 7 days a week

    Since its start in 2014 the Broken Rainbow instant chat service has continued to increase in popularity with LGBT people experiencing abuse or violence in their relationships. On busy days this means eight hours of constant user support and Broken Rainbow today runs this service with 25 volunteers across the country. Because of its high demand the Broken Rainbow instant chat will extend its opening hours to weekends, meaning it will be open every day from 10am till 2pm from the 6th of June 2015.

    The reasons for its popularity are many; partly it can offer greater anonymity to the user than phone support and partly it may give them more time to think before they express themselves.

    Broken Rainbow Managing Director Jo Harvey Barringer explains why she thinks it has become such a popular tool for Broken Rainbow’s service users:

    “Often the people that contact us are in situations where they cannot risk being heard over the phone. We’ve had victims/ survivors contacting us while locked in the bathroom with their abuser on the other side of the door – a situation in which if they were to call someone they may feel even more under threat.”

    The new weekend opening hours will start on the first weekend of June. This means instant chat will be open every day from 2pm till 10pm from the 6th of June 2015.

    You can find out more at http://www.brokenrainbow.org.uk or call 0800 999 5428

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Carrie The Musical

    A musical adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural novel Carrie, which was a hit 1976 film, has just opened, and it’s very good!

    It’s hard to believe that music could be used effectively to tell the story of Carrie White, a high school student who’s picked on by her fellow classmates. But the songs in the show work, telling the tale of this strange young woman, who lacks self-confidence and has an overprotective and very religious mother, helped by a super-talented cast who look like they have just stepped out of the pages of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

    Evelyn Hoskins, in the role that made Sissy Spacek a star (as well as receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance) plays White. Timid, meak, and small in stature, she’s not like the rest of the girls in her school.

    Carrie the Musical, told in narrative form by one of the girls who survives the climactic ending, opens (as does the film) with Carrie experiencing her first period in the gym showers. She has no idea what is happening to her body, and this gives her female classmates the opportunity to ridicule her, and to call her names, including Scary White. Carrie is angry about this, and uses her supernatural powers to make the lightbulbs explode. Meanwhile, one of the girls videotapes it and soon enough the other students are watching it on their mobile phones.

    The female classmates are led by Chris (Gabriella Williams). She’s mean, evil, yet glamorous and very popular. She’s got a ‘thing’ for teasing Carrie, and the rest of her friends follow suit. Carrie is taken under the wing of gym teacher Ms. Gardner (Jodie Jacobs), who makes the girls reluctantly apologize to Carrie. All but Chris apologises, so Ms. Gardner bans her from the upcoming prom. Chris vows to get even with Carrie. Meanwhile Sue (Sarah McNicholas) feels sorry for Carrie, and feels bad for making fun of her in the locker room. So she asks her boyfriend Tommy (Greg Miller-Burns) to take Carrie to the prom. At first he says no, but then agrees to take her after Carrie is inspired by a poem he had written that he read aloud in class, which is one of the shows most poignant scenes.

    Carrie’s mom (Kim Criswell), just about treats her daughter like a small child, not listening to her but praying for her sins and singing religious songs. She’s fanatical yet motherly in a creepy kind of way.

    So Tommy asks Carrie to the prom, and she says yes, much to the utter dismay of her mother. There’s no surprise what takes place at the prom if you’ve already seen the film or read the book. Carrie and Tommy go to the prom and Carrie gets blood dumped on her as they stand on stage after being voted Prom King and Queen (with the vote being manipulated by Chris’s gang of girls). Carrie uses her powers to cause mayhem, death, and destruction, and it’s all expertly executed by the cast and crew of the show.

    Hoskins is perfect as Carrie. Though while at times her singing is reminiscent of a watching a high school musical, she really comes into her own as the show proceeds, especially after showing some real emotion when Tommy asks her to the prom. As her mom, Criswell is superb. She’s Piper Laurie (who played the mother in the film) with pipes, especially when singing ‘ When There’s No One.’ Williams is fantastic as well. She’s the bully, yet she’s also the beauty. Carrie is Williams’s professional debut. But Miller-Burns is the standout among the cast. As the young man who takes Carrie to the prom, we see a sparkle in his eye, a richness and emotion to his voice, and he’s the perfect actor to play Tommy, the man every boy wants to be like and the man every girl wants to be with.

    The stage becomes, from one minute, the locker room, then a class room, then Carrie’s dining room, to the finale – the school’s gymnasium where the prom is held. The dumping of the blood on Carrie’s head and the mayhem that follows is superbly executed, and extremely intense. Director and Choreographer Gary Lloyd has done an amazing job in putting together this production. Carrie the Musical, with music by Michael Gore and Lyrics by Dean Pitchford (of Fame fame), was a big flop when it debuted on Broadway in 1988 and subsequently in an Off-Broadway production in 2012. But with its London debut the show looks ready to hit the West End. Let’s hope it does, with the same cast and crew – it’s bound to be a hit.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Full Monty, UK Tour 2015

    ★★★★ | The Full Monty, UK Tour 2015

    In 1997, a film about unemployed steel workers turning into unlikely strippers became the most successful film in the UK (until it was overtaken by Titanic), garnered four Oscar nominations and cemented the phrase ‘the full monty’ into popular culture.

    Set in Sheffield, a group of ex-steelworkers with seemingly very little in common, other than their unemployment, band together in a get rich quick scheme, whereby they plan to rival The Chippendales by becoming strippers and giving the audience a little something extra – by going all the way. Gary, needs money as he is on the cusp of losing contact with his son, overweight Dave has a big body image problem, Horse has a rather (ahem) “small” problem and Loomper has his own secret hidden in his closet. But despite their unlikely sex symbol status, the whole community waits to see whether they really will go ahead with their scheme and whether they will go the full monty.

    Not to be confused with the musical version of The Full Monty, which was produced in 2000, this version is a straight play, which forgoes thin plot and thinner characterisations which simply link musical numbers, and instead provides a play with heart, rounded characters, a genuinely funny script (particularly in the second act) and, of course, the ending that the predominantly female audience were waiting for.

    Despite a few rather dubious Sheffield accents (you can’t fool the home crowd, you know), the cast worked well as an ensemble. Andrew Dunn (“Dinnerladies”) and Louis Emerick (“Brookside”) provided the better performances of the evening; both with effective yet understated performances, whilst Gary Lucy (“Eastenders”) provided the eye candy.

    The show is beautifully written by Simon Beaufoy, who wrote the original story and received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for the film. The story of the play very closely mirrors that of the film itself, with all of the key plot points, pivotal scenes and music being extrapolated, but despite the running time of the play being approximately 40 minutes longer than the film; it never feels like it is padded out. What does come across much more in this production is the social commentary hidden beneath the comedy and narrative and there is a real balance between the humour, sadness and optimism portrayed. Despite the characters initial differences, there is a genuine feeling of friendship which permeates the play, accompanied by a strong sense of family, loyalty and acceptance.

    Overall, the show remains a feel-good, funny and enjoyable show, which I have to say I enjoyed much more on second viewing, and the whoops of delight by the time the curtain fell proved it was a real crowd pleaser.

    The Full Monty is currently playing at Sheffield Theatres until the 23rd May 2015. For information and to purchase tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.com.The play is taking a break over the summer, but will be embarking on another national tour in the autumn.