THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • The Queen Is Happy For Us (Queens)

    According to newly-wed STEPHEN FRY who revealed when he was a guest on THE JONATHAN ROSS SHOW, Her Majesty is delighted with the fact that we can now get married.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Between, Kings Head Theatre

    ★★★ | Between, Kings Head Theatre

    Like the majority of plays featuring gay men – this one too has nudity… SURPRISED?

    BETWEEN opened recently at the King Head Theatre Pub and can be seen as a 55-minute monologue adapted to fit the six characters that are played by two male actors. Loosely directed however vividly acted BETWEEN invites us to experience snippets from the portrayed lives of two childhood friends (exploring sexual activity), a couple in a relationship (suffering from sexual dysfunction) and an actor and tutor (where the actor falls for his tutor).

    The three stories are relevant to each other and it’s not that difficult to figure out the outcomes, especially when it feels as though some of the stories have not been fleshed out or evenly concentrated on.

    This short play has a few twinkling moments that these committed actors shine in nicely and I fear that these moments are not being received with the attention it deserves (as I look around the space and see the first three rows of men beaming at the boy’s semi-naked bodies).

    Constant transformations into the different characters demand the actors to change and take their shirts on and off and not tautly done this can be quite distracting; however, it has to be done as the director chose this manoeuvre. To make this play more gripping and to compliment the small performance space perhaps the capable actors should have been allowed to show an emotional change in each character rather than displayed through a physical item (t-shirt).

    May not be off the hook funny, emotional, surprising or unique but intelligence made an appearance when the impressive sonnets did – definitely a highlight and something to look out for.
    I had to go and see BETWEEN after reading the rave reviews and feel this play has so much going for it that you never stop hoping that it will get better.

    BETWEEN
    Directed by: Geoffrey Hyland
    Performed by: Nicholas Campbell and Oskar Brown
    Kings Head Theatre
    until 14th March 2015
    http://www.kingsheadtheatre.com

  • Gaydio Plans To Go National

    Gaydio, the UK’s only radio station for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people has announced that it is part of a bid to launch nationwide on DAB Digital Radio. Last week bids closed for a second UK-wide DAB multiplex, known as Digital 2, which will carry 18 new stations.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Sound Of Music, National Tour 2015

    ★★★★ | The Sound Of Music

    Let’s be honest, The Sound of Music needs no introduction. The story of Maria, who is sent from the Abbey to look after the Von Trapp family, is one that is known to most. This classic musical is crammed full of songs that you cannot help but know the words to, such is their foothold in popular culture. “Climb Every Mountain”, “My Favourite Things”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and, of course, “The Sound of Music” are all in there, but the question is, with a show which has been performed so frequently over so many years, what can a new version bring to the stage?

    Firstly, this production brings a very good cast. Danielle Hope, who made her professional debut as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, following winning the BBC’s Over the Rainbow program, was very impressive. Her singing voice was beautiful and effortless and her stage presence could be felt. Staying on the right side of twee, she made a very good Maria and had won me over by the conclusion of her first number. Jan Hartley utterly blew the audience away with her goose pimple-inducing rendition of “Climb Every Mountain” and Grace Chapman was equally impressive and perfectly natural in her role as Liesl. Most surprisingly for me though, was the incredible talent of the youngsters playing the Von Trapp children.

    This production also brings with it a remarkable set. Appearing grand in scale (especially for a touring production), detailed and effective, it lifts the production and makes it feel fresh.The lighting and direction were of a high standard and the addition of a live orchestra only enhanced the experience. The sound in the theatre was perfect with a superb balance of music and lyrics and the performers delivered perfect diction in every line allowing the words to be heard clearly. Technically, it was a well-put together show.
    Where the production faltered slightly was in the overly camp portrayal of (Uncle) Max Detweiler and that sometimes, especially during the party scenes, the number of people in the touring cast didn’t quite fill the stage. However, I wouldn’t necessarily hold these very trivial quibbles against such a broadly enjoyable production.

    Having seen the Sound of Music undertaken by numerous professional companies over the years I have to say that this is perhaps the best version I’ve seen. Of course it’s camp, of course it’s kitsch, but therein lays the fun and the enduring appeal of this show. This touring production seems to really revitalise the show as a whole, so iron your wimple, polish your sailors whistle and catch this production on national tour.

    The Sound of Music plays at the Sheffield Lyceum until 14 February 2015 (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour (http://www.kenwright.com/index.php?id=1440)

    By Paul Szabo

    Also playing at:
    Kings Theatre, Glasgow
    Sands Theatre, Carlisle
    New Theatre, Cardiff
    Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon
    New Theatre, Hull
    Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes
    New Victoria Theatre, Woking
    Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol
    Congress Theatre Eastbourne
    Grand Theatre, Leeds
    Grand Opera House, Belfast
    Bord Gais Theatre, Dublin
    The Lowry, Salford

  • Queer Art From The Tate Gallery

    As part of LGBT History Month, WISE THOUGHTS @ CREATIVE CULTURE HUB (CGH) are hosting a illustrated lecture by MARCUS DICKEY HORLEY Curator of Access Projects at Tate Modern as he looks at 100 years of LGBT art from the TATE collection.

    Mr Horley’s talk will focus on how the vast Tate Collection reflects LGBT diversity and will cover work by LGBT artists, and art dealing with LGBT subjects.

    The Lecture is on Thursday 5th February 2015 from 5.30 pm – 6.30 pm

    @ Wise Thoughts, 2nd Floor, Wood Green Library, High Road, London N22 6XD. Admission is FREE.

    To reserve a seat & for further details check out :

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/queer-art-from-the-tate-collection-illustrated-lecture-at-wise-thoughts-cch-tickets-15272450310

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | To Kill A Mockingbird, Sheffield Lyceum & National Tour

    ★★★★ | To Kill A Mockingbird, Sheffield Lyceum & National Tour

    Harper Lee’s classic American novel, which many will remember from their schooldays, is beautifully presented in this classy and stylistic play.

    Set in the deep south of America in the 1930s, issues of racism, prejudice and optimism are explored through the eyes of the young narrator, Scout, as she learns of the flaws in those who live amongst her in her neighbourhood and counterbalances this by watching her Father, an idealistic lawyer, as he defends a black man accused of raping a white girl. As tensions build within the small community, Scout learns about the impact of both hatred and of standing up for your beliefs, regardless of external pressures.

    Despite its somewhat heavy themes and the dramatic tension displayed on stage, the play still maintains a good mixture of very gentle humour and childhood innocence which lifted it slightly, ably aided and enhanced by a strong cast who provided universally excellent performances. In particular, Zackary Momoh stood out as the accused Tom Robinson, the young leads performed well and Luke Potter provided some delightful and atmospheric musical accompaniment. The staging of the play was impressive, with scenes interspersed with the cast members reading directly from the novel, acting in the role of narrator, before seamlessly morphing into various characters in the story as another narrator took over. The actors entered and exited the stage though the audience, and placed the audience in the shoes of the Jury during the trial scenes. The set was deliberately sparse, with simple props being used to set the scene, allowing the performances and writing to be the focus and avoiding the drama being overshadowed by being style over substance. Director, Timothy Schrader cleverly utilises these techniques to provide an absorbing and engaging presentation which draws the audience in.

    To Kill A Mockingbird is a thought provoking and timely reminder of the impact of blind prejudice and despite being written around 55 years ago, it’s themes are still pertinent today, especially when considering the persecution of the gay community in various parts of the world. Overall, this is a high-quality production which is engrossing, engaging and enjoyable.

    To Kill A Mockingbird is playing at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until 31st January 2015 before continuing on its national tour (http://www.tokillamockingbirdplay.com/).

  • LGBT Victim Support Helpline Opens In UK

    Stop Hate UK are pleased to announce the launch of a helpline offering advice, support and telephone-based advocacy to victims of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Hate Crime.

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  • Man Arrested For Having Sex With Postbox In Middle Of Shopping Arcade

    A drunken man who was aroused by a Royal Mail Postbox so much so, that he approached it with his trousers down and started to rub himself against it has been found guilty of sexual offences and has been made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

    Paul Bennett, 45, was arrested and charged after he started to rub himself against a mailbox in front of horrified on-lookers at Scholes Precinct in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Alarmed witnesses called the police after the man exposed himself and began shouting “wow”. After finishing the act, witnesses say that he then started swinging on a lamppost.

    The court heard that the man began shouting abuse and became agitated as he was pulled away from the postbox by police officers. He pleased guilty to two counts of indecent exposure and using threatening and abusive words with abusive behaviour at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court, the Manchester Evening News reported.

    A witness who saw the scene has been said to be disgusted, Katie Beattie, prosecuting, said: “The victim was disgusted and alarmed by his behaviour. She rang the police.”

    Bennett, who was defended by Martin Jones said, “The lady watched for sometime and was ashamed, disgusted and upset and my client accepts that. Clearly there are issues that need to be addressed.”

    He was ordered to pay £50 compensation to a victim who witnessed the scene and £150 in court costs. He was also made to pay £60 in victim surcharges and had to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

  • McDonald’s Staff Member Who Stopped Gay Kiss Will Never Work For Them Again

    A member of staff who stopped a kiss between two men has been sacked and the company say he will never work for them again.

    Speaking to the BBC’s Newsbeat, a spokesperson for the restaurant in Leicester said, “Discrimination of this nature is wholly unacceptable and not, in any way, tolerated by McDonald’s”.

    Matthew Dummigan, 23, was giving another man a “peck on the lips” when he was told to stop what he was doing by a member of staff, a bouncer employed by the chain. Dummigan asked the staff member, whether it would be okay if the kiss had been between a man and woman, “yes” was the bouncer’s reply. However Dummigan didn’t want the man to lose his job, despite the distress and upset the incident had cause, rather he go on equality and diversity training instead. He said, “The main thing I want from this is for the bouncer to be back at work after taking in some training about diversity and equality,”

    Last year a lesbian couple in London were told that they should move away from each other as to not cause offence to other diners after they shown affection towards each other.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys Upstairs

    ★★★★ | The Boys Upstairs

    For their first play of 2015, Above the Stag have turned to another American comedy, The Boys Upstairs. Dubbed a cross between Sex and the City and The Boys in the Band, Jason Mitchell’s play first premiered in the 2009 New York Fringe Festival, where it played a completely sold-out run at the Soho Playhouse. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it achieves a similar feat at Above The Stag in Vauxhall.

    Brilliantly witty and funny, the play details the lives of three young chums, their disastrous love affairs, their arguments, and their quest to find out if the hunky new guy downstairs “is” or “isn’t.”

    Director Andrew Beckett’s pacing never falters in this fast and furious comedy, aided by a cast of talented young actors. Simon Weston maintained from start to finish a brilliantly dry delivery as the geeky, wise-cracking Josh who suffers from OCD, whilst Stanley Eldridge as his former boyfriend and untidy flatmate, was equally funny but also touchingly real as Seth. Joe Leather turned in a hilarious performance as the endlessly promiscuous Ashley, waking up every morning with a different lover, after getting drunk yet again, and Daniel Garcia was perfectly cast as the slightly gauche but stunningly handsome Eric. Last but not least there was the multi-talented Hugh O’Donnell who has a high old time playing all the various boyfriends that come in and out of their lives. Every one of his characterisations was spot on, but his turn as the musical theatre queen (one of Ash’s one-night stands) is an absolutely side-splitting tour de force, which quite rightly brings the house down.

    One should also mention Zoe Hurwitz’s excellent set design, one of the best I’ve seen at Above The Stag.

    If you’re suffering from those post-holiday January/February blues and feel you could do with a lift, you could do much worse than getting yourself down to Above The Stag for this crazy comedy, which is guaranteed to lift your spirits and get you laughing.

    The Boys Upstairs plays at Above The Stag in Vauxhall until February 2015

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | The Meat Co.

    Getting to The Meat Co. is super easy. Tube to Shepherd’s Bush turn left out the station and 3 minutes away is The Meat Co. a huge dining vicinity, perhaps a spacial reflection of their slabs of meat. With a fantastic menu, high ceilings and cool décor, with tables next to a large glassed front, perfect for people watching. With my arrival being fed over an intercom and an option to have a lift take me up to the restaurant I had high hopes for their service.

    Unfortunately, I was left with my menu for quite some time and with a pretty much empty restaurant floor over an early lunch, this was pretty disappointing. At first I thought this may be due to them thinking I was waiting for another diner to join me but the table behind me had to shout to get the waiter’s attention so I was not the only diner being neglected.

    There were about 5 members of staff in the area, all appeared to be busy preparing for the evening shift, but this did give me an opportunity to observe that they all seemed to get along extremely well and clearly enjoyed working with one another. When I did have interaction with them they were all really friendly and smiley.

    I decided to start lunch with an Apple Crumble vodka cocktail- it was Thursday so it counts as the weekend! It was strong and made well so I later in the meal decided to try another being the Strawberry Basil Martini, which was even better. A perfect balance of flavours, it beckoned me to take the afternoon off and have another, but I reluctantly resisted.

    With The Meat Co’s menu boasting interesting international dishes like Braised Rib Meat Cigars & Balsamic Mayo, Eggplant & Mascarpone Tart, and South African Sausage Boerewors, I asked to try the Chef’s Soup of the Day. The soup was some version of leek & potato which was okay, but I was really hoping for something a little more exotic and in tune with the rest of the menu.

    I chose the South African sausage Boerewors to start. The sausage was laced with interesting spices served curled up with polenta that was cooked very well, which can be a difficult thing to get just right. Alongside was a smoky sweet glossy tomato sauce that brought the dish together – all in all, a good starting point.

    For main I chose the Kangaroo steak which comes with a potato dauphinoise stack, and ordered grilled asparagus on the side. The potato stack was not cooked through and tasted of just raw potato. Luckily, the kangaroo steak which came in a generous portion was cooked perfectly, easy to slice and adorned in a deep red, rich lightly spiced sauce. The asparagus was also cooked well.

    The dessert menu is full of goodies with interesting twists; Passionfruit brulee, Peanut butter cheesecake, Tiramisu with Churros. I went for the Toasted Coconut and Raspberry Vacharin – which was fantastic. It arrived in 3 small tasting experience bowls.

    One a sharp raspberry sorbet, terrine style, with toasted coconut. Lovely textures and flavours. The next a coconut cream with a sharp raspberry jam-syrup, and finally chewy-crispy morsels of meringue (just how I like them) with fresh berries. A very clever, pretty, sweet toothsome dessert from The Meat Co. I would be tempted to revisit The Meat Co and explore the rest of their dessert menu.

    I genuinely believe The Meat Co. serves great food- but on this occasion, it is such a shame that simple points such as; a bland soup, uncooked potato, and pre-occupied staff let them down. Unfortunately, I cannot score based on a belief and have to go by the experience that I had, which is why I have scored two stars. The meal did have some fantastic qualities; the spices in the South African sausage, kicking kangaroo meat and a beautiful dessert so I would still say to check this place out, but perhaps do not go at lunchtime as I did, and head for dinner time where there hopefully will be a little more focus.

    Reviewed by Jordan Lohan
    ADDRESS: Unit 1026, Westfield London, Ariel Way
    VENUE PHONE: 0207 930 8408
    PRICE: ££££
    WEBSITE: http://themeatco.com/index.php/visit-london
    STAR RATING: ★★
    TIPPING POLICY: Discretionary service charge of 12.5% added to bill