THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rock Of Ages

    ★★★ | Rock Of Ages

    The Bourbon Room is the hottest club on the Sunset Strip, being the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll excess. Run by Dennis and Lonny, the club finds itself under threat from an over-eager property developer and so tries to raise money by staging a farewell gig by Arsenal, the biggest rock band around, fronted by the charismatic Stacee Jaxx. Meanwhile, bar tender Drew craves to be on stage and Sherrie, who is just a small-town girl, arrives in LA to chase her dreams. Drew and Sherrie fall in love, but neither quite say it, so when Stacee Jaxx comes between them and the club is about to be pulled down, can Rock ‘n’ Roll win through?

    This jukebox musical was crammed full with a truckload of guilty pleasure soft rock classics, including “We Built This City”, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Just Like Livin’ in Paradise”, “Here I Go Again”, “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Don’t Stop Believin’”, with the musical numbers coming thick and fast, accompanied by the live band a scantily clad ensemble.

    Ben Richards, as Stacee Jaxx, was criminally underused, but spent most of his time making the audience swoon as he stripped to the waist and swaggered around the stage. Cameron Sharp stole many scenes as the camp German, Franz, and treated the audience by displaying his thighs which would make a pro-rugby player jealous. Noel Sullivan exceeded expectations as Drew and Cordelia Farnwoth was a versatile lead. But the energy and enthusiasm of Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Lonny, the comedic narrator, made him stand out from the remainder of the cast.

    The stage was busy and detailed, combining a static background, video projection and moveable props, all complimented by some well-designed lighting. The live band was good, and the balance between music and vocals were about right. The costumes reflected the stonewashed denim and excessive lace of the era, but the choreography and dancing could have been tighter than it was.

    Rock of Ages is energetic, bold, brash, loud and in your face – reflective of the rock movement at the time – and nestles neatly between being an affectionate tongue in cheek tribute to the times and a knowing, self –mocking piece of fun with an abundance of flesh on display and a playful feel to it. It amounts to a generally fun but throwaway piece of musical theatre which was lapped up by the crowd and the finale garnered whoops and cheers, bringing everyone to their feet and singing along.

    Rock of Ages is currently playing at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 1st November 2014, before rounding off its national tour. For more detail, visit the official website at: www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Spine, Soho Theatre

    From fast-rising Channel 4 Playwright Clara Brennan comes a hilarious, pan-generational call to arms for our modern age.

    Spine charts the explosive friendship between a ferocious, wisecracking teenager and an elderly East End widow. Mischievous activist pensioner Glenda is hell-bent on leaving a political legacy and saving Amy from the Tory scrapheap because ‘there’s nothing more terrifying than a teenager with something to say’.

    In this era of damaging coalition cuts and disillusionment, has politics forgotten people? Can we really take the power back? Amy is about to be forced to find out.
    There’s something about a well scripted and performed monologue that can be immensely powerful and intense and Brennan’s play manages to be both of these things whilst also being incredibly funny. Rosie Wyatt’s Amy is initially an unsympathetic character with an accent and pattern of speech like nails on a blackboard and a strutting, angry demeanour. The skill in both the script and the acting lies in making the viewer warm to and believe in the changes that take place in Amy, in spite of her bad points.

    The Soho Theatre is a great space for this play with the small space crammed with teetering piles of books. I laughed a lot and almost didn’t notice that the play was delivering a message about apathy in an age when we’re challenged and tricked into thinking that we should be grateful for what we have. And keep quiet. There’s a touch of the 1970s classic film Harold and Maud about the play: eccentric pensioner and off the rails teenager learn from each other.

    Kudos to Rosie Wyatt too for telling an audience member off for using her phone during the play, whilst remaining in character. She’s a woman after my own heart.

    Spine runs until: Tue 21 Oct – Sun 2 Nov, 7.15pm. Matinees: Sat 2.30pm, Sun 5.30pm
    Buy tickets here: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/spine

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curing Room

    ★★★★ | The Curing Room

    “It made the recent Globe production of Titus Andronicus look like a teddy bear’s picnic!” And indeed over 90 minutes we had been subjected to a deluge of blood, guts and gore, couple with full frontal male nudity the likes of which I have never seen before on the stage.

    David Ian Lee’s The Curing Room throws seven Soviet soldiers into the empty cellar of a monastery, stripped of all belongings and their clothes. Abandoned by their captors, and left without food, the men resort finally to murder and cannibalism in order to survive. The play asks questions about how we redefine ourselves in extreme circumstances, how the constraints of normal civilised society and military rank cling to us, or don’t.

    The play is something of a tour de force for the seven brilliant actors, who literally bare all before the audience. Director Joao De Sousa is unflinching in his depiction of cannibalism and there is, as I said earlier, a lot of blood. My companion spent much of the latter part of the evening with his head turned away from the stage. This play is definitely not for the faint hearted, and if your only reason for going is a prurient desire to see seven men naked, well you soon get used to that. The gore is harder to cope with.

    It would be invidious to pick out any one of the actors. They all work as a close-knit team, and all, without exception, give excellent performances. De Sousa’s pacing is brilliant, and I was gripped throughout. Once away from the theatrical brilliance of it all, though, a few minor doubts crept in about the writing and about the play itself. For much of the play, the characters come across as mere cyphers, as representatives of certain types; the stiff upper lip captain, the honourable senior lieutenant, the slightly simple young private, the old retainer and so on. This could be the reason I found it ultimately less involving than I should have. Though the horror of what unfolds before you certainly draws you in, ultimately ones cares little about the fate of these soldiers as individuals.

    None the less, The Curing Room is well worth seeing if you have the stomach for it. I doubt we will see anything like it again for some time.

    The Curing Room is at the Pleasance Theatre until November 9th.

  • 17-Year-Old Boy Raped By Two Men In Manchester Park, E-Fits Released

    Manchester Police are calling for witnesses and information with regards to a brutal rape of a 17-year-old boy in a Salford Park in Manchester.

    The 17-year-old unnamed victim was attacked by two men as he walked through Buille Hill Park, Eccles between 12:10 Am and 12:42AM on Wednesday 8th October.

    The police have released e-fits in a fresh appeal for witnesses.

    Police believe two men were standing at the gate of the Seedley Road entrance to the park and followed the boy along the path into the park. The victim then lost sight of the men and continued to walk further into the park, but a short time later the offenders approached him, one from the front and the other from behind, and raped him.

    Since the attack the victim has been supported by specially trained officers and detectives have been carrying out a number of inquiries. The victim has now managed to give a detailed description of the offenders and officers have today released the E-Fits.

    The men, both described as white, one in his late twenties and slim, the other in his thirties or forties and overweight, were both wearing shorts and hoodies with the hoods up. The slim male had blonde hair and was wearing glasses.

    Detective Inspector Kenneth Blain said:

    “This horrific incident left a boy traumatised and I’d like to reassure both him and the community that we are determined to catch those responsible.

    “The victim has managed to provide enough details for us to put together the E-Fits, so I would now like people to have a look and tell us if they recognise either of the men.

    “I would like to make a direct appeal to anyone who may have been walking near to where the incident took place to contact police immediately.”

    Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 5360 quoting log number 61 of 8 October 2014 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

    If you are affected by the issues raised in this article and would like to talk to someone please call LLGS on 0300 330 0630 or visit: http://www.llgs.org.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Woman In Black, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre & National Tour

    ★★★★★ | The Woman In Black, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre & National Tour

    et in an old theatre in the late 1950’s, a solicitor, Arthur Kipps, enlists the assistance of a young actor to tell his story. His tale revolves around a terrifying incident when he was younger, when he travelled to the Eel Marsh House to settle the estate of a long standing deceased client. Initially finding a conspiracy of secrecy from the locals, he makes his way across the Nine Lives Causeway, which is cut off at high tide. Alone in the mansion, he is plagued by the sound of a pony and trap, an unexplained banging noise and a door which appears to be locked from the inside. What secrets does the estate hold, what lurks in the swirling mist… And who is the woman in black he keeps seeing?

    This chilling and effective ghost story is beautifully crafted and used simple techniques to create an immensely taught atmosphere in the theatre. The lighting design in particular was exceptional. Who would have thought that a dark stage with just a door highlighted would draw worried mumblings from those around you? This is a theatrical experience like no other.

    The production slowly cranks up the tension, which quite literally draws you to the edge of your seat and then throws you back into it with “cattle prod” jolts that elicited genuine screams of terror from the audience. The narrative of the piece completely draws you in; and the production avoids spoon feeding you the story, leaving you as the audience to create your own horrors in your imagination. The set, staging and props were remarkably effective in their simplicity and created an atmosphere where you held your breath with the central character as he explored the darkness. Setting the show in a theatre made you instantaneously part of the production and the dark atmosphere and low level lighting only add to the gloominess and intimacy of the piece.

    The performances from the two leads were both excellent, with Matt Connor playing the part of The Actor and Young Kipps, and Malcolm James providing the elderly Kipps and the other characters he comes across. It came as a surprise just how effective a simply staged double hander could be and the way in which the audience is manipulated via the events unfolding on stage is testament to the outstanding writing behind the show.

    This show is not akin to the recent film, so those expecting the Daniel Radcliffe version will be disappointed. It is faithful to its original source material, the book by Susan Hill. If anything, it is more reminiscent of “The Haunting” (1963) which leaves everything to the imagination. Here, the effective equivalent of the tradition of sitting round an open fire and telling ghost stories proves that there is more to what is unseen than what is seen; and is an absolutely perfect pre-Halloween treat or a superbly chilling way to spend a dark, stormy winter evening.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Solomon and Marion, The Rep, Birmingham

    ★★★★ – Witty, Endearing, Unforgettable

    “Solomon and Marion” hits the studio theatre of The Rep with an edgy bang. Lara Foot’s play is set in the post-apartheid period, and the essence of her story transports us back twenty years. It does not seem too long ago, when racial differences were a hot topic in the Western World, but more so in South Africa.

    “Solomon and Marion” delivers a perspective from both sides: Solomon represents a poor black boy, whose family have died, and who is, on a daily basis, fighting for survival. Marion is a white and middle-class lady who, throughout the play, is writing to her daughter Annie who is living in Australia with “a very good accountant.” – She reminds us… constantly.

    For some time, Marion has felt a presence lurking in around her house. One day, Marion is rudely disturbed by a black boy, whom she claims has never met, but walks into her living room, uninvited. It turns out that she used to let him play in her pond as a young child, as she was good friends with his grandmother. A delightful and an endearing connection between them ensues with terms as: ‘My boy’ and ‘Ms Marion’ that make the audience smile with delight.

    Lara Foot created a masterpiece, where she assembles humour with anger; a melancholy and monumental revelation. When Marion sees Solomon wearing her deceased son’s yellow shirt, her reaction is heart-wrenching. She cries and says to Solomon: “You’ve ruined it.” Which may cause some controversy with subtext analysis: was Marion showing a racist streak? She very quickly recovers and begs Solomon to keep it.

    Dame Janet Suzman, who you might recall from watching The Singing Detective, delivers an astonishing and memorable performance. The way Janet embodies Marion with extremely well-thought of physicality and with an emotion that was as if Suzman had gone through the grief and isolation portrayed herself. Janet shines particularly at the end when she breaks down after finding out the truth of her son’s death.

    Khayalethu Anthony breaths a true embodiment of what it would have felt like to live in those harsh times. Anthony is an unexperienced actor by background, but on stage his talent matches the Dame’s, especially when enacting live the murder scene of Marion’s son. His method of talking in mother-tongue gave the play an element of outstanding sincerity.

    The lighting was an effective drama tool, as it aided with the transition between happy daytime, to lonely darkness where Marion would spend all night staring at nothing. The excellent way in which the light shone through the window and when it climbed the walls as the sun was rising. The set was a masterpiece, in naturalistic terms but also it managed to create a nostalgic place for Marion to reminisce the whole life she had spent, and the one she wants to die in.

    “Solomon and Marion” is at The Rep until 1st of November.

  • London Gay Couple Told To Get Off Bus In Homophobic Rant

    A gay couple from London have told the Evening Standard that they were told to stop kissing or get off the bus.

    The couple who were travelling on the number 89 at around 10:30 PM near Blackheath have told that the bus driver had a homophobic rant after the pair shared a ‘peck’ on the lips.

    Jack James, 23, and his boyfriend are reporting that the driver said, “Oi, you two don’t do that on my f**king bus or you can get off, I don’t want to watch that.”

    The incident happened on the 8th August 2014.

    According to the Standard, the pair didn’t realise that the driver was talking to them and asked for clarification. The driver reportedly replied, “Yes, it’s my bus it is my rules and I don’t want to watch that, it’s disgusting, get off the bus.”

    Mr James, has also stated that the driver told them to ‘f**k off’ and that they weren’t real men. Mr. James has said that he is considering reporting the incident to the police.

    Mr James said,

    “We were chatting away when my partner gave me a peck on the lips. The bus driver shouted ‘Oi you two don’t do that on my f****** bus or you can get off, I don’t want to watch that’. When the bus stopped at our stop I walked up to the driver and politely asked the driver if he was talking to us. His reply was ‘Yes, it’s my bus, it is my rules and I don’t want to watch that, it’s disgusting, get off the bus’. Once we got off the bus we were fuming and I was shaking. The bus stopped again and he shouted and told us we were not real men and we should f*** off.”

    Ken Davidson, TfL’s Head of Bus Operations, told the Standard,

    “All customers have the right to use our services without fear of being abused and offensive behaviour is completely unacceptable. We would like to reassure Mr James that this matter is being taken very seriously and that a thorough investigation is being conducted by Go Ahead.”

    In August the police appealed for witnesses to a homophobic attack on a London train, which happened between Charing Cross and Bexleyheath

  • Internet Trolls May Face Up To Two Years In Prison

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to 2 years in prison.

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to two years in prison and the police will have more time to investigate cases as part of the government’s commitment to protecting victims of crime.

    In the past a number of high profile celebrities such as Rylan Clark, Duncan James, Boy George and Joe McElderry have all suffered at the hands of online trolls.

    The government is changing the law to increase the maximum sentence for the offence of sending certain items with the intent to cause distress or anxiety. This will mean more serious offences can be dealt with in the Crown Court and there will not be a time limit for police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring a prosecution.

    THREE YEARS TO BRING PROSECUTIONS

    Alongside this, the government is also changing the law to allow up to 3 years, as opposed to 6 months as previously, to bring prosecutions against people for using the internet, social media or mobile phones to send menacing messages.

    Justice Minister Chris Grayling said,

    “The sending of abusive messages or material online can cause absolute misery for victims and we need to make sure that people who commit these awful crimes are properly punished.

    “We already have offences in place to deal with this appalling behaviour, but we’ve toughened up the law to make sure these crimes can be properly investigated and those who commit the most serious offences face a longer prison sentence.”

    Changes to the law will be made through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, currently going through Parliament. This comes on top of a raft of government measures to support victims. Next year, victims’ rights to tell the court how their crime has affected them will be set out in statute; a new nationwide Victims’ Information Service will be set up to ensure better information and support; and millions of pounds will be invested in improving the court experience.

    Crucially, we will also develop plans to require advocates to undergo specialist training before taking part in sexual abuse or rape trials, which will make going to court easier and less distressing for victims. All vulnerable victims and witnesses will also be given greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court building, and we will work towards rolling out pre-trial cross examination for child victims nationally, subject to the evaluation of on-going pilots.

    The government also provides £4.4 million annually to fund rape support centres and has met its commitment to open 15 new support facilities across the country since 2010.

  • Gay Rugby Hunks Sing Disney

    Members from the Manchester Village Spartans have other interests other than Rugby…

    Okay, some gay men just love a bit of Disney and these Rugger hunks show off their musical theatre talents… Particularly the dude in the blue cap – who is ON POINT with his lyrics. (Well done that man.)

    The lads say this is a singalong of Lion King’s I Just Can’t Wait To be King whilst they were returning from the touch tournament in Birmingham this weekend.

    The Manchester Village Spartans RUFC is Manchester and Northwest England’s gay and inclusive rugby union football team based at Sale Sports Club, Manchester.

    The club is a full member of International Gay Rugby Association and Board (IGRAB)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Blood Brothers, Birmingham Hippodrome

    ★★★★★ | Blood Brothers, Birmingham Hippodrome
    Sensational, Tear-Jerking and Nostalgic

    “Blood Brothers” celebrates its ninth visit to the Birmingham Hippodrome. Willy Russell’s dramatic yet effervescent musical marks twenty-nine years of existence, and its energy and emotion is still true to the performance today.

    I was heavily drawn to Maureen Nolan’s portrayal of Mrs Johnstone. Nolan conjured feelings within the audience that were so unique and precious that led to the well-deserved standing ovation at the very end. Maureen stands out for her tremendous ability in showcasing a wide range of emotions, especially with the way she talks of her children; contrasting with the unpleasant discourses with Mrs Lyons (Mother of Eddie), but most sincerely for the nostalgic effect that she summoned in the audience. The motherly manner in which she coated Mrs Johnstone and the tangible affection she had with her children drove a good few to memory lane.

    Another actor who created some ripples in the audience was Kristofer Harding, as the Narrator. It was one of those roles that, when present, an atmosphere is formed, atmosphere of which helped sew the emotion together. Harding’s voice resonated danger and mystery, which left audience members on the edge of their seats with anticipation.

    The most astonishing acting witnessed in the whole show was of Sean Jones, Mickey. His incredible imagination in portraying a seven-year-old to then later taking on the same role but as an adult, fascinating! His playfulness as a child was endearing and it felt as though the audience did not want him to grow up. The story is a little like Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” but instead of love, it is a friendship that is denied to them.

    A great effect, which I thoroughly enjoyed, was the actor doubling. Two actors that doubled throughout and stood out were Graham Martin and Daniel Taylor. Graham’s wit and creativity shone at the Birmingham Hippodrome: he brought the house down with laughter, as the teacher and as the judge. Daniel’s interpretation of Sammy was a treat. Not only did he capture the older sibling so perfectly well, he became a symbol of the time. Daniel demonstrated energy like no other, and though Sammy was not the lead role, he played every second of that stage with a spirit of a protagonist.

    The set was otherworldly. The houses were as real as the one I am sat in now. The effortless changes between scenes were an effect in their own right. The artwork on the back wall of the stage was something extraordinary; it made it look as though we were peering out of a window with the view to Liverpool.

    There is a reason why “Blood Brothers” has been running short of thirty years. I was ready to watch it again, but they asked me to put my wine down and leave.

    “Blood Brothers” is at Birmingham Hippodrome until the 25th of November.

  • THEATRE REVIEW: Urinetown, Apollo Theatre, London

    With a terrible title, something that the writers are keen to point out, Urinetown is the anti-musical- musical and it’s bloody brilliant.

    (more…)