THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Kes, Doncaster Cast Theatre

    ★★★ | Kes, Doncaster Cast Theatre

    In a small, northern working class community in the 1960s, Billy Casper’s life is not the easiest. He struggles with reading and writing, is picked on at school, bullied by his older brother and neglected by his uncaring mother. With nothing in his future but the prospect of leaving school and working in the coal mine, his future is bleak. When Billy finds and trains a wild kestrel, his life begins to find a purpose and meaning. But the cruelty of life strikes him a devastating blow.

    Produced by Cast Theatre and combining a mix of professional actors and amateur performers from the area, this new production of Barry Hines’ classic novel was adapted and performed to mark Cast Theatre’s first birthday.

    Jacob James Beswick stood out as young Billy Casper, looking every bit the part of the downtrodden youngster and filling the character with a balance of dread, pessimism towards the future and occasional glimmers of optimism. Beswick garnered a genuine empathy from the audience, especially during the shows closing scenes. Sally Carman, best known as Kelly McGuire in Shameless, was in familiar territory with her performance as Mrs Casper, and the incredibly handsome Ben Burman rounded off the family as vindictive half-brother, Jud. The majority of the cast were made up of amateur performers, making this local theatre in more ways than one and providing a cast who, as a whole, were pleasingly slick and polished and who had clearly honed their skills with the assistance of their professional contemporaries.

    The set was detailed, using a combination of projected backdrops and sliding panels to create different parts of the town, keeping the presentation simple but effective. The transitions between scenes were smoothly done and the original music, composed by Dom Coyote, added just the right amount of atmosphere. The lighting was kept low key, complementing the play’s gritty and dark subject matter and the story nicely gathered pace as it progressed. However, even in the intimate theatre space, the lack of microphones led to a few moments where it was difficult to hear what was being said, but this is a minor criticism of the production overall. The show has occasional moments of light humour, which were a welcome relief but which never detracted from the story or mood of the piece and the handful of local references added a nice touch. The show was engaging, enjoyable and a worthy choice and adaptation to celebrate the success of the theatre over the last 12 months.

    Kes is currently playing at Doncaster Cast until the 13th September 2014. Tickets can be booked online at http://castindoncaster.com , in person at the box office or on the telephone on 01302 303959.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dracula, Northern Ballet, West Yorkshire Playhouse

    ★★★★ | Dracula, Northern Ballet, West Yorkshire Playhouse

    Jonathan Harker is a young lawyer in the employ of Dracula, who shows the Count his beautiful fiancé, Mina, and upon becoming obsessed by her, Dracula heads to the shores of England to seek her out. But following the murder of her best friend, Lucy, by the Count, Mina falls under his spell. But in an attempt to avenge the death of Lucy, Lucy’s suitors and Harker are assisted by vampire hunter, Van Helsing, to track down Dracula in a desperate attempt to save Mina from an undead eternity.

    In this deliciously dark version of Dracula, from the opening moments of a naked Dracula stepping out of a coffin swirling in mist; through to the exhilarating and dramatic ending, Bram Stoker’s tale of obsessive love is brought to life by Northern Ballet who treat audiences to a lavish and spectacular gothic production.
    The atmosphere created in the theatre was superb with the lavishly detailed, Tim Burton-esqe sets providing a beautiful and visually stimulating backdrop to the dancers, which included performers being lowered from the ceiling and raised up from the ground. The cleverly designed low level lighting added to the gothic gloom of the piece and the music further complimented the ambience with a mixture of sharp strings and angular sounds akin to the soundtrack to “Psycho”; set against a host of choral orchestrations, reminiscent of “The Omen”. As always the costumes were beautifully put together, with the female dancers flowing gowns adding to the almost dreamlike quality of the show.

    Kevin Poeung provided the performance of the evening as asylum dweller, Renfield, who seems to have a strange connection with the Count. Poeung’s physical performance was energetic and contorted and contributed to one of the highlights of the show, namely the initial scene in Dr Jack Seward’s asylum. The engagement party was also a highlight, with the company dancing beautifully together. But the crescendo of the second act was the outstanding moment of the production with an ending which proved to be a breath-taking conclusion to the piece. Ashely Dixon also impressed throughout with his performance as Jonathan Hawker.

    The ballet was a lot darker and slightly heavier going than Northern Ballet’s usual fare, but the slow burn of the first act and the drama of the second act make this a rewarding watch. For an exhilarating piece of theatre told with an accessible narrative, Dracula is a visually rich and beautifully gothic piece of ballet.

    Dracula is currently being performed at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds until 13th September 2014. Tickets for Dracula can be booked at http://northernballet.com where you can also find out information about their upcoming productions for the Autumn/Winter season, many of which will be performed at different venues around the country.

  • First gay priest to marry, is to sue Church of England

    A Priest who married his partner is planning to sue the Church of England after being blocked from new position.

    In April 2014, Canon Jeremy Pemberton defied the Church of England’s ban on same-sex marriage to become the first priest to marry his long-term, same-sex partner Laurence Cunnington. It has been revealed that he plans to take the Church to an employment tribunal, after he was blocked from taking a new job as a Chaplain and bereavement manager with the NHS.

    Pemberton was blocked from the new job by acting Bishop for Southwell and Nottingham, the Right Reverend Richard Inwood, who wrote to the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to explain that he would not be giving Pemberton a new licence, BBC News reported.

    Speaking to the BBC, Pemberton said, “I feel I have been left with little choice, having found myself being punished and discriminated against simply for exercising my right to marry,” he said.

    A spokesperson for the Archbishops’ Council said it would not comment on individual decisions made by diocese.

  • Open Letter To East Sussex Council After Sale To ‘Cure Gays’ Group

    Lewes couple challenge the legality of council sale of former school to ‘homophobic sect’ that claims it can ‘cure’ gays.

    Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan have written to East Sussex County Council Chief Executive, Ms Becky Shaw, demanding that the council explains how its decision to sell the former site of St Anne’s School at a price below its market value to religious organisation, Subud, is in keeping with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

    September 1st 2014.

    Dear Ms Shaw,

    We are writing in regard to East Sussex County Council’s proposed sale of the St Anne’s site at a below market price to the religious sect, Subud. We understand that ESCC are able to agree to sell public assets at reduced cost if the sale is of benefit to the community.

    We would like to enquire how ESCC’s legal obligation to ‘having due regard’ was exercised during the various stages of the decision to accept Subud’s bid.

    Please note that we have copied this letter to Stonewall, the LGBT charity, and the Equality Advisory Support Service (both of which have provided me with information) and other interested parties. Your prompt reply is most eagerly anticipated and will no doubt be closely scrutinised by the above with a view to possible intervention by the Equality & Human Rights Commission.

    We would like to remind you that according to the Equality Act 2010, East Sussex County Council, as a public body, has an equality duty to take account of equality, discrimination and good relations between protected groups in order to embed equality considerations into the day to day work of public authorities in order to counter discrimination and inequality.

    The equality duty covers age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

    Under this legislation, East Sussex County Council has a general duty which makes clear the goals to which public authorities must have due regard in carrying out their functions.
    The general duty also applies to voluntary or private organisations if they are carrying out public functions on behalf of public bodies – therefore any community services offered by Subud in return for the reduced price at which they acquired the building from ESCC are also required to comply with the general duty.

    The general duty has three aims. Public bodies in all their operations must have due regard to the need to:

    • eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
    • advance equality of opportunity between people from different (equality) groups
    • foster good relations between people from different (equality) groups.

    The phrase ‘having due regard’ means that a public body must consciously consider the three aims of the general duty in all its decision making.

    In advancing equality of opportunity public bodies will need to consider:

    • removing or minimising disadvantages experienced by people because of their protected characteristics
    • meeting the needs of people with protected characteristics
    • encouraging people with protected characteristics to participate in public life.

    The requirement to ‘advance equality of opportunity’ is stronger than the previous duties which only required the ‘promotion of equality’.

    Fostering good relations means tackling prejudice and promoting understanding between people from different groups.

    The religious sect, Subud, is a homophobic organisation that classifies homosexuality as a “disease of the soul” and claims that it can ‘cure’ homosexuality through the practice of the ‘latihan’. This position has been stated repeatedly in the talks and writings of Subud’s founder, Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (usually referred to as Pak Subuh or Bapak).

    Here’s what Bapak says about homosexuality in Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud, Replies to Member’s Question, Volume 5, #157. “Your habit of being a homosexual is actually a habit and conduct which violates the Will of God. For this reason, if someone behaves in this way he is classed as a sinner. This is how it is. So you should really and truly feel about this matter, and since you have been able to receive and practice the latihan kedjiwaan you should prevent the urge of the passions which want to do this, and turn your inner-feeling to the Power of Almighty God with trust and sincerity, so that your inner-self will be protected from the influence of these bad forces. That is all, and Bapak prays that you will be able to carry out what Bapak has said above.”

    This is not merely an historical position; Bapak’s teachings remain the underlying philosophy of Subud following his death in 1987. Although membership is open to everyone, in the absence of a single spiritual leader, control of the movement has fallen to local, national and international committees of ‘Helpers’ who are instructed by Bapak’s Advice and Guidance to Helpers. This was last republished in 2013 and remains the most current and up-to-date position of the sect.

    The section on homosexuality states:

    “The latihan kejiwaan is guidance and training from the power of God which we receive whenever we surrender to Him, free from the influence of the heart and mind. As a result of the latihan kejiwaan sins and faults that are hidden deep within our being are brought to light in order that they may be cleaned out and put right. These are things that we may not have been aware existed within us. It is necessary that we should become aware of these faults within us during the process of purification. Only what is most important for you is that you should not follow or act out the temptations you are experiencing, which are just part of the purification process. This is because homosexuality is not allowed by religion and is not allowed by God. It is a misuse of the body and not only harms a person physically but harms the jiwa in a way that is very difficult to put right.

    Therefore, you must be very firm in avoiding such conduct. To lighten your situation the only way possible is to do the latihan with a full feeling of trust in and surrender to the greatness of God Almighty, for He is able to correct those things within us that we are unable to put right.” From Bapak, (letter) 5 May, 1976.

    Any questions as to the current status of the doctrines contained in this volume within the sect are clearly and unambiguously answered in the introduction:

    “In visiting many groups, we were often surprised to see helpers confused and resorting to testing matters that are clearly explained in previous editions of this book. We would therefore like to recommend strongly that all helpers allow time during their helpers’ meetings, when discussing a problem – before making a decision – to look up what Bapak says about it. We hope that this way all helpers’ work will be lighter and have more clarity.

    “Reading Bapak and Ibu Rahayu’s answers to members questions, it is clear to us that many questions would not have been necessary had the content of Bapak’s talks been known to the writers – helpers as well as members. Bapak’s saying, well known by now, ‘stand on your own feet’ surely also implies looking up the answers to our questions in Bapak’s talks ourselves, a task that everyone will find most rewarding, and for which this book may be of great help. ”

    There is clearly no confusion as to Subud’s position on homosexuality.

    The fact that Subud regards “being a homosexual is actually a habit and conduct which violates the Will of God”, although nonsensical in terms of our current understanding of the nature and roots of human sexuality, is unfortunately shared by many religious believers, whose rights are also protected under the Equality Act 2010. However it is the legally-stated duty of ESCC to tackle prejudice and foster understanding in order to foster good relations between people from different equality groups. It is our view that the general duty cannot be achieved by selling a public property off cheaply to the benefit of a bigoted and institutionally prejudiced organisation. We are keen to hear how this sale will benefit the wider community when it is clearly deeply offensive and alientating to LGBT community members.

    To describe people’s relationships and families in such terms is obviously obnoxious and divisive. LGBT people have fought long and hard against legal discrimination and social exclusion and to witness a local authority endorse an organisation that holds such views is disappointing and distressing. But it is Subud’s claims to be able to “correct” homosexuality, as a “disease of the soul”, through its spiritual practice that makes this sect damaging and dangerous to its own members and members of our community.

    Subud promotes the ‘latihan’ as a therapy that can result in the “correction” of homosexual desires. This practice is a form of “reparative therapy” or in layman’s terms, “praying the gay away”.

    In 2012, the Pan American Health Organisation / World Health Organisation said in a position statement that “services that purport to “cure” people with non-heterosexual sexual orientation lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people.”

    “Since homosexuality is not a disorder or a disease, it does not require a cure. There is no medical indication for changing sexual orientation,” said PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago. Practices known as “reparative therapy” or “conversion therapy” represent “a serious threat to the health and well-being—even the lives—of affected people.”

    “The PAHO statement notes that there is a professional consensus that homosexuality is a natural variation of human sexuality and cannot be regarded as a pathological condition.

    “The document notes that no rigorous scientific studies demonstrate any efficacy of efforts to change sexual orientation. However, there are many testimonies about the severe harm to mental and physical health that such “services” can cause. Repression of sexual orientation has been associated with feelings of guilt and shame, depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

    “To address the problem, PAHO makes a series of recommendations for governments, academic institutions, professional associations, the media, and civil society, including:

    • “Conversion” or “reparative” therapies and the clinics offering them should be denounced and subject to adequate sanctions.
    • Public institutions responsible for training health professionals should include courses on human sexuality and sexual health in their curricula, with a focus on respect for diversity and the elimination of attitudes of pathologization, rejection, and hate toward non-heterosexual persons.
    • Professional associations should disseminate documents and resolutions by national and international institutions and agencies that call for the de-psychopathologization of sexual diversity and the prevention of interventions aimed at changing sexual orientation.
    • In the media, homophobia in any of its manifestations and expressed by any person should be exposed as a public health problem and a threat to human dignity and human rights.
    • Civil society organizations can develop mechanisms of civil vigilance to detect violations of the human rights of non-heterosexual persons and report them to the relevant authorities. They can also help to identify and report people and institutions involved in the administration of “reparative” or “conversion therapies.”
    (http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6803&Itemid=1)

    All the major psychotherapy and counselling professional bodies in the UK have issued statements condemning the practice of “reparative” or “conversion” therapies and interventions. These are some examples:

    The British Psychological Society – Dec 2012
    “The British Psychological Society (BPS) opposes any psychological, psychotherapeutic or counselling treatments or interventions (often referred to as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapies) that view same sex sexual orientations (including lesbian, gay, bisexual and all other non-heterosexual sexual orientations) as pathological. The BPS believes that people of all genders and identities should be regarded as equal members of society and protected from potentially damaging therapies and pathologising.”
    (http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/images/therapies_attempting_to_change_sexual_orientation.pdf)

    British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – Oct 2012
    “BACP opposes any psychological treatment such as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or based on the premise that the client/patient should change his/her sexuality. BACP believes that socially inclusive, non-judgmental attitudes to people who identify across the diverse range of human sexualities will have positive consequences for those individuals, as well as for the wider society in which they live. There is no scientific, rational or ethical reason to treat people who identify within a range of human sexualities any differently from those who identify solely as heterosexual.”
    (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/01/conversion-therapy-gay-patients-unethical)

    British Psychoanalytic Council – 2011
    “The British Psychoanalytic Council opposes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It does not accept that a homosexual orientation is evidence of disturbance of the mind or in development. In psychoanalytic psychotherapy, it is the quality of people’s relationships which are explored, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual.”
    (http://www2.bpc.org.uk/sites/psychoanalytic-council.org/files/6.2%20Position%20statement%20on%20homosexuality.pdf)

    UK Council for Psychotherapy – Feb 2010
    “UKCP does not consider homosexuality or bisexuality, or transsexual and transgendered states to be pathologies, mental disorders or indicative of developmental arrest. These are not symptoms to be treated by psychotherapists, in the sense of attempting to change or remove them. No responsible psychotherapist will attempt to ‘convert’ a client from homosexuality to heterosexuality (‘reparative’ therapy).”

    College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)
    “COSRT as an organisational member of UKCP supports the UKCP statement on the ‘reparative’ therapy of members of sexual minorities. General Members must agree to comply with this document.”

    Professional Standards Authority
    “The Professional Standards Authority believes gay conversion therapy is inconsistent with our obligations under the Equality Act.”

    Association of Christian Counsellors – Jan 2014
    “We recognize that such models have the potential to impose situational demands on the client at a time of vulnerability with the potential to create harm and therefore view them as incompatible within the ethos of counselling.”
    (http://www.acc-uk.org/pdfs/ACC%20statement%20to%20its%20members%20January%202014.pdf)

    A compilation of professional bodies’ positions on “reparative therapies”, written in in response to a request by the Department of Health, can be found here: http://www.healthylives.stonewall.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2014/c/conversion-therapy-final.pdf

    We see from Subud’s plans for St Anne’s that it intends to provide a range of therapies and counselling services. Because of its categorisation that homesexuality “violates the Will of God” and because its interventions to “cure” homosexuality are unethical, unprofessional and present “a serious threat to the health and well-being—even the lives—of affected people” (PAHO/WHO), Subud is not an organisation that can or should be trusted in this role.

    We believe that East Sussex County Council is in serious breach of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in conducting this below-cost sale. We look forward to your reply, making clear how ‘conscious consideration’ of ESCC’s general duty under the Equality Act was applied at every stage of this process.

    Yours sincerely (and in violation of the Will of God according to Subud),

    Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan

    A county council spokesman said: ‘East Sussex County Council takes its duty under the Equality Act 2010 extremely seriously and made all bidders aware of this at the application stage. Ability to comply with the Act is always part of an assessment process. In this case prior to assessment of the submitted bids, SUBUD was asked to clarify its position on people from groups protected by the legislation. Following these discussions we are satisfied that SUBUD is an open organisation which does not discriminate against any individuals or groups and has strong links with local communities. The assessment panel was also confident that SUBUD will work with all parts of the community.’

     

     

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | War House, National Theatre

    ★★★★★ | War House, National Theatre

    First off, don’t hate me. Please don’t hate me, but I have to confess… I got up close and personal with Joey last night in Salford and had a great time.

    Who is Joey? Joey has chestnut hair, flowing in the breeze, he’s strong, muscular, has great legs – all 4 of them… Joey is War Horse.

    Don’t know about you, but I’d seen the images of the stage play, I’d even sat through the snoozefest that was the film, but nothing, and I mean nothing prepared me for the stage play.

    The story is so well known, I don’t feel the need to go over it here but it’s simply boy meets horse, boy trains horse to pull a plough, WW1 begins and the horror starts.

    This current touring production is at The Lowry until 20th September so you have time to book your weekend away in sunny Manchester before it travels to Stoke and then off to South Africa.

    I think the main thing that makes this production so darn wonderful is the animals – and by animals I mean Handspring Puppet Company and their puppets and puppeteers. These are some amazing creations – so articulated, so well observed, not just in terms of the look, but in the way they are manipulated and worked. Their walk, the noises, even down to their breathing… these are nuanced performances… you eventually forget about the people working them and buy into them as “real”. Watch out for the amazing flying birds, and the goose!

    That isn’t to detract from the human cast, with Lee Armstrong giving one hell of a performance as Albert Naracott who trains Joey, and then follows him to war. Martin Wenner makes up the other half of this main human duo, playing Albert’s German counterpart, Friedrich. I love how the story weaves together both Albert and Friedrich, alongside the equine Joey and Topthorn.

    This story seems to flow better than the film for some reason, the horror of battle shown better in the drawings displayed constantly on a torn paper screen, the minimalist staging ripe for touring but leaves so much to your imagination, the dirt and grime, the gas attacks, the effect on the people in occupied France…

    We were lucky enough to get to do a quick Q&A with Martin Wenner, Lee Armstrong and the horses/puppeteers after the play, and I managed to grab some half-decent images to give you some scale of these magnificent creations. (see above)

    If you can, get tickets, sell your gran if need be but go see it live – it’s a whole new world! I’ve been to the theatre quite a lot, but have never, ever seen such a reception as this cast and crew received for this production. Standing ovation? Tick!

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Briefs: The Second Coming

    ★★★★★ | Briefs: The Second Coming

    ‘Cirque du Soleil’ meets ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’

    The award-winning all male, all vaudeville, all trash brat-pack return to London with their cult variety hit, Briefs.

    Briefs is a madcap safari through extravagant birdbath boylesque, too close for comfort yo-yo tricks, valiant aerial acrobatics, irreverent interludes, ferocious fanfare and show-stopping drag artistes. The line-up is disorderly, and the show is still circus-infused. Expect the unexpected in this array of satire and skills as the BRIEFS boys present London Wonderground with burlesque…with balls!

    When I entered Wonderground on London’s Southbank I was amazed and instantly transported to a circus fairground. There was music, rides and a carousel alongside countless bars and food establishments. As I waited alongside my friend in a wooden dodgem car, I heard a bellowing lady exclaim that the show was about to start and that the audience should take their seats. I travelled into the Spiegeltent and was pleasantly surprised to see comfortable seating and a proper stage. I took a seat in the second row as I knew the front row would be in for a surprise. I was greeted by men in scantily clad suits. I sat down and the show began….

    We are first introduced to Fez Faanana who is the compère for the show, a mix between Frank N. Furter and Jason Momoa, who is not your standard drag queen. Then we are introduced to Thomas Worrell who certainly knows his flexible way around a ring. A contortionist who’s incredibly cute to boot! We are then let loose in front of Adam Krandle, a most mischievous character who is very good at rendering the audience into hysterics over the most inanimate of objects. Then we see the delights of Dallas Dellaforce, a drag queen who is Queen of the Queens, taking on embodiments of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Later, we see the drop dead gorgeous Louis Biggs who is only 20 years old and certainly knows how to play with his toys! Finally, we see the King of Burlesque, Mark Winmill who is the headline act and it is certainly where he belongs. He delivers a culmination of the previous acts with added extra surprises that will leave the audience thirsty for more!

    I have to say that it is one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. There is an effervescent mix of comedy, camp and cabaret. There are bearded drag queens, monkeys and more than enough eye candy; all blended together with an intoxicating mix of circus, spectacle and surprises.

    Final words: 100%! 5 out of 5 stars! Everyone must go see this show whether it’s for the circus, cabaret or camp elements or even to ogle at the hot half naked men. It is a show that I’m sure that will go down well for straight and gay audiences alike!

    Briefs: The Second Coming is on at the London Wonderground from Thursday 28th August – Sunday 28th September. Performance starts at 7:30 pm with a running time of around 75 minutes. Tickets prices range from £14 – £20.50 and are available here: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/briefs-the-second-coming-82977

    Follow the show on Twitter: @briefsfactory and #briefsboys and the boys on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briefsallmalecircuscabaret or their website: http://briefsfactory.com/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Autobahn, The King’s Head Theatre, London

    ★★★★★ | Autobahn, The King’s Head Theatre, London

    Regarded as one of the most celebrated American playwrights, Neil LaBute has enthralled audiences all over the world with his layered characters, sharp dialogue and subtle social commentaries. Savio(u)r return to the King’s Head Theatre after the success of 2013’s Our Town with the London premiere of LaBute’s play, Autobahn, directed by Off-West End Award nominee Tim Sullivan.

    This short-play cycle follows colourful, complicated people making their way across America’s highways and their stops, starts, and stalls along the way. The London cast includes Sharon Maughan (Holby City, The Bank Job, She’s Out of My League), Henry Everett (Michael Grandage’s (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Tom Slatter (Robot Overloards), and Zoe Swenson-Graham (Our Town).

    This cycle of seven short pieces stretching over 2 hours 10 minutes (with an interval to catch your breath) consists of scenes of people in cars. The stark set is a disembodied half of a car with a background scene projected on the wall and the 4 actors take various roles in the vignettes. Some of the pieces are total or almost total monologues with little interchange between characters whereas others are sharply written well-performed two handers.

    The concept of two people talking as they sit in a car might not fill you with excitement but the skill of the writing and the intensity of the dialogue soon drags you in. These are nasty stories at times with LaBute’s characters having only a thin veneer covering their insecurities, betrayals and crimes. Unfaithful wives, psychotic girlfriends, unrepentant addicts and willing abductees abound in the dark world that is depicted, yet at times the plays are also painfully funny.

    The cast are excellent and really bring life to the disparate and often desperate characters. This is a really unique theatre experience. The last outing for a LaBute play (Bash Latterday Plays at The Old Red Lion) ended up transferring to the West End. Catch this stellar production while you can. It deserves a wide audience.

    Autobahn runs until the 20th of September 2014

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, St James Theatre, London

    ★★★ | Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, St James Theatre, London
    “I became one of the stately homos of England.”

    From a conventional middle-class Surrey upbringing to global notoriety via his autobiography “The Naked Civil Servant”, Quentin Crisp was an extraordinary raconteur and wit. This new production, making its London premiere after an Edinburgh season, shows Quentin both in his beloved but squalid Chelsea flat as the 1970s dawn, and in his final years in his adopted New York, with the new millennium beckoning.

    The show draws on Quentin’s own writing and performances in a new script by Mark Farrelly, who also performs (West End credits include Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf with Matthew Kelly). He is directed by the renowned Linda Marlowe, who has won awards for her own solo work such as Berkoff’s Women.
    Quentin Crisp was an extraordinary character. Sharp-tongued, controversial and seemingly fearless. Born in an age when gay sex was illegal and liable to land you in prison, he embraced what he was: a flamboyant and effeminate homosexual. Facing ridicule, beatings and scorn as well as the ardour of men in the back alleys of Soho, he became a notorious character. With the publication of his autobiography and subsequent television film of this, starring John Hurt, he took infamy and his waspish wit to a much wider audience. His one-liners were legendary as were his regular television chat show appearances.

    Alienating the gay rights movement of the 1970s and causing furore with flippant comments about anything from AIDS being a passing fad, homosexuality being a terrible disease and his views on Princess Diana, perhaps more shockingly, the seemingly very English based institution, moved to New York and made his home there in his later years.

    Farrelly’s play has strengths and weaknesses. He manages to capture some of the wit, acidity and pathos of Crisp but at times this is slightly patchy. The script is stronger in the first half when Crisp is shown alone in his London flat, addressing the audience as he postures and quips with the thin veneer showing some vulnerability beneath. Although physically much sturdier than Crisp, he does manage, mostly, to convey an essence of Crisp’s character and demeanour. The second half, where Farrelly depicts Crisp performing in New York just before his death, felt much weaker with the relentless round of bon mots becoming a bit tired and the audience participation element feeling a bit unnecessary to the show. I did, however, laugh quite a lot and it was good to be reminded of some of Crisp’s better one-liners in this well-researched show.

    Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope is on at St James Theatre until the 7th of September 2014

    Buy tickets here: http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/events/quentin-crisp-naked-hope/

    The show will also be touring the U.K. from October with shows at Greenwich, Cardiff, Dundee and Hemel Hempstead.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Compulsion

    ★★★ | Compulsion

    What’s your secret? What do you do in private that you wouldn’t share with anyone? What happens if the quiet, secret compartments in our heads start to invade our consciousness? And if the curtains are torn down for all to see, could we survive? Would we adapt or die?

    Tom Staunton’s a nice guy. A genuinely nice guy. A little damaged and a little quirky. Who isn’t? But his secrets and compulsions are coming to the fore in a very public way that he can’t control. The voices in his head won’t keep quiet. They have to be heard. What’s his secret? Why is it tearing him apart? Is any part of our nature as human beings too shameful for others to see?

    Join Tom as we examine the dark corners of his mind. Meet the different facets of his personality that hold power over him and witness the incidents in his past that have made him who he is.

    Compulsion is a darkly comic journey into one man’s sub-conscience. Tune into the noise in his mind that simultaneously tortures him and helps him to keep going. Witness the struggle of having to live with oneself.

    As I arrived at the theatre, I was amazed to see an empty stage with just two actors and a chair. I knew this was going to be a true Fringe performance. As I sat down and began to cool down, I was instantly drawn in. Evidently, we were dealing with a gay man being haunted by the different elements of his subconscious. We were presented with three variations of his psyche played by Kim Maouhoub, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe.

    We were immediately transported into Tom’s mind by the exquisite use of lighting that matched perfectly with the angst dealt Declan Cooke’s character. Kim Maouhoub, who had an air of Helena Bonham Carter, played her parts brilliantly. Each new character portrayed was performed beautifully with excellent characterization. The other two actors, Paul Storan and Nigel Fyfe were also great with real determination and emotion in their performance.

    The only downside was the length; it only lasted just under 50 minutes with the majority of the time being the scene changes. An interruption which I feel could have been done better. I would have liked to have seen the play developed more and made into more of a developed narrative rather than a glimpse into his innermost thoughts. Furthermore, the LGBT themes seemed to be a bit cliché; a gay man with an abusive past that had been accused of being a paedophile. It is these clichés that I wish were avoided. Instead I would have liked to have seen a deeper dive into Tom’s mind and even perhaps not having a clear and concise answer to why he felt the way he did, however all in all an excellent and true Fringe performance.

    More details in the link below:
    https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/compulsion

    Or feel free to ‘Follow’ them on Twitter: @thecompulsion or ‘Like’ the page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Keep-You-Company-thecompulsion/533083020145519?sk=timeline

    Final words: An interesting production with clichéd themes. Definitely worth a view if you’re in the area especially for Kim Maouhoub. Not bad!

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Odd Shaped Balls, Etcetera Theatre, London

    ★ ★ ★ ★ | Odd Shaped Balls, Etcetera Theatre, London

    After a four-week run at The Edinburgh Festival with stellar five star reviews and award nominations, Miller Theatre Productions returns with Odd Shaped Balls for a limited run at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden.

    Odd Shaped Balls is a new play exploring the difficulties faced by gay sports stars through the eyes of a young rugby player. Brothers, Richard D Sheridan (playwright) and Chris Sheridan (actor), forged the show after witnessing a real life incident of homophobic bullying in the sport that they love.

    When rising rugby star James Hall is publicly ‘outed’ by his ex, his life becomes a struggle of dealing with increased media attention and the pressures of being labelled a role model on and off the pitch, while trying to adapt to changes in his personal relationships. The show takes an honest and often comical look into the changing room banter of male sports teams and their relationship to their fans and how it can intimidate players to live a lie.

    With rave reviews and a fascinating subject matter, this play looks like it’ll be well worth checking (as does Chris Sheridan, judging by the publicity shots).

    Odd Shaped Balls is on at the Etcetera Theatre from 18th to 20th of September.

  • BNP Complains That BBC Bosses Want More Gay Drama

    A post on the British National Party’s Facebook complains that the BBC Drama Boss has promised to boost more gay characters in their output.

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