THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • English Gay Youth Twice As Likely To Smoke And Drink Hazardously

    A study by University College London has concluded that young lesbians and gays in England are twice as likely to drink and smoke.

    Young people who identify their sexuality as lesbian or gay are twice as likely to have smoked than their heterosexual peers, according to new research published by BMJ Open. They were also more likely to have consumed alcohol and at more hazardous levels.

    The research data was accumulated from data of over 7600 participants. This representative sample of school students entered the study at age 13 or 14 and they were followed for 5 years. The participants were asked about their smoking and alcohol use.

    At the age of 18/19 they were asked about their sexual identity.

    Young people who identified as LGB which accounted for around 3.5% of the sample were twice as likely to have smoked and used alcohol.

    Gay or lesbian participants were more likely to say that they drank alcohol frequently (more than weekly), and report hazardous alcohol drinking patterns (frequent intoxication).

    Dr Joanna Semlyen, one of the authors of the studied said,

    ‘There are several reasons why LGB young people may be more likely to smoke tobacco and drink alcohol hazardously and we do not, as yet, due to lack of research, have definitive evidence as to what the reasons are, however, we suspect that the impact of homophobia and heterosexism within society, in addition to the possible experience of homophobic bullying whilst at school, may lead to what we call ‘minority stress’ or in increased low self esteem which young people then perhaps seek to alleviate with smoking and/or alcohol.’

    Bisexual participants were more likely to have smoked but had similar alcohol use patterns to their heterosexual peers.

    Lead researcher Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson, from the UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, said,

    “Our research shows that despite recent social change, young people today who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are twice as likely to have smoked as their heterosexual peers. Gay and lesbian young people also appear to have more frequent and more hazardous alcohol drinking patterns than heterosexuals. Smoking and drinking alcohol frequently and hazardously can lead to chronic disease in later life, and so we should be worried about these health inequalities in this minority group and the longer term consequences they may face.”

    “From a public health perspective, we need to understand why young gay, lesbian and bisexual people are more likely to engage in risky health behaviours than their heterosexual peers,” continued Dr Hagger-Johnson. “This will need to involve longitudinal research, following a large sample of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people over time. We are concerned that ‘minority stress’, resulting from homophobia and heterosexism, might lead people to self-medicate symptoms of anxiety and depression with cigarettes and alcohol.”

    When asked whether the government or the health service could do more to interface with young LGB, Dr Semlyen said,

    ‘As a researcher and LGBT Health Psychologist, I would like to see the routine collection of sexual orientation data within population based health and well-being studies and as part of the NHS’ own routine identity data collection. This would allow us to accurately determine the health inequalities being experienced by this group and, by virtue of being included, would go a long way to indicate to LGBT people that their health is being considered. LGB people want to be counted in surveys. Indeed we noted the question in this study had a very low refusal rate.’

     

    If you have been effected by issues in this article and wish to talk to someone visit: http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

  • Taking Pride In Team Cheshire

    Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is an organisation on a mission – determined to continue breaking down the stereotypes that have haunted its past in a bid to create a more diverse future.

    Matt Maguire is the Service’s Policy and Research Manager as well as being the current Chair of Firepride, the organisation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff network.

    “Many people still retain quite an outdated image of what a modern day fire and rescue service is all about,” explains Matt. “We have worked really hard over the past few years both internally with our staff and externally within communities to change some of the stereotypes in order to break down barriers and create a much more inclusive working environment.”

    The work that has gone on within the Service is reaping some great results. This year saw the organisation make it into the list of the top 100 organisations in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. Stonewall also heralded the Service as the North West’s Most Improved Employer after it climbed 101 places to claim the 45th slot.

    “This was a really great achievement and something we are proud of, however, more than that, it has instilled a real drive across the organisation to build on what we have achieved,” adds Matt. “We are totally committed to developing an inclusive working environment where our staff feel valued regardless of their background or sexual orientation. Our aim is always to deliver an excellent fire and rescue service, ensuring that the communities of Cheshire remain safe. This is best achieved when staff feel supported and can be themselves at work.”

    The Service was praised for its LGBT employee network group, Firepride, which was the only fire and rescue service group to have been accredited as a ‘Star Performing Network’ and its ‘Straight Allies’ programme, which promotes a more open workplace culture.

    Matt explains the impact that the latter initiative is having on the wider organisation,

    “The Straight Allies’ programme is a really interesting initiative that I am delighted to say has already delivered fantastic support. It was set up as a means of engaging people from all areas of the organisation and showing out LGBT staff that they were not alone – that they had a network of people here who wanted to support them and create an organisation that values everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.”

    A database of Allies is readily available on the Service intranet where every member is profiled. Each profile includes contact details and a quote outlining why the individual is involved.

    Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has, like many other public sector organisations, got some testing times ahead. However, it is convinced that its ‘team Cheshire’ ethos and its commitment to valuing the diversity of its workforce will be at the forefront of seeing it through these difficult times.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Naked Boys Reading

    ★★★★ | Naked Boys Reading

    If you happen to be in Hackney or even if you’re not, we cant recommend Naked Boys Reading at Vogue Fabrics enough…

    In a dark, overcrowded, underground steamy room in North London something quite spectacular is happening. Fortnightly, certain men are getting naked, very naked – and not in a dark, overcrowded, underground steamy kind of way. No there are no glory holes here, but literature, glorious literature delivered in an unusual way, naked.

    Now naked reading is usually reserved for the bedroom, under the covers and there isn’t normally an audience; but the team at Vogue Fabrics have cottoned on to a winner here.

    Naked men. Reading. What’s not to like, and although the shabby, non-descript entrance to Vogue Fabrics might seem daunting, once you’ve got one of their bargain beers (there’s no choice of brand here, just glorious cans of beer) down your gullet and your eyes have adjusted to the light, you begin to realise that you are in fact, somewhere very special.

    It’s like stumbling on the hottest ticket in town, where just you and this room of eagerly expectant patrons are waiting, with baited breath for nakedness – and the show doesn’t disappoint.

    And you certainly get an eyeful.

    With the front row literally in cupping distance, you are close to the action.

    Some of the readings are a bit hit or miss, but the overall experience is just exciting. A complete hit and judging by the smiling blushing faces, emerging, squinting into the early evening sunset onto the busy, bustling, cosmopolitan streets of Stoky you know they’ve had more than an eyeful.

    With Sharon Husbands your inimitable host, with lines to crack even the sternest of faces, Naked Boys Reading is our absolute must.

  • OPINION | Outrage and Fear: The Return of ‘Section 28’

    By now most of us will be aware of the news that some schools in the UK have Section 28 style policies regarding sex education. While it’s not a complete return to the dark days of the actual Section 28, it is a worrying discovery and one that concerns me enormously.

    I was at school from 1989 until 2002. That was the period in which Section 28 was in force, eventually being repealed in 2003. While the law banned the promotion of homosexuality, it actually did more than that and had damaging consequences for gay youth. I was one of them.

    I went to a Catholic school so there was no sex education of any kind, but there was very much a culture of homophobic bullying. Whether someone was gay or simply perceived to be, their life would be made hell and the teachers would turn a blind eye to it. I was one of those kids perceived to be gay.

    I came out to friends when I was 15, but I was never out to anyone at school. In primary school I was racially bullied for having a dark skinned Mum and a white Dad, but as we all moved on to secondary school and it was more noticeable that my only friends were girls, the bullying soon became homophobic.

    Daily taunts about my perceived sexuality became the norm. The teachers could see and hear what was happening but never once intervened. In particular I remember a school trip to Devon. During the week long trip it was absolute hell. I had to share a room with several boys in my class and put up with their name calling. On the bus home it all came to a head.

    The other lads began singing homophobic songs at me. The song ‘YMCA’ was changed to ‘why is he gay’, and the dance track ‘Til I Come’ by ATB (gives you an indication of how long ago it was) was changed to ‘Til I Bum’. It seems quite silly and I laugh about it now, but at the time it hurt and did a lot of psychological damage. The teachers on the bus could hear what was going on. I asked them to tell the other boys to leave me alone. The teachers ignored me. I had to put up with the taunting for four hours and had no escape.

    Another occasion was when I had an altercation with a boy in my year. It was Monday morning and I had spent the weekend with my then friend. Alone on a Saturday night, we became intimate. On return to school on Monday morning I was greeted with hostility from him. I was called a “f**king poof” and he kicked me. My response was to punch him, so that is what I did. I’m not proud of how I responded, but I couldn’t take the bullying any more.

    The teacher had been out of the class when the incident occurred but soon found out about it. I was summoned to the Head of Year’s office to be reprimanded. I explained what had happened (not the intimacy leading up to what happened, but the fact I was called a homophobic name and kicked first). The Head of Year told me that he did not want to hear about that and then suspended me for being violent. I appealed to him but it fell on deaf ears. I was ordered to leave school immediately.

    At that point I was devastated. I had already begun harming myself because I could not take the homophobic bullying and that situation tipped me over the edge. From my perspective the teachers were letting it happen. They knew exactly what was being said and done, yet did nothing to stop it. It was the same for other gay kids at my school. They were also taunted and bullied in front of teachers, but got away with it.

    I’ve opened up about my experiences because I want to show what damage Section 28 style regulations can do to gay youth. They have the potential to cause lasting psychological problems and that it why I am so outraged. But not only am I outraged; I am also fearful. I worry about today’s gay youth having to go through the same experiences that I and other gay people went through during the period of Section 28. It wasn’t just about sex education; it shaped the whole culture of the school. History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.

    I currently run an LGBTQ youth support charity. One of the things I am trying to do is engage in dialogue with local schools to find out exactly what they do to challenge homophobia and work with them on improving that. Most schools now have anti-bullying policies that include challenging homophobia, but the cynic in me sees those policies as being a facade rather than something that is actually implemented. Engaging with local schools has proven to be incredibly difficult, with most not responding to my letters or returning my telephone calls. However, the one school that did get back to me was the school that I went to.

    I had been particularly strong in my letter to them, detailing my experiences and wanting to know what they were doing now to challenge homophobia. It appeared to do the trick and I was invited into the school to speak to the Head Teacher.

    I took along one of my volunteers who also went to the same school. That person is a trans male coming towards the end of the transition process. Together we spoke about our experiences and outlined what we feel the school must do to prevent today’s youth going through the same experience. The school welcomed the suggestions and have promised to work with me on some anti-homophobia/transphobia initiatives. Whether it happens is another thing, but it has been a positive step. The school seem to genuinely want to improve the way they deal with homophobia and now have a ‘respect’ day where sexuality and gender identity is discussed just as openly as race, religion and disability.

    In another positive twist, I bumped into one of my former teachers at an awards ceremony last year and received an apology from her for not intervening when I was being bullied. She specifically blamed Section 28 and said that her “hands were tied”. I accepted the apology as I believed it to be sincere. And yes I did cry a little bit.

    It appears clear what needs to be done regarding these Section 28 style policies. There needs to be intervention from the local education authorities and Ofsted to get clarification of exactly what the policies mean. Also as a society we need to be vocal and say that this is not something we will stand for; that we will not allow another generation of gay youth to be persecuted.

    But to end on a positive note, I am aware of one school in Warwickshire that has an openly trans pupil who is now living as a female and is allowed to use the female changing rooms and toilets. That pupil has not been bullied and is one of the most popular and loved people at the school. The teachers have worked with the pupil’s family on helping that person live openly as a female and begin the process of transitioning. So although we only tend to hear the horror stories and negatives, let’s also keep in mind that in general things really are getting better.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | House of Burlesque

    ★★★★ | House of Burlesque

    International burlesque sensation Tempest Rose’s House of Burlesque is an evening of comedy, circus, music, politics and, yes, several beautiful ladies wearing very little. Above all else though, it’s an evening of glamorous, decadent fun.

    The first thing to strike you as the introductory group dance starts is the sheer variety of shapes on view – not just wafer thin model types; these are real ladies with real ladies’ curves, and the evening is all the better for it.

    Tempest Rose has a natural warmth which suits her role as ring mistress perfectly. Her humour and quick wit, combined with a touch of sass and oodles of sex appeal, hold the audience in the palm of her perfectly manicured hands from the very moment she takes the stage. She has a voice as smooth as velvet and her rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most beautiful covers I have heard.

    The first solo performance comes from Betsy Rose, who gives us a military themed routine, moving in perfect unison with the beat. This is a lady who knows her body and how to work it to both excite and entice her audience, striking just the right level of suggestion and sexuality.

    The wonderfully expressive Audacity Chutzpah slips from one persona to another with grace during a routine that is as comedic as it is political. As she charts the women’s rights movement through the decades, one cannot help but think that if all history lessons were like this, a lot more people would take note.

    Rapidly becoming a firm favourite of mine, the delightfully sensual Jolie Papillon performs a peacock routine that shows her off to her very best. This girl can move, and does so with a sensuality and provocative grace that is undeniably erotic. Also, as if purposefully, her peacock tail gives me the feathery fabulousness I so desperately crave, thereby restoring my gay credentials for a review in which I’m aware it sounds like they’re rapidly diminishing!

    Proving once and for all just how hot burlesque can be, Trixi Tassels enters in a black leather trenchcoat and demonstrates within seconds the command she holds over her audience. In a perfectly choreographed fire-based routine, the seams of her clothes simply melt away.

    Other excellent performances on the night come from Leonie Soprano (the vanishing showgirl), Jo Foley and Graeme Clint (comedic acrobatic trapeze duo) and Chloe Hannah Lloyd (hula hoops). All acts were ably assisted by the “Stage Kittens” Fille J’adore and Gracie Disgrace.

    Whatever your persuasion; whether you fancy men or women, both or neither, or any variation thereof, this is a deliciously decadent night that dazzles and delights all who attend.

     

    House of Burlesque returns to the London Wonderground on September 5 and 11. Tickets are £15.50 from www.londonwonderground.co.uk/houseofburlesque

  • Rules Surrounding HIV To Be Modernised To Better Protect Public

    ‘Outdated’ Rules surrounding healthcare workers with HIV will be modernised by the government and it will overturn the ban of the sale of at-home HIV testing kits.

    • Chief Medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies announces changes that will affect legality of ‘at home self testing kits’

    • Healthcare professionals will have rules relaxed in certain medical procedures.

    • Outdated rules date back to the 1980s.

    Around 100,000 people in the UK have HIV but according to statistics around a quarter are living with it undiagnosed. Professor Davies has announced today new strategies to help more people get tested and receive the healthcare they need sooner.

    The Department of Health (DoH) will also lift the ban on healthcare workers with HIV undertaking some medical procedures such as dental and surgical work.

    The DoH has also announced that it will remove the ban on the sale of at-home testing kits, which was introduced in 1992, making it easier for people to get tested earlier and embark on the best treatments available.

    Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said:

    ‘Many of the UK’s HIV policies were designed to combat the perceived threat at the height of HIV concerns in the 1980s and have now been left behind by scientific advances and effective treatments. It is time we changed these outdated rules which are sometimes counter-productive and limit people’s choices on how to get tested or treated early for HIV.

    “What we need is a simpler system that continues to protect the public through encouraging people to get tested for HIV as early as possible and that does not hold back some of our best healthcare workers because of a risk that is more remote than being killed by lightning.’
    If a test indicates a positive result people will need to get a follow-up confirmatory test at an NHS clinic. Clear information about how to interpret the result and what to do afterwards will be included with the kit.

    Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: ‘Advances in medication have transformed what it means to live with HIV, and it’s great to see regulations starting to catch up. People diagnosed in good time can have full, healthy lives, and effective treatment dramatically reduces the risk of the virus being passed on. So long as the right safeguards are in place, there is now no reason why a dentist or a midwife with HIV should be barred from treating patients, or why people who would prefer to test at home should be denied that chance.

    ‘Legislation plays a vital role in shaping attitudes. We hope these changes continue to improve public understanding of HIV and support for those living with the virus.’

    It is hoped by changing the ‘outdated’ rules that the stigma attached to HIV, will mean that people who are reluctant of using existing testing services will be able to take tests earlier.

    Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust) said:

    ‘We welcome these changes to the guidance on HIV positive healthcare workers undertaking exposure-prone procedures and the removal of the ban on self-testing as we believe it is vitally important that policies are based on up-to-date scientific evidence and not on fear, stigma or outdated information.

    ‘Allowing healthcare workers living with HIV to undertake exposure-prone procedures corrects the current guidance which offers no more protection for the general public but keeps qualified and skilled people from working in the career they had spent many years training for. We know people are already buying poor quality self-testing kits online which is why NAT have campaigned for a change in the law. Legalisation is an important step to ensure they are regulated, accurate and safe.’

  • Police Appeal For Witnesses After Anti-Gay Attack On Piccadilly Line

    British Transport Police (BTP) are looking for witnesses after a man assaults two passengers and makes homophobic remarks.

    * Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a man and woman were assaulted on the Tube.

    * The incident happened around 3pm on Monday, 8 July onboard an eastbound Piccadilly line train travelling between Hounslow East and Northfields London Underground (LU) stations.

    * News comes same day as BTP release data showing that homophobic attacks on the UK’s transport system have risen from 2011/12 to 2012/13

     

    PC Paul Franklin, the investigating officer, said: “Three men and a woman were standing on the platform at Hounslow East LU station when a man made homophobic remarks towards them.

    “The argument continued on the train and the woman was assaulted by the man.

    “A member of the public then intervened and he too was assaulted by the man. The altercation spilled out on to the platform at Northfields LU station and the victim left the station before police arrived.”

    PC Franklin added: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and, at this stage, I am appealing for anyone who was at the station to come forward with information about what they saw.”

    A 27-year-old man from Hounslow has been arrested in connection with the incident and bailed pending further enquiries.

     

    9 Fold Increase in Homophobic Attacks

    BTP also revealed statistics that show recorded offences of homophobic crimes reported on the London Underground have risen 9 fold in the period 1st Oct 2011 – 31st January 2012 to 1st Oct 2012 – 31st January 2013.

    Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference B3/LUA of 12/08/13 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • Sale of “at home” HIV testing kits to be made legal

    HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust has welcomed the Department of Health’s announcement that the sale of HIV self-testing kits is to be made legal in the UK.

    Policy Director Lisa Power said: “We warmly welcome this decision, which Terrence Higgins Trust has long campaigned for. People deserve to have a choice about how and where they test for HIV and proper regulation will make self-testing a safe and supported option for many more people across the country. The public response to our highly successful home sampling scheme shows that many people who have never tested before, or who have been putting off a visit to a clinic, are willing to test at home.

    “Currently, most HIV transmission in the UK is driven by the 25,000 people who have HIV but have not yet been diagnosed. Anything that encourages these people to test, take control of their health and get treatment is a welcome advance.”

    Since 1992, the sale of self-testing kits for HIV has been illegal in the UK. Kits can currently be purchased over the internet, but they are unregulated, often of very poor quality and lack important information on HIV transmission and where to get support.

    In 2010, Terrence Higgins Trust surveyed 657 people via newsletters, social media, and other online media. Of the 490 respondents that had not tested HIV-positive, 63% said they would consider using HIV self-testing kits if they were legalised and 51% thought legalisation would make them test more often. Among gay men, one of the groups most at risk of HIV in the UK, 60% thought legalisation would make them test more often.

    In January 2013, Terrence Higgins Trust and Public Health England co-launched their first HIV home sampling scheme, where people in groups at an increased risk of infection could request a free HIV test by post. Since launch, the scheme has provided almost 9,000 home sampling kits to gay men and Africans in England, receiving over 1,400 requests in the first month alone.

    For more information on HIV testing options, including Terrence Higgins Trust’s community testing clinics and home sampling service, please visit www.tht.org.uk.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | As Is, Finborough Theatre

    Twenty-five years ago, the gay population in the USA was facing an unprecedented medical crisis, one that threatened to kill off the entire community.

    A new disease had immerged, its origins were little known and any sort of cure or treatment for its symptoms was still a pipedream too far for all of its victims. By 1987, the year As Is first played in London, Act Up, (the Aids Coalition To Unleash Power) reported that over 41,000 people had died because of this new virus, HIV, which essentially killed the immune system, leaving the person unable to fight off disease and infections.
    From this tragedy some incredible human stories were unfurled, astonishing artwork and heartbreaking literature was created out of the despair that was the 1980’s Aids epidemic.

    As Is, written by William M. Hoffman, is reportedly the first of a long line of awarding winning plays which hopes to explain the suffering that this ravaging thief of a syndrome caused; not just to it’s eventual victims, but the people who were around to see their once vibrant friends, family and lovers die, one by one in unimaginable pain.

    The story centres on the rekindling relationship between two ex-lovers Rich (Tom Colley), a young writer, just about to enjoy the success of his writing and his long-time lover Saul (David Poynor), a professional photographer. After Rich discovers that the disease that has destroyed so many of his friend’s lives has struck him, he returns to Saul for sanctuary.

    Both Colley and Poynor offer up extraordinary performances, the frustrations and imprisonment of both Rich and Saul’s situation bubbles through their words and actions. Their combined anguish is palpable and fiery, but amidst the anger, there are moments of pure intimacy, beautifully played and honoured.
    The ensemble cast are outstanding particularly Anna Tierney, who plays a variety of roles. Her more understated performance was a humbling reminder that not every PWA (person with Aids) was a gay male living in New York, but sometimes, as the syndrome drove its way into traditional America, a mother-to-be, caught up in the nightmare.

    The spirited supporting cast includes: Tom Kay, Paul Standell, Clare Kissane and Jordan Bernarde, who offers a breakthrough performance of a brother coming to terms with his sibling’s demise. Stylistic ensemble set pieces, keeps As Is’s aging gay references contemporary, by giving them tongue-in-cheek nods to caricatures we know, love. The fluidity of the cast’s reaction to the drama is a thoughtful way to ensure that today’s audience easily assimilates the play’s sometimes-dated and American centric humour.

    Beneath the surface of Andrew Keates’ direction lies a pacey, raw anger. Each line and utterance demonstrates one of the most honest emotions to emerge from the Aids epidemic in the 80s. The show’s design, by Philip Lindley, is a perfect metaphor, mirroring the end stages for the victims of Aids and the government’s inactivity in responding to the crisis – a crumbling building, dying from the inside and largely ignored.

    It’s almost impossible now for this generation of gay men to imagine losing their lovers and closest friends to an unstoppable virus – the frustrations of the 80’s gay community seems so distance, yet in the mere 25-year time lapse from this play’s first outing in London, it still feels fresh, raw and vitally important.
    As If runs at the Finborough Theatre until 31st August 2013
    http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

  • THREE OF THE BEST: Teeth Whitening

    What has Simon Cowell got that I don’t, well apart from Learjets, black loo roll and oodles of money, he has the most incredible pearly whites. Yes, real or not you can’t help but notice those near luminous perfect teeth. (more…)

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Titanic, Southwark Playhouse

    ★★★★ | Titanic

    It’s always difficult to reinterpret a story we all know as well as that of the Titanic – certainly, the ending can be no surprise (SPOILER: THE SHIP SINKS), but this brand new production does manage to stir up some new human stories from onboard the ill-fated vessel.

    Unfortunately, it does this on a set that I found as uninspiring as the music. On a story we know this well, emotional investment is crucial and it is a huge disservice to an otherwise excellent musical that so little feeling comes across. This was, in no way, the fault of the excellent actors and musicians, but rather of the sound design which simply didn’t carry any real feeling forward. I first felt a stirring of emotion towards the end of Act 2, with the heart-breakingly touching song Still by the elderly Straus couple (performed wonderfully by Judith Street and Dudley Rogers) as the ship disappears beneath the waves.

    Other notable performances came from James Austen-Murray, Jonathan David Dudley, Philip Rham and Simon Green.

    The passengers are introduced during a lively number, according to their class, and the aspirations that the Titanic carried are conveyed incredibly well throughout, but never more so than during Lady’s Maid, midway through Act 1.

    Cressida Carre’s choreography is lively and inventive, and in keeping with the emotion that the music is intended to carry, as is excellent direction from Thom Southerland. Unfortunately, this is also let down by some aspets of the set design. I have a fairly vivid imagination, but transforming a black stage with a single white table, set in a distinctly average style, into a first class saloon was just too much for even my mind to manage.

    Despite these few failings, Titanic carries a particular magic through its inventive writing and original score. I particularly enjoy that the focus is on four separate couples – just the right amount of stories to get involved with on a production of this scale, and the interplay between the ship’s designer, owner and captain is excellent. It is very worth seeing and, if you can allow the design issues to float by, you will be fully immersed in a very enjoyable production with some truly excellent performances.

    TITANIC plays at the Southwark Playhouse until 31 August. Tickets are £22 from

     

    http://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/titanic