From the muted grey-scale colour palette of the opening act, through the smoke-filled streets of the Blitz and onto the underground dance halls of war-torn London, Matthew Bourne’s bold, vivid and visually stunning reimagining of Cinderella is an utter delight. Doting to her father, mercilessly teased by her (extended) stepfamily and berated by her stepmother, Cinderella finds love amongst the destruction, as she falls for Harry, a dashing pilot.
Bourne creates a world which is rich in characterisations, from the transformation of the mouse-like Cinderella into the belle of the ball to the Cruella de Ville style stepmother and the humorous, and deliciously creepy, foot-fetishist stepbrother. Every dancer tells an individual story, and each character has their own tale to tell. Yet despite having so much to look at, Bourne’s choreography seamlessly blends dance styles including lindy hop, jazz and ballet to create a clearly defined and easy to follow narrative; and there is a tangible sense of atmosphere permeating the theatre both within and throughout every scene. But underneath the fairy tale spectacle of it all, is a slightly darker story of love, yearning and belonging, bringing with it the power to pack an emotional punch.
In a cast of technically precise dancers, Ashley Shaw is captivating as the titular heroine, whilst Andrew Monaghan simply excelled as he cut a swathe across the floor as the dashing pilot, proving that the romanticised notion of the leading man is still very much around. Lez Brotherston’s set design is superb, reflecting the hum-drum monotony of Cinderella’s home life in Act 1 before (quite literally) exploding into a riot of colour and movement in the second act and continuing to surprise well into Act 3. The show has a cinematic quality and feel to it, and is as inventive and multi-layered as it is visually exciting.
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella is a phenomenal breath-taking production which is absolutely sublime on every level.
The show runs at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until 19th May 2018 before continuing on its national tour. New Adventures has recently announced a new national tour for Swan Lake for 2018/19
How It Is By Samuel Beckett, Coronet Print Room Theatre
Do I have to slide cocks up my a** to write about gay theatre? Or shag up-for-it nymphomaniacs to dissect heterosexual art? By that logic, I’d have to be a practicing serial killer, a Jeffrey Dahmer in pantyhose, to appreciate Silence of the Lambs! So – having exposed and pushed the absurdities of that laughably reductive thinking waaaay to one side, let’s objectively appraise How It Is, a purgatorial, afterlife masterpiece from the fevered genius of Samuel Beckett, one of Ireland’s greatest ever writers!
Never heard of him? Oh come now, that’s barely credible. Why, Waiting for Godot, Beckett’s theatrical debut, revealed prodigious, game-changing talent, sufficient to alter the entire course of the Western world’s modes of dramatic discourse. Simply put, Beckett, most often, dramatises monologuing consciousness on either the point of death, or immediately beyond, in some utterly unknowable afterlife. And it’s that sense of psychological extremity – going where no queens have gone before – that knots his artistic DNA firmly into the fabulous beyond that defines so much LGBT theatre. Again and again – as in Alexis Gregory’s recently-staged Sex/Crime – diversity drama routinely accesses states of mind, situations and politically contested identity wholly unknown to heterosexual, mainstream audiences. To name just three, K-holes, cum lollies and sauna-house sex-orgies barely enter the dreams, or stain the yearning nightmares, of Joe and Jill Public. Frankly, considered as the ripe, luscious and shockingly perverse fruits of an entire community, LGBT artistry has charged and enlarged subject matter inconceivable to previous, genteel and sexually lobotomised, generations.
Still, Beckett – even if his work owes virtually nothing to any known form of sexual persuasion – takes us on exhilarating journeys to the limits of human consciousness. Think viciously addictive K-holes laced with severe existentialism, as we’re plunged, repeatedly, into theatrical experiences offering little more than static performers ranting in sparsely-lit spaces. How, then, can such raw, spartan materials provide riveting, arse-clenching excitement?
Easily. Take the Republic of Ireland’s Gare St. Lazare theatre company, currently unleashing Beckett’s How It Is at Notting Hill’s breathtakingly gorgeous, Art Deco Coronet Print Room theatre. This, frankly, is theatre as psychological assault course; immediately, we’re metaphorically kidnapped, trussed up, and – quite probingly – interrogated. How? Well, by deploying the dramatic equivalent of anal sex – reversing the so-called, ‘natural’ order, replacing exits with unexpected entrances. Which, here, means sitting an audience on the stage and setting the actors – and action – in the raked stalls and balcony circling that stage.
Disconcerting? As f*ck – instantly, and just as in consensual S&M, one’s constrained yet feels a paradoxical sense of liberation, of being fed carefully-rationed ecstasies that permit joy only by strictly-directed pathways. And – make no mistake – theatre rarely comes any bleaker, with such huge demands blissfully rewarding rapt attention.
Ultimately, this is theatre raw, stripped and immediate, with a narrative as brief, stark and thrillingly erotic as Christ being summarily condemned and crucified. Initially, one lone voice in the darkness – an unnamed narrator – speaks of three states of existence, being alone, with, and finally without ‘Pim’, his or her presumed companion. Three performers – Conor Lovett, Stephen Dillane and Mel Mercier – tackle Beckett’s dense, repetitive text like an overlapping, choral immersion in stately sonic tidal waves, as, gradually, a narrative – of sorts – emerges.
Naked, an unnamed soul slithers in endless mud and darkness clutching a sack inexhaustibly – and inexplicably – replenished with cans of sardines. He’s joined -again inexplicably- by another, communicating by jabbing a can-opener in the other’s buttocks, stabbing out Morse code messages. Yes, it’s a submissive, role-playing queen’s ultimate wet-dream, but – with nothing except intermittent bursts of light, dry ice, and the hoarse rubbing of actor’s voices in transfixed cadences – we’re collectively cajoled into instantaneously synthesising Beckett’s purgatorial hell inside our minds. If theatre, finally, is nothing, but voices, lights, gestures and consenting imagination, the Gare St. Lazare company take that haphazard, shockingly artistic marriage to sheer transcendence. We wait, quite simply, in delighted awe for their future liaisons with the shatteringly bleak -but dramatically irresistible- voices of Samuel Beckett.
How It Is By Samuel Beckett @ Coronet Print Room Theatre, Notting Hill Gate to May 19th. 0203-642-6606. 4 Stars!
The Conservatives are forging ahead with a new law that means that if you want to watch porn on the internet, you will have to prove you are over the age of 18.
The new system will allow people to buy an anonymous pass to watch porn in the UK.
Plans are being made to make “porn passes” available at local newsagents, which will allow people in the UK who want to watch porn to bypass inputting personal data which proves their age to various porn sites, according to The Independent. It is a way in which people can access porn anonymously once the new law comes into force.
The law means that you have to prove you are over the age of 18 before you can access porn sites in the UK and is part of the Digital Economy Act. The rules will apply to any website or platform which offers porn on a “commercial basis”.
Advocates for the new rules hope that the measures will protect children from online porn.
“PORN PASS”
How do you feel about giving over your details to prove your age?
Buying a “porn pass” means that you will have to hand over personal information to your local newsagent, who will be able to issue you with an anonymous pass, which will allow you access to adult sites in the UK.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which is responsible for the new legislation, said, “We are in the process of implementing some of the strictest data protection laws in the world.
“A wide variety of online age verification solutions exist, or are in development, and they will have to abide by these high standards. We expect data security to be a high priority in the BBFC’s guidance on age verification arrangements.”
In December 2014, pornography produced in the UK was subject to strict rules under the David Cameron’s Tory government. The types of scenes which studios could film were severely restricted with an amendment to the 2003 Communications Act.
If you’re planning to go to Lancaster pride here’s everything you need to know before the 2018 event.
The amazing promo poster created especially for Lancaster Pride, by Henry Hate.
This year’s Lancaster Pride takes place on the on Saturday 19th May 2018 to celebrate the diversity of the LGBT+ community of Lancaster and surrounding areas.
Lancaster Pride is an LGBT festival organised by Out in the Bay, a local charity providing support to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people in the Lancaster area, as well as raising awareness for LGBT issues and campaigns.
Speaking about what Pride mean, Robert Mee, the CEO of Lancaster Pride said, “Pride is about everyone coming together to support each other to stand side by side to challenge hate and intolerance and to be able to build a better future of equality for all of us.”
What time does Lancaster Pride begin?
The Lancaster Pride parade officially begins at 11:00 AM until 12:00 PM.
Is there a parade?
Lancaster has a parade at this year’s event, and it will be the second in the pride’s history, with the parade taking place from Dalton Square.
The set-off place for the parade is Dalton Square and will turn right on George Street and continue along Spring Garden Street. The procession will then turn right onto the A6 and proceed northwards in the right-hand lane.
The parade will then turn right into Church Street and once located inside the pedestrianised area will temporarily halt to allow the participants a breather and to allow the procession to reform.
The procession will turn right onto Gt John St and proceed up the left-hand lane. The procession will then turn left to finish in Dalton Sq.
Speaking at the parade will be Clive Grunshaw, the police and crime commissioner, Erica Lewis a Cat Smith representative, Kara from the multi-faith Church and Doctor Sweeney.
Where is Lancaster Pride?
Most of the day’s events will take place in front of Lancaster’s Town Hall. The postcode is: LA4 4AU.
What does Lancaster Pride cost?
Lancaster Pride is free for everyone to take part in.
What entertainment will there be at Lancaster Pride?
Performing at Lancaster Pride is the singer Whigfield, who you will remember had the massive, number 1 hit, “Saturday Night”. Also appearing is a slew of talent who will be appearing on stage from 11 AM until 6:30 PM in front of Lancaster’s Town Hall.
Add a little bit of burlesque, a little bit of comedy, sprinkle a bit of singing, and add lots and lots of water, and what you have are the perfect ingredients for ‘Soap’ – now playing on the Southbank at the Underbelly Festival in the world famous Spiegeltent.
And German circus ‘Soap’ is not just about water. It’s also about the talented performances that take place right in front of our very eyes performed in the round, and have mercy for the poor people who sit in the front (and second and third) rows – there’s water water everywhere.
But it’s all good fun watching the sexy Anton Belyakov splish-splashing in the bathtub, Marie-Andrée Lemaire running around the stage as our guide and hostess for the evening. And then there is Moritz Haase, who oh so innocently is ‘plucked’ from the audience but soon enough is prancing around on stage. We’re lucky to see the sexy Daniel Leo Stern with his shirt off for most of the show, and Jennifer Lindshield, with her powerful voice providing operatic music for the spellbound crowd. There’s even a mop ballet and an amazing rain finale that will literally leave you wet. If you don’t believe me, have a look at these pictures:
SOAP – celebrating all things circus in The Spiegeltent – is just a splash away from the Thames, and the actual birthplace of circus 250 years ago!
Underbelly Festival is back for its tenth year on the Southbank.
Venue: The Spiegeltent, Underbelly Festival Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX.
Located in-between Southbank Centre, Jubilee Gardens and the London Eye.
Exeter is a city in the South of England, it’s known for its history but also a place where you can be accepted for who you are.
The crowds turn up to celebrate Exeter Pride
So what is in Exeter for gay travellers and LGBT guests? Well, for a start, Exeter boasts some of the lowest crime rates in the country. In 2018 the county’s major football team, Exeter City took a stance against homophobia and Exeter’s MP, Ben Bradshaw is an openly gay man.
Gay Bars
Are there any gay bars in Exeter? Well in 2018 there is one gay venue and it’s called The Vaults, which is located at 8 Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS. Overall it gets great ratings from users on TripAdvisor. It opens daily at 7 PM or 9 PM except on Sunday when it opens at 10 PM.
Exeter has a yearly Pride event.
This year’s pride takes place on the 12th May. Exeter Pride takes place in Northernhay Gardens, but there is also a parade to watch. It will run from the St Sidwell Centre which will move down Exeter High Street to Northernhay Gardens, best of all it’s free to take part and enjoy the event.
Are there any gay saunas in Exeter?
The nearest gay saunas/bathhouses to Exeter are in Plymouth (45 miles), Manticore Spa or Torquay, the Steamer Quay Spa (23 miles).
Any LGBT Hotels in Exeter?
There’s the “gay-friendly” Woodleigh Coach House, which is set on the edge of Dartmoor, about 11 miles west of Exeter. They have a choice of five rooms, all ensuite.
There are a few “gay owned” hotels in and near to Exeter. Overcombe House which is about 45 miles away from Exeter is, “just a short distance from the historic market town of Tavistock & there is easy access to the ancient maritime city of Plymouth; whilst having all the benefits and amenities of Dartmoor National Park & the adjacent Tamar Valley area of outstanding natural beauty” right on the doorstep.
There’s the gay-owned Strete Barton House in Dartmouth which is located 42 miles away.
There is also a gay-owned self-catering holiday cottage in Sidmouth, which is about 16 miles away.
Check out all accommodation options and the latest prices with our partners TripAdvisor and hotels.com.
Meeting gay guys in Exeter?
If you’re looking for a connect to gay and bisexual guys in Exeter why not join our free social network.
New research has shown that over half of British people would say “No” to gender-neutral toilets.
Despite suggestions of turning public toilets to gender-neutral toilets by London’s mayor Sadiq Khan, most people in Britain are still uncomfortable with the idea or all-gender loos. More than half of Brits said that they would avoid them in research recently conducted.
The Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES) estimates that 1% of the British population are gender non-conforming to some degree.
London Mayor, Sadiq Khan championed plans to increase the number of shared facilities in the capital last November but it appears the plans are not as popular as originally thought.
A new survey by Bathroomtakeaway.co.ukreveals that 55% of Brits would avoid using shared facilities.
Of the 45% of Londoners who said they’d welcome gender-neutral loos, just one in five of those would actually use them.
Those living in Yorkshire and the Humber are most opposed to the facilities, with 75% saying they’d shun them, followed by 70% from East Anglia and 69% from the North East.
Despite these figures, the North East also had one of the most receptive groups, with one in ten saying they would rather use shared facilities.
All-gender toilets are public toilets that can be used by anyone, regardless of their sex. They can provide a welcome space to individuals who don’t identify with the male or female gender binary. Unisex toilets can make it easier for trans people at various stages of transition.
However, when quizzed, 65% of those that would avoid gender-neutral toilets said they would do so to avoid feeling awkward.
Just under half of cis females (49%) claimed they would feel unsafe in shared public loos.
Beatriz Pardo, Marketing Manager at Bathroomtakeaway.co.uk: “We were keen to see how open-minded Britons are when it comes to public loos.
“The notion of gender-neutral toilets have been in the headlines recently but it is clear most people in the UK feel very uneasy about them.
“Our research has revealed some surprising statistics and it seems these plans aren’t as popular as originally thought, so we’ll be interested to see how they work out!”
A police officer based in London has been given a final written warning after admitting that she made comments that were alleged to be homophobic, but denied that the comments were against the officer’s sexuality .
An Enfield-based PC has been given a final written warning after she admitted that she made comments about a fellow officer’s sexual orientation, but denied that they were homophobic.
PC Cara Power, attached to Enfield borough, attended a public misconduct hearing on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 April to answer allegations that her conduct amounted to a breach of standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; and discreditable conduct.
It was alleged that on 7 January 2017, PC Power used unacceptable and abusive language on a number of occasions in reference to a fellow officer. On one of these occasions, PC Power’s conduct was alleged to have been homophobic.
PC Powers admitted to the panel that she made the comments, but denied that the comments were intended to discriminate against the officer’s sexual orientation. The panel found that her comments were reckless but there was no discriminatory intent.
The panel took into account PC Power’s previous good character, and no allegations of past discriminatory behaviour or actions.
The panel, led by an independent legally qualified chair, found gross misconduct proven overall and issued PC Power with a final written warning.
Exeter will become an explosion of colour and celebration this weekend for the city’s 10th annual pride.
Everything You Need To Know About Exeter Pride 2018
Exeter’s pride is celebrating its 10th year in 2018 and here’s everything you need to know about the pride event which will take place on the 12th May 2018.
The Pride’s chair, Adam Rank said,”There will be a real celebration feel this year, being our 10th anniversary, it is the perfect time to consider how far we have come since Exeter Pride began.
“We work closely with a range of partners to stage the event, including Exeter City Council, Devon County Council, the University of Exeter, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, and local businesses.
“It would not be possible without generous donations or sponsorship from local and national businesses, organisations and individuals and the fundraising efforts and assistance of many volunteers. We are currently welcoming approaches from those who would like to get involved as volunteers, have a stall or be a partner or sponsor. In addition, we are running our usual wristband scheme which offers year-long discounts at restaurants/shops etc, which makes them very desirable.”
This year the pride is Celebration.
Photo Credit – Paul Szabo
What time does Exeter Pride begin?
Exeter Pride officially opens with a parade from the St Sidwell Centre which will move down Exeter High Street to Northernhay Gardens. The highlight will be a 50-metre rainbow flag carried by volunteers from Exeter Pride. The time is yet to be announced.
Is there a parade?
This year’s parade will involve thousands of people including: roller skaters, Street Heat samba band, a fire engine, an ambulance, Morris dancers, police officers, representatives from community groups and organisations, and volunteers carrying an incredible 50-metre rainbow flag.
Where is Exeter Pride?
Exeter Pride takes place in Northernhay Gardens, but there is also a parade to watch. It will run from the St Sidwell Centre which will move down Exeter High Street to Northernhay Gardens.
What does Exeter Pride cost?
Exeter Pride is a FREE event for all of the community to enjoy, however, you can buy a wristband (£10) which helps support the pride – and you can get discounts at a variety of business across the city until 2019.
What entertainment will there be at Exeter Pride?
There is plenty to do at Exeter Pride in 2018. The organisers have created an event with the local community at heart. There will be a showcase stage, where local and emerging artists will perform from 2:30 PM to 9:00PM – and in the Festival zone there are performers such as X Factor’s Freddy Parker and Lauren Harries.
If music isn’t your thing there are drumming workshops, a talk zone and a film festival. To find out more about what’s happening on the day visit the Exeter Pride website.
Three men could be facing”life-changing” injuries after a vicious acid attack outside a popular gay venue in east London.
Three victims have been left with acid burns to their bodies close to a popular gay venue in Hackney, the Metropolitan police are reporting. The Evening Standard reports that witnesses saw the three men walking away from the venue, Dalston Superstore, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The incident occurred at 5:20AM on Sunday morning. The three male victims aged 17, 22 and 27 years old, were taken by the London Ambulance Service to an east London hospital.
Their injuries are not life-threatening. However, at this early stage, it is still to be determined whether the injuries will be life-changing.
It is possible that more people were injured during this altercation and that footage of the incident may have been captured on mobile phones.
“Vicious and unpleasant incident”
Detective Sergeant Quinn Cutler investigating said, “This is a particularly vicious and unpleasant incident which has left a number of people with potentially lasting injuries.
“I know that a number of people witnessed this incident and I urge those people to come forward and share their information and/or footage with police.”
The police are not currently treating this incident as a homophobic attack.
Anyone with information is asked to call Hackney CID on 07825 793 215 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Chess is a show about Chess……and it sort of works!
This new production is its first in London’s West End in over 30 years. With music and lyrics by Tim Rice and the two B’s in ABBA (Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, Chess, which deals with the intense chess rivalry between the U.S. and USSR in the cold war days of the 1980s, has a political message that’s just as timely now as it was back then.
But, you might ask, how exciting is a show about the game of chess? Well, the real answer is not very exciting, nor it is very sexy. Chess can easily be described as an opera, and if opera is your thing, then you’ll will love this show. For the rest of us who like catchy memorable tunes and some razzle-dazzle and great choreography ensemble dancing, i.e. Chicago and almost everything else playing in the West End, then you will be bored at ‘Chess.’ However, Chess, which specifically deals with the rivalry between Anatoly Sergievsky (an amazing Michael Ball) and an inappropriately named Freddie Trumpier (Tim Howar) – both fictional characters – is slow to build, very slow. I was actually quite bored in the first half, but by the end of the show, I was standing on my feet.
This is not because the storyline is great or the ensemble dancing was amazing (it wasn’t), it’s because of the truly talented singers on stage. Ball, who was the original Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, commands the stage in every song he sings. Cassidy Johnson, who plays Florence, Freddie’s agent who happens to fall in love with Anatoly, is almost as good. Johnson, who most recently played Carole King in ‘Beautiful,’ has quite a few showstoppers, including the famous hit ‘I Know Him So Well.’ Also included in the cast is X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke, who shows up in the second half, and makes a great effort in playing Anatoly’s suffering wife.
Chess starts out as Freddie arrives in Russia on a plane, cleverly staged, to take on Anatoly in a chess match to determine who is the world champion. But besides the match, Chess is, as previously mentioned, about the cold war, and the longstanding chess rivalry between both countries. It’s cleverly staged, with cutting edges to resemble a chess board, with video screens that show close up the actor’s facial emotions while they sing. And while some of the musical numbers don’t seem to work (’One Night in Bangkok’ is a bit out of place as well as an over-the-top American cheerleader sequence, and a video tribute to former chess champions has no impact), Sergievsky and Trumpier’s chess rivalry is just as intense as is the political situation between both countries then and now. Would I recommend you taking a gamble to go see Chess? The answer is yes!
