Credit: Josh Brady Arts Dance Review: Sad Book @ Old Market Hove Sad Book is a beautiful picture of one man’s sorrow and the world’s ignorance of it By Brian Butler • 3 min read
Film The 39th BFI Flare queer film festival to open at London’s Southbank on March 19 Lead Pic: Onda Nora The 39th BFI Flare queer film festival opens March 19 on London’s Southbank. There is a whopping total of 34 world premieres and films will represent 41 countries in the 12 days of screenings. Unfortunately you have to be present in London as only a handful of short films will be By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Film REVIEW: ‘The Summer With Carmen’ Writer/director Zacharias Mavroeidis’ beautifully photographed movie The Summer With Carmen operates on a multiplicity of levels. It’s an on-off gay romance; it’s a love affair with the rocky gay nudist cruising area of Limanakia, south of Athens; it’s a detailed analysis of how to write a film scre By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Theatre REVIEW: ‘Picture You Dead’ at Theatre Royal Brighton Brighton-born Number One crime writer Peter James delves into the shady world of art forgeries for his latest stage offering, Picture You Dead, deftly adapted from the novel by Shaun McKenna. Stephen Sondheim wrote in his masterful musical about painter Georges Seurat: “art isn’t easy,” and forging By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Brighton Festival Brighton Festival 2025 returns with guest director Anoushka Shankar People of a certain age will remember renowned musician and composer Ravi Shankar teaching the ancient musical instrument the sitar to The Beatles’ George Harrison – a sound that changed the group’s musical style. By Brian Butler • 3 min read
Arts “I always wanted to be that punk queer guy.” Brighton-based director and choreographer Andrea Walker speaks to Scene ahead of his show ‘Sad Book’ at Old Market, Hove When meeting someone new for an interview you always hope you will recognise them. No such problem with Brighton-based director and choreographer Andrea Walker. His shock of curly green hair and bare arms sporting some of his many tattoos tell you “here I am.“ He exudes a visceral sexuality that mat By Brian Butler • 4 min read
(C)ChrisJepson Theatre REVIEW: ‘The Strange Case of Dr Dillon’ at The Actors Theatre, Brighton “Nothing in life can hurt you if you can only learn not to react.” So says Dr Michael Dillon at the opening of this heartwarming, episodic journey through the life of the first recipient of female to male reassignment surgery. It’s a true-life story and a fascinating one – made all the more so by [… By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Previews Supersonic Man: a joyous new musical set among Brighton’s LGBTQ+ community Adam is a fun-loving influencer having the time of his Iife. But he’s struck down with a terminal condition, and faces losing everything – including the love of his life Darryl. They vow this will not be the end, and instead they seek a completely new beginning and explore new ways to Iive. Adam wil By Brian Butler • 1 min read
The Last Laugh show with “Eric Morecambe”, “Tommy Cooper” and “Bob Monkhouse” at The Theatre Royal Brighton – February 2025. Photography by Danny Fitzpatrick / DFphotography Contact Danny Fitzpatrick on 07779 606901 Danny@DFphotography.co.uk Theatre REVIEW: ‘The Last Laugh’ at Theatre Royal Brighton Three comedians walk into a dressing room – no seriously – three comedians walk into a dressing room. This is the premise at the centre of Paul Hendy’s tragicomedy The Last Laugh – which he both wrote and directs. And not just any comedians – these are giants of late 20th-century comedy – Tommy Coop By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Interviews INTERVIEW: Jonathan Blake – from the bath houses of San Francisco to the coal mines of South Wales It’s a cliche that people go on a journey in their lifetime. But for Jonathan Blake, actor, gay activist, costumier, and the subject of a poetry collection, it’s got to be true. His journey has taken in the bath houses of San Francisco, TV and film studios, the coal mines of South Wales, and the […] By Brian Butler • 5 min read
Arts Following rave reviews, ‘The Strange Case of Dr Dillon’ returns to the stage in Brighton next week for one night only Following rave reviews, The Strange Case of Dr Dillon returns to the stage in Brighton next week for one night only. Set between the 1920s and the 1960s, the play follows Dr Michael Dillon’s journey as the first trans man to undergo medical transition. In a society far less understanding of transiti By Brian Butler • 1 min read
Arts REVIEW: Brighton Alternative Panto – ‘Jack Stripped Back’ In the magical silly world that is Pantoland, all things are possible. A cow can talk and sing, men can pretend to be women and girls; there can be a fairy of the garden and a grown man with his handy chopper can convince us he’s 18 and a virgin – oh yes he can! […] By Brian Butler • 3 min read
