Theatre REVIEW: Toast @The Other Place, London How often have you been to the theatre and been given toffees, chocolates, Parma violets, a walnut whip and a miniature lemon meringue pie? Never? Well then hurry along to see Nigel Slater’s Toast, a food-packed evening based on the internationally known chef’s life story. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
THEATRE REVIEW: Afterglow @Southwark Playhouse, London This gay version of the love triangle hits you full on from its amazing choreographed naked sex scene to its equivocal ending 90 minutes later. Josh is a New York theatre director, his husband Alex a frustrated and uptight research scientist. They are happily married and about to have a baby through By Brian Butler • 2 min read
FILM REVIEW: A deal with the universe There’s no question that Tracey and Jason’s love is deep, humorous and heart-warming. In this 90 minute film with its home movie feel, we explore their relationship and the deep rooted desire they have to have a baby. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
FILM REVIEW: Sauvage Inspired by Les garçons du bois de Bologne et de la rue – in other words the male escorts of the streets and parks of Paris, this French-language film pulls no punches in revealing the sordid, depressing and unhappy lives of a group of young men who sell their bodies to get food, drugs and alcohol. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
PREVIEW: Annie @The Congress Theatre Eastbourne LESLEY Joseph will star as Miss Hannigan in the smash hit production of the musical Annie at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from Tuesday, August 13 – Saturday, August 17. Lesley joins Alex Bourne as Oliver Warbucks, Richard Meek as Rooster, Jenny Gayner as Lily and Carolyn Maitland as Grace Farrel By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Fringe THEATRE REVIEW: Whatever happened to Baby Jane McDonald? @Caroline of Brunswick Grant McLachlan is a very funny man. Ex-Met police officer turned schoolteacher in Walthamstow, he has lived a 20-year dream to meet his idol – TV personality and cruise-ship singer Jane McDonald. In a cramped upper room in a Brighton pub, he takes us through the eight steps to celebrating our join By Brian Butler • 1 min read
Fringe THEATRE REVIEW: The Pride @Brighton Little Theatre Sylvia, an ex-actress turned book illustrator is married to Philip, who has inherited the uninspiring estate agents business that was his father’s. They are living in an icy marriage, where Sylvia reveals she is afraid to be alone with him. Desperately wanting a child and unable to have one, theirs By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Fringe THEATRE REVIEW: Betsy @Old Ship hotel In a deep, dark and eerie cellar under the Old Ship hotel in Brighton, we take our seats in a candle-lit vaulted space, seated on three sides of a small acting space. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Festival REVIEW: BOYS @The Old Market Presenting physical theatre at its very best, BAME company The Pappy Show use playing games and physical training as the basis for an hour of music, dance , acrobatics and dialogue exploring what it is to be male. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Fringe REVIEW: Epicene @The Brunswick I had to look up the definition of epicene. It means ‘having the characteristics of either sex’. This is important for the story which singer/songwriter Paul Diello tells us with his wonderful acoustic band and backing singers. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Fringe MUSIC REVIEW: Chineke @The Dome Diversity is the central theme of Brighton Festival 2019 , and this concert was at the heart of that message. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
FILM REVIEW: Just Friends As the summer approaches, if you want a feel-good gay romance film, you could do worse than look up Nuts and Bolts Films 80 minute Just Friends. Made in Dutch with English sub-titles, it’s a fairly predictable tale of boy meets boy; boy falls in love with boy; boy falls out of love with boy; parents By Brian Butler • 1 min read
