Musical Theatre REVIEW: ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ @ Theatre Royal Brighton Evan Hansen is an isolated high school student with no friends and no life and on medication for social anxiety disorder- and he’s fallen out of a tree and broken his arm, now in plaster. When his doctor prescribes that he writes a daily letter to himself – hence the show title Dear Evan Hansen […] By Brian Butler • 3 min read
Community News Plans to upgrade the Ledward Centre, Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ centre, approved Nearly a year since submitting plans the Ledward Centre, Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ Centre, has received building control assent. A spokesperson for the Ledward Centre said: “We’re delighted to finally be able to move on with some of our plans to upgrade Ledward Centre, which will allow us to host mor By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Brighton & Hove City Council Black History Month event celebrates and recognises “Black experience, Black excellence and Black futures” Brighton & Hove City Council hosted a Black History Month event at Ironworks Studios on Monday, October 14, “celebrating and recognising Black experience, Black excellence and Black futures”. The event, which aligned with the Black History Month 2024 theme of reclaiming narratives, featured speeches By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Community News Olympic swimmer and LGBTQ+ activist Michael Gunning to open Brighton’s first Pride Swim – The Big Dip! Olympic swimmer and LGBTQ+ activist Michael Gunning is to open Brighton’s very first Pride Swim – The Big Dip! at Brighton beach on Saturday, October 26 at 2pm next to Sea Lanes. The Big Dip, sponsored by Speedo, will see up to 200 participants take a dip in the sea, all to raise vital funds […] By Graham Robson • 1 min read
News Brighton & Hove Buses to once again offer free travel for poppy collectors, veterans and serving personnel Brighton & Hove Buses will once again be supporting Royal British Legion (RBL) by providing free travel to Poppy Collectors for the next six weeks, as well as embellishing the front of 80 buses with large Poppy stickers, designed by the RBL. For Remembrance Sunday (10 November) and Remembrance Day ( By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News REVIEW: Dave Lynn and Allan Cardew bring ‘John and Thomas’ to life There’s many a double act that split – through ill health, retirement or death – and there’s sometimes a sense of not knowing how the remaining partner feels. And that’s a central theme of Andrew Kay’s latest play John and Thomas. But this 50-minute gem is so much more than that. John (Allan Cardew) By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Community News Revealing St James’s Street to launch at Ironworks Studios on Sunday, November 3 with award-winning drag prince Alfie Ordinary Marlborough Productions is to launch Revealing St James’s Street at Ironworks Studios in Brighton on Sunday, November 3 with award-winning drag prince Alfie Ordinary on hosting duties. Revealing St James Street is a project that embarks on a mission to collect and preserve the memories of the thrivi By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News “Absolutely gutted.” Arcobaleno, the LGBTQ+ venue in Kemptown, has closed its doors Arcobaleno, the LGBTQ+ café, bar, restaurant and event space, has closed its doors in Kemptown. The safe space, which hosted cabaret events, quiz nights and karaoke, had publicised its roast dinner offering on Instagram only five days ago, leading many to believe the closure was a sudden decision. W By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Features & Longread “Lesbians brought the rage and the riots to Brighton.” The very Lesbian History of Brighton The idea of lesbianism and womanhood, how the two interconnect, has always fascinated me. I always felt that my experience of womanhood was completely altered by my attraction to women. Due to the heteronormative society we live in, I had to deconstruct and rewrite my own definition of womanhood bef By Xantippe Steele • 5 min read
Fundraising News MindOut, the Brighton-based LGBTQ+ mental health charity, to benefit from this year’s Santa Bus, which over the years has raised a whopping £417,000 for multiple charities Warning… this post contains the C word! MindOut, the Brighton-based LGBTQ+ mental health charity, will this year benefit from Brighton & Hove Buses’ annual Santa Bus, which over the years has raised a whopping £417,000 for multiple charities, helping support local people across our community and bey By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Transgender News Brighton & Hove City Council seeks views on revised draft Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit Brighton & Hove City Council is seeking views on the revised draft Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit, which is designed to empower staff and governors in the city’s schools and colleges to develop inclusive policies and practices that specifically support trans children and young people. The council s By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Community News “Brighton & Hove is exactly the wrong type of place to try and pull stunts like that.” Transphobic group kicked out of the Southern Belle pub in Brighton A group of transphobes, calling themselves Free Speech Union, were ejected from the Southern Belle pub in Brighton on September 17. The group, which met to discuss “safeguarding children against pervasive gender ideology”, were told to leave by management after a complaint was made about their impro By Graham Robson • 1 min read
