Arts BOOK REVIEW: Meg & Linus: Hanna Nowinski Nowinski’s narrative which alternates between the perspectives of passionate, anxious, chubby gay nerd Linus, who has a desperate secret crush on barista Danny, and his similarly nerdy and theatre-loving best friend, Meg is a fun friendship story about two quirky teens who must learn to get out of t By Eric Page • 1 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: Pages for Her: Sylvia Brownrig This book left me touched and aching to read its predecessor, it shows the development of love and understanding as life moves on and how women learn to accept, empower and inspire the people around them. Pure summer delight! By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Pelican @The Warren Studio 3 Pelican is one of the best sketch-comedies I’ve seen at the Fringe in years. Created and performed by ex-Footlights Jordan, Sam and Guy, the trio has charisma, likability and wit all rolled into one. By Spencer Charles Smith • 1 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Bourgeois & Maurice: How to Save the World Without Really Trying @Spiegeltent By far, one of the best shows I’ve seen in this year’s Fringe is Bourgeois & Maurice: How to Save the World Without Really Trying. By Spencer Charles Smith • 1 min read
Arts REVIEW: Buddy The Buddy Holly Story @Theatre Royal In just 18 short months between 1957 and 1959 Buddy Holly changed the face of modern music, producing in the process a treasure trove of rock and roll classics that have become the soundtrack of following generations. By Besi • 2 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Arr’ we there yet? Head First Acrobats If you’ve ever seen them then you know what they do, and they’ve adapted their impressive skills to suit both adult evening shows and this fun kids show. Swashbuckling daftness abound with some delightful daft tango’ing with mops as they swabbing the decks, climbing the rigging on a unsupported ladd By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: La Voix @Brighton Spiegeltent With new ventures taking La V out there, in the arts festival circuit this was a new move, with some seriously tongue in cheek acknowledgments of the (same) old material. The house was packed full of fans, who knew what they wanted, and weren’t disappointed. With a fan base of older gay men Brighton By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Guilty of Love @St Mary’s Church Books, plays and films about the life and death of the brilliant code-breaker Alan Turing are many and varied. This is the second musical on his life which I have seen in recent years , and as it’s 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised, it’s a timely re-visit to the subject matter. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Gypsy Queen @The Marlborough Theatre Hope Theatre Company’s latest production of Gypsy Queen isn’t a bad play; it’s everything you would expect to see in a gay play: repressed sexuality, conflicting masculinity, gay male stereotypes, jokes about tops/bottoms, a homophobic climax and full-frontal nudity. Even the show’s poster is obviou By Spencer Charles Smith • 1 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: The Starship Osiris @Komedia Studio George Vere’s hour-long confection is a riotous piece of grade-Z science fiction in which a rather bijou starship has to battle cheaply made monsters, a demoralised cast, Vere’s monstrous ego and some of the worst sci-fi power ballads known to humankind. Slowly its creator’s ego trip, during which w By Michael Hootman • 1 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Agent of Influence In this Dick Barton style cheap spy thriller monologue Rebecca Dunn as Times newspaper fashion and gossip columnist Lady Pamela, conjures up a world of high society, smart clothes, Nazis and the abdication of Edward VIII. By Brian Butler • 2 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FESTIVAL REVIEW: Monteverdi: Les Talens Lyriques The master of Baroque music performance, harpsichordist and conductor Christophe Rousset, and his extraordinary ensemble Les Talens Lyrique brought their rare powers of interpretation and insight to Monteverdi’s riveting masterpieces and this concert performance of Combattimento was much anticipated By Eric Page • 2 min read
