Arts REVIEW: The Lady Boys of Bangkok The Lady Boys of Bangkok bring much-needed glamour to the city during the Fringe with their new production Beauties and the Beats. This year’s bevy of beauties are quite simply stunning and in my humble opinion the most glamorous LadyBoys we have seen in the 17 years the troupe have been returning e By Besi • 2 min read
Arts REVIEW: Fringe: The Trousered Traviata In a flapping noisy tent with the wind picking up outside we sat down to watch Verdi’s tragic opera Traviata, but with a female cast. Having an all female cast changed the whole tone of the opera; remarkably so, with a mean mother and female lovers changing the texture of this misogynist opera and t By Eric Page • 4 min read
Cabaret REVIEW: Festival: Beyond This show is a stunner, full of signature pieces, and also some new jaw dropping tricks and ensemble routines that are breathtakingly good. This is a troupe very sure of itself and its grasp on this interesting blend of contemporary dance, acrobatics, circus arts and clowning. It’s a heady mix and w By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts REVIEW: Fringe: carMen Set in the gay community of liberal 1920s Spain. José, the central character in this all-male reworking of Bizet’s tragic opera, is sexually confused and dominated by a strictly religious upbringing. His infatuation with handsome Carmen leads to inner turmoil and tragedy – a journey which reflects t By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts REVIEW: Camille O’Sullivan: Spiegeltent Some folk write their own reviews, some folk are lucky to get one, some folk impress, Ms O’Sullivan deserves more than a good review, she deserves a love letter from us humble critics. By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts REVIEW: Fringe: You can do better Brighton based duo Puppy Fat bring us a collection of their characters all suffering from the triumph of self-delusion with some dark/ish insights into their own failures, so far so ‘League of Gentleman’ and although there were some well fleshed out characters; the ex-child star, the dumb American t By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts REVIEW: Fringe: Point and Shoot This was a sophisticated and highly planned bit of musical mischief making and the highly planned and ruthlessly choreographed changing of instruments and tune was occasionally buried under some of the action unfolding on stage. I assumed this was intentional. With funny acting and high octane singi By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts REVIEW: Fringe: I need a Doctor How do you write a Doctor Who musical without getting shut down by the BBC? Jamie Wildon & Jess Sprey try their very best in this unauthorized Whosical show. Watch their time traveling hero’s battle copyright-free villains the ‘Exterminators’ and ‘Cybergents’ in this award-winning musical comedy. Th By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts MUSIC REVIEW: Back to the Bond Age – Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus THERE’S a lot of competition within the city on the first weekend of Brighton Festival, but it was a full house at St Bartholomew’s church for the second night of Back to the Bond Age performed by the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus. The James Bond theme was carried through the evening with songs and link By John Benson • 2 min read
Arts REVIEW: The Late Show: Basement The Late Show Basement The Otherplace FINISHING off the night at The Late Show in the basement was soft, and relaxing, with an apparently French Chanteuse and her smoky throaty blues heavy songs with just the right streak of anger and hope mixed in. This was a late night laid back show, with no pret By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts REVIEW: Shit-faced Showtime: Basement Shit-faced Showtime The Otherplace Magnificent Bastard Productions From the very same crew that brought us last years Shit-faced Shakespeare comes an all new, all singing, all dancing, parody musical revue. This fresh-from-rehab group of musical performers are taking us on whistle stop ‘Shit-faced By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts MUSIC REVIEW: I Got Rhythm: Actually Gay Men’s Chorus The Actually Gay Men’s Chorus returned to top form with a beautifully staged show I Got Rhythm, at St Andrews Church in Hove on Saturday, April 18. The church was packed, with standing room only and graced by the attendance of the Mayor and Mayoress of Brighton and Hove, Cllr Brian Fitch and his wif By Besi • 3 min read
