Provincetown: More Pictures...

Provincetown: Carnival...

Provincetown: Pictures....

New York: Where 7th Avenue Meets Broadway...

Last night Andy, Kevin, Stuart and I went to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Belsaco Theatre in New York's glitzy Broadway. 

Starring Taye Diggs the show - well, more of a concert than a show really - told the story of Hedwig's journey from man to woman, from Germany to America and from shy introvert to blazing rock star.

Good though the production was Diggs was perhaps 'playing' Hedwig rather then 'being' her. The constant breaking of the fourth (and fifth?) wall with trans jokes, gay jokes, black jokes, and Broadway jokes meant we were never really immersed in her character. The audience lapped in up though with constant whopping and applause. 

The band was tight and the singing clear so there was much to enjoy with highlights being the rollicking Sugar Daddy and wonderful Midnight Radio. 

I wonder if a West End would work?

New York: Pictures...

New York: Something to Remember...

Monday morning in New York City can be a challenge. The rush hour, the people, the heat... But despite being 32 degrees outside on the street we coolly took the E train downtown to take in one of the most chilling places to visit in NYC: the 9/11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center.

Whereas the surrounding buildings have all but risen again to their former glory the original Twin Towers themselves have been replaced by two massive holes in the ground converted into dark, ominous waterfalls.  The names of all those who died are etched into the metal barrier around the edge. Sobering stuff. 

Beneath the WTC plaza itself is a cavernous museum space packed with much original debris, powerful personal testimony and heart wrenching mementos of that fateful day. Audio recordings of fire crew inside the towers shortly before they collapsed, voicemails from office staff to loved ones trapped on the floors above where the two aircraft hit and messages left by passengers on the planes as they were about to fly into the buildings were almost too much to take. Our tears flowed as the exhibition lead us through the time line of the day and the tragedy of the disaster unfolded before our eyes. Upsetting, haunting and powerful. An unforgettable exhibition. 

To be honest it was a tough couple of hours but so pleased we went.

Afterwards we were in much need of something to cheer us up. So we opted for retail therapy in Century 21 across the street. Nothing takes your mind off things like discounted designer pants and socks. 

Later on we headed back home, got some food together and welcomed the W Hotel boys over for a meal on our roof terrace. Vince provided a lovely sugary cake for Darren and by 10pm our mood had recovered sufficiently that we headed out on the town. Our big yellow taxi sped us down the East Highway to the East Village to The Boiler Room for jukebox heaven, free pool and then on to The Cock for go-go boys and a loud trashiest that only Monday night gay bars seem to provide. We rolled in late. Very late. But with a head buzzing from the day. 

It was a day that took us from the sublime to the ridiculous as only New York City seems to do so effortlessly.

New York: The first weekend...

The flight over the pond was fairly smooth and we got to Manhattan fairly easily. Eight of us (Tim, Andy, Michael, Andrew, Andy, Kev, Stu and me) were staying in a fairly basic AirBNB in midtown E59th St and Darren, Vince, Mark, Chris and Hudd were on Lexington in the New York W Hotel. Mark's current squeeze Steve would be joining us the following day. 

We went out for a fairly humdrum Italian meal shortly after arriving and then headed home for some well earned kip. Michael and Andrew were on a later flight and Mr Ruffet who was feeling slightly under the weather had stayed in the apartment to let them in. We were all pretty knackered to be honest.  

On the Saturday we all met up for an organic brekkie on 7th Avenue before taking a wander through Central Park. We stopped at the John Lennon memorial and then the Loeb Boathouse for a beer. The weather was gorgeous. 

Then we walked down to the Rockerfeller Center and purchased tickets to go Up The Rock. There was a hour or two to wait for our time slot to we went for an open air lunch - burgers and a beer. Of course we were all caught out by the American chips = British crisps blunder. 

The view from The Rock was, as ever, amazing. 

We then went for a disco nap before everyone came round for beers and pizza on our roof terrace. It was great fun to be in the open air on a hot sultry Satuday night in Manhattan. New York playlist in the background. 

Later on we got cabs down to The Eagle to finish the night off - the way you do. 

On Sunday we went to a nearby diner for a ridiculously large breakfast - do Americans actually serve small breakfasts?  Then we took cabs to the High Line and walked its length from near Penn Station meeting up with Darren and Vince towards the southern end. It was a fun thing to do and we continued walking afterwards which took us way down into Greenwich Village. 

After a trip to pay homage to the Stonewall Inn followed by a few beers and nachos in a nearby bar we were ready for home to get into our glad rags for Darren's 50th birthday meal. The reason for our trip!

The venue was the Ace Hotel which had set aside a private area just for us. The drinks flowed and the food (so much of it and so delicious) as brought forth. It was lovely to sit next to Darren and help him see in his birthday. Bless. We had five doggies big bags to take home with us. 

Afterwards we went for one for the road at the boys' hotel before hitting the sack.  Exhausting but lovely day. 

New York,New York...

Start spreading the news... We're leaving today!

F***king Men...

Last night Roger and I went to the Kings Head Theatre in Jeremy Corbyn's glitzy Upper Street to see a gay play called F***king Men. Actually I think it was called Fucking Men but the posters were being a little coy.

Stuart, Mark, Hudd and I went to see the same play in the same venue over six years ago and it was just as good as I remember it.

This is an American story of hunger and desire introducing us to the (sex)lives of ten gay men who were all related to each other by sex. It is a loose adaptation of the 19th century play La Ronde in which pairings of characters are featured in scenes preceding and succeeding sexual encounters.

Hustler A met squaddy B, squaddy B met tutor C, tutor C met student D, student D met teacher E, teacher E lives with banker F, banker F met porn star G, porn star G met playwright H, playwright H met movie star I, actor I met TV interviewer J and TV interviewer J met hustler A to complete the circle. A circle of jerks. Well rounded characters. Told with a ring of truth. (Ok, enough with the hoop metaphor already).

The play was packed with dramatic irony, sexy, mildly titillating, sweet, mildly insightful, risque but never coarse. Oh, and very funny. The mainly gay audience seemed to find themselves reflected up on the stage in numerous scenes.

Best bit: the plainly autobiographical playwright talking about his own gay play within his own gay play.

Actually it was nice to go see a gay play which a) is funny, and b) no body died. The characters weren't punished for having sex.

If you like your plays off-West End and off colour then this is the one for you.

Fear of Flying...

The Red Lion...

Last night Roger and I went to see The Red Lion at the Dorfman Theatre on London's glitzy South Bank.

The roar of the crowd, the passion, the glory, the smell of the dank locker-room, the testosterone, the aggression, the corruption, the secrets, the back-room deals - and that was just in the theatre foyer (boom, boom.)

Patrick Marber's three-hander The Red Lion tells the story of small-time semi-professional grass-roots non-league football club, its staff and players. The arrival of a new young player (Calvin Demba) brings out the best and the worst in everyone - not least the wheeler-dealer manager (Daniel Mays) and long serving kit man (Peter Wight).

The locker room is lovingly realised by Anthony Ward, Patrick Marber's script is electric and Ian Rickson's production shines.

Recommended.

Three Days In The Country...

Last Friday night Stuart and I went to see Three Days In The Country at the Lyttelon Theatre on London's glitzy South Bank.

Chekhovian at its melancholic heart the story is one of unrequited love, deep regret and doomed bittersweet dalliance. Oh, and it's laugh out loud funny.

Starring Mark Gatiss and John Simm this freely adapted production is a cut down version of Ivan Turgenev's 1850 comic play A Month In The Country but with more jokes and snappier action. Patrick Marber's fresh English translation has a very contemporary feel and it was only the odd Russian song that pulled the action back to Ivan Turgenev original isolated Russian setting.

Gatiss is a joy as the all too frank doctor and his failed attempts to woe his intended and similarly Simm's sardonic suitor simply smolders.

Recommended.

The Doctor Who connection between these two actors is brought into sharp relief when at one point Gatiss's character exclaims to Simm's character, "Good advice... (pause) from THE MASTER."

Bakkhai...

Last night Stuart and I went to see Bakkhai at the Almeida Theatre in London's glitzy Islington.

Starring the wonderful Ben Whishaw, making his Almeida debut, this Greek tragedy was an utter joy.

Pentheus has banned the wild, ritualistic worship of the god Dionysos. A stranger arrives to persuade him to change his mind. Euripides’ electrifying tragedy is a struggle to the death between freedom and restraint, the rational and the irrational, man and god.

Using three actors and a ten-woman chorus, echoing the original performance model, James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to stage Euripides’ hedonistic tragedy in a visceral new version by Anne Carson.

Ben Whishaw's Dionysos is sexy, funny, menacing. Bertie Carvel's Pentheus is excellent and when dragged up as his murdering mother is a hoot.

Recommended.

Elements and Country of Discovery...

Pull Over...

My driving instructor told me to pull over somewhere safe.

Two minutes later he said, "Why haven't you pulled over yet?"

I said, "Because we're still in Manchester."

Arsenal's Pre-Season Treple...

So Arsenal have done the pre-season treple:-

1. Barclays Asia Trophy
2. Emirates Cup
3. Community Shield

What could possibly go wrong? lol

Brighton Pride...

Stuart and I had a lovely time in Brighton for the weekend just gone celebrating Pride. Great parade, the park was packed and to top it all off The Human League played.

Community Shield....

Toodle-pip @Arsenal chappies off up the line to @WembleyStadium to watch that association football #CommunityShield match. Spiffing.