Mike Bartlett’s Cock, last seen in London in 2011, is not just a source of endless childish sniggers in the West End—though we are grateful for that—it is an innovative revisiting of an important queer play, directed by Marianne Elliott. Barlett was inspired by cock fighting in Mexico, mashed up with questions about sexuality and... Continue Reading →
Best Wishes Warmest Regards…Schitt’s Creek fans share their love for the show that changed them
The release of the Schitt’s Creek book Best Wishes Warmest Regards is of course the stuff of fan dreams, jam-packed with the kind of carefully curated, and heartfelt content that they love so much. There’s an added element to this book though, yes, it’s a tribute to the show, a brilliant marker of the little... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Christin Baker on her latest queer lady rom-com Christmas at the Ranch
'Tis the season for holiday movies, and filmmaker Christin Baker and Tello Films (an LGBTQ+ women's focused production, distribution company, and VOD platform launched by Baker in 2009) have been working to bring queer women to the forefront of the holiday rom-com over the past few years, with 2019's Season of Love and 2020's I... Continue Reading →
Dr Emily Garside on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s love letter to musical theatre & Jonathan Larson’s legacy with tick, tick…BOOM!
Lin-Manuel Miranda's hugely creative film adaptation of tick, tick...BOOM! has been, it now seems safe to say, a huge success. Fittingly for the story of Jonathan Larson, a man who referred to himself as 'the future of musical theatre', it is an inventive movie musical that shows what the genre can be and has the... Continue Reading →
Theatre Review: The Normal Heart (National Theatre, London) ★★★★
The Normal Heart has returned to the UK in its first major production since the original, and taking over the National Theatre's Oliver stage, directed by Dominic Cooke (in a co-production with his Picturehouse production company) it is quite the return. In many ways, Kramer’s is a time capsule of that time of dark desperation... Continue Reading →
Art, Fashion & Activism – Dr Emily Garside on Dan Levy’s Wojnarowicz-inspired 2021 Met Gala look
Schitt's Creek creator and star Dan Levy stood on the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art at his first Met Gala on Monday night wearing a rendering of the work of artist and AIDS activist David Wojnarowicz. A name many of Levy's younger fans had likely never heard before. In honoring the artist's work... Continue Reading →
Dr Emily Garside on queering her own play Don’t Send Flowers at London’s White Bear Theatre
An issue I have often is a sense of ‘queer imposter syndrome’ the idea that I’m just not quite queer enough for the spaces I occupy. In part, this comes from identifying as pansexual and feeling like there’s not quite a place for me. It also comes from the fact, as someone who doesn’t limit... Continue Reading →
Book Preview: Love That Journey For Me – The Queer Revolution of Schitt’s Creek by Emily Garside
The Queer Review contributor Dr Emily Garside gives us a preview of her new book, Love That Journey For Me - The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek, with extracts dealing with Cabaret and chosen family. The year is 2020 and everyone on social media is communicating via David Rose GIFs. That’s how it felt, anyway.... Continue Reading →
It’s A Sin: Dr Emily Garside’s guide to the HIV/AIDS narratives to read & watch next
Dr Emily Garside's guide to which HIV/AIDS narratives to read and watch next after Russell T Davies' acclaimed series It's A Sin. There is a vast array of work to choose from. Since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic those affected began telling their stories, both as an act of memorial, remembering those the government... Continue Reading →
It’s A Sin builds on a long legacy of HIV/AIDS narratives
Russell T Davies' acclaimed five-part series It’s a Sin doesn’t exist in isolation. It stands on the shoulders of over 30 years of HIV/AIDS stories. From the very beginning the community used performance and storytelling to memorialize, and as a means of activism. This was in part because the links between the queer community and the... Continue Reading →