“They always forget the ones who were first,” someone says in voiceover in Joe Castel’s remarkable documentary, Nelly Queen: The Life and Times of José Sarria. After watching this essential record of an important life in the LGBTQ+ community, I doubt anyone will forget him. Sarria’s list of accomplishments include establishing the Imperial Court System,... Continue Reading →
Due to world premiere at April's postponed Tribeca Film Festival, a stunning new documentary co-directed by Michael Seligman and Jennifer Tiexiera, P.S. Burn This Letter Please, looks back at the lives of several New York drag queens during the 1950s and 60s, and introduces us to some of them now in eighties and nineties with... Continue Reading →
Last month saw the publication of actor, activist, former MEP and LGBT global envoy, Lord Michael Cashman's fascinating, frank and beautifully written autobiography One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square. Read our ★★★★★ review here. Michael Cashman, now Baron Cashman of Limehouse, grew up in the war-torn resilience of London's East End of... Continue Reading →
The British Film Institute has taken the difficult decision to cancel this year's LGBTQI+ Flare festival, two days before it was due to begin "due to the scale and complexity of running a large international film festival with filmmakers set to travel from across the world". In a statement released to media the BFI said,... Continue Reading →
It was a sweltering 38+ degrees celsius (100+ fahrenheit) outside so I grabbed a last minute ticket to the Soho Theatre on the promise of air-conditioning and showtunes. Turns out the air-con was either not working, or was so weak it made no difference. So I wasn’t exactly excited to sit through an hour and... Continue Reading →
BFI Southbank will screen the BBC Film Stonewall (1995), not to be confused with the best forgotten 2015 Roland Emmerich film of the same, on Friday 28th June 2019 at 6.15pm. The special screening on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising will be introduced by the film's writer Rikki Beadle-Blair and producer Anthony Wall.... Continue Reading →
A special preview screening of new documentary Are You Proud? will be followed by a Q&A with director Ashley Joiner on Wednesday 3rd July at London's Picturehouse Central. Some of the participants from the documentary will also be present. Are You Proud? a new documentary by Ashley Joiner Are You Proud? brings together rare archive... Continue Reading →
As this historic Pride month inches closer to the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a new opera will debut in New York Friday 21st June 2019. New York City Opera presents Stonewall as part of its annual Pride series. Composed by Iain Bell with the libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Mark Campbell, Stonewall runs... Continue Reading →
When the Royal Court Theatre, London’s famed incubator of theatrical writing, held a town hall meeting of staff, Artistic Director Vicki Featherstone asked the team “What do you want to see more of on our stages?” The result was Queer Upstairs, a relaxed evening of rehearsed readings. The aim was to bring more LGBTQ+ stories... Continue Reading →
Alexis Gregory’s brilliant piece of verbatim theatre, Riot Act, has stopped by East London’s Arcola Theatre as part of a national tour. Looking at the events of Stonewall, the politics of drag and the rise of British LGBT activism in the 80s, this swift show packs a punch in its 60 minutes. Photo by Dawson... Continue Reading →
