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Welcome to our review page, of events you may have missed .... |
This page has reviews of some of the local events that you may have missed. But don't worry, many of them we hope will happen again. So that you don't miss out on future lgbt related events in our area, please remember to keep checking our Events Diary Monthly Listings page https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary-monthly-listings.html weekly (or ask at our group pub meet ups). We often post events many months in advance if promoters tell us about them, to help you plan your attendance. If you know an event not listed, tell us!
See our Pride page for reports from previous years about the local Pride events, Bournemouth, Weymouth & Portland, and Dorchester. https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/pride-events.html
"It's not one event, but the fact that on two nights each week it's possible to enjoy the company of gay guys in a safe and supportive environment. Plus it's awesome to read almost 300 lgbt events in our part of sleepy old Dorset last (and this) year, so don't stay at home alone! " (from our group feedback page https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/wgg-feedback.html)
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See our Pride page for reports from previous years about the local Pride events, Bournemouth, Weymouth & Portland, and Dorchester. https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/pride-events.html
"It's not one event, but the fact that on two nights each week it's possible to enjoy the company of gay guys in a safe and supportive environment. Plus it's awesome to read almost 300 lgbt events in our part of sleepy old Dorset last (and this) year, so don't stay at home alone! " (from our group feedback page https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/wgg-feedback.html)
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Jonai sent in this report of the Art exhibition he organised. (posted here 29/10/2022)
Dorset Mental Health Artist's 'Coming Out Of My Shell' Exhibition, Launch at Shire Hall Museum, Dorchester.
Dorset Mental Health Artist's 'Coming Out Of My Shell' Exhibition, Launch at Shire Hall Museum, Dorchester.
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Hi, I am Emma, I had the privilege to be invited to the Shire Hall for the launch evening of ‘coming out of my shell’ and be the person who took the photos for the event. Thank you for my invite, I had a lovely time, and it was a great success.
I met so many talented Artists at this event, and lots of wonderful people who came to support. I was so honoured to be asked to capture the event. so many incredible pieces of art. Each piece different and unique and all with their own stories. Everyone at the event was and is on their own journeys, including my mum. I'm so proud of how far she has come and this event wouldn't have been created if it wasn't for her and her support worker Jonai. |
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If you could have seen my mum just a year ago you wouldnt have recognised her! If it wasnt for Jonai I don't think my mum would be here today and I will always be grateful for him. The artwork on display had such a powerful meaning and really resonated with me. I have my own thriving photography business, I have a web site and social media pages. My aim is to create beautiful memories for my clients. To capture natural smiles and precious moments in their favourite places. I love to capture milestone moments and fully engage with my clients to get the best most natural photos that reflect them. It was fantastic to be able to capture these photos to be apart of the moment and capture these talented people on camera. This event was a wonderful example as to how we can celebrate the people in our community. I would love to be invited to the next exhibition. Special thanks to Jonai and Sarah (my mum) for all you dedication and hard work and thank you for everyone else who was involved in making this happen.
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ALWAYS be kind, you never know what someone is going through. Treasure every moment and remember something you say or do to someone may be forgotten by you in a day but remembered by someone for a life time, The good and the bad.
This is my web site - https://www.ripplesandwavesphotography.co.uk/
Or find me on Facebook @ripples and waves photography
These are a few of my favourite photos from the event
I give consent for this information and the pictures to be used.
You can read more about Jonai, and this art exhibition on our page here: - weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/wgg-people.html
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This is my web site - https://www.ripplesandwavesphotography.co.uk/
Or find me on Facebook @ripples and waves photography
These are a few of my favourite photos from the event
I give consent for this information and the pictures to be used.
You can read more about Jonai, and this art exhibition on our page here: - weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/wgg-people.html
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Sir Ian McKellen visits Lyme Regis for special joint birthday celebrations
(posted here 21/07/2019) Extract from Dorset Echo 21/07/2019.
A MUCH-loved actor paid a visit to a west Dorset theatre, sharing poetry and Tolkien readings, scenes from Shakespeare and fascinating anecdotes from a long-spanning career.
Sir Ian McKellen appeared at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, for a joint birthday celebration.
McKellen performed a one-man stage show at the theatre as part of a series of events to celebrate the arts venue’s 125th anniversary. The tour also marks the actor’s 80th birthday. Members of the community shared the memorable evening alongside guests such as Sir Tom Stoppard and Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, who is a patron of the Marine.
On stage, McKellen produced Glamdring—the sword from Lord of the Rings used by Gandalf, one of his signature film roles. A young member of the audience was invited on stage for a playful selfie with the prop. After the show, the actor shared a drink and conversations with audience members in the bar.
You can read the full article here -www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17782449.sir-ian-mckellen-visits-lyme-regis-special-joint-birthday-celebrations/
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(posted here 21/07/2019) Extract from Dorset Echo 21/07/2019.
A MUCH-loved actor paid a visit to a west Dorset theatre, sharing poetry and Tolkien readings, scenes from Shakespeare and fascinating anecdotes from a long-spanning career.
Sir Ian McKellen appeared at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, for a joint birthday celebration.
McKellen performed a one-man stage show at the theatre as part of a series of events to celebrate the arts venue’s 125th anniversary. The tour also marks the actor’s 80th birthday. Members of the community shared the memorable evening alongside guests such as Sir Tom Stoppard and Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, who is a patron of the Marine.
On stage, McKellen produced Glamdring—the sword from Lord of the Rings used by Gandalf, one of his signature film roles. A young member of the audience was invited on stage for a playful selfie with the prop. After the show, the actor shared a drink and conversations with audience members in the bar.
You can read the full article here -www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17782449.sir-ian-mckellen-visits-lyme-regis-special-joint-birthday-celebrations/
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Did you miss Chesil Rocks?
(posted here 29/06/2019, updated 01/07/2019)) This annual music festival near Weymouth is in aid of The Samaritans and raises a huge amount each year. It took place last weekend (June 22nd) and the weather was good. It's a bit like a mini Glastonbury someone said! The London Gay Mens Chorus have been one of the main headline acts over the past few years, and some of our Weymouth Gay Groups guys and friends where present again for this years event. You can see a video of The London Gay Mens Chorus here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBIoG-Sl7Ww You can read The Dorset Echo report of the event here - (with photos) https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/17739633.pictures-chesil-rocks-festival/ If you missed it, please remember we promote events with an LGBT interest many months in advance on our events / diary page. So please keep up to date so that you don't miss gems like this! (Chesil Rocks 2020 will be the weekend June 19-20th.) See our events page here - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary-monthly-listings.html |
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Below is a copy from The Dorset Mind website blog. You can see more (with photos) here - https://dorsetmind.uk/fighting-back-in-conversation-with-nigel-owens/ (posted here 24/01/2019) Nigel was at Bournemouth University in January 2019.
Fighting Back: In Conversation with Nigel Owens
Last night I had the pleasure of representing Dorset Mind at Fighting Back: In Conversation with Nigel Owens, MBE. Nigel Owens is a very successful rugby referee from Wales, who has experienced a lot of adversity due to his sexual orientation. I was fortunate enough to hear him share his experiences with his mental health, eating disorders and bullying.
Early Life
Nigel grew up in the village of Mynyddcerrig, Wales. It was a small village, with a population of 140. Nigel says his early life sculpted him:
“Most people say life is what you make it, however, I say life will make you. We are all shaped by our school, friends, parents, community…”
Despite having loving parents, his early life was tainted by hate. Nigel experienced bullying as a young person. This bullying caused him to dread going to school, so he would often miss it, falling into a bad crowd.
“Going to school in the morning with a horrible feeling in your stomach- that’s what it feels like to be bullied as a young person”.
However, this all changed when his friend witnessed this bullying, stood up for him, and he wasn’t bullied again. He emphasised how important it is to intervene and speak up against hate:
“Not only do we have responsibility in what we say and do, we have even more of a responsibility when we stand by and say nothing”.
“Be proud of who you are, call out the bullies. Although you feel like the world is against you, they are a minority. It’s a sign of great strength to speak up about issues.”
Struggles with Sexuality
Nigel went on to describe his journey with his sexuality.
“At 19, I found myself on some occasions finding myself attracted to men… This was completely alien to me, growing up in a small village… It was not something I wanted to happen”.
He struggled to come to terms with who he was, unable to accept himself or imagine the world accepting him.
“I was becoming something I didn’t want to be- I was scared. Living in the fear of what people would say”.
Mental Health
Nigel’s self-esteem and fear sent his mental health spiralling; he felt trapped in a life he didn’t want.
“I went into a darker place, deeply depressed… I thought there was only one way out”.
Nigel attempted to take his own life when he was 26.
However, Nigel’s story did not end that day. His early difficulties did not define his future. It wasn’t easy, but Nigel began to accept and love himself.
“I realised: this is who I am. I need to accept who I am. There’s no choice- our sexuality is not something we choose… Accepting myself was the hardest challenge.”
The Road to Self-Acceptance
The first step to self-acceptance was admitting to himself who he was and how he felt.
“Whatever is worrying you and getting you down, until you accept these issues exist, you can’t begin to deal with them.
“This is also true with an eating disorder or mental health issue: if you can deal with it and accept it early, you’ll have a greater chance of making it better. That’s why it’s important to speak up.”
Accepting himself transformed his life.
“If you are carrying around a worry, if you manage to let go of it, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world”.
“Unless you’re happy within yourself and allowed to be yourself, you can’t enjoy your life as much as you should do. You can’t be the best you can be. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything that I did if I hadn’t accepted myself.”
Inspirational Figure
His many accomplishments truly reflect how inspirational he is. His story shows us how important it is not to give up, even in the hardest of times. It possible to come out of a dark place, happier, wiser and more prepared for the next challenge.
Nigel Owens values respect for fellow human beings above anything else.
“It doesn’t matter who you are; what country you come from; the colour of your skin; your sexual orientation or your religious beliefs… As long as you are a good person and treat everyone the same way you would be expected to be treated.”
He left us with a message that everyone should hear:
“Never underestimate the influence you have on others’ lives. Respecting people who are different to who you are and being mindful of the language you use will have a huge effect on the people around you. Let them be themselves.”
We should all strive to become kinder to ourselves, and eachother, every day.
Copied from The Dorset Mind website blog. You can see more (with photos) here - https://dorsetmind.uk/fighting-back-in-conversation-with-nigel-owens/ (posted here 24/01/2019)
** NOTE** for help in Dorset with LGBT Mental health and wellbeing, check out our page here -
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/helplinessupport-groups.html
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Fighting Back: In Conversation with Nigel Owens
Last night I had the pleasure of representing Dorset Mind at Fighting Back: In Conversation with Nigel Owens, MBE. Nigel Owens is a very successful rugby referee from Wales, who has experienced a lot of adversity due to his sexual orientation. I was fortunate enough to hear him share his experiences with his mental health, eating disorders and bullying.
Early Life
Nigel grew up in the village of Mynyddcerrig, Wales. It was a small village, with a population of 140. Nigel says his early life sculpted him:
“Most people say life is what you make it, however, I say life will make you. We are all shaped by our school, friends, parents, community…”
Despite having loving parents, his early life was tainted by hate. Nigel experienced bullying as a young person. This bullying caused him to dread going to school, so he would often miss it, falling into a bad crowd.
“Going to school in the morning with a horrible feeling in your stomach- that’s what it feels like to be bullied as a young person”.
However, this all changed when his friend witnessed this bullying, stood up for him, and he wasn’t bullied again. He emphasised how important it is to intervene and speak up against hate:
“Not only do we have responsibility in what we say and do, we have even more of a responsibility when we stand by and say nothing”.
“Be proud of who you are, call out the bullies. Although you feel like the world is against you, they are a minority. It’s a sign of great strength to speak up about issues.”
Struggles with Sexuality
Nigel went on to describe his journey with his sexuality.
“At 19, I found myself on some occasions finding myself attracted to men… This was completely alien to me, growing up in a small village… It was not something I wanted to happen”.
He struggled to come to terms with who he was, unable to accept himself or imagine the world accepting him.
“I was becoming something I didn’t want to be- I was scared. Living in the fear of what people would say”.
Mental Health
Nigel’s self-esteem and fear sent his mental health spiralling; he felt trapped in a life he didn’t want.
“I went into a darker place, deeply depressed… I thought there was only one way out”.
Nigel attempted to take his own life when he was 26.
However, Nigel’s story did not end that day. His early difficulties did not define his future. It wasn’t easy, but Nigel began to accept and love himself.
“I realised: this is who I am. I need to accept who I am. There’s no choice- our sexuality is not something we choose… Accepting myself was the hardest challenge.”
The Road to Self-Acceptance
The first step to self-acceptance was admitting to himself who he was and how he felt.
“Whatever is worrying you and getting you down, until you accept these issues exist, you can’t begin to deal with them.
“This is also true with an eating disorder or mental health issue: if you can deal with it and accept it early, you’ll have a greater chance of making it better. That’s why it’s important to speak up.”
Accepting himself transformed his life.
“If you are carrying around a worry, if you manage to let go of it, it is the most wonderful feeling in the world”.
“Unless you’re happy within yourself and allowed to be yourself, you can’t enjoy your life as much as you should do. You can’t be the best you can be. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything that I did if I hadn’t accepted myself.”
Inspirational Figure
His many accomplishments truly reflect how inspirational he is. His story shows us how important it is not to give up, even in the hardest of times. It possible to come out of a dark place, happier, wiser and more prepared for the next challenge.
Nigel Owens values respect for fellow human beings above anything else.
“It doesn’t matter who you are; what country you come from; the colour of your skin; your sexual orientation or your religious beliefs… As long as you are a good person and treat everyone the same way you would be expected to be treated.”
He left us with a message that everyone should hear:
“Never underestimate the influence you have on others’ lives. Respecting people who are different to who you are and being mindful of the language you use will have a huge effect on the people around you. Let them be themselves.”
We should all strive to become kinder to ourselves, and eachother, every day.
Copied from The Dorset Mind website blog. You can see more (with photos) here - https://dorsetmind.uk/fighting-back-in-conversation-with-nigel-owens/ (posted here 24/01/2019)
** NOTE** for help in Dorset with LGBT Mental health and wellbeing, check out our page here -
https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/helplinessupport-groups.html
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Bournemouth Pride - Bourne Free photos & reports 2018 (posted here July 2018)
See our NEW page with over 200 photos with links to videos and reports about this years Bournemouth Pride.
See - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/bournemouth-pride-photos-2018.html
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See our NEW page with over 200 photos with links to videos and reports about this years Bournemouth Pride.
See - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/bournemouth-pride-photos-2018.html
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Service of celebration and lament to mark 50th anniversary of the de-criminalizaton of homosexuality. Posted here 5/8/2017
This service was held on 30th July at St Peter's Church in Dorchester. The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam was there at St Peter's to preach at this special service to mark the anniversary. It was an opportunity for everyone in the town to come together to celebrate all that has been achieved in moving towards equality for all, and to acknowledge what is still to be done.
The service was supported by some of our Weymouth Gay Group guys and friends. Here are a few comments -
"My husband and I where there at St Peter’s church. It was a big event without a doubt. The service was beautiful and had lots of people. For me was quite moving" . Cheers, J & B
A friend of our group who could not attend said -
"Thank you so much for sharing with me and those of us who couldn't be there yesterday. The words B kindly shared with me were very moving and inspirational. It is really good to know this important event went so well: my husband and I were very much there in spirit." Very best wishes, A
Did you miss this event and wished you had gone? Please don't forget we put all local lgbt events onto our events diary page as soon as we hear about them. So we recommend that you check it regularly to be kept up to date with events that may interest you! http://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary.html
If you are a person of faith, you may also be interested in the MCC Church in Dorchester. Info on our events diary page.
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This service was held on 30th July at St Peter's Church in Dorchester. The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam was there at St Peter's to preach at this special service to mark the anniversary. It was an opportunity for everyone in the town to come together to celebrate all that has been achieved in moving towards equality for all, and to acknowledge what is still to be done.
The service was supported by some of our Weymouth Gay Group guys and friends. Here are a few comments -
"My husband and I where there at St Peter’s church. It was a big event without a doubt. The service was beautiful and had lots of people. For me was quite moving" . Cheers, J & B
A friend of our group who could not attend said -
"Thank you so much for sharing with me and those of us who couldn't be there yesterday. The words B kindly shared with me were very moving and inspirational. It is really good to know this important event went so well: my husband and I were very much there in spirit." Very best wishes, A
Did you miss this event and wished you had gone? Please don't forget we put all local lgbt events onto our events diary page as soon as we hear about them. So we recommend that you check it regularly to be kept up to date with events that may interest you! http://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/events-diary.html
If you are a person of faith, you may also be interested in the MCC Church in Dorchester. Info on our events diary page.
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From Dorset Echo posted here 7/4/2017
Full review with photos here:- http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/15210021.REVIEW__Pronoun__Dorchester_Youth_Theatre__Corn_Exchange/
Youngsters turn a challenging piece of work into thought-provoking theatre
PLAY: Dorchester Youth Theatre's Pronoun Joanna Davis, Features & entertainments writer / @DorsetEchoJo
PRONOUN by Evan Placey
Performed by Dorchester Youth Theatre Senior Company
When the lights go down in Dorchester Corn Exchange, the last thing many of the audience would expect to see is a teenage boy stood centre stage, in a ball gown. But the performance of Pronoun (Evan Placey) by the Senior Company of Dorchester Youth Theatre, (DYT) starts as it means to go on. Pushing the boundaries to explore gender, mental health, sexuality and young love, DYT have created a raw, honest performance, and its success was reflected on the faces of each and every audience member.
The story follows childhood sweethearts, Josh and Isabella as they experience the ups and downs of all relationships, the exception being, Isabella is now Dean. The portrayal of Dean by Ivy Langley showcases the talent DYT has to offer. Encompassing the struggles of gender transformation, alongside the social issues of being a young adult, Langley opens the audiences eyes to the mental health effects associated with growing up with gender dysphoria. Speaking to her prized James Dean poster, embodied by Christian Hardy, Langley and Hardy’s interactions add a dimension of humour, whilst breaking down the stereotypes associated with being transgender.
The poignancy of the piece is reflected not only in Dean’s battle, but the emotions as those around him come to terms with Dean’s transition. Watching Josh, played by Sam Beavis, combat his own doubts as he deals with being in love with Dean, makes for more than one tearful moment. The interchanging mother and father roles, performed by Olivia Pearson and Archie Rowell, add a further dimension of emotion, to an audience with many parents. The challenges of these characters are both provoking and poignant, and are portrayed superbly by Pearson and Rowell.
A minimal set, made up largely of a washing line of clothes and bunting, there was nothing to detract from the emotive performance of each and every individual. Made up of a company of 14 to 16 year olds, these young people showcased engagement and understanding of a topic many in the audience could not comprehend. The performance broke down the emotional and physical barriers of the very real challenges faced by those with gender dysmorphia and their loved ones.
Once again, Director Jo Simons has proved Dorchester Youth Theatre’s exceptional capability of taking a challenge, and crafting it into a thought-provoking, excellently executed piece of theatre. I cannot wait to see what they have in store next.
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Full review with photos here:- http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/15210021.REVIEW__Pronoun__Dorchester_Youth_Theatre__Corn_Exchange/
Youngsters turn a challenging piece of work into thought-provoking theatre
PLAY: Dorchester Youth Theatre's Pronoun Joanna Davis, Features & entertainments writer / @DorsetEchoJo
PRONOUN by Evan Placey
Performed by Dorchester Youth Theatre Senior Company
When the lights go down in Dorchester Corn Exchange, the last thing many of the audience would expect to see is a teenage boy stood centre stage, in a ball gown. But the performance of Pronoun (Evan Placey) by the Senior Company of Dorchester Youth Theatre, (DYT) starts as it means to go on. Pushing the boundaries to explore gender, mental health, sexuality and young love, DYT have created a raw, honest performance, and its success was reflected on the faces of each and every audience member.
The story follows childhood sweethearts, Josh and Isabella as they experience the ups and downs of all relationships, the exception being, Isabella is now Dean. The portrayal of Dean by Ivy Langley showcases the talent DYT has to offer. Encompassing the struggles of gender transformation, alongside the social issues of being a young adult, Langley opens the audiences eyes to the mental health effects associated with growing up with gender dysphoria. Speaking to her prized James Dean poster, embodied by Christian Hardy, Langley and Hardy’s interactions add a dimension of humour, whilst breaking down the stereotypes associated with being transgender.
The poignancy of the piece is reflected not only in Dean’s battle, but the emotions as those around him come to terms with Dean’s transition. Watching Josh, played by Sam Beavis, combat his own doubts as he deals with being in love with Dean, makes for more than one tearful moment. The interchanging mother and father roles, performed by Olivia Pearson and Archie Rowell, add a further dimension of emotion, to an audience with many parents. The challenges of these characters are both provoking and poignant, and are portrayed superbly by Pearson and Rowell.
A minimal set, made up largely of a washing line of clothes and bunting, there was nothing to detract from the emotive performance of each and every individual. Made up of a company of 14 to 16 year olds, these young people showcased engagement and understanding of a topic many in the audience could not comprehend. The performance broke down the emotional and physical barriers of the very real challenges faced by those with gender dysmorphia and their loved ones.
Once again, Director Jo Simons has proved Dorchester Youth Theatre’s exceptional capability of taking a challenge, and crafting it into a thought-provoking, excellently executed piece of theatre. I cannot wait to see what they have in store next.
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Did you miss this great funny evening? 20th October (2016) Julian was at the Weymouth Pavilion, an event we had been promoting on here over 8 months in advance! Several of our guys went along, and one even ended up on stage with Julian!
Check out this review in the Echo to see what you missed.
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/14819297.REVIEW__Julian_Clary_sets_the_filth_bar_very_high__very_early__at_Weymouth_Pavilion/?ref=rss
Check out this review in the Echo to see what you missed.
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/14819297.REVIEW__Julian_Clary_sets_the_filth_bar_very_high__very_early__at_Weymouth_Pavilion/?ref=rss
September, Portland. b-side festival - London Gay Men's Chorus
This event took place in Sepember on Portland over a weekend and was attended by over 600 people. It was a stunning setting at West Weares as the sun set and the Chorus sung their new song "Shame". Follow the links to find out more, and see the info below.
Read this outstanding personal story about the song - http://www.lgmc.org.uk/index.php/about-us/blogging/entry/turning-shame-into-song-my-journey-with-shame-chorus?platform=hootsuite
See them here on the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37577963
Check out this review :- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/shame-chorus-the-gay-choir-giving-voice-to-everyday-doubts/
This event took place in Sepember on Portland over a weekend and was attended by over 600 people. It was a stunning setting at West Weares as the sun set and the Chorus sung their new song "Shame". Follow the links to find out more, and see the info below.
Read this outstanding personal story about the song - http://www.lgmc.org.uk/index.php/about-us/blogging/entry/turning-shame-into-song-my-journey-with-shame-chorus?platform=hootsuite
See them here on the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37577963
Check out this review :- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/shame-chorus-the-gay-choir-giving-voice-to-everyday-doubts/
Shame Chorus
The world premiere of Shame Chorus an uplifting new choral performance created by international artist Jordan McKenzie, psychoanalyst Susie Orbach and members of The London Gay Men’s Chorus joined by Dorset singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and local choirs. Join us on the beautiful West Weares for an outdoor performance never to be forgotten. This is a free event!
Saturday 10th September 6:00pm West Weares (end of Chesil Beach near Quiddles Cafe) Fortuneswell Portland DT5 1LN Sunday 11th September 11am St Georges Church Wide Street Portland DT5 2JP
check out these links :-
http://b-side.org.uk/events/shame-chorus
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/14700934.Billy_Bragg_joining_choir_for_Shame_Chorus_on_Portland_in_support_of_gay_community/
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=49febcf0f1a9a72e1fa276555&id=b30868b274
10 - 18 September 2016
b-side Arts Festival Portland September
From Molly Scarborough at b-side (posted here April/2016)
"It’s Molly here from b-side. b-side festival is an artist led multimedia arts festival bringing new art to unusual locations, held exclusively on the intriguing Isle of Portland every other year in September.
This year we want to launch the festival with the world premiere of SHAME, a work by Jordan Mackenzie, sung by the London Gay Men’s Chorus and commissioned by the Freud Museum. Psychoanalysts interviewed members of the Chorus asking them to recall memories of events that have shaped their feelings about themselves and their sexuality. The transcriptions of these interviews have been sent to composers (including our own Billy Bragg), and transformed into original songs for the Chorus to perform. For more information on the Chorus click here.
This performance of SHAME will be launching the beginning of our outreach programme where we plan to work with Schools, Colleges and youth clubs around the LGBT agenda. We plan to create a film about our LGBT community with The 'Drop In’ on Portland. Volunteers from the Chorus will then come to schools and youth groups to help us explain the film and provide positive role models for young people to tackle homophobia and bullying, and enable them talk open about their sexuality.
At the moment we are currently in the ‘application for funding’ stage. We would like to gather information and anonymous quotes to strengthen our application and provide evidence of the need to combat homophobia, harassment and non-inclusion".
Many Thanks, Molly Scarborough b-side Arts project email [email protected]
Molly from b-side came along to one our Weymouth Gay Group meetings and spoke with some of you about the project and how they can "attend to our needs". It is hoped they will visit again to updated us.
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The world premiere of Shame Chorus an uplifting new choral performance created by international artist Jordan McKenzie, psychoanalyst Susie Orbach and members of The London Gay Men’s Chorus joined by Dorset singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and local choirs. Join us on the beautiful West Weares for an outdoor performance never to be forgotten. This is a free event!
Saturday 10th September 6:00pm West Weares (end of Chesil Beach near Quiddles Cafe) Fortuneswell Portland DT5 1LN Sunday 11th September 11am St Georges Church Wide Street Portland DT5 2JP
check out these links :-
http://b-side.org.uk/events/shame-chorus
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/14700934.Billy_Bragg_joining_choir_for_Shame_Chorus_on_Portland_in_support_of_gay_community/
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=49febcf0f1a9a72e1fa276555&id=b30868b274
10 - 18 September 2016
b-side Arts Festival Portland September
From Molly Scarborough at b-side (posted here April/2016)
"It’s Molly here from b-side. b-side festival is an artist led multimedia arts festival bringing new art to unusual locations, held exclusively on the intriguing Isle of Portland every other year in September.
This year we want to launch the festival with the world premiere of SHAME, a work by Jordan Mackenzie, sung by the London Gay Men’s Chorus and commissioned by the Freud Museum. Psychoanalysts interviewed members of the Chorus asking them to recall memories of events that have shaped their feelings about themselves and their sexuality. The transcriptions of these interviews have been sent to composers (including our own Billy Bragg), and transformed into original songs for the Chorus to perform. For more information on the Chorus click here.
This performance of SHAME will be launching the beginning of our outreach programme where we plan to work with Schools, Colleges and youth clubs around the LGBT agenda. We plan to create a film about our LGBT community with The 'Drop In’ on Portland. Volunteers from the Chorus will then come to schools and youth groups to help us explain the film and provide positive role models for young people to tackle homophobia and bullying, and enable them talk open about their sexuality.
At the moment we are currently in the ‘application for funding’ stage. We would like to gather information and anonymous quotes to strengthen our application and provide evidence of the need to combat homophobia, harassment and non-inclusion".
Many Thanks, Molly Scarborough b-side Arts project email [email protected]
Molly from b-side came along to one our Weymouth Gay Group meetings and spoke with some of you about the project and how they can "attend to our needs". It is hoped they will visit again to updated us.
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May, Weymouth. The Bay Theatre at Weymouth College. Crossing The Line
25/26th May 2016
"An important message very well performed, and brought right up to date. Everyone should see it" Weymouth Gay Group
Scroll down for reviews from Weymouth Gay Group guys who went along to this brilliant performance.
25/26th May 2016
"An important message very well performed, and brought right up to date. Everyone should see it" Weymouth Gay Group
Scroll down for reviews from Weymouth Gay Group guys who went along to this brilliant performance.
1960's Stonewall Riots coming to The Bay Theatre
Posted: 13 May 2016 02:09 AM PDT
17 voices presents ‘Crossing the Line’, the final performance from the level 3 BTEC Performing Arts students in 2016, here at Weymouth College.
It's June 1969 in New York. As a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) person you would risk arrest if you;
1. Bought alcohol in a bar
2. Danced publicly with a member of the same sex
3. Wore less than 3 items of attire associated with the gender in which you were born.
Told through the eyes of Joshua, a young gay man struggling to find acceptance in a disapproving society, we bring you an adaptation of the true story of The Stonewall Inn. Inspired by real life accounts the company celebrate the ultimately uplifting story of where Gay Pride began. March with us as we cross the line!
Some material will contain scenes of a sexual nature. There will also be a depiction of a real life riot that a younger audience may find distressing. Please contact the box office for further information if booking for under 12s.
Tickets:
£8.00 or £6.00 concession Wednesday 25th May at 7.30pm Thursday 26th May at 1.00pm and 7.30pm
The Bay Theatre, Weymouth College Avaialble from The Bay Theate box office (01305 208702 or online www.weymouth.ac.uk/the-bay-theatre
Crossing The Line Weymouth College Stonewall Riots.
Project Aim Seventeen Voices presents Crossing The Line, a performance from students at Weymouth College about the Stonewall Riots, an LGBT movement.
Seventeen Voices presents Crossing The Line, the final performance from Level 3 BTEC Performing Arts students in 2016, at Weymouth College.
Here at Weymouth College we would like to encourage the community to gain more understanding and acceptance towards it's LGBT members.
This original piece, created by students, tells the story of where pride began. 1969 saw the birth of a new generation, creating the foundations for today’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) movement. Our play follows the story of Joshua, a young man struggling to find acceptance in a disapproving society.
March with us as we cross the line on the 25th and 26th of May.
Posted: 13 May 2016 02:09 AM PDT
17 voices presents ‘Crossing the Line’, the final performance from the level 3 BTEC Performing Arts students in 2016, here at Weymouth College.
It's June 1969 in New York. As a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) person you would risk arrest if you;
1. Bought alcohol in a bar
2. Danced publicly with a member of the same sex
3. Wore less than 3 items of attire associated with the gender in which you were born.
Told through the eyes of Joshua, a young gay man struggling to find acceptance in a disapproving society, we bring you an adaptation of the true story of The Stonewall Inn. Inspired by real life accounts the company celebrate the ultimately uplifting story of where Gay Pride began. March with us as we cross the line!
Some material will contain scenes of a sexual nature. There will also be a depiction of a real life riot that a younger audience may find distressing. Please contact the box office for further information if booking for under 12s.
Tickets:
£8.00 or £6.00 concession Wednesday 25th May at 7.30pm Thursday 26th May at 1.00pm and 7.30pm
The Bay Theatre, Weymouth College Avaialble from The Bay Theate box office (01305 208702 or online www.weymouth.ac.uk/the-bay-theatre
Crossing The Line Weymouth College Stonewall Riots.
Project Aim Seventeen Voices presents Crossing The Line, a performance from students at Weymouth College about the Stonewall Riots, an LGBT movement.
Seventeen Voices presents Crossing The Line, the final performance from Level 3 BTEC Performing Arts students in 2016, at Weymouth College.
Here at Weymouth College we would like to encourage the community to gain more understanding and acceptance towards it's LGBT members.
This original piece, created by students, tells the story of where pride began. 1969 saw the birth of a new generation, creating the foundations for today’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) movement. Our play follows the story of Joshua, a young man struggling to find acceptance in a disapproving society.
March with us as we cross the line on the 25th and 26th of May.
Reviews of CROSSING THE LINE by Weymouth Gay Group guys.
Here are three reviews from our guys who attended this outstanding performance.
Review number 1
CROSSING THE LINE
Who would have thought it? Down here in sleepy old Weymouth: a fast-moving theatre production challenging the homophobia of 1960s America. And the whole thing devised and presented by performing arts students at Weymouth College!
Stuart, Tony and Graham dutifully followed our camp-commander Colin along to the Bay Theatre on the college campus to sample the opening night of a play performed by a Level 3 student ensemble calling themselves “Seventeen Voices”.
Based on events leading up to the Stonewall riots in New York, the play “Crossing the Line” injects elements of poetry, song, dance and contemporary film footage into the storytelling for an action-packed evening’s entertainment.
Billy Moore’s opening poem (with selected phrases shouted defiantly by the whole cast in unison) sets the tone for events to come:
…Until anyone can walk the street holding anyone’s hand,
Until I can stand alone and say that I am gay loudly,
Maybe then I will say that I’m American proudly…
We catch up with Billy later as head barman “Ross” at The Stonewall Inn.
Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Josh, played by blond dream-hunk Callum Heinrich, in Mom’s bedroom trying on her dress and make-up. Josh sensitively articulates our shared coming-out experience: uncomprehending family members, alienation, that hesitant first step into the gay scene, the touch of a hand and the first kiss. A sensational performance, and we all hope to see more of Callum in future stage and film productions. Much much more!
A second storyline involves lesbian student, Sam, whose Pa turns out to be the misogynistic cop in charge of frequent raids on The Stonewall. Anyone caught with less than three items of clothing related to their birth gender is likely to be in for a rough time (just imagine if that happened to us at The Swan!!). It clearly wasn’t going to end well for Sam. And it didn’t end too well for the four Trannies that had us rocking to their period ballads and rolling to their polished bitchiness. Stereotypes, I guess … but wasn’t that how it used to be?
So we come to the night of Judy Garland’s funeral. A bleak numbness descends on The Stonewall. The peace is shattered by yet another police raid, but this time the Stonewall community has had enough. The ensuing riot is brilliantly depicted with pyrotechnics, loud taunts and athletic dance sequences, reminiscent of the testosterone-fuelled action in West Side Story. We, the onlookers, are challenged to say what we might have done given the circumstances.
Calm is restored and newsreel footage takes us through Pride festivities to the present day. In a final vignette we see 21st-century boy, dressed to kill, completing his make-up before grabbing his Mom for a night out at the gay bars. Yes, we’ve come so far in so short a time!
Cripes! … that certainly woke up Weymouth! A 5-star verdict from the four intrepid reviewers! Tony (Wool)
Here are three reviews from our guys who attended this outstanding performance.
Review number 1
CROSSING THE LINE
Who would have thought it? Down here in sleepy old Weymouth: a fast-moving theatre production challenging the homophobia of 1960s America. And the whole thing devised and presented by performing arts students at Weymouth College!
Stuart, Tony and Graham dutifully followed our camp-commander Colin along to the Bay Theatre on the college campus to sample the opening night of a play performed by a Level 3 student ensemble calling themselves “Seventeen Voices”.
Based on events leading up to the Stonewall riots in New York, the play “Crossing the Line” injects elements of poetry, song, dance and contemporary film footage into the storytelling for an action-packed evening’s entertainment.
Billy Moore’s opening poem (with selected phrases shouted defiantly by the whole cast in unison) sets the tone for events to come:
…Until anyone can walk the street holding anyone’s hand,
Until I can stand alone and say that I am gay loudly,
Maybe then I will say that I’m American proudly…
We catch up with Billy later as head barman “Ross” at The Stonewall Inn.
Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Josh, played by blond dream-hunk Callum Heinrich, in Mom’s bedroom trying on her dress and make-up. Josh sensitively articulates our shared coming-out experience: uncomprehending family members, alienation, that hesitant first step into the gay scene, the touch of a hand and the first kiss. A sensational performance, and we all hope to see more of Callum in future stage and film productions. Much much more!
A second storyline involves lesbian student, Sam, whose Pa turns out to be the misogynistic cop in charge of frequent raids on The Stonewall. Anyone caught with less than three items of clothing related to their birth gender is likely to be in for a rough time (just imagine if that happened to us at The Swan!!). It clearly wasn’t going to end well for Sam. And it didn’t end too well for the four Trannies that had us rocking to their period ballads and rolling to their polished bitchiness. Stereotypes, I guess … but wasn’t that how it used to be?
So we come to the night of Judy Garland’s funeral. A bleak numbness descends on The Stonewall. The peace is shattered by yet another police raid, but this time the Stonewall community has had enough. The ensuing riot is brilliantly depicted with pyrotechnics, loud taunts and athletic dance sequences, reminiscent of the testosterone-fuelled action in West Side Story. We, the onlookers, are challenged to say what we might have done given the circumstances.
Calm is restored and newsreel footage takes us through Pride festivities to the present day. In a final vignette we see 21st-century boy, dressed to kill, completing his make-up before grabbing his Mom for a night out at the gay bars. Yes, we’ve come so far in so short a time!
Cripes! … that certainly woke up Weymouth! A 5-star verdict from the four intrepid reviewers! Tony (Wool)
Review number 2
Hi Colin, Not sure whether this is a review, more just a few thoughts.
Firstly thanks again for nagging some of us into attending this event. I was really glad that I did. I had thought that it might be embarrassing. You know; a bunch of little Weymouth teenagers trying to portray New York gays nearly 50 years ago. Instead it was inspiring. The show was excellent. Especially considering that virtually everything was done by the cast themselves including writing and editing an original script based on historical events, and including some reported speech from the actual participants in the Stonewall riot, and the subsequent march on city hall, which is remembered as the first gay pride event.
Some of the scenes had great emotional impact, especially those relating to the lead character, Josh, being forced to leave home by his parents, and the brutalising by police of transvestite entertainers at the Stonewall Inn.
There were strengths and weaknesses, with shaky American accents from some performers. On the whole, however, the production made the most of all the talents available with weaker members of the cast being given less to say or to do.. The lead performers were very impressive especially Callum Heinrich who played Josh.
The final scene depicting the "riot," was something of an anti-climax (although very entertaining). It was obviously a dance routine, and did not attempt to depict violence with any degree of realism. It did showcase Callum Heinrich's good looks, and charismatic physicality.
Overall a brilliant evening's entertainment. Regards Graham (Dorchester)
Hi Colin, Not sure whether this is a review, more just a few thoughts.
Firstly thanks again for nagging some of us into attending this event. I was really glad that I did. I had thought that it might be embarrassing. You know; a bunch of little Weymouth teenagers trying to portray New York gays nearly 50 years ago. Instead it was inspiring. The show was excellent. Especially considering that virtually everything was done by the cast themselves including writing and editing an original script based on historical events, and including some reported speech from the actual participants in the Stonewall riot, and the subsequent march on city hall, which is remembered as the first gay pride event.
Some of the scenes had great emotional impact, especially those relating to the lead character, Josh, being forced to leave home by his parents, and the brutalising by police of transvestite entertainers at the Stonewall Inn.
There were strengths and weaknesses, with shaky American accents from some performers. On the whole, however, the production made the most of all the talents available with weaker members of the cast being given less to say or to do.. The lead performers were very impressive especially Callum Heinrich who played Josh.
The final scene depicting the "riot," was something of an anti-climax (although very entertaining). It was obviously a dance routine, and did not attempt to depict violence with any degree of realism. It did showcase Callum Heinrich's good looks, and charismatic physicality.
Overall a brilliant evening's entertainment. Regards Graham (Dorchester)
Review number 3
Four Members went to Weymouth College's Bay Theatre on Wednesday 26th May 2016 to watch a performance of Crossing the Line, a refreshing new work themed on the Stonewall riots of June 1969 in New York, written, choreographed, composed, designed and acted by Seventeen Voices.
The setting was ingenious and made clever use of the space. The backdrop of the area which formed the setting of the play was a black wall liberally and artistically covered with various sized shards of what must once have been a very large mirror. There was an empty rectangle in the upper middle of this wall which was blank and gave the team the flexibility to use it to proclaim the name The Stonewall for those scenes which took place in that famous venue, It doubled where required with a generic domestic area which would serve as a bedroom (where the lead character was caught trying on his mother's simple dress by an aunt who then betrayed him to his parents, forcing him to leave home and end up at The Stonewall), plus a breakfast/dining room (where the bullying cop who raided the pub with his colleagues took meals with his subservient wife and the daughter who he was to find out was gay because she was at The Stonewall during a raid). The foreground was The Stonewall's interior for most of the play, and occasionally doubled up as a park where those rejected from families because of their gayness could sleep.
The costumes were briiliant. There were bewigged drag queens, very realistically over-the-top in their makeup and the colours of their gaudy attire, a wonderfully butch lesbian in mannish black suit and short blond hair, who turned out to be an excellent singer for one of the stirring numbers themed on Love in the play, and ordinary guys and gals who were there just for a sense of belonging in a very hostile society. The hero, Josh, was a stunningly physiqued athletic dancer. Looking at the programme notes, it was also he who choreographed the astonishing and violent stamping movements which symbolised the ultimately winning fight against the police during the famous raid which began Gay Pride in our world.
Not that the whole thing was absolutely faultless, however. There were far more females in the cast than males, so there did seem to be something of an imbalance. This mattered in that, for instance, it would have been highly unlikely that there would have existed at the time in the New York police force so many female officers, certainly not a majority, indeed there were probably none at all in that deeply sexist era. Nor was the acting absolutely perfect. There were odd periods where either an actor would forget that s/he should have been talking with an American accent, or possibly they simply could not 'do' one.
But this is to carp unnecessarily. The overwhelming impression for the audience was one of elation. That such young people could be so ingenious, so shrewd, so clever as to devise such an ambitious production about such a momentous event in our past - this was a fantastic achievement, and they should all be justly proud. All of the young cast gave of themselves fullsomely and genuinely, it all really came from the heart.
We all felt that this play, if done in theatres all over the country, would go very far. It was a great work of art, and I do hope the writer of the play gets it published and has it performed all over the land. Crossing the Line, in the end, deserves a true accolade from large audiences. The performance we saw, we gather, was a sell-out. Not surprised!
Stuart (Portland)
If we get more reviews of this amazing play, we will add them here. A 5th member of our group attended on the Thursday afternoon performance. It's a pity that all of our guys (some 30 plus) did not go as it is not often that we get great events like this in our area. I thank the 5 who went and supported this, and special thanks to Tony, Graham & Stuart for their above reviews. Please remember we "plug" lgbt related events in our area here on our website as far in advance as possible so that you don't miss out! If you know of an upcoming event not list here, tell us! Cheers Colin.
Four Members went to Weymouth College's Bay Theatre on Wednesday 26th May 2016 to watch a performance of Crossing the Line, a refreshing new work themed on the Stonewall riots of June 1969 in New York, written, choreographed, composed, designed and acted by Seventeen Voices.
The setting was ingenious and made clever use of the space. The backdrop of the area which formed the setting of the play was a black wall liberally and artistically covered with various sized shards of what must once have been a very large mirror. There was an empty rectangle in the upper middle of this wall which was blank and gave the team the flexibility to use it to proclaim the name The Stonewall for those scenes which took place in that famous venue, It doubled where required with a generic domestic area which would serve as a bedroom (where the lead character was caught trying on his mother's simple dress by an aunt who then betrayed him to his parents, forcing him to leave home and end up at The Stonewall), plus a breakfast/dining room (where the bullying cop who raided the pub with his colleagues took meals with his subservient wife and the daughter who he was to find out was gay because she was at The Stonewall during a raid). The foreground was The Stonewall's interior for most of the play, and occasionally doubled up as a park where those rejected from families because of their gayness could sleep.
The costumes were briiliant. There were bewigged drag queens, very realistically over-the-top in their makeup and the colours of their gaudy attire, a wonderfully butch lesbian in mannish black suit and short blond hair, who turned out to be an excellent singer for one of the stirring numbers themed on Love in the play, and ordinary guys and gals who were there just for a sense of belonging in a very hostile society. The hero, Josh, was a stunningly physiqued athletic dancer. Looking at the programme notes, it was also he who choreographed the astonishing and violent stamping movements which symbolised the ultimately winning fight against the police during the famous raid which began Gay Pride in our world.
Not that the whole thing was absolutely faultless, however. There were far more females in the cast than males, so there did seem to be something of an imbalance. This mattered in that, for instance, it would have been highly unlikely that there would have existed at the time in the New York police force so many female officers, certainly not a majority, indeed there were probably none at all in that deeply sexist era. Nor was the acting absolutely perfect. There were odd periods where either an actor would forget that s/he should have been talking with an American accent, or possibly they simply could not 'do' one.
But this is to carp unnecessarily. The overwhelming impression for the audience was one of elation. That such young people could be so ingenious, so shrewd, so clever as to devise such an ambitious production about such a momentous event in our past - this was a fantastic achievement, and they should all be justly proud. All of the young cast gave of themselves fullsomely and genuinely, it all really came from the heart.
We all felt that this play, if done in theatres all over the country, would go very far. It was a great work of art, and I do hope the writer of the play gets it published and has it performed all over the land. Crossing the Line, in the end, deserves a true accolade from large audiences. The performance we saw, we gather, was a sell-out. Not surprised!
Stuart (Portland)
If we get more reviews of this amazing play, we will add them here. A 5th member of our group attended on the Thursday afternoon performance. It's a pity that all of our guys (some 30 plus) did not go as it is not often that we get great events like this in our area. I thank the 5 who went and supported this, and special thanks to Tony, Graham & Stuart for their above reviews. Please remember we "plug" lgbt related events in our area here on our website as far in advance as possible so that you don't miss out! If you know of an upcoming event not list here, tell us! Cheers Colin.
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Feb 2017 & March, 2016 Weymouth. Music Hall Tavern (MHT - drag night) at Weymouth Pavilion More MHT dates at Weymouth Pavilion expected later in 2017/8
www.musichalltavern.com
One of our guys Stuart has been twice and said it was great! (see his reviews below). The good news is that they often return so don't miss the next one. You may also be interested to know that the Pavilion hosted "The Lady Boys of Bangkok" in June 2016 (back on June 6th 2017), and a mega well known gay person later last year, Julian Clary with his comedy "The joy of Mincing" was at Weymouth Pavilion in October 2016. We try to bring you news of any events there that may interest you as soon as we are made aware of them.
Feb 2017 & March, 2016 Weymouth. Music Hall Tavern (MHT - drag night) at Weymouth Pavilion More MHT dates at Weymouth Pavilion expected later in 2017/8
www.musichalltavern.com
One of our guys Stuart has been twice and said it was great! (see his reviews below). The good news is that they often return so don't miss the next one. You may also be interested to know that the Pavilion hosted "The Lady Boys of Bangkok" in June 2016 (back on June 6th 2017), and a mega well known gay person later last year, Julian Clary with his comedy "The joy of Mincing" was at Weymouth Pavilion in October 2016. We try to bring you news of any events there that may interest you as soon as we are made aware of them.
Stuart's review
"The evening I spent at the Weymouth Pavilion was magnificent. As I have aged, gracefully I hope, I have come thoroughly to enjoy really good Drag!
The show on March 20th was of that quality. MHT are based on Gran Canaria, so I shall never see them at their home venue - I dislike 'hot' climates and, apparently, they me!
The decor on stage was simple but camp, just silver foil streamers hanging from roof to floor forming glittery, stripey screens, one near the rear, one in the middle distance and one near front of stage. These were lit by simple coloured spotlights which reflected off the strips. The three depths of vertical streamers could be closed or opened to give different senses of depth and perspective. That stage is enormous for three main characters and a few dancers, but the show took advantage of the space very well.
All three of the main characters, the ones in the poster Colin uploaded to our website, had fantastic voices. The leader was the diminutive Mrs T, then there was Guapatini, tall and slim with a deep powerful voice, and the third was the glamourous Miss Frankie - played by Paul Carroll, Paul Burnham and Grant Koper respectively. There was the expected camp banter and joking between the three of them, and they played off each other wittily and entertainingly between the many songs which were part of the show. All of them wore delightful brightly coloured impeccable gowns throughout.
The evening chosen was three days after St Patrick's day. I appreciated the gesture, therefore, that the four dancers came on dressed in emerald green and did a short routine of Irish dance, à la Michael Flatley - no voices, just music and dance.
Half way through the evening, Mrs T read out some notices. Apart from one or two birthdays, your reviewer was briefly in the spotlight, as was Colin, who did not go. There was insufficient notice to get a crowd of WGG members together this time around, but their publicity contact, Annerley, will be in touch with us very early for the 2017 year and will organise discounted prices for us if we get a group together next time. Hopefully Colin will be able to copy my correspondence with Annerley onto the WGG website, she really loved the fact that I had thanked her by email the day after the performance.
A magnificent evening of entertainment indeed".
Stuart.
Many thanks Stuart for your review. It makes us all wish that we where there!
MHT at The Pavilion Sunday 19th Feburary 2017 review by Stuart.
The audience for the evening was once again treated to a magnificent and entertaining show from MHT (Music Hall Taverns), at the Pavilion on Sunday 19th February 2017.
The costumes, as we now expect, were glamourous and glitzy, and the set was very simple. A highlight was the cupcake costume which the newcomer to the main characters wore, which elicited many a laugh from the audience.
There had been a few changes to the troupe. In addition to Mrs T, Guapatini and Miss Frankie, there was now Peggy Lee, rather more, shall we say "plump" than the others, on her first ever tour with MHT. She seemed a little nervous at the start, but soon settled in. Her role seemed to be to provide a target for the other characters to pick on because of her figure, but it was all taken in good part and was a rich source of entertainment for the audience to enjoy.
There were also now five dancing boys instead of four. The most heavily built of the dancers in both performances last year had now disappeared, replaced by another dancer of more lithe physique. This year, the extra man was provided by their choreographer, a very wiry, lively dancer with absolutely boundless energy. I got the impression that he made Miss Peggy Lee rather nervous about her dancing steps, but in fact all went well. The presence of the choreographer was strongly felt because there was a lot more dancing in the show altogether.
There were, however, one or two slight blips. Especially at the beginning, although they had carried out sound checks before the show (as I found out from the sound guy afterwards), there were occasionally spots where the music appeared to be rather too loud for the singing to be properly heard. This was a particular shame at the very start, because Guapatini's song which started off the show, was difficult to make out - I couldn't follow the lyrics properly because of the volume of the music.
This did not, however, detract from what was overall another fantastic evening's entertainment, and I look forward to their return next year to delight the audience once again.
We are sure MHT will return again to Weymouth, so why not go along with Stuart next time and enjoy the fun!
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March 2015, Dorchester. OSCAR WILDE NIGHT Dorchester Arts Center (March 6th 2015)
review by Graham
The Oscar Wilde performance was excellent. I was really glad I went. The actor (Gerard Logan) was extremely talented and I am sure we will see more of him perhaps on TV or films. Although the material was essentially tragic, he injected a certain amount of dry humour into it, illustrating both Wilde's vulnerability and his vanity. It had also been very well dramatised and was much more than just a straight reading of the original texts. It was a pretty full house, but this was not too difficult to achieve as there were only 6 rows of 9 chairs to fill. It is a fairly small space as you may imagine. They are having larger productions at the Corn Exchange pending moving to the place at Brewery Square. The audience was very polarised between rather old people (even older than me in some cases) and very young people (Thomas Hardye 6th formers or recent school leavers I would guess). There was no one else from our group, which seems a pity as I think everyone could have got something from it. It did help, however, that I knew the story underlying it, having seen the films about the trials of Oscar Wilde; the two made in the 1960s with Peter Finch and Robert Morley playing Wilde, and the more recent one with Stephen Fry as Wilde and Jude Law as Lord Alfred Douglas.
Comment from Colin
Thanks for your review Graham. I was disappointed that the leaflets advertising the event never materialized. (Not all our guys are online, and it may have helped in getting more of our guys along on the night). I was promised these in a phone call (and email) with the Arts Center. Also, with out Gerald contacting our group we would not have known about this event. Seems a little strange that the advanced publicity (to the lgbt community locally) was done by the star, and not the venue! We hope Gerald Logan will let us know if/when he is performing in our area again.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
"The evening I spent at the Weymouth Pavilion was magnificent. As I have aged, gracefully I hope, I have come thoroughly to enjoy really good Drag!
The show on March 20th was of that quality. MHT are based on Gran Canaria, so I shall never see them at their home venue - I dislike 'hot' climates and, apparently, they me!
The decor on stage was simple but camp, just silver foil streamers hanging from roof to floor forming glittery, stripey screens, one near the rear, one in the middle distance and one near front of stage. These were lit by simple coloured spotlights which reflected off the strips. The three depths of vertical streamers could be closed or opened to give different senses of depth and perspective. That stage is enormous for three main characters and a few dancers, but the show took advantage of the space very well.
All three of the main characters, the ones in the poster Colin uploaded to our website, had fantastic voices. The leader was the diminutive Mrs T, then there was Guapatini, tall and slim with a deep powerful voice, and the third was the glamourous Miss Frankie - played by Paul Carroll, Paul Burnham and Grant Koper respectively. There was the expected camp banter and joking between the three of them, and they played off each other wittily and entertainingly between the many songs which were part of the show. All of them wore delightful brightly coloured impeccable gowns throughout.
The evening chosen was three days after St Patrick's day. I appreciated the gesture, therefore, that the four dancers came on dressed in emerald green and did a short routine of Irish dance, à la Michael Flatley - no voices, just music and dance.
Half way through the evening, Mrs T read out some notices. Apart from one or two birthdays, your reviewer was briefly in the spotlight, as was Colin, who did not go. There was insufficient notice to get a crowd of WGG members together this time around, but their publicity contact, Annerley, will be in touch with us very early for the 2017 year and will organise discounted prices for us if we get a group together next time. Hopefully Colin will be able to copy my correspondence with Annerley onto the WGG website, she really loved the fact that I had thanked her by email the day after the performance.
A magnificent evening of entertainment indeed".
Stuart.
Many thanks Stuart for your review. It makes us all wish that we where there!
MHT at The Pavilion Sunday 19th Feburary 2017 review by Stuart.
The audience for the evening was once again treated to a magnificent and entertaining show from MHT (Music Hall Taverns), at the Pavilion on Sunday 19th February 2017.
The costumes, as we now expect, were glamourous and glitzy, and the set was very simple. A highlight was the cupcake costume which the newcomer to the main characters wore, which elicited many a laugh from the audience.
There had been a few changes to the troupe. In addition to Mrs T, Guapatini and Miss Frankie, there was now Peggy Lee, rather more, shall we say "plump" than the others, on her first ever tour with MHT. She seemed a little nervous at the start, but soon settled in. Her role seemed to be to provide a target for the other characters to pick on because of her figure, but it was all taken in good part and was a rich source of entertainment for the audience to enjoy.
There were also now five dancing boys instead of four. The most heavily built of the dancers in both performances last year had now disappeared, replaced by another dancer of more lithe physique. This year, the extra man was provided by their choreographer, a very wiry, lively dancer with absolutely boundless energy. I got the impression that he made Miss Peggy Lee rather nervous about her dancing steps, but in fact all went well. The presence of the choreographer was strongly felt because there was a lot more dancing in the show altogether.
There were, however, one or two slight blips. Especially at the beginning, although they had carried out sound checks before the show (as I found out from the sound guy afterwards), there were occasionally spots where the music appeared to be rather too loud for the singing to be properly heard. This was a particular shame at the very start, because Guapatini's song which started off the show, was difficult to make out - I couldn't follow the lyrics properly because of the volume of the music.
This did not, however, detract from what was overall another fantastic evening's entertainment, and I look forward to their return next year to delight the audience once again.
We are sure MHT will return again to Weymouth, so why not go along with Stuart next time and enjoy the fun!
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March 2015, Dorchester. OSCAR WILDE NIGHT Dorchester Arts Center (March 6th 2015)
review by Graham
The Oscar Wilde performance was excellent. I was really glad I went. The actor (Gerard Logan) was extremely talented and I am sure we will see more of him perhaps on TV or films. Although the material was essentially tragic, he injected a certain amount of dry humour into it, illustrating both Wilde's vulnerability and his vanity. It had also been very well dramatised and was much more than just a straight reading of the original texts. It was a pretty full house, but this was not too difficult to achieve as there were only 6 rows of 9 chairs to fill. It is a fairly small space as you may imagine. They are having larger productions at the Corn Exchange pending moving to the place at Brewery Square. The audience was very polarised between rather old people (even older than me in some cases) and very young people (Thomas Hardye 6th formers or recent school leavers I would guess). There was no one else from our group, which seems a pity as I think everyone could have got something from it. It did help, however, that I knew the story underlying it, having seen the films about the trials of Oscar Wilde; the two made in the 1960s with Peter Finch and Robert Morley playing Wilde, and the more recent one with Stephen Fry as Wilde and Jude Law as Lord Alfred Douglas.
Comment from Colin
Thanks for your review Graham. I was disappointed that the leaflets advertising the event never materialized. (Not all our guys are online, and it may have helped in getting more of our guys along on the night). I was promised these in a phone call (and email) with the Arts Center. Also, with out Gerald contacting our group we would not have known about this event. Seems a little strange that the advanced publicity (to the lgbt community locally) was done by the star, and not the venue! We hope Gerald Logan will let us know if/when he is performing in our area again.
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Page last updated 29/10/2022. Weymouth Gay Group 2024
email :- [email protected] X (akaTwitter) https://twitter.com/WeymouthGayGrp .. and some where on facebook too!
Looking for a helpline or support? Check out our Helplines page we have lots of helpful links, both local and national for you or someone you may know. See - https://weymouthgaygroup.weebly.com/helplinessupport-groups.html
