Pride in Trafford is now in its 5th year. How has the festival developed over that time?

Darren: “We had somewhat humble beginnings as small hyper-local festival, but we hopefully remain loyal to being a place to explore and celebrate identity and LGBTQ+ life.

“The festival is very different to more traditional Pride festival formats and art and creativity are really at the heart of what we do here in Trafford. We’ve built up some brilliant new elements including some brand-new commissioning of new work by theatre-maker Sam Danson, we’ve also grown our Pride on the Plaza family day following the inauguration last year, this year we will loads of interactive performances, plenty of information stalls and Mini Pride with Curious Arts in Sale Library. For the first time this year we’ll have an outdoor exhibition created by and for young LGBTQ+ people and a celebratory cabaret night to close the festival”.

The festival launches on The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. What is the global outlook of the festival?

Darren: “Whilst we can celebrate the change and advancements we have made here in the UK with regard to acceptance and inclusivity, there still remains so many inequalities across the world and indeed we can never take equal rights for granted, as the dangerous rhetoric that continues can and will have a detrimental impact on the lives of our community.

“Whilst of course our festival doesn’t have global reach, we believe that by increasing awareness and challenging stigma at a local level, this contributes nationally and shows solidarity internationally.

“We’re really proud that our festival focuses on children and young people and giving them an opportunity to celebrate and have their voices heard”.

Launching on the festival’s opening night and running across all four nights, is the world premiere of BI-TOPIA. What is it about?

Darren: “Bi-Topia is a brand new piece of work that is semi-autobiographical. The show explores the links between sexuality and mental health while also challenging societal norms.

“The piece has been commissioned by Pride in Trafford/Creative Industries Trafford and is being developed here in Trafford specifically for our festival audiences. The work is by Sam Danson, an amazing local artist who is taking their first steps into a solo show and follows in the footsteps of previous artists we’ve supported such as musician Minute Taker, theatre-makers, Dibby Theatre with First Time and the brilliant Girl Gang’s Millennial Pink.

“Supporting queer artists has and always will be a key ambition of our work at Pride in Trafford”.

What do you hope people will take from this event?

Darren: “Well, we hope everyone has a great time for starters.

“We want the community to celebrate just how brilliant and diverse our borough is and help us build resilience in the community and with our allies.

If we help one person to see their place in the world through the work we do, then we’ve done what we set-out to do!”

What else can people expect over the four days?

Darren: “Always a popular part of our festival programme; Laugh Riot, is an evening of alternative comedy talent (Stephen Bailey, Rosie Wilby, Marie Goulbourne and Jonathan Mayor on the bill).

“As mentioned, children and young people are at the heart of our celebrations and young LGBTQ+ people of Trafford have created a special youth pride event over at Gorse Hill Studios – activities include cardboard catwalk and drag race, screen printing, banner making and LGBTQ+ film screenings.

“We know that Pride events have the power to change hearts and minds, whilst raising awareness through activism. Emergency is a project based around young queer voices, culminating in an outdoor exhibition, highlighting the matters that are important to them around sexuality and gender identity.

“Jesus, Jane, Mother and Me – a twisted coming-of-age story by award-winning playwright Philip Stokes (Heroin(e) for Breakfast) that explores family dynamics, who our idols (a well known Yorkshire songstress) are, and just how hard life can be when you’re a little bit different.

“The final day of the festival we have a bumper programme of free activity, specifically for children and their families. High Tea with a Twist; a camp, glittery outdoor show. MiniPride – including story-time, arts and crafts with the brilliant Curious Arts team, Compact Disco; a mobile disco (complete with glitter ball) roaming the streams, plus loads of information stalls and activities for all ages.

“The festival will close with a party at Mano a Bocca featuring pizza, comedy, cabaret, and disco, as well as an appearance from legendary Manchester drag queen, Belinda Scandal”.

What is Mini-Pride and how can people get involved?

Darren: “Mini-Pride is new to the festival this year, we’re working with Curious Arts to deliver a celebration specifically for children in conjunction with Sale Library. There’ll be crafts and arts based activities, badge making and story-time sessions. Mini-Pride is a drop in event on Saturday 20 May from 12:00 – 16:00 and is open to all families of all ages”.

Pride in Trafford runs at Waterside, Sale from 17-20 May 2023.

The post New commissions for Pride in Trafford’s fabulous 5th festival appeared first on Quays Life.

How would you describe your drag act?

“I would describe my drag act as ‘Bollywood meets Vicky Pollard. I’m a British Asian stand-up comedian who does drag therefore bringing my unique perspective to the stage”

What does drag mean to you?

“To me drag means freedom of expression. Drag is political and it can be thought provoking. We are the story tellers of society, reminding everybody, including myself, to not take life too seriously”.

What is the inspiration for your look?

“My drag aesthetic is inspired by the South Asian subcontinent. My drag is a love letter to South Asian and women who inspire me the world over”.

Why is facial hair an important part of your character? Do you see your political at all?

“Having facial hair is important to my character as it helps me to state my political point of view. Growing up I was often told to ‘be a man’ to the point where I began questioning what it even meant to be one. I’m happy identifying as a man, wearing makeup does not make you less of a man and I’m certainly not evading my masculine self by doing drag. My beard is a subtle reminder to those who need to see it. That said, if a certain role required me to shave it off, and the money was good, then I’d get rid of it in a heartbeat.”

You were an internet sensation during lockdown. How important is a digital audience to what you are doing now?

“I believe as a new starter it’s vital to begin creating an online presence, particularly as a person of colour. These days social media gets a bad rap however remnants of it existed even decades ago. You have the power to reach a wider audience through digital means, such as rural parts of the world and you can also gain better access to those that you want to attract, for example, brands and entertainment organisations. As humans, we are social beings therefore in person interactions shall always trump virtual. This is why I always aim to convert my digital audience into a physical one.”

How has been shortlisted for the 2021 BBC New Comedy Awards influenced your career?

“Being shortlisted for a BBC New Comedy Award helped my career immensely, with more people being interested to see what I had to offer. I’m grateful for the opportunities it bought my way, now here’s to actually winning an award sometime!”

Why did you choose to live in Manchester?

“Me and my husband chose to live in Manchester due its cosmopolitan nature as well as its increased visibility and acceptance of the LGBT+ community. It’s important to feel safe where you live however, that’s not to say that there isn’t work to be done! Particularly around racial biases”.

There has been a lot of discussion about a need for more South Asian drag queens on Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. What do you think about that? Can you see yourself on the show?

“I’m a huge fan of RuPaul for what he has done for our community, he is a beacon for anyone who marches to the beat of their own drum. The prospect of the first British Asian drag queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race excites me and my message to those who want to apply is this: be so incredible that the franchise wants YOU and not the other way round”.

Can you tell us a bit about your show Lady Bushra: Robbed? What can people expect?
“Lady Bushra: Robbed is my very first fully fledged stand-up comedy show that I’m debuting at Contact Theatre Manchester. It’s the tragically hilarious tale of a South Asian starlet. What could she have been? Who could she have been had it not been for everybody else’s fault? Expect a political message steeped in humour with lights, music and a projector screen. Grab your tickets as they’re selling fast!”

What can we expect from you over the next year?

“Over the course of 2023 I also have my Drag Comedy Cabaret that I will be bringing to London, Manchester and Cardiff. All information can be found on my website. Also keep your eyes peeled for a few special shows in Birmingham as well as a Pride performance – or two! Lots more to be announced…but for now come and see Lady Bushra: Robbed!”

Lady Bushra Robbed is at Contact on 17 February as part of Queer Contact 2023. See website for details.

The post Bollywood meets Vicky Pollard – it’s the unique Lady Bushra appeared first on Quays Life.

Last night, I had the absolute privilege to watch ‘Voyage’ in which Finley Letchford-Dobbs regains control of his journey as a trans person through dramatised contemporary dance, music and video – a bold reclamation of power in a world that desperately tries to silence him. It is not often that a pure nugget of brilliance comes along – but that is what this 30 minute performance offered to those lucky enough to catch it.

The whole performance wasn’t just brilliant, but was incredibly clever. The use of a relevant and resonant soundtrack, edited by Greg Thorpe, and a precise combination of Tom Sutcliffe’s lighting with Letchford-Dobbs use of stage space worked perfectly to enable the audience to identify with the stages of the trans voyage Letchford-Dobbs has been navigating.

Finlay Letchford-Dobbs is definitely a talent to watch out for, not only responsible for all choreography and performance in this excellent show, but also for the video projected at the back of an otherwise empty stage, providing pertinent information throughout to provide context to the stages of this voyage of transition from female to male identity.

Starting with video images of a little girl, with an obvious love of dance and performance from an early age, this takes centre stage with Letchford-Dobbs sitting on the dark stage, his back to the audience, watching presumably the time before his voyage commenced. The soundtrack choice of T Rex’s Cosmic Dancer is perfect, including lyrics ‘I was dancing when I was 8’. The video morphs to a Disney Peter Pan film, and Letchford-Dobbs commences his performance, wearing nothing but jeans and a white shirt, which is open, showing us the breast binding which is ever present until later stages of his voyage.

That voyage takes us through the stormy sea of this trans journey, with soundtracks from Christine and the Queens, and Mika, coming to terms with his future identity, with a video backdrop of different Transgender and Intersex flags, with the LGBTQQIAAP logo displayed prominently. The dance routine is clever, with some movements that seem very female, morphing into others that are somehow more masculine – illustrating how one being can be both female and male. This is followed with video background of newspaper articles about trans people – all of them negative, e.g. ‘You’ll have to hide away’, ‘are you a girl or a boy’, ‘but you look like a girl’.

The use of four empty chairs on the stage, with a clock spinning through its hours, portrays the frustrations of a trans person having to explain to doctors, surgeons or other medical practitioners why they want to have surgery and make their transition, in this case from female to male. As Letchford-Dobbs sits as each chair, you see him having the same conversation over and over again, becoming more frustrated and afraid he will never receive the ‘permission’ he needs for access to hormones and surgery.

Letchford-Dobbs has the ability to manipulate his audience’s emotions at every stage of this clever production. Having felt his anguish over being ‘allowed’ to begin his medical transformation, we then feel his elation when this is granted. The removal of the bindings is clever – with ropes in the colours of the transgender flag ripped off, followed by the breast bindings which have been constant until this point. His smile and dance of pure joy is infectious.

The last part of the performance is superb. If you came to this part without having participated in the voyage, you would conclude this is the male soloist of a ballet troupe with incredible core strength and talent. The graceful performance shows nothing of the brutal voyage he has been on to get to this conclusion.

In the end credits, Letchford-Dobbs says: ‘I’d like to thank Greg Thorpe for his continuing mentoring and support. Also, everyone at the Hope Mill Theatre and the producers of the TurnOn Fest for granting me this opportunity, seeing the potential in me and my work, supporting me throughout the process and continually giving trans artists a platform.’

Hope Mill is right to identify potential in Letchford-Dobbs, and someone I recommend putting on your ‘one to watch’ list if this fantastic production is any example of his work to come.

Voyage was performed and streamed online on 25 March as part of Hope Mill Theatre‘s Turn on Fest 2021.

The post Voyage by Finley Letchford-Dobbs: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Bringing together Hesmondhalgh and Davies was a perfect coupling, as they were both relaxed and happy in each other’s company, saying that they had shared a drink in the bar at the Hope Mill Theatre on many an occasion in the past. The interview felt like being a fly on a wall as two friends chat about the incredible career Davies has enjoyed, as well as the advances both of them have championed in the representation and acceptance of gay and trans people in television and society in general.

Julie framed her questions by explaining her preparation for the interview had involved her immersing herself in “Russell-World” for the previous few days, and her premise for the interview was that she had a Davies sized (6ft 6”!) paper cut-out that she wanted to fill with the people, inspirations and moments in his life that had Maketh the Man he is now.

Starting out with this childhood, we were provided with the impression of a very happy period in his life. Growing up in Swansea, with two sisters, and parents who were both teachers, he spoke about how they were both positive influences on his decision to work in the arts. A key cog in the family wheel was the local rugby club, where most of the family congregated on a Saturday night, where Davies, surrounded by the heady smell of beer, was only concerned about getting back home in time to watch his beloved Dr Who. With a frame for a rugby player, and with such a culture of rugby in his home country, his father might have expected him to make this his passion, but instead told him: ‘You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do’.

Davies was therefore able to make his entry into the arts, belonging to the South Glamorgan Youth Theatre, as well as crafting his skill as a cartoonist, taking inspiration from his supply of Asterix books. The Youth Theatre presented more than just a space to practise his acting, it also provided a ‘gay space’ where other budding thespians were able to embrace “their campness”. He explains that the Youth Theatre was a very professional outfit, where plays were properly arranged, and very disciplined in how they were conducted – all skills required for a successful producer of future TV hits. Davies says that being involved in the Youth Theatre and the arts in general ‘opens your mind and imagination’.

That imagination as a 15 years old, (and in the present) never seems to stop working for Davies. As that 15 year old, would walk home from school, imagining new plots for Dr Who. One of his first ever memories is at around three years old, hiding by the side of the sofa, being terrified of the Cybermen!

His first foray into work was actually using his artist drawing skills, working on illustration of the Oxford handbook and posters for various theatres (he has designed posters for Hope Mill Theatre previously). He hopes to return to his incredible skills as a cartoonist again soon.

Having been rejected from a BBC Traineeship twice, Davies managed to gain a position on the very popular kids TV show ‘Why Don’t You’. Starting on the studio floor to help the kids with their lines (including a 12 year old Ant from the famous duo), he progressed to writing the scripts for the shows after a particular long lunch of 8-plus beers incapacitated the then producer from writing the script that day, and enabling Davies to show what he was capable of. In 1987, the programme transfered to Manchester, and Davies moved here with it.

Julie prompted Davies for details of the TV he was involved with prior to really hitting the big time with Queer as Folk. He loved his time writing soaps at Granada, in which he was responsible for the introduction of many gay characters into TV. He says this was not something that he did ‘with a political plan’ in mind, he simply added them since he was gay and many of the people he was working with were gay – so it just seemed natural.

Queer as Folk, which Davies picks as his creation that he is most proud of, was his first show with a massive budget – so they threw everything at it. Not only did Davies write the ground breaking show, but he also had strong influence on everything from what people wore, to style, colour palette and tone. He says that Queer as Folk changed his life, and doors are still open to him because of the show.

The success of his recent show ‘It’s a Sin’ was as much a shock to Channel 4 bosses as it was to Davies himself. He felt compelled to write this as a matter of capturing a time in history where he felt insufficient record has been made. He says he was shocked that so many people, particularly the younger generation had not idea that this period had happened in our recent history. He wanted to capture a time of such joy and sorrow, and feels the success of the show is down to the actors, where sometimes you just got magic in the scenes. He also reveals that the title is not actually from the Pet Shop Boy’s song, but rather song from the 1930s ‘It’s a sin to tell a lie’, which had been in his head since his early years in Swansea, when his family used to sing it around their piano.

Julie, who played Cleo Whitaker in Davies’ Cucumber, one of three shows with Banana and Tofu, explored why these shows were not such as hit, concluding that they were probably ahead of their time, Streaming figures for the shows have spiked since It’s a Sin was broadcast and hopefully they will have the attention they deserve now.

Finally, Julie asked if Davies has to send something out into space which provided an aliens an impression of human life – what would it be. His response shows that despite his success of Queer as Folk, the programme that is and will always be his true love is Dr Who. Davies says that his progression from watching Dr Who as a small boy behind the sofa, to becoming the executive producer of the programme ‘proves that dreams can come true’. He says he would send a tiny Dalek into space, as Dr Who is an extraordinary gift to the world. It is actually Mr Davies himself that is that extraordinary gift to UK arts and television. He has a new show mulling in his head at the moment – but we will have to wait to find out what that is going to be about!

The post What maketh the Man? An interview with Russell T Davies: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

The programme was created by Green Carnation Company, working with film-makers Bloody Bandit Production and local performers. This featured on the first week programme of Hope Mill Theatre’s annual LGBTQIA+ theatre festival Turn On Fest.

The stand out films of this production are ‘Draw Four’ by Lorna Rose Treen and ‘Prove It’ by Lynsey Cullen. Draw Four explores the changing perceptions around HIV and AIDs. In this film, we see a young women remembering a game of UNO around her Gran’s kitchen table when she was little. Her Mum tells them a neighbour has died from AIDS – an assumption she has made simply because he was gay. The dialogue is clever and has some wonderful one liners (for example about a Morrisey Tattoo), and makes clever use of tic-tacs, first as scoring counters for the game, and later as a little blue pill that stops transmission of HIV. The short video explores perceptions of people with HIV, from assumptions that it was a gay plague, to gay men being prevented from giving blood, to the current world where those who are HIV+ can be open about it and feel protected. Such massive steps have been made in a relatively short period of time (the lifetime of the woman telling her story).

Prove It is the most thought-provoking film in the series. A women has come to Britain from El Salvador, seeking asylum, escaping an arranged marriage and persecution because she is gay. The clock is ever present throughout the film, emphasising the fact she has to prove she is gay in the allotted time for her interview – just 45 minutes. She has had to hide the fact she is gay all through her life. There are not photos or messages to provide as evidence of her relationship with another woman, as the consequences of them being found would be grave. So how can she prove it? Her dream was never to come to Britain – she just wants to stop pretending she is someone she is not, and to stop being scared. This is a view on something many of us just take for granted – to be allowed to be who we are – which is impossible for scared and lonely LBGTQ+ people in so many other countries.

While these two stories and films are excellent the programme as a whole was a bit of a mixed bag. The evening was co-hosted by co-artistic directors Dan Ellis and Dan Jarvis. I understand their wish to convey their thought processes, interviews and the collaborations undertaken in development of each story, but their self-deprecating humour was a distraction, and perhaps in future, better kept well and truly behind the scenes.

The first performance left me completely confused and prepared to turn off straight away. It felt like the sole aim of the monologue was to squeeze in as many swear words as possible – if it had been the F word Olympics – a gold medal would have been awarded! Was it meant to shock? It didn’t – it just felt unnecessary and an excuse for not writing better dialogue. The title ‘Fluid’ and performed by Nick Maynard, explored fluidity of sexuality. I really felt that this subject could have been done without all the anger and aggression, and in doing so would have elicited much greater understanding and acceptance than this performance.

Lunchboxes by Matt Gurr explored the experience of being a gay dad to a little girl and the prejudices encountered by both. I did at one point shout at the screen – ‘get a grip man’, and the father’s process of making tuna sandwiches left a lot to be desired – after delicately buttering the bread, adding tuna and then completely squashing the whole thing – leaving a man-sized handprint on the final product!

The fact that 5 films were recorded during the past 12 months of Covid has to be applauded. However, my final gripe, one of the host’s said: ‘and along came Little Miss Covid’ – why does he think it should be given a female gender? Let’s not play down the serious impact this virus has, and is having, on the theatre industry and on the lives of every one of us, every day. The pandemic is not something to be taken lightly (as per a Little Miss character). The co-hosts need to ensure their script is as carefully crafted as that of the films in future.

Queer All About it was streamed on 19 March as part of Hope Mill Theatre‘s Turn on Fest 2021.

It’s A Sin star, Nathaniel Hall caught HIV aged 16, ‘First Time’ tells his story

The post Queer All About It at Turn On Fest 2021: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Following a highly successful debut in 2020, Hope Mill Theatre announces rescheduled dates for Turn On Fest 2021, the annual LGBTQIA+ festival in partnership with Superbia, Manchester Pride’s year-round programme of arts and culture. And what an exciting programme of events it has in store this year!

The festival explores themes of gender, sexuality and identity, with events from key figures in the LGBTQIA+ space, and new, exciting talent as part of Hope Mill’s mission to develop and celebrate LGBTQIA+ local artists in Manchester.

Due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, the festival is going completely online, running from 17 to 28 March 2021. The venue will also be hosting online queer socials and panel discussions throughout the festival. So you can watch events from the comfort of your living room! The tickets are selling like hotcakes – so book now.

Headlining Turn On Fest 2021 is an evening in conversation with Hope Mill Theatre patron, Russell T Davies at 8pm on Saturday 20 March 2021. The evening is hosted by actress Julie Hesmondhalgh looks at Davies’ incredible career writing for film and television, including the ground-breaking Queer As Folk, and his newest Channel 4 drama, It’s A Sin.

Ru Paul’s drag star Divina De Campo is joined by special guests in An Hour with Divina De Campo for two performances on Saturday 27 March 2021 , directed by Kirk Jameson.

An Evening with Ryan Jamaal Swain sees the star of smash hit television series Pose discuss his career as a dancer and writer in an online discussion on Friday 26 March.

Superbia, Hope Mill Theatre’s partnering organisation, will host two key events within the festival. And Manchester based company, Green Carnation Theatre is screening four short monologue films called Queer All About It, in an evening of film, discussion and conversation.

Hope Mill Theatre has also offered development grants worth £1,000 as well as mentoring to four Manchester based queer theatre makers, Maz Hedgehog, Suriya Aisha, Finley Letchford-Dobs and Emma Hinds. These four local LGBTQIA+ individuals will showcase and develop their work while receiving marketing support, mentorship and rehearsal space.

The festival is now on sale and streamed events can be booked by visiting: hopemilltheatre.co.uk. There will be an option to purchase a festival pass to access all events throughout the festival.

The post Rescheduled LGBTQIA+ Turn On Festival well worth the wait! appeared first on Quays Life.

The entire play is set in Guy’s living room, which is decorated modestly but for a continuous strip of curved neon lighting that underpins the stage. This no doubt denotes Guy’s conflicting desire to settle down with a loving partner and his wish to have the sexual confidence of his friends.

The eponymous Reg never appears in the play, but his legacy is central to the development of the piece. He’s described as both attractive and ugly; promiscuous and loving, depending on who is recalling their time with him. I personally love plays that employ the ‘unseen’ character plot device, it keeps the audience on its toes (think Daisy Renton in J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls); it adds a fresh dimension to the story being told and displays a real confidence by the writer.

Guy (Simon Hallman) plays the archetypal parental figure. He’s a safe pair of hands; he holds a torch for John (Nicholas Anscombe) and holds the play and the friends together. By doing so he’s withdrawn from the ‘active’ search for love and therefore can be trusted with the group’s inner-most secrets.

One by one, each confides in Guy and shares their thoughts, desires and more importantly their moments with Reg. This lays the foundation for a conveyor belt of sharp witticisms and double entendres. Would these still resonate a quarter of a century later? In short, yes.

The two-act play isn’t, as is common, front loaded. By this I mean the first act is a short 35-minutes. After a 20-minute interval, act two is 75-minutes. This, however, works well, as the first act introduces us to the key cast members while giving a nod to those that are yet to appear in the second. When Benny (Steve Connelly) and Bernie (Marc Geoffrey) appear in the second act, we feel we already know them.

Ironically, My Night with Reg is now more than ever a period drama-comedy where nods are made to over-ear headphones; men wearing dungarees; music by the Police; and vinyl records. Also, although never specifically referenced or laboured the action falls under an uncertain shadow of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that permeated the decade. The characters share experiences of wild, raucous and sometimes unprotected sexual encounters – the consequences of which slowly begin to take their toll.

My Night with Reg is a nostalgic window onto the gay scene of 1980’s London with an intrinsic message for today of friendship, love and longing, that everyone can relate to.

My Night with Reg by Kevin Elyot has been revived by Green Carnation Company. It is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 23 to 25 January 2020. See website for full tour details.

The post My Night With Reg: Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Where did the concept originate?
Darren: “Voguing is a dance style that originated in New York in the 70s and 80s. Being black, Latino and gay was dangerous at that time, with many individuals living on the streets, getting into drugs or prostitution. Drag Queens and older Queens in New York took these kids off the streets into their homes to keep them safe. As a way of giving back, the kids took the name of the Queens, and became members of that Vogue House”.

So what is voguing all about?
Darren: “Voguing is dance style involving formations to do with posing: For example, recreating famous model poses on the cover of Vogue magazine, or of Queens and Pharaohs in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The style started in Harlem ballrooms in the early 1960s, and over the years has evolved into something far more intricate and acrobatic. “Voguing, and in particular the Ball, offers a platform to every walk of life and every age, and allows you to release your inner diva! The ball is essentially an extravaganza of costume and class, dance and drama!”

How did you first become involved on the Vogue scene?
Darren: “I first became inspired by the culture when visiting gay clubs in Liverpool during the 80s. I fell in love with due to its free expression. As I pursued a career as a professional dancer and choreographer, I broadened my vocabulary of the different vogue elements. In 2006, I set up my company House of Suarez and through that developed my own choreographic and signature movement, and have been running the Vogue Ball since then!”

Tell us more about the Vogue Ball at the Manchester Academy – what can we expect?
Darren: “The Ball this year is taking inspiration from the watery world of Atlantis and it’s the biggest event we have put on yet! I picked the Atlantis theme because of all the news about environmental impact of plastic in our oceans; and with the recent the launch of the DC Comics film ‘Aquaman’ it seemed such a topical subject. Also, the mystery of Atlantis is something that makes us thing about fantastical images about mermaids and hidden underwater cities, which lends itself to lots of creativity around this theme and to some amazing costumes!
“This year the ball is bigger and fiercer with a lot more sass, with a bigger runway that we have had before, and all things nautical but nice! The Ball is built around five categories which Vogue Houses will compete in: Fantasy, Solo, Lip Sync, Sex Siren and Choreography”.

Who will be performing?
Darren: “The House of Suarez is very unique in that we fuse vogue with other genres of dance and theatre to create the event. Most of the houses performing are from UK, and also from Holland. We encourage the houses to explore the varied styles of vogue, as well as other dance influences or theatre. I am really proud of the opening piece which I have choreographed which gives a really good introduction to both the theme and what to expect from the rest of the night”.

What does the winner receive as a prize?
Darren: “The categories are scrutinised by an esteemed panel of judges, from professional dance backgrounds, key figures from voguing culture, and others in the public eye. The winner of each category receives a trophy and obviously all the kudos in the vogue scene that goes along with that!”

What sort of music will be accompanying the dancers?
Darren: “The vogue style goes really well with house music. The houses mix their own music to enable them to tell a story through each piece of performance”.

Is there anything else you would like to say about the show and are tickets still available?
Darren: “This Vogue Ball will be creative and flamboyant and will exude the most enthusiastic energy from performers and audience alike. We are bringing some of the best voguers and choreographers around who I know are going to pull out all the stops to be as outrageous and outstanding as possible. Manchester is in for quite a night!”

House of Suarez and Contact Vogue Ball 2020, Ball of Atlantis is at Manchester Academy 1 on 29 Feb 2020. See website for details.

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After a glorious rendition of ‘Don’t rain of my parade’, host Belinda Scandal, looking fabulous in a black jumpsuit with sparkly orange bolero to match her hair, introduced us some of the artists who will be performing during the festival to the full house audience!

First up is, Jackie Hagan, who speaks about two shows on consecutive Saturday nights of the festival: Mother’s Ruin: SPEAKS & Mother’s Ruin. Jackie, a multi-award-winning poet, comedian and playwright, is known to drink cut price lager from her false leg, although last night she enjoyed a glass of wine from the bar. These shows promise glorious queer cabaret and performance by LGBTQ+ artists from Manchester and beyond.

Next, we were promised watermelons smashing on the stage in a newly commissioned work, ‘As British as a Watermelon’ by Mandla Rae. Mandla explains that this show is based on their experience of being an illegal immigrant in UK, the journey they have been on to apply to the British, and what that means to them. Mandla said: ‘It’s exciting to see new work by queer performers in Manchester, especially that there are lots of new names performing’.

Another new commission, ‘Twisted Bollywood’ will see two mothers discuss preparations for an arranged queer marriage for their daughters. There will be a spot of Bollywood dancing in Stand By Your Trans, where gender minorities take centre stage, and you can sign up to Manchester’s first trans open mic.

Turn on Fest is a showcase of Manchester-based LGBTQ+ artists, theatre, cabaret, panel discussions, development workshops hosted by Hope Mill Theatre in collaboration with Superbia (Manchester PRIDE) and Mother’s Ruin. The event has received funding from the Arts Council, enabling the commission of four new pieces of work from a diverse group of artists, which includes dance and new writing.

‘We hope that this is the start of something exciting for those individual artists who have won commissions”, says Joseph Houston, artistic director of Hope Mill Theatre “After a call out – which received an incredible response – we worked with Superbia to choose a group of four artists to work on an idea and see it through to a short, staged piece of work. From dance, to spoken word to the idea for a new play, we can’t wait to share these exciting pieces which hopefully one day will be seen through to a fully realised production.
“We hope that the festival will eventually become an annual event for our great city.”

Greg Thorpe, Project Manager for Superbia, a programme of new work at Manchester Pride, welcomed the new festival: “Superbia at Manchester Pride works with LGBTQ artists all year round and we are so excited to support this new platform to share their work at one of our favourite venues in the city. We will be co-curating the Turn on Fest for 2020 and we know it will be a thrilling and necessary addition to our queer arts calendar.”

Greg was joined at the launch by some of the artists in the Superbia portfolio who are performing at Turn on Fest. These include: Maz Hedgehog, renowned poet, Superbia Chapbook author and established live performer, will be forming a longer solo stage show in the festival. James Henson, talked about ‘Nobody’s Watching’ taking part as one of five dancers from the LGBT community, who return to dance, to show its empowerment and the complex relationship of the LGBT community to the formalities and traditions of the dance world. There will also be a chance to catch Wolf Hours, where artist, Minute Taker performs an intimate musical and vocal score, accompanying a series of stunning new short films.

Following such a funny interview with the performers and writers at the launch I’m looking forward to ‘Barbara’. The show is based loosely on the grandmother of writer and performer, Mark Croasdale. On her death, Mark’s grandmother gifted Hope Mill Theatre the gorgeous baby grand piano you can see in the bar. And he remembers her sing-songs around the piano, as well as her candle-lit suppers, and her crumpets (with butter – no jam). The show features music from the 40s and 50s, including music found in the piano stool after it had arrived at Hope Mill. Mark says he’s not sure what his grandmother would think about the show since at one point she (played by Mark) will be doing a tap dance, but, in the price of the ticket, you will receive a crumpet, and in respect to Barbara – only with butter – no jam!

Another must-see for me is headline show, ‘Absolute Certainty’ from Qweerdog Theatre, which explores the complex issue of dealing with homophobia when no one wants to talk about it. A favourite from the Greater Manchester Fringe, it is being revived for Turn on Fest.

Turn on Fest at Hope Mill Theatre runs from 14 January to 1 February 2020. See hopemilltheatre.co.uk for details.

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Oh, Manchester! You did us proud this year. What an incredible Pride.  Here’s six fabulous reasons why you should be so proud of yourself:

1. Proud of the colour

The whole of Manchester took Pride to heart – with just about every single shop window festooned in rainbow colours, balloons and flags. That is the whole of the city from Deansgate all the way up to Piccadilly and beyond!

Canal street looked absolutely wonderful with its sailcloth flags in the rainbow colours, with its love heart messages.  The parade was spectacular – from the individual marchers to the incredible floats and balloons – this year with its futuristic theme – reflecting back on a watershed moment in the gay liberation movement and looking forward to a more equal future. 

The loudest, proudest, most flamboyant spectacle of the weekend, was definitely the procession – made up of more than 10,000 participants marching and riding floats through the city centre, while tens of thousands more people lined the streets to cheer them on. We saw Coronation Street Stars to all 10 queens from the upcoming RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K. march along the route .

Even the foundations in Piccadilly gardens lit up with rainbow colours at night, transforming from a wonderful cool-down area for kids during the day, to an atmospheric wonderland at night.

And, of course, the colours were magnified a million times over by the people and their outfits. From flags worn as kilts or capes, to the wonderful drag queens – everyone dressed up for this spectacle!

2. Proud of the music

Whether you went to the Gay Village or got tickets for Manchester Live at the Mayfield Venue, music was at the heart of Pride. Manchester Pride is so much like Mardi Gras – with different sorts of music around every corner. In a single walk around the village we were treated to no end of different musical styles. There was line dancing at the top end, a crowd doing Bhangra outside The Molly House; some classic 90s music pumping outside Vanilla; on the stage outside New York New York, Polly was getting the crowds dancing and singing; then, just as we sat down to chill by Sackville Gardens, a Scottish pipe band marched past on its way to their performance on stage, together with Scottish dancing.

The Mayfield Venue was the setting for the first Manchester Pride Live over the Saturday and Sunday, with some big acts, including Ariana Grande. We had tickets for Saturday night and enjoyed an amazing set by Emelie Sande and Years and Years to name just a couple of the big names on the evening’s terrific line-up. The venue also hosted a series of DJ sets from artists such as Basement Jaxx, Faithless and Sink the Pink Djs.

3. Proud of the weather

Manchester usually gets a good ribbing when it comes to being the rainy city of the north, but this bank holiday weekend, the sun was shining on us. With the hottest Bank Holiday on record – what better excuse for everyone to flaunt themselves – T-shirts were off – and that’s not just the men!

4. Proud of the glitter

Glitter manufacturers must have made a fortune this year. No doubt, the hotels will be trying to get rid of it for months to come! Everyone by the end of the weekend must have been carrying glitter about their person – whether intended or not. Face painting seemed a prerequisite this year and the artists were in abundance around the village. Whether you wanted to look like an Amazon, become a walking Diamanté sculpture or fancied your beard fully glitz – there were glitter fairy godmothers everywhere to make it happen. Just about everyone seemed to have something – even one of the policemen we chatted to was rocking his full-glitter-beard!

5. Proud of the people

Pride weekend was an inclusive celebration as people came together from every age group, colour, nationality, and sexuality – all mixing, talking and enjoying themselves.

Yes, a small number of protestors tried to make their voices heard – but they were drowned out by the crowds. 

Major kudos must also go to all the volunteers from those collecting donations to those marshalling the Parade, to the paramedics who were on hand throughout, in their Pride covered ambulances, to the police, who were fantastic in chatting with the crowd and making sure everyone was OK.

The bars were packed – whether inside the various clubs and pubs around the Village, or the pop-up bars with their own DJs. Our favourite had to be the fabulous ladies serving from a pop-up bar in a garage outside Vanilla.  The staff were friendly, welcoming and absolutely fabulous!

6. Proud of the spirit

The poet, Tony Walsh aka Longfellow’s message was so clear in Manchester this Bank Holiday Weekend

“They’ve covered the cobbles, but they’ll never defeat, all the dreamers and schemers who still teem through these streets. Because this is a place that has been through some hard times: oppressions, recessions, depressions, and dark times”

Despite a handful of protestors, the majority of people at Pride will not be defeated.  We will dream for a future that is equal for everyone, we will scheme for a bigger and better Pride next year.  We have been through dark times, but the incredible spectacle that Manchester pulled off this year shows how resilient we are.  So – book your hotels for next year and start buying your glitter because Manchester Pride is not an event to be missed. Roll on 2020!

Luxury, music icons and drag queens – 48 hours in Liverpool.

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