25th Dec2018

The Band (Theatre)

by timbaros
TheBandThe new show ‘The Band’ is not, as you might think, a musical about Take That – but it damn well should’ve been.
What we get is a show about four forty-something women who reunite after not having seen other for a long time to see their favorite boy band (now of course no longer a boy band) at a reunion tour concert in Prague. Why Prague you might ask? Because one of the women won a competition to see the band perform there. Why couldn’t one of them have bought tickets to a more local show if they loved the band so much? Well that would’ve been too easy and would’ve left out one of the major plot points of this show – a broken penis.
 
Yes, a broken penis. You see, while the women are in Prague, they get a bit carried away and break the penis off of a priceless statue. Now, if this would happen in real life the women would’ve gotten heavily fined, and perhaps jail time. But when said penis, which is attached to a statue that actually does come to life (before said penis is broken off), with the penis visible for all the audience to see, it makes for one of the most unintentional laughable moments in the West End. It’s not just laughable – it’s shockable! Who signed off on this scene? And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take That’s big hit ‘Relight My Fire’ is sung while the characters (while still schoolgirls) are on a bus heading home from a concert, with the carefully hand-picked cast of the boy singers dressed up in bondage gear (with horse helmuts). And then all of a sudden out of nowhere one of the girls is killed. Hmmm?
 
Other head scratcher is when the song ‘Never Forget’ is sung by the fab five in an airport lounge. There is also a bit of fat shaming in the show (one of the women is obese). Did I mention that the boys can’t really hold a tune and sing in harmony? Or in tune? Not once is the band introduced as characters, meanwhile they glossfully sing in the background to scenes that have no real connection to the songs.
This is a jukebox musical that is as empty as a machine with no quarters in it. Sure the songs are great (who doesn’t love a Take That song or two), and one of the women happens to be Lesbian, and AJ Bentley has the strongest vocals of all, but what do you expect from a musical show where the singers (boyband) were chosen from a reality television show?
Whoever signed off on this mess should be really ashamed of themselves. Robbie, Howard, Gary and Mark – you listening?
Category : Theatre
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25th Dec2018

1985 (Film)

by timbaros
1985-a-2The year is 1985. AIDS had already started to rear its ugly head. It’s also the year that Adrian comes home for perhaps the last time.

‘1985’ is a tear-your-heart out little film about one New Yorkers journey back home to see his family at Christmas. Cory Michael Smith is just incredible as Adrian, a young man going back home to Texas after a three year absence to see his father, mother and little brother. But it’s really not a festive time for him – for all the lies and deceits that Adrian tells his family – that his life in New York is just amazing, with a good job and great friends, all this could be further from the truth. Adrian’s friends back in NYC are all dying or dead – including his partner. Adrian has been to six funerals in that year alone, and he faces the grim fact that he is not immune to the disease that has slowly crept up on gay men like himself. With a doting mother who takes care of all his needs while he is at home (a graceful and saintly Virginia Madsen), a tough religious father who lives his life by the bible (Michael Chiklis), and a soft younger brother who is into theatre (Aidan Langford), it’s up to Adrian to secretly say goodbye to everyone (including his best friend Carly, played by the wonderful Jamie Chung).

Directed and co-written by Yen Tan, ‘1985’ is a small film that packs quite a punch. It’s one hour and 25 minutes that will hold your attention throughout, with gripping performances, and an equally stunning soundtrack, and will have you reaching for the tissue box many times. Reminiscent of Xavier Dolan’s ‘It’s Only the End of the World’ (where a terminally ill writer (assumed sick with AIDS) returns home to tell his family he is dying), ‘1985’ is a much much better film. With a perfect cast, including Madsen who is just simply amazing, as well as Chung, ‘1985’ is a great film in every sense of the word, and excellently captures that time in 1985 when President Ronald Regan had yet to utter the ‘AIDS’ word and when hundreds of young men were dying and there was no treatment available, nothing could be done for them. Tan, along with the cast and crew, in a film beautifully shot in black and while (by Hutch, who also co-wrote the film), have pulled off quite an achievement with this film. Every gay man under 50 really needs to watch this film to understand what gay men over 50 were dealing with in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. 
Category : Film
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