mycroft_brolly

Photo courtesy All Out

Summary:

HOORAY!
On Tuesday 21 May, the UK House of Commons passed the Equal Marriage Bill with a vote of 366 to 161.
The next stop is the House of Lords.
Bring it on!

You can read a full report of its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons here:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/uk-mps-vote-gay-marriage-third-reading210513
http://www.standard.co.uk/panewsfeeds/gay-marriage-plan-backed-by-mps-8626165.html

The new London Walks Summer 2013 leaflet is out, covering May 1 to October 31.

I did two London Walks with Richard IV in February 2011. Richard IV is the London Walks's Sherlock specialist.

This is the feedback that I provided on the Walks:

Rakshita Patel - London
February 2011

"Yesterday, me and a friend did Richard IV's "In the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes" walk, which Richard runs every Friday afternoon. Today, I did Richard IV's "Sherlock Holmes saves the Nation" walk, which he does as a one-off every now and again. I have also done Richard IV's Arthur Conan Doyle walk in the past.

Having done these walks, I felt compelled to write in and say that I think Richard IV is an excellent guide - one of the best - he is superb. All the walks were excellent and I loved every minute of them (even though the second was plagued with rain!!!). I have done a few London walks and have enjoyed each and every one and have recommended the company to friends and family. But Richard IV is the best guide I have had. He is knowledgeable, informed and entertaining. Thank you Richard IV!!!"

The feedback is on the London Walks Website here:
http://www.walks.com/index.aspx?pageID=313

Therefore, I am highly recommending the "In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes" Walk. The Walk runs every Friday, starting at 2pm from Embankment Tube station. More details about the Walk is available on the London Walks website. Follow the link:
http://www.walks.com/London_Walks_Home/Fridays_Walks/default.aspx#12877

Richard IV is also doing a couple of one-off walks this season. They are:

2.30pm, Saturday 17 August 2013
The Arthur Conan Doyle Walk: The Adventures of Sherlock's Creator
Meeting Point - Piccadilly Circus Tube by Eros statue

2.30pm, Sunday 25 August 2013
Sherlock Holmes Saves the Nation!: The Great Detective's Westminster
Meeting Point - Green Park Tube north exit



The home page of the London Walks website is here for general information about the company and their Walks:
http://www.walks.com/

Cut and pasted from the Radio Times website:

Clara receives a letter summoning her to a mysterious meeting, where she is given a message for the Doctor. The meaning is uncertain, but when an enemy strikes the Time Lord is left with no choice but to travel to the one place in time and space he should never go - into a deadly trap that threatens to unravel his past, present and future. Last in the series.

Doctor Who will return in November for the much anticipated 50th anniversary special.

Follow the links to the Radio Times features on this episode:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-11/steven-moffats-doctor-who-episode-guide-the-finale
http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/wptwb/doctor-who--the-name-of-the-doctor
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-13/doctor-who-the-name-of-the-doctor-preview-fans-will-think-the-anniversary-has-come-early

This is the series finale so I am running BOTH trailers!:





Twitter @bbcdoctorwho

Photo credit: http://www.kinokulture.org.uk/

This House gets its NT Live today, so it will be broadcast live from the National Theatre into cinemas across the UK and around the world.

Cut and pasted from the National Theatre Website:

This House

1974. The UK faces economic crisis and a hung parliament. In a culture hostile to cooperation, it’s a period when votes are won or lost by one, when there are fist fights in the bars and when sick MPs are carried through the lobby to register their vote.

Let those on the continent cooperate and hug and kiss each other on the ruddy cheek. Here in Britain, one party governs and we get things done.

It’s a time when a staggering number of politicians die, and the building creaks under idiosyncrasies and arcane traditions.

A minority government? No one with any sense or gumption gives you more than a matter of weeks. You’re gonna fall, and fast, and hard. So start finding things to land on. Now.

Set in the engine rooms of Westminster, James Graham’s This House strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes: the whips who roll up their sleeves and on occasion bend the rules to shepherd and coerce a diverse chorus of MPs within the Mother of all Parliaments.

This country is being kept alive on aspirin when what it needs is electric bloody shock therapy.

Following a sell-out run in the Cottesloe, James Graham’s acclaimed play transfers to the Olivier Theatre from February 2013.

The trailer is here:


For full production details follow the link:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/this-house

The NT Live website, where you can find out more information about the production and also find your nearest cinema showing NT Live, is here:
http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/

Raks's says

I have been lucky enough to see this production live at the National Theatre, both in its original home in the Cottesloe and also in the Olivier.

The set in both theatres is simply stunning. A key part of the set is a recreation of the House of Commons. As a civil servant, I have been to the Commons many times and I can honestly say that the first time I walked into the Cottesloe, with the This House set in situ, it really felt like walking into the Palaces of Westminster. In both the Cottesloe and the Olivier the National Theatre have managed to have audience members seated on the benches in the Commons and this really adds to the atmosphere of the piece.

I actually think the show is better in the Olivier than it was in the Cottesloe. I feel the play benefits from having a bigger space to fill and play in. After all, the play depicts momentous events and affairs of state and I feel the Olivier is a better stage for the play because it gives it added grandeur and gravitas, which is what the Commons should have!

To capture the play in a nutshell, it puts British Parliamentary democracy, and all its associated procedures, customs and traditions under a microscope, and examines its strengths and weaknesses in depth, with a huge amount of attention to detail. I found it to be a very enjoyable night out at the theatre.

As the play is about Britain in a time of economic crisis, when there was a hung Parliament, and focuses on the Coalitions that had to be made, and the deals that had to be struck, the play is very pertinent and relevant to today.

From a personal point of view, looking at the Labour and the Tory Whips Offices, and the goings-on in each, if I had to choose between the two I would definitely choose to hang out with the Tories - they appeared to be more fun and have more fun! I thoroughly enjoyed Charles Edwards's performance as Tory Whip Jack Weatherill - I really felt that Charles captured the essence of a typical Tory man.

To summarise, I would recommend this play to everyone, but especially to those with an interest in British politics and current affairs, who want an insider's guide into the nuts and bolts of British Parliamentary democracy and how Westminster actually works.

Highly recommended and in cinemas across the UK and worldwide today!

Cut and pasted from the Radio Times website:

The Doctor and Clara have ended up with a couple of extra companions, whose first trip in the Tardis brings them to Hedgewick's World of Wonders, once known as the greatest theme park in the galaxy. Sadly it has seen better days and is now home to a shabby showman, a chess-playing dwarf and a dysfunctional army platoon. However, there is an even bigger surprise in store for the Time Lord with the re-emergence of one of his oldest foes - the Cybermen are back, and they're deadlier than ever.

Follow the links to the Radio Times features on this episode:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-04/steven-moffats-doctor-who-episode-guide-nightmare-in-silver
http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/wkw9c/doctor-who--series-7---13-nightmare-in-silver
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-05/doctor-who-neil-gaiman-sets-the-scene-for-nightmare-in-silver

This is the trailer:



Twitter @bbcdoctorwho

Photo courtesy Peter Tatchell Foundation

Last month (on Tues 23 April) Peter Tatchell very kindly asked me to be part of a Peter Tatchell Foundation delegation to the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was part of Peter's ongoing Commonwealth Campaign to speak up and take action against the persecution of LGBT people in Commonwealth nations.

I wrote a piece on why I wanted to be part of the delegation and why the campaign for equal rights for LGBT people in the Commonwealth is important to me personally.

Operation Black Vote have now been good enough to run the piece on their website and it can be found here:
http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/why-commonwealth-should-act-lgbt-rights

I have also published the full unedited piece below.

Time for the Commonwealth to act on LGBT rights by Rakshita Patel

Last month I was part of a Peter Tatchell Foundation delegation to the Commonwealth Secretariat. We met with Commonwealth officials to discuss how the Commonwealth can best advance Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) human rights.

Why was I part of the delegation and why is the campaign for equal rights for LGBT people in the Commonwealth important to me?

I define myself as British. I was born in England and I have lived my whole life in England. But I have Indian heritage, as my parents were both born and brought up in India, and they came to England in the 1960s.

I am part of the Black and Asian (Commonwealth) diaspora living in England. There is a real connection between Black and Asian British people and the Commonwealth nations as most Black and Asian people have family and relatives “back home”, and there is frequent and regular contact via phone calls, visits back and forth, letters and, nowadays, social media channels eg Facebook, and the internet.

Although I am straight, I have been a lifelong supporter of LGBT rights. I have always been passionate about equalities in general, and I firmly believe that if we, as BME people, are committed to achieving race equality then we should be equally passionate about ensuring equal rights for everyone, and we should show solidarity with our LGBT brothers and sisters.

I have been increasingly worried and disturbed by the way LGBT people are viewed and treated in some parts of the Commonwealth. To cite specific examples, Uganda has a “Kill the Gays” Bill and Nigeria has a “Jail the Gays” Bill currently before their Parliaments, which propose prison sentences, and even the death penalty, for LGBT people. Regardless of whether you believe homosexuality to be right or wrong, this is clearly unacceptable.

Nearly 80% of Commonwealth countries still criminalize homosexuality – the Commonwealth has 54 member states and 43 of them still criminalize homosexuality. These 43 Commonwealth nations represent a majority of the 79 countries worldwide where homosexuality remains a crime.

This makes me sad and leaves me disappointed. I would like the Commonwealth to be the gold standard on human rights laws and equalities issues and to live up to the Commonwealth ideals and values.

Following the meeting Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, and one of the UK’s leading gay rights campaigners said:
“While some progress is being made, it is painfully slow. More reform is needed urgently. Successful pressure for change in the Commonwealth is most likely to come from within the member states … that’s why it is so important to empower and support indigenous LGBT and human rights defenders.”

My hope following the meeting is that the Commonwealth officials will have listened and understood and will continue to fight the persecution and oppression of LGBT people in the Commonwealth and work towards the decriminalization of homosexuality across the Commonwealth.

Only then can the Commonwealth claim to treat all of its citizens with dignity and respect, and to have delivered true equality for its citizens.


copyright © Rakshita Patel 2013

Cut and pasted from the New Diorama Theatre Website:

The Universal Machine: A New Musical about the Life and Death of Alan Turing
16 April to 11 May 2013

It’s 1927. Young Alan Turing is at school developing the work of Einstein and Newton while doing anything to get out of PE.

It’s 1942. Newly engaged Alan Turing has done the impossible and broken the Nazi Naval Enigma Machine and secured the Battle of the Atlantic for the Allied Forces.

It’s 1954. After being arrested, Alan Turing is found dead at his home next to a half-eaten apple laced with cyanide.

The Universal Machine tells Alan Turing’s dense life story from his school days at Sherbourne, his time at the infamous Station X at Bletchley Park during World War Two, and his arrest for homosexuality and tragic death. This complex re-examination of Alan’s life and work tells the story of a man who could make machines think but struggled to make connections with those around him.

Written and directed by PIT and New Diorama Artistic Director David Byrne with music composed by Night Engine's Dominic Brennan with movement from Gecko Theatre's Associate Director Rich Rusk, The Universal Machine is part of the Alan Turing Centenary Celebrations.

For full details and to book tickets, follow the link:
http://newdiorama.com/whats-on/the-universal-machine

Raks's Reaction

I went to see The Universal Machine tonight (Wednesday 8 May) at the New Diorama Theatre and this is my very personal reaction to the piece.

When I first heard that they were doing a musical about the life and death of Alan Turing my reaction was ??? But I saw The Universal Machine: A New Musical about the Life and Death of Alan Turing tonight and I will say straight up that I was wrong wrong wrong - this production works, it REALLY works! And I absolutely LOVED it!

I would say that one of the key underlying themes is about being different, and the high price that people often have to pay for being different.

The first section is about Turing's school days at Sherbourne. There is a whole sequence about the school's focus on sports, games and on competition, and how this was not Turing at all. It very effectively conveyed his sense of isolation at the school, until he meets Chris, a fellow student, with whom he shares a love of Maths, a highly intelligent mind, and with whom he forms a very deep friendship and a profound bond. The school shared Turing's mother opinion of her son which was that he was not "normal", whatever normal is. Turing and Chris make plans to go to Cambridge together, but Chris dies of TB before that comes to pass, and Turing is left isolated and alone again. This quite broke my heart, and I really felt Turing's loss of the one person in his life so far who understood him and truly cared about him.

I actually really identified with Turing because I was also absolutely useless at all sports and PE at school, no one would ever pick me to be on their team, and I was also very geeky and introverted, preferring my own company and that of my books, to the company of the other girls in the school.

The action then moves to Bletchley Park and World War 2 and the various attempts to crack the Enigma code. It is here that Turing has the genius idea of designing and building a machine to crack the code, as machines can think so much faster than humans. You get the impression that when Turing was working, and using his brain to its maximum potential, he found real fulfilment in his work. Turing was one of the key people who helped win the War for Britain by cracking the Enigma code, although his personal contribution was secret and therefore never acknowledged or recognised as it should have been. The musical also explored Turing's engagement at this time - his attempt to be "normal" and to lead a "normal" life, one that would be accepted by society.

With the War won, and over, Turing's work is done, his papers and his machines destroyed, and you get the feeling that with his top secret and very important work gone, his life going forwards would be empty and without purpose. Most especially because he could not live the life that he wanted, openly and without shame and persecution - the life of a gay man.

The final section deals with Turing's fall from grace (he admitted a relationship with another man), his prosecution, his chemical castration, and his suicide. For me personally, a man loving another man, and having a sexual relationship with another man, is not "gross indecency" - it is a deep and lasting love, pure and simple. But in those days, a gay relationship was illegal, it was "gross indecency", and Turing undergoes a chemical castration. Unable to live a life true to himself, and with his work gone, there is little point in going on and he commits suicide.

I found it very touching and moving that his mother refused to accept that her son had committed suicide - "he was not weak". She wanted to prove that it had all been an accident; a scientific experiment that had gone wrong.

The focus of Turing's work was on looking at the question "Can machines think?". In this, as in so many other ways, he was of course well ahead of his time. We do indeed now have machines and computers that are intelligent, that can "learn", and that can adapt based on their "learning" ie we now have machines that can "think" (up to a point!).

So Turing's story was about someone who was a genius, who contributed significantly to winning the War for Britain, but who was not normal but different, and the high price that he paid for being different at a time when you had to conform to society's norms.

The whole cast were excellent but I particularly wanted to commend Richard Delaney, playing Alan Turing. He brought Turing to life, as a fully rounded 3-dimensional character, who had integrity. An exceptional performance.

Turing's story hit home for me as I myself am "different" - I am also "not normal". I am British, of Indian heritage, someone who chose to marry for love outside of the Asian community. I am now divorced, and I am not a wife or a mother. I feel I have no worth within my "home" community - the Asian community. I am a middle-aged single woman, living a free life down in London, away from her family and her community, a Public Sector worker, not a doctor, lawyer, accountant etc, with a passion for the Arts not the Sciences. I definitely do NOT conform to the Asian society's norms. I am most definitely an outsider, and I will never be accepted within my community, because of who I am and the life choices that I have made. Very luckily for me, in today's British society, being different is allowed and permitted. It is something that can be celebrated.

Summary

I booked to see this because I wanted to learn more about Alan Turing. The production really works and I really enjoyed it. It brings that period in British history to life (I was transported back to Sherbourne, Bletchley Park, and Manchester post-war), and tells Turing's personal story in depth and with integrity and compassion. I found the production deeply moving and very powerful. It told the story of a truly extraordinary and remarkable individual. In summary, this was excellent. An outstanding production. Highly recommended.

It closes this Saturday so if you want to see it I am afraid you will have to get your skates on!

More people should know about Alan Turing, his life, and his contribution.

Photo credit: http://toomuchflavour.co.uk/site2/some-like-it-hip-hop-extract-at-sadlers-wells-sampled-2011-review/

This feature was originally posted in October 2011 but I am re-running it because "Some Like It Hip Hop" is back at the Peacock Theatre. I loved this production when I saw it in 2011 and I am highly recommending it to everyone, and in particular to people with children and teenagers, especially if they are interested in dance.

Cut and pasted from the Sadler's Wells website:

"Some Like It Hip Hop", ZooNation Dance Company, Peacock Theatre
3 May 2013 – 30 Jun 2013

A street dance phenomenon, ZooNation’s smash-hit show Some Like It Hip Hop has been a runaway success since it exploded onto the Peacock Theatre stage in 2011, thrilling packed houses and prompting rapturous praise with five-star reviews and standing ovations. This spring, the hip hop hit makes a triumphant return to Sadler’s Wells’ West End home by popular demand!

Fast becoming a modern classic, this spectacular dance musical unites jaw-dropping choreography, “truly fabulous dancing” (Observer) and a clever storyline with infectious “wit, heart and magnificent energy” (The Independent). With a nod to Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Some Like It Hip Hop tells a comical tale of love, mistaken identity, cross-dressing and revolution, all played out in ZooNation’s trademark style of hip hop, comedy and physical theatre.

Directed by visionary Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, Some Like It Hip Hop also features a show-stopping, original soundtrack, terrific live singing and some of the UK’s more outstanding dance talent – and is perfect feel-good entertainment for all the family!

For more details on the production and to book tickets follow the link:
http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/ZooNation-Dance-Company-Some-Like-It-Hip-Hop-2013

Raks's Reaction

I LOVED THIS!

I see a fair amount of dance but I rarely write about it because I am not really qualified to do so (I did both tap and ballet when I was a little girl but gave both up before secondary school). However, that said, there is no way I was not going to talk about THIS!

The energy levels for this show are off the scale. The dance is street, urban and cool (old fogey language - I am an old fogey!). The tricks that some of these dancers can perform are mind-blowing. There is live singing which is out of this world. Unlike a lot of contemporary and modern dance, there is a real story, with a proper plot, told in this piece.

It spoke to me for a range of reasons. The hero loves books, yet is not portrayed as a "geek". The character is played by Tommy Franzen, one of the real stars of the show, and the piece shows that reading broadens and enriches your mind. Women dress up as men, because they are no longer allowed good jobs in the real world. They do this and the problems this leads to are comically portrayed. It clearly shows that women are the equals of men and as good as men (which of course we are!). It speaks about urban protest, revolution and standing up against authority for your rights (come on the revolution!). It has "LOVE". It speaks about family - especially the father/daughter relationship - and single parenting. And it has more to say about Grief and what it can do to a person than Mike Leigh's Grief at the National Theatre (I am being 100% sincere here). It is packed to the brim with energy, passion and ideas. The audience reception both through the piece and, specifically, at the end, where there is a proper grand finale was the like I have not seen in a West End Theatre for a long time (this was because there were a lot of young people in the audience and a lot of BME people in the audience). This is the sort of theatre and the sort of show I want to see on full-time in the West End, alongside all the other long-running muscials. Also, just like One Man, Two Guvnors, it shows people that theatre is fun and a great night out for all the family.

I am highly recommending this show to people with children and teenagers, especially Black boys and young Black men. This is not a "Black" show as such, but the vast majority of the dancers and singers are Black or mixed race, and the show has a lot of Black attitude and culture built into its DNA. It definitely has Black energy and passion running right through it. It shows these young people that Black and mixed race performers can be the leads on a West End stage. I want children and young people to see theatre that makes them feel alive and happy and that makes them want to become performers on the stage. This show is it! It will show boys and young men that dancing is hip and cool and not just for sissies. That you can be a real man, testosterone filled, and yet dance like an angel, and that this is something to aspire to, not denigrate and laugh at.

On a personal level, recently there was a project manager post advertised at a small charity which specialised in boxing and martial arts. I have no issue with martial arts. I have a huge issue with boxing. After a lot of soul-searching, I did not put in an application. Whilst I appreciate boxing can teach you disicpline, keep you fit, give you a positive and constructive outlet, teach you respect for authority and provide you with good role models, boxing's goal is to hit someone else's head so hard you knock them out. Over time this causes irreparable brain damage. How could I promote and support that? This is what I would want to promote and support and sell. High energy, creative, mind-blowing dance, that knocks the audience off their feet and delivers a standing ovation every night. I want children and young people to perform not box (sorry, as usual, I have got on my soapbox!).

I will get off my soapbox and say - I am highly recommending this to children and adults alike, it is a fun night out for all the family at the theatre, the dance and the music is mind-blowing, and the issues dealt with make you think and use your mind. Book to see it now!

Cut and pasted from the Radio Times website:

The people of a Victorian Yorkshire mill town are terrified when bodies start washing up from the river, bright red and wax-like - but with the Doctor and Clara nowhere to be seen, it's up to lizard detective Madame Vastra - last seen in 2012 Christmas special The Snowmen - and her sidekicks Jenny and Strax to take centre stage as they attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery. It seems the answer lies behind the imposing gates of Sweetville mill, owned by the plain-speaking Mrs Gillyflower.

This episode is penned by Mark Gatiss.

Follow the links to the Radio Times features on this episode:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-04-27/steven-moffats-doctor-who-episode-guide-the-crimson-horror
http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/wgxsc/doctor-who--the-crimson-horror
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-04-28/doctor-who-mark-gatiss-sets-the-scene-for-the-crimson-horror
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-04-30/doctor-who-the-crimson-horror---preview-pictures

This is the trailer:



Twitter @bbcdoctorwho

Photo credit: http://www.thelondonmagazine.co.uk/Going-Out/Reviews/The-Low-Road-at-the-Royal-Court.html

Cut and pasted from the Royal Court Website:

The Low Road
by Bruce Norris
23 March - 11 May 2013
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs

A young entrepreneur sets out on a quest for wealth with priceless ambition and a purse of gold.

A fable of free market economics and cut-throat capitalism.

For further details and to book tickets, follow the link:
http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/the-low-road

Bruce Norris won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play for Clybourne Park. It opened at the Royal Court in September 2010 to critical acclaim before transferring to the West End.

Raks's Reaction

I had booked to see this purely because I loved Bruce Norris's Clybourne Park and I wanted to see what he was going to come up with this time!

My reaction was ... WOW!

My very sincere genuine and heartfelt reaction to this play was that I thought it was absolutely amazing and it totally and utterly blew me away. A feast for the senses. A whirlwind adventure. A real tour de force. I just LOVED it! :)

As you can see from the Royal Court's description above, and also from the trailer on the website, the Royal Court are not giving away too much about the play in advance.

And I am honouring that.

I think the play is best experienced raw, without knowing anything at all in advance about it, so that you can just go to the theatre and let the play take you on the ride of a lifetime.

If I had to capture the play in a strapline, I would say it is about putting Capitalism, the Free Market, the Invisible Hand, Adam Smith, and his principles on trial. It is about exploring the clash between Good and Evil, and the interface between Capitalism and Morality.

It is exceptionally well-acted across the piece, mind-blowingly well-acted, by an ensemble of 20 actors, and the stagecraft involved in the piece quite simply takes your breath away. I was left speechless - and those who know me know that that NEVER happens!

I LOVE theatre when it engages your intellect, and all of your senses, and makes you think. This is it!

It is only May but I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I know this play and this production will undoubtedly be one of the best things I will see at the theatre this year. I have booked to see it again as I want to experience this one more time before it closes.

Highly highly highly recommended. Unmissable absolutely must-see theatre.

PS. You can buy the playscript at the theatre for £3 which, in my humble opinion, is unbeatable value-for-money!

Photo courtesy Peter Tatchell Foundation

Extract cut and pasted from Gay Star News:

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and his fellow campaigners met with Commonwealth officials last Tuesday (Tues 23 April) to press for more action on LGBT rights.

The Commonwealth, whose titular head is Queen Elizabeth, has 54 member states but 43 of them criminalize homosexuality – that’s a majority of the 79 countries worldwide where it is illegal to have gay sex.

Those at the meeting discussed how the Commonwealth can best advance lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) human rights – and work with other organisations to achieve this.

Tatchell said:

‘While some progress is being made, it is painfully slow. More reform is needed urgently.

The recently intensified state-sanctioned homophobic repression in Zambia, Uganda, Cameroon, Nigeria and The Gambia is a worrying trend.’

Tatchell believes the best chance of success is for countries to use the non-discrimination clauses of their own constitutions and human rights conventions they have already signed to inspire change.

‘That’s why it is so import to empower and support indigenous LGBTI and human rights defenders,’ he said.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma has repeatedly said homophobic persecution is inconsistent with Commonwealth values and international law.

Read more about the meeting here:
http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/call-rights-43-gay-sex-crime-countries250413 (this is the full article)
http://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/commonwealth/commonwealth-progress-more-reform-needed

Uprising
Photo credit: http://londondance.com/whats-on/shechter-uprising-the-art-of-not-looking-back/

Today (Monday 29 April) I went to see Uprising & The Art of Not Looking Back by the Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler's Wells.

Cut and pasted from the Sadler's Wells Website:

Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Hofesh Shechter has become one of the UK’s most celebrated young artists of recent years. He returns to present this thrilling double bill of two of his most acclaimed works for all-male and all-female companies respectively, Uprising and The Art of Not Looking Back.

Uprising (2006) is a highly-charged work that leaves audiences buzzing, as seven male dancers from Hofesh Shechter Company emerge from the shadows to bombard the stage with furious energy. Set to Shechter’s throbbing percussive score, this dynamic production plays with the idea of masculinity, exploring brotherhood and friendship, and is considered by many to be his breakthrough work.

The Art of Not Looking Back (2009) is inspired by and made for the world-class female dancers of Hofesh Shechter Company. Physical, complex and unrelenting, it explores loss and separation and presents Shechter’s favoured theme of ‘man against the world’ in a different and entrancing light.

This is the trailer:



Raks's Reaction

I was completely absorbed and totally blown away by these two dance pieces and by this dance company.

These are my short reactions to the two pieces:

Uprising:
WOW! Mind-blowing powerful dramatic and innovative dance, combined with impactful music. Sensational!

The Art of Not Looking Back:
A mother walking out on you leaves you broken :( Very disturbing and incredibly powerful.

To summarise, it was the first time I had seen the Hofesh Shechter Company but, based solely on tonight's performance, I would DEFINITELY make a special effort to see them again!

Sadler's Wells

Whilst I am on, I wanted to give a special shout out to Sadler's Wells. It is the ONLY venue that I regularly frequent to see dance. I LOVE Sadler's Wells. If you go there you are guaranteed exceptional dance at a reasonable price in a fab, welcoming and friendly venue. Highly recommended!

The Olivier Awards Website can be found here:
http://www.olivierawards.com/home/

It was the Olivier Awards tonight and the clear winner was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a National Theatre production, which romped home with 7 Awards:

1) MasterCard Best New Play: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
2) Best Director: Marianne Elliott for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
3) Best Actor: Luke Treadaway for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
4) Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Nicola Walker for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
5) White Light Award for Lighting Design: Paule Constable for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
6) Best Sound Design: Ian Dickinson and Adrian Sutton for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
7) XL Video Award for Best Set Design: Bunny Christie and Finn Ross for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (National Theatre, Cottesloe)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CREATIVES AND CAST OF THE CURIOUS INCIDENT AND TO THE NATIONAL THEATRE!

A full list of all the Olivier Awards Winners can be found here:
http://www.olivierawards.com/news/view/item183898/curious-night-at-the-oliviers/

Follow this link to further details on, and my personal reaction to, Curious Incident:
http://mycroft-brolly.livejournal.com/386718.html

The Olivier Awards Website can be found here:
http://www.olivierawards.com/home/

These are the runners and riders that I am backing at the Olivier Awards tomorrow (I have only listed those that I have a strong view on and so I have not commented at all re musicals or dance or opera):

Best actor
Rupert Everett – The Judas Kiss
or
Luke Treadaway – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best actress
Hattie Morahan – A Doll's House

Mastercard best new play
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best director
Marianne Elliott – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best entertainment and family
Hansel and Gretel

XL Video award for best set design
Bunny Christie and Finn Ross – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Best theatre choreographer
Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre
Red Velvet at the Tricycle theatre

A full list of all the awards and all the nominees can be found here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/mar/26/olivier-awards-2013-nominations

I think from the above list it is pretty clear who my OUTSTANDING Winner is ...



Congratulations The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the National Theatre!

The Olivier Awards Ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 28 April.

You can also listen to all the action unfold live on BBC Radio 2, follow the news on the Olivier Awards website, or get involved using social media by tagging posts with #oliviers.

I am promoting this as a fun, lively, happy Christian music event that everyone can enjoy.

Prom Praise was one of the first big set-piece All Souls events that I attended. I started going to church in March 2011 and I attended my first Prom Praise in April 2011. I just LOVED it and it totally blew me away!

My honest genuine and sincere feedback from that first Prom Praise concert was that it was "better than Frankenstein" (the National Theatre stage version starring Benedict Cumberbatch) and so those who know me will know that I could not have paid All Souls a greater compliment!

I also have CDs of several previous Prom Praise concerts and they are all excellent - indeed I have gifted the CDs to Christian friends and they have loved them!

Everyone is invited and everyone is welcome. So why don't you come on in and join the fun?!

I am going and I have a £5 standing ticket in the Arena - so I will be both singing AND dancing along!

Cut and pasted from the Royal Albert Hall Website:

We welcome the return of this popular annual visit of Prom Praise to the Royal Albert Hall, which will include performances from All Souls Orchestra and Prom Praise Choir.

Presented by the All Souls Orchestra under the energetic and unquenchably dynamic directon of principal conductor, Noël Tredinnick, Prom Praise is a joyful fusion of perfomance with worship. Combining the spirit praise with the style of the world-famous 'Last Night of the Proms', when the whole hall can join choir and orchestra in favourite hymns and worship songs.

Choirs massing from all parts of the UK will make a choral contribution. Soloists include soprano Kathryn Donaldson-Copeland and baritone Sean Donaldson.

Following a fun evening here at the Hall in March with Prom Praise for Schools, some of the schools choirs have been invited back to show us how it's done in lively gospel style.

The evening will be co-hosted by All Souls Rector, Hugh Palmer.

This is the trailer:



For more info and to buy tickets follow the links:
http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/prom-praise/default.aspx
http://www.allsoulsorchestra.org/Events/2013-05-04/Prom-Praise-at-Royal-Albert-Hall-2013/