Lolly Jones - Orwell That Ends Well (Edinburgh Fringe)

So I took a trip to the Just The Tonic Caves in Edinburgh to see a show about Big Brother (thankfully not THAT Big Brother) and how the internet has taken over our lives. There's a chance that some people might have thought they were going to see an Austen adaption with a modern twist, thanks to a clever play on words by Lolly Jones, who's developed a show about the Snoopers' Charter (which became the Investigatory Powers Act 2016). As you do. Based on George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.

The Charter was proposed by, you guessed it, our lovely PM Theresa May (when she was Home Secretary), and requires Internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile phone providers to keep records of your internet browsing activity (including social media, text messages, emails, voicemails) for twelve months. Nick Clegg blocked it, but when TM became PM she was determined to get the Bill made into law, at an estimated cost of £1.8 billion. The idea is to prevent crime, including terrorism and child sex offences, but at what cost to our privacy?

The opening quote 

Serious bit over. Over the next hour Lolly took us on a fast-paced, eye-opening and hilarious  Powerpoint journey documenting her appearance on the TV show Hunted (she had to try and evade capture by police and former intelligence professionals to try and win £100,000), popular memes, TV presenter Toby Anstis and his amusing connection to the World Wide Web, and her time working in the Houses of Parliament (amongst a million other things). I was relieved to find someone around the same age as me who is attracted to Jeremy Corbyn, and probably an even bigger Corbynista than I am (she mentioned eating falafel off him). Unfortunately I don't share her affection for Paul Hollywood.

Lolly, if you made this you are a genius

We also got to create our Tory names (first name of a grandparent + the name of the first street you lived in hyphenated with your first headteacher's surname - mine's Gwendoline Orchard-Morris), and witness a famous annoying celebrity walking into a pole (my frustration at the internet and it's impact on my life started to lessen at the point). I was already worried about government spies being able to access my webcam and collect images of me in my PJs with no make-up at 4pm, but they're probably accessing microphones too. The main protagonist of 1984, Winston Smith and his lover Julia are weaved in throughout the deluge of information, and I left wanting to read the book again (it's been a while). I was shocked but not surprised to learn about the proposed Social Credit system in China where citizens are marked on their use of online data (and possibly denied loans or travel for bad behaviour). Talk about 1984 becoming reality - a totalitarian state in the making.

Lolly in action 

Lolly asked the question to a packed room - could you live without the internet? Only two people said they could. She aptly rounded off the show by reading out some peoples' search histories, highlighting how we rely on Google for pretty much everything. It hit home to me that my lifestyle a self-employed writer) is dependent on the internet to exist, and I decided there and then to stop moaning about the amount of crap online. Yes, the government has legislated to snoop on us, and get records of our browsing history for twelve months, but we can still have fun with it. Maybe it's a case of not taking it too seriously. Lolly definitely doesn't.

Thought-provoking, eye-opening, fun comedy based on Lolly's crazy life against a backdrop of worrying government policy  ★ ★ ★ ★ 

To find out more about Lolly and future shows click here

To follow Lolly on Twitter click here 

Daft Punk Fans - Get Spooky At Get Lucky Halloween (Wylam Brewery)

I remember my first encounter with Daft Punk clearly -  seeing the video for 'Da Funk' on MTV (you remember, the one with the dog man) in around 1996 and being glued to the spot by the beat, feeling bad for the dog man in plaster whilst simultaneously falling in love with their sound. Fast forward to 2001, I was living in France, and Discovery came out. 'One More Time' was constantly on the radio, and every time I hear it I'm transported back to carefree days of being a student abroad, partying in clubs in Paris until dawn. I still haven't achieved my dream of seeing them live (yet), and I can no longer count the number of times I've watched their epic Coachella performance from 2006...

Luckily there are other ways of enjoying their music until they decide to do an epic gig again. Get Lucky: A Project Performing The Music of Daft Punk Live is coming to Newcastle at the end of October. Experience your favourite DP tunes performed by a fourteen piece orchestra (don't worry, a mega synth is also involved).

The original date, at World Headquarters on November 1st has now totally sold out, but luckily due to crazy demand there's a second date (spookily enough on Halloween) at Wylam Brewery (I'm already planning my scary robot outfit).  With 11 shows sold-out in London (and a previous sell-out show at Wylam), you'd be a fool to miss this audiovisual feast. I can barely contain my excitement - no crappy Halloween party this year!

To book tickets for Get Lucky Halloween (first release presale tickets are £20) click here 

*Please be aware that LED, strobe lighting and smoke machines will be in use throughout this event. If you have photosensitive epilepsy please do not buy a ticket for this show.

Kate O'Donnell - You've Changed (Edinburgh Fringe)

Last month I managed to catch award-winning Kate O'Donnell's show Hayley and Me (at Baltic Live is Curious in July), a whistle-stop tour through the on-screen life on TV's most famous transgender character Hayley Cropper, peppered with stories from Kate's transition which took place in 2013. It was an entertaining mix of comedy and socio-political discussion (with an audience member dressed as Hayley) ending with a burst of song. When I found out that Kate was bringing a new show to Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe, I knew I had to go along and find out more about her journey.

The Fabulous Edinburgh Fringe poster

You've Changed goes into more detail about Kate's life, from her difficult childhood (her parents are 'present' throughout the show in their own way), 'interesting' relatives and getting advice from a switchboard back in the day about her sexuality, to an in-depth account of the various stages of transition, including her amusing visits to a pop-tastic psychiatrist who gives her a note to prove to people that she's trans (and sane) and her decision to go abroad to have reassignment surgery.

A top-drawer performance from Kate O'Donnell (photo courtesy of Trans Creative)

The show has a music hall theme and is assisted by a slideshow to for added effect. Kate is dressed to the nines, starting off dapper, very Fred Astaire. Ably assisted by her equally well-dressed side-kick, the elegance of the set works well as a backdrop for the story, and gives us an insight into some of her inspirations and love of performance, her ability to stay classy in the face of extreme challenges.

The show manages to be hilarious, shocking, heartbreaking and eye-opening; you'll be laughing your head off one minute and shocked into stunned silence the next. She elegantly and bravely (sorry Kate, I know you must be sick of the word brave) answers the question that most of us are secretly asking without being crude or too in-your-face, and brings up extremely valid points about gender being in the head (not the genitals) and ponders whether her current popularity is just a fad/a phase ("being trans is hot right now"). By cleverly transforming an understandable rant about the lack of awareness and understanding around trans people into a song, you clearly get the message that rising above is the only way to survive. In the face of turbulent times, Kate reminds us of the only way to get through - face the music and dance (and she dances beautifully).

A Fred and Ginger moment

Kate is the founder of Trans Creative, the first trans-led theatre company in England. Backed by ACE in Manchester, the company will produce work and educational programmes to raise the profile of trans people in the arts, and increase participation in the arts for transgender people.

The show is co-produced by Trans Creative and Contact.

To book tickets for You've Changed at Summerhall (venue 26) on August 26th at 8.30pm click here

Kate is bringing the show to the Northern Stage in Newcastle on Tuesday 31st October (plus post show discussion) or Wednesday 1st November - to book tickets (£10) click here

To follow Kate O'Donnell on Twitter click here

To follow Trans Creative on Twitter click here

Curious Festival - Vogue Ball

So, I got myself all dressed up in my glittery Westwood dress overlaid with a transparent chiffon maxi skirt and made my way through town to Bamburgh House for the Curious Festival's Vogue Ball. Unfortunately I missed out on the Voguing lessons (which sounded amazing) but I couldn't wait to see professional Voguers in action, eclectic live music, out-there costumes and some serious glam guaranteed with many of Newcastle's drag queens and creative community in attendance.

I wish I could have got to more of the Festival events over the week, but the weekend more than made up for it. The programme was jam-packed with a diverse range of art, theatre, talks, workshops and socials exploring and celebrating LGBTQ culture through the arts, over the course of five days.

Our host Mutha Tucka and Grace Oni Smith 

I was instantly taken with our host for the evening, Mutha Tucka and had major fashion envy regarding her cape and perspex statement necklace. She treads a fine line between hilarious and caustic, like all of the best hosts. I grabbed a drink whilst garage rock band punk transgressors Women In Revolt got ready to play - probably the most diverse band I've seen for a long time (featuring three drag queens and two drag kings), and the first time I'd seen a drummer in just their underwear.  Band members include Sheena Revolta (lead singer), Mitch Mitchellson (drums) and Sadie Retox (bass).  They sang about topics as varied as roller girls and Pippa Middleton, and I loved the fact that they had a go-go dancer, the lovely Annabella Marczewska (I haven't seen that very often either).

Women In Revolt 

Suitably warmed-up, Mutha Tucka introduced the professional dancers. I was truly blown away, along with everyone else in the audience, by the pro Voguers and instantly felt like I'd been transported back to the 80s in some New York club. We were treated to performances by Grace Oni Smith, a Manchester based performer and make-up artist. Voguing isn't just about the moves, fashion and style also plays a massive part (and these dancers looked SHARP).  It takes inspiration from Egyptian hieroglyphs (according to Wikipedia) and model poses from Vogue magazine, and was popularised by Harlem queens who used the movements to throw shade at the other queens.

Learn from the pros - Grace Oni Smith, Patrick Ziza and Lerato Mncube, Joshua Hubbard and Anna Engerstrom, Darren Pritchard

Anna Engerstrom, Joshua Hubbard and Grace Oni Smith

Then came the Vogue Ball walkers. Fierce and exceptionally styled attendees took to the stage in a variety of different categories - Iconic Queer/Pop, Toon Vogue, Hair From Here To The Wear (!), The Gender Agenda and Fashion Forward. The sheer creative talent on show was astounding, I was totally inspired to be bolder with my fashion choices and make-up in future. It was a fashion kaleidoscope of custom-made dresses, the highest heels I've probably ever seen, Kardashian realness, plastics, graffiti and alien chic.

Category is...Entrants in the Fashion Forward category with judges David Hoyle and Grace Oni Smith 

Entrants in the Gender Agenda category (with winner Ill-Health bottom right)

I loved the other categories, which included drag lumberjacks, a neon-multicoloured gown complete with a hat made out of scary dolls and polystyrene takeaway boxes, bicycle clips and a tongue-in-cheek plea to end it all. Unfortunately I couldn't stick around for too long for the POKE after-party downstairs at Kommunity, where DJ Ian Harrington kept the iconic tunes coming, but I think it'll become my new favourite club night. I left feeling truly inspired by the talent and creativity of the Newcastle drag community and its supporters, and excited about what Curious Festival has to offer next year. I also found out about Baltic Live is Curious which took place the following night, which rounded off the Festival in style. 

The POKE after-party ((Bottom - Joshua Hubbard (left) and David Hoyle (right))

*All images by Michael McGuire 

*I received a free ticket to the event in exchange for a review. 

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Curious Festival - Baltic Live Is Curious

After previewing the inaugural Curious Festival what seems like ages ago, I was determined to go along to some of the events organised in this week-long festival celebrating LGBTQI culture. I didn't manage to get to many events during the working week, but I made sure that I attended the Vogue Ball on the Saturday night, and the finale showcase at Baltic the night after. The programme was eclectic and exciting, and I can't wait to get to more events next year, when it's sure to be back -  bigger, better and even more fabulous.

It was difficult to ignore the Baltic Live Is Curious Event with this marketing! 

I found out about the Baltic Event at the Vogue Ball and felt a strong pull towards it. When I read more about it I realised that it was a combination of the performances that was so enticing - a whistle-stop tour through the life of Corrie's first ground-breaking trans character Hayley Cropper with the award-winning trans performer Kate O'Donnell, A Blighted Life - a raw and eclectic dance performance choreographed by Gavin Coward and my new favourite anti-drag queen, the jaw-droppingly hilarious and legendary performance artist David Hoyle.

Drag Queen Sculptures Venus Dimilo and Ill Health

We were treated to a performance by Pi The Mime, an award-winning cabaret artist before the main event, which was truly captivating. The skit was based on an office worker who is inundated with work calls, has enough of the constant ringing before resorting to self-expression via dance, mime and clothing removal (before ceremoniously shooting the phone), to the sounds of Jessie J's Domino (check out the routine on Youtube).

Pi The Mime

Gavin Coward - A Blighted Life

Gavin Coward's A Blighted Life was a riot of colour, movement and clothes, interspersed with an eclectic global soundtrack and recordings of extremist attitudes towards homosexuality over the years (Thatcher saying some ridiculously bigoted crap amongst other shocking things). I loved the energy of Alicia Colette Meehan (the only female performer) who made great use of props such as scarves, rubber tyres and an onstage wardrobe, alongside Gavin Coward himself and Patrick Ziza. The sheer physicality of the performance was impressive, and I especially enjoyed the jumping rope element (which probably has a deeper meaning that I can't quite fathom) and their creativity with tyres.

The colourful and thought-provoking A Blighted Life

Hayley and Me - Kate O'Donnell

Next up was the highly enjoyable Hayley and Me, a unique interactive cabaret act by award-winning trans performer and writer Kate O'Donnell. Subject - Hayley Cropper from Corrie. It transpired that Kate was going to take us all back through the rollercoaster life of the first trans soap character (it's amazing to think she first hit our screens in 1998). I loved the idea of basing a show around her, creating a powerpoint of her most memorable storylines and enlisting an audience member to dress up as Hayley and pretend to be interviewed. I couldn't remember some of the more out-there storylines (Hayley volunteering in Mozambique), but I liked the way that Kate explored the similarities between her own journey and Hayley's, with a lot of Spice Girls tracks thrown in for good measure. The story she told about telling the Water Board that she was changing her name because she was trans showed how attitudes have improved, despite current challenges for the trans community worldwide. I'm going to catch her You've Changed show at Edinburgh fringe.

Hayley and Me had soap storylines, an afternoon tea interview and singing!

David Hoyle

I'd got a taste of David Hoyle's unique character at the Vogue Ball, when he was judging the various heats. He used words like 'beguiling' and I instantly became a super fan. Later on that night I watched an interview with him on Youtube, and was amazed at his rollercoaster story (he rose to fame on Channel 4 as anti-drag queen Divine David, but subsequently suffered a breakdown) and decided instantly that he was my spirit animal.

His very presence sucks the energy out of the room, and I couldn't take my eyes of his blue stockings. As a host he is mesmerising and thought-provoking, flip-flopping between being hilariously funny to making you think with some socio-political statement the next second. I absolutely identified with his socialist rants and his 'probably considered controversial but correct' ideas about the BBC and the Tories (I practically jumped out of my seat cheering when he suggested that we all stop paying our direct debits and bills to bring down the elite). You can see why he is still drawing crowds up and down the country and has achieved legendary status within the LGBTQI community and beyond (he is being immortalised in a photobook which was funded by a Kickstarter project).

The inimitable David Hoyle

His particular brand of gender terrorism is infectious, and I literally spiralled through the complete range of human emotions whilst watching him, especially during his multi-disciplinary performance where he alternated between belting out 'You Made Me Love You' (I Didn't Want To Do It) recorded by Judy Garland, to painting an audience member to the dance version of aha's much-loved Take On Me (after an obligatory costume change). I also loved what he was saying about a renaissance in Northern cities and that London is no longer the only place for creatives.

I was so inspired and impressed by the sheer amount of talent and creativity on show over the weekend.  Thank God that such festivals are now becoming more mainstream, and we don't necessarily need to traipse to London to enjoy them. Congratulations to the Phil Douglas and the Curious team for bringing these innovative events to the North East!

*All images by Michael McGuire