Why we still need gay theatre | Theatre | The Guardian

Contents:

• \NQUEER-FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS\NAS A METROPOLIS OF ART, BS, AND SIGN, LONDON IS A CY STEEPED QUEER HISTORY. FAMO PATRONS LIKE DAVID BOWIE PHED SEXUAL BOUNDARI, EMBRACG QUEER PEOPLE TO SOCIETY, MARCHG AND PROTTG FOR WHAT MAK LONDON ONE OF THE MOST EXCG AND CLIVE STATNS FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THE WORLD.\NCENTRAL OR “WT END”- SOHO – OLD COMPTON STREET. \NNO TRIP TO LONDON WOULD EVER BE PLETE WHOUT VISG THE HUB OF LONDON’S QUEER LIFE THAT IS SOHO. SCE THE DAWN OF QUEER CULTURE,AS EARLY AS THE 17TH CENTURY—OM PUBS TO CLUBS, RTRANTS TO THEATRE PRODUCTNS—SOHO HAS BEEN FIRMLY THE BEATG HEART OF LONDON’S LGBTQ+ MUNY. EVERYDAY, OLD COMPTON STREET AND THE SURROUNDG AREA BUZZ WH TOURISTS AND QUEER FOLK ALIKE, WH NEON LIGHTS GLOWG MORNG TO NIGHT. HAPPY HOUR IS EVERY HOUR SOHO, SO YOU’LL NEVER MISS A BEAT!\NEAST LONDON \NEAST LONDON PLAYS HOST TO SOME OF LONDON’S MOST ECLECTIC LGBTQ+ VENU. WHERE GR AND GLAMOUR LLI TO CREATE LONDON’S ALTERNATIVE QUEER SCENE, THE EAST END STREETS BARE THE SOULS OF THE UNRGROUND CREATIVE FOLK, WHOSE BOUNDLS TALENT AND STYLE BRG TOGETHER A DIVERSE MIX OF MIC, FASHN, AND DIS DANCG BCHERY.\NSOUTH LONDON \NTHE AREA HAS A QUEER HISTORY AS FAR BACK AS SOHO, WH THE AREA FAMO FOR S BARET AND DRAG ACTS, DATG BACK BEFORE THE 1950S! SOUTH LONDON IS A VIBRANT SCENE OF OLD AND NEW, WHERE RELICS MEET REGENERATN, WH VXHALL, CLAPHAM, KENNGTON, AND PECKHAM AMONGST THE MOST POPULAR AREAS OF THIS GAYBOURHOOD. FROM WAREHOE CLUBS TO MALE AND FEMALE ONLY GYMS, THE SOUTH LONDON LIFTYLE BOASTS AN IRISCENT SPECTM OF PEOPLE AND PLAC TO DISVER.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3804889982},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":288,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":928,"PTN":"EAST LONDON, A QUTSENTIAL QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD. ","HEIGHT":1200,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1237,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":960,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20646,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":164388537},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"BT HOTELS\NW HOTEL \NLOTED AMONGST THE GLZ AND GLAMOUR OF LONDON’S WT END, AND ONLY A SASHAY AWAY OM SOHO, THE W HOTEL IS A SLEEK AND CHIC STATN. WH THE RECENT LNCH OF S FUNKY BAR AND LOUNGE, THE PERCEPTN, LIKE THE RT OF THE HOTEL, PTUR THE THE KSCHY/MPY SOUL OF LONDON WH EXPERIENC LIKE “WHAT’S THE TEA?” A LECTABLE DRAG AFTERNOON TEA, OR “QUEER ME OUT,” A GENR FLUID FASHN EXTRAVAGANZA. WHETHER YOU’RE CHECKED OR STOPPG BY, THE W LONDON IS FELY ONE TO CHECK OUT.\NTHE CURTA\NCURTA ROAD, EAST LONDON IS A MERA-READY HOTEL AND MEMBERS CLUB LOTED A SHORT WALK OM OLD STREET STATN. WHETHER BE AN OVERNIGHT VIS OR A WEEKEND AWAY, THE ROOFTOP POOL AND RTRANT ARE FEATUR WORTH FEASTG OVER—THE BNCH IS PECIALLY FABULO. BELOW THE NCE OF THE CHICLY SIGNED ROOMS IS HOED A SLEEK SCREENG AND DIS ROOM, NOTABLY PREMIERG EXCLIVE QUEER IENDLY EVENTS AND FILMS, SUCH AS RU PL’S DRAG RACE VIEWG PARTI AND SECRET LIVE PERFORMANC OM QUEER ARTISTS. IT’S A VIQP (VERY IMPORTANT QUEER PERSON) VENUE WORTH VISG.\NACE HOTEL, SHOREDCH\NOF THE CREATIVE AND ECLECTIC, GLOBALLY-KNOWN CHA OF ACE HOTELS, THE SHOREDCH LOTN DO EVERYTHG TO ENPASS THE BRAND’S NOTABLE HIPNS WH A DASH OF EAST LONDON REALNS. DAY OR NIGHT THIS HOTEL LOBBY BUZZ WH CREATIVE ACTIVY. WH AN IMPRSIVE ROOFTOP AND EQUALLY FABULO RTRANT, ’S NO WONR THIS SOULFUL SE PLAYS HOMAGE TO S NEIGHBOURHOOD BY HOSTG AN ARRAY OF ENGAGG QUEER EVENTS. THE HOTEL PROUDLY ADVOT AS A TSTED LGBTQ+ STATN, WELG QUEERS AND ALLI ALIKE TO ENJOY LIVE PERFORMANC OM DRAG ARTISTS AND MICIANS, TO DANCG THE NIGHT AWAY AT ONE OF THEIR MANY QUEER NIGHTS HELD THEIR NIGHTCLUB, MIRANDA.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":4181249614},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":266,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":856,"PTN":"GAY'S THE WORD BOOKSTORE. ","HEIGHT":1200,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1141,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":960,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20653,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":280,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":900,"PTN":"GAY'S THE WORD BOOKSTORE. ","HEIGHT":1200,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":960,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20652,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":3308366153},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"QUEER-OWNED BS \NQUEER SALONS\NEXPLORG YOUR INTY N OFTEN MEAN EXPERIMENTG WH PERSONAL STYLE, LIKE EXPRSG YOUR NER SELF WH A HAIRDO TO MATCH. OPEN BARBERS (HOXTON), TUTTII FTII (DEPTFORD) AND BLA (SOHO) ARE ALL HAIR SALONS THAT PRI THEMSELV ON AN OPEN AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL GENRS AND SEXUALI. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT EACH SALON IS THE RE AND ATTENTN WELG EVERYBODY TO THEIR SPACE, WH AFFORDABLE PRIC THAT REFLECT THEIR LOVE OF MUNY. I ONLY WISH PLAC LIKE THIS EXISTED WHEN I WAS GROWG UP AND EXPERIMENTG WH MY INTY. WHETHER ’S A CKTAIL AND CUT AT BLA’S, OR A TECHNILOUR TRANSFORMATN AT TUTTIIFTII’S, THE QUEER OWNED SALONS MAKE TREATG YOURSELF A BUZZ-WORTHY EXPERIENCE.\NDALSTON SUPERSTORE\NFOR A SUNDAY BNCH WH ALL THE BELLS AND BAR-DANCG DIVAS, QUEER GEM DALSTON SUPERSTORE OFFERS AN EXTRA SI OF SASS WH YOUR SUNDAY SERVICE. NOT ONLY KNOWN FOR THEIR INIC LGBTQ+ NIGHTLIFE (A FE ‘TO-DO’ TOO), THE FUN DON’T STOP WHEN THE MORNG RIS THE EAST. LOTED ALONG KGSLAND ROAD, ‘BASIC BNCH’, SERVED BY ONE OF MY DRAG FAVOUR A MAN TO PET, WILL HAVE YOUR EGGS POACHED PERFECTLY WH A DASH OF BCHERY, LEAVG YOU FULL OF LICLY PUT-TOGETHER FOOD AND FUN. CELEBRATG S 10TH BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR, ’S ONE OF FEW QUEER PLAC LEFT THAT GUID ME AND MANY OTHERS THROUGH QUEER ADOLCENCE, SUPPORTG THE WHOLE LGBTQ+ MUNY, PROVIDG A SAFE SPACE TO DANCE, FD LOVE, AND MEET LIKE-MD PEOPLE OVER A BEVVY.\N \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":4258457339},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":557,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":376,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":557,"WIDTH":562,"PTN":"INSI SH! ","HEIGHT":557,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":562,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":562,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":557,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20659,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":562},{"RETAHEIGHT":369,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":369,"WIDTH":562,"PTN":"SH! 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SUATED THE CHARMG STREETS OF BLOOMSBURY, CROSSG THE DOORWAY YOU ARE STANTLY MET BY WONRFULLY ATTENTIVE GENERAL MANAGERS, ULILENART AND JIM. BEYOND THE BOOKSHELV, YOU’RE PTIVATED BY THE NVERSATNS PEOPLE ARE SHARG, ELEVATED BY THE -PTH PERSONAL REMENDATNS PENNED BY THE WONRFULLY ATTENTIVE STAFF. \NSH!\NI’D POPPED TO GRAB A FFEE AT PFIELD LONDON HOXTON WHEN I FIRST STUMBLED ACROSS SH! IT WAS LIKE DISVERG A NGHTY NARNIA, HIDN THROUGH A SECRET DOORWAY. NTLED WH A WHOLOME EAST LONDON Fé, SH! HAS PNEERED ONE OF THE ONLY FEMALE-FIRST EROTIC BOUTIQU THE UNTRY SCE 1992. THE SPIRG LADI WHO WORK HERE ARE AS WONRFULLY PASSNATE ABOUT THEIR WOMAN-POWERED ETHOS AS THE STIMULATG ARRAY OF PRODUCT ADORNG THE SHELV. SHARG THEIR SECRETS AT REFULLY CURATED (AND OFTEN SOLD OUT!) TALKS AND WORKSHOPS LEAVE YOU FEELG MORE EMPOWERED BY YOUR BODY AND SEXUALY THAN EVER BEFORE, CELEBRATG THAT SEXUALY AND GENR IS NOT ONE-SIZE-FS-ALL. \NBRILL CAFé \NA PROUDLY PENNT FE AND MIC STORE, LOTED EXMOUTH MARKET, BRILL OFFERS MORE THAN JT A GREAT CUP OF FFEE. THE WALLS AT THIS APTLY-NAMED FE DISPLAY A WELL-CURATED LLECTN OF VYL, ALONGSI A WELL STOCKED SHELF OF QUEER MAGAZ TO BROWSE. EACH MORNG, SOMEONE OM THE STAFF CYCL TO BRICK LANE TO LLECT A H BATCH OF FAMO BAGELS, AND IF THE VEGAN ROCKY ROADS AREN’T VG ENOUGH, BRILL PRIS SELF ON BEG A QUEER-IENDLY STATN, HOSTG EVENTS SUCH AS QUEER MIC AND POETRY NIGHTS, EVEN FIXG UP SOME AFTER-HOURS PRI PUNCH FOR THE OCSN. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":2205952362},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":280,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":900,"PTN":"TATE BRA. 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• DUMBLEDORE IS SO GAY!
• GAY LONDON, LGBTQ+ CLUBS AND EVENTS
• WHY WE STILL NEED GAY THEATRE

\NQUEER-FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOODS\NAS A METROPOLIS OF ART, BS, AND SIGN, LONDON IS A CY STEEPED QUEER HISTORY. FAMO PATRONS LIKE DAVID BOWIE PHED SEXUAL BOUNDARI, EMBRACG QUEER PEOPLE TO SOCIETY, MARCHG AND PROTTG FOR WHAT MAK LONDON ONE OF THE MOST EXCG AND CLIVE STATNS FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE THE WORLD.\NCENTRAL OR “WT END”- SOHO – OLD COMPTON STREET. \NNO TRIP TO LONDON WOULD EVER BE PLETE WHOUT VISG THE HUB OF LONDON’S QUEER LIFE THAT IS SOHO. SCE THE DAWN OF QUEER CULTURE,AS EARLY AS THE 17TH CENTURY—OM PUBS TO CLUBS, RTRANTS TO THEATRE PRODUCTNS—SOHO HAS BEEN FIRMLY THE BEATG HEART OF LONDON’S LGBTQ+ MUNY. EVERYDAY, OLD COMPTON STREET AND THE SURROUNDG AREA BUZZ WH TOURISTS AND QUEER FOLK ALIKE, WH NEON LIGHTS GLOWG MORNG TO NIGHT. HAPPY HOUR IS EVERY HOUR SOHO, SO YOU’LL NEVER MISS A BEAT!\NEAST LONDON \NEAST LONDON PLAYS HOST TO SOME OF LONDON’S MOST ECLECTIC LGBTQ+ VENU. WHERE GR AND GLAMOUR LLI TO CREATE LONDON’S ALTERNATIVE QUEER SCENE, THE EAST END STREETS BARE THE SOULS OF THE UNRGROUND CREATIVE FOLK, WHOSE BOUNDLS TALENT AND STYLE BRG TOGETHER A DIVERSE MIX OF MIC, FASHN, AND DIS DANCG BCHERY.\NSOUTH LONDON \NTHE AREA HAS A QUEER HISTORY AS FAR BACK AS SOHO, WH THE AREA FAMO FOR S BARET AND DRAG ACTS, DATG BACK BEFORE THE 1950S! SOUTH LONDON IS A VIBRANT SCENE OF OLD AND NEW, WHERE RELICS MEET REGENERATN, WH VXHALL, CLAPHAM, KENNGTON, AND PECKHAM AMONGST THE MOST POPULAR AREAS OF THIS GAYBOURHOOD. FROM WAREHOE CLUBS TO MALE AND FEMALE ONLY GYMS, THE SOUTH LONDON LIFTYLE BOASTS AN IRISCENT SPECTM OF PEOPLE AND PLAC TO DISVER.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3804889982},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":288,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":928,"PTN":"EAST LONDON, A QUTSENTIAL QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD. ","HEIGHT":1200,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1237,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":960,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20646,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":164388537},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"BT HOTELS\NW HOTEL \NLOTED AMONGST THE GLZ AND GLAMOUR OF LONDON’S WT END, AND ONLY A SASHAY AWAY OM SOHO, THE W HOTEL IS A SLEEK AND CHIC STATN. WH THE RECENT LNCH OF S FUNKY BAR AND LOUNGE, THE PERCEPTN, LIKE THE RT OF THE HOTEL, PTUR THE THE KSCHY/MPY SOUL OF LONDON WH EXPERIENC LIKE “WHAT’S THE TEA?” A LECTABLE DRAG AFTERNOON TEA, OR “QUEER ME OUT,” A GENR FLUID FASHN EXTRAVAGANZA. WHETHER YOU’RE CHECKED OR STOPPG BY, THE W LONDON IS FELY ONE TO CHECK OUT.\NTHE CURTA\NCURTA ROAD, EAST LONDON IS A MERA-READY HOTEL AND MEMBERS CLUB LOTED A SHORT WALK OM OLD STREET STATN. WHETHER BE AN OVERNIGHT VIS OR A WEEKEND AWAY, THE ROOFTOP POOL AND RTRANT ARE FEATUR WORTH FEASTG OVER—THE BNCH IS PECIALLY FABULO. BELOW THE NCE OF THE CHICLY SIGNED ROOMS IS HOED A SLEEK SCREENG AND DIS ROOM, NOTABLY PREMIERG EXCLIVE QUEER IENDLY EVENTS AND FILMS, SUCH AS RU PL’S DRAG RACE VIEWG PARTI AND SECRET LIVE PERFORMANC OM QUEER ARTISTS. IT’S A VIQP (VERY IMPORTANT QUEER PERSON) VENUE WORTH VISG.\NACE HOTEL, SHOREDCH\NOF THE CREATIVE AND ECLECTIC, GLOBALLY-KNOWN CHA OF ACE HOTELS, THE SHOREDCH LOTN DO EVERYTHG TO ENPASS THE BRAND’S NOTABLE HIPNS WH A DASH OF EAST LONDON REALNS. DAY OR NIGHT THIS HOTEL LOBBY BUZZ WH CREATIVE ACTIVY. WH AN IMPRSIVE ROOFTOP AND EQUALLY FABULO RTRANT, ’S NO WONR THIS SOULFUL SE PLAYS HOMAGE TO S NEIGHBOURHOOD BY HOSTG AN ARRAY OF ENGAGG QUEER EVENTS. THE HOTEL PROUDLY ADVOT AS A TSTED LGBTQ+ STATN, WELG QUEERS AND ALLI ALIKE TO ENJOY LIVE PERFORMANC OM DRAG ARTISTS AND MICIANS, TO DANCG THE NIGHT AWAY AT ONE OF THEIR MANY QUEER NIGHTS HELD THEIR NIGHTCLUB, MIRANDA.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":4181249614},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":266,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":856,"PTN":"GAY'S THE WORD BOOKSTORE. ","HEIGHT":1200,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1141,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":960,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20653,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960},{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":280,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":900,"PTN":"GAY'S THE WORD BOOKSTORE. 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WHETHER ’S A CKTAIL AND CUT AT BLA’S, OR A TECHNILOUR TRANSFORMATN AT TUTTIIFTII’S, THE QUEER OWNED SALONS MAKE TREATG YOURSELF A BUZZ-WORTHY EXPERIENCE.\NDALSTON SUPERSTORE\NFOR A SUNDAY BNCH WH ALL THE BELLS AND BAR-DANCG DIVAS, QUEER GEM DALSTON SUPERSTORE OFFERS AN EXTRA SI OF SASS WH YOUR SUNDAY SERVICE. NOT ONLY KNOWN FOR THEIR INIC LGBTQ+ NIGHTLIFE (A FE ‘TO-DO’ TOO), THE FUN DON’T STOP WHEN THE MORNG RIS THE EAST. LOTED ALONG KGSLAND ROAD, ‘BASIC BNCH’, SERVED BY ONE OF MY DRAG FAVOUR A MAN TO PET, WILL HAVE YOUR EGGS POACHED PERFECTLY WH A DASH OF BCHERY, LEAVG YOU FULL OF LICLY PUT-TOGETHER FOOD AND FUN. CELEBRATG S 10TH BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR, ’S ONE OF FEW QUEER PLAC LEFT THAT GUID ME AND MANY OTHERS THROUGH QUEER ADOLCENCE, SUPPORTG THE WHOLE LGBTQ+ MUNY, PROVIDG A SAFE SPACE TO DANCE, FD LOVE, AND MEET LIKE-MD PEOPLE OVER A BEVVY.\N \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":4258457339},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":557,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":376,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":557,"WIDTH":562,"PTN":"INSI SH! ","HEIGHT":557,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":562,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":562,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":557,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20659,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":562},{"RETAHEIGHT":369,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":560,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":369,"WIDTH":562,"PTN":"SH! 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SUATED THE CHARMG STREETS OF BLOOMSBURY, CROSSG THE DOORWAY YOU ARE STANTLY MET BY WONRFULLY ATTENTIVE GENERAL MANAGERS, ULILENART AND JIM. BEYOND THE BOOKSHELV, YOU’RE PTIVATED BY THE NVERSATNS PEOPLE ARE SHARG, ELEVATED BY THE -PTH PERSONAL REMENDATNS PENNED BY THE WONRFULLY ATTENTIVE STAFF. \NSH!\NI’D POPPED TO GRAB A FFEE AT PFIELD LONDON HOXTON WHEN I FIRST STUMBLED ACROSS SH! IT WAS LIKE DISVERG A NGHTY NARNIA, HIDN THROUGH A SECRET DOORWAY. NTLED WH A WHOLOME EAST LONDON Fé, SH! HAS PNEERED ONE OF THE ONLY FEMALE-FIRST EROTIC BOUTIQU THE UNTRY SCE 1992. THE SPIRG LADI WHO WORK HERE ARE AS WONRFULLY PASSNATE ABOUT THEIR WOMAN-POWERED ETHOS AS THE STIMULATG ARRAY OF PRODUCT ADORNG THE SHELV. SHARG THEIR SECRETS AT REFULLY CURATED (AND OFTEN SOLD OUT!) TALKS AND WORKSHOPS LEAVE YOU FEELG MORE EMPOWERED BY YOUR BODY AND SEXUALY THAN EVER BEFORE, CELEBRATG THAT SEXUALY AND GENR IS NOT ONE-SIZE-FS-ALL. \NBRILL CAFé \NA PROUDLY PENNT FE AND MIC STORE, LOTED EXMOUTH MARKET, BRILL OFFERS MORE THAN JT A GREAT CUP OF FFEE. THE WALLS AT THIS APTLY-NAMED FE DISPLAY A WELL-CURATED LLECTN OF VYL, ALONGSI A WELL STOCKED SHELF OF QUEER MAGAZ TO BROWSE. EACH MORNG, SOMEONE OM THE STAFF CYCL TO BRICK LANE TO LLECT A H BATCH OF FAMO BAGELS, AND IF THE VEGAN ROCKY ROADS AREN’T VG ENOUGH, BRILL PRIS SELF ON BEG A QUEER-IENDLY STATN, HOSTG EVENTS SUCH AS QUEER MIC AND POETRY NIGHTS, EVEN FIXG UP SOME AFTER-HOURS PRI PUNCH FOR THE OCSN. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":2205952362},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":1600,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":280,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":900,"PTN":"TATE BRA. 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29 July 2023 to 16 September 2023 Sleepg Bety Tak A Prick TicketsSleepg Bety Tak A Prick at Charg Cross Theatre 23 November 2023 to 13 January 2024 Strangers Between TicketsThe Goln Goose Theatre is revivg classic Atralian drama Strangers Between by Tommy Murphy, which looks at the highs and lows of growg up gay morn Atralia. Okay, there are jt a few dited LGBTQ+ performance venu the cy, cludg gay theatre hubs Above the Stag, Royal Vxhall Tavern and the Kg's Head.

Expect everythg om genre-smashg queer baret to lbian romance to gay theatre classics to exploratns of trans experience. Deeper and Deeper13 Sept - 7 Oct 2023A New Comedy Drama5 young gay men start sharg a Camn flat the late 90’s. As you might expect, the le-up featur some vtage gay plays: Peter Gill directs his own 1999 'Certa Young Men', a look at gay life on the eve of the lennium.

Mart Sherman's 1979 'Bent', a story of gay men sufferg Nazi Germany, is directed by Stephen Daldry. And Mae Wt's 1927 'The Drag' is a gay edy about a rpectable married man who cis to hold a drag ball - 'll be directed by Polly Stenham. South London is a vibrant scene of old and new, where relics meet regeneratn, wh Vxhall, Clapham, Kenngton, and Peckham amongst the most popular areas of this gaybourhood.

DUMBLEDORE IS SO GAY!

Gay's the Word bookstore.

GAY LONDON, LGBTQ+ CLUBS AND EVENTS

Gay’s the Word.

For over 40 years, Gay’s the Word bookstore has been a treasured rource and safe space for every maniftatn of the muny of all ag and generatns. Two Brewers is great value for your money, srg big pots the lol gay scene.

WHY WE STILL NEED GAY THEATRE

Essentially, this was to prevent anythg cent, offensive or blasphemo takg place theatr; censorship was particularly strict on homosexualy. Attus towards homosexualy showed signs of change when the Wolfenn Report was published 1957, which remend for the crimalisatn of homosexualy.

Ground-breakg many ways, Delaney’s play evad censorship and featured Geof, a gay stunt (played by Murray Melv) who liv wh protagonist Jo and helps her through her illegimate pregnancy. This marked a change pictg gay people wh sensivy rather than as a joke or miscreant. When homosexualy was crimalised England and Wal 1967 (and 1981 Stland, 1982 Northern Ireland), Queer artists were no longer unr the threat of legal persecutn.

The 1970s saw the emergence of Gay Sweatshop Theatre Company, whose aim was to unteract the prevailg perceptn mastream theatre of what homosexuals were like. Read more about Gay Sweatshop’s fascatg history here.

Venu such as The Drill Hall (now RADA Stud) were dited to platformg gay, lbian and bisexual work. A wealth of work me the followg two s that fed the gay experience of HIV and AIDS wh artists such as Neil Bartlett and plays cludg Robert Chelsey’s Night Sweat, Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (the first play about AIDS the Wt End), Ja Hood and Bill Rsell’s Elegi for Angels, Punks and Ragg Queens as well as Tony Khner’s monumental Angels Ameri. In 1988, Jackie Kay’s Twice Over was Gay Sweatshop’s first play by a Black playwright and helped raise the profile of the women’s pany wh Gay Sweatshop.