Gay London Life | May '26 Edition - Magazine - Page 30
Life of a Luvvie with Thomas Magill
Ada Campe with picked up
Best Supporting Actor for their part in
Growl’d Beauty and the Beast at RVT
Johannes Radebe Who plays Lola in Kinky Boots
Lesley Joseph who picked up an Icon Award at
the Pantomime Awards
It’s always exciting to see a show from yester-year make a triumphant return to the
gongs. Best supporting actor went to the madly brilliant Ada Campe who played
west-end. Reviving an old favourite can be a risky business, but done right, the
The Inventorer in Growl’d - Beauty and the Beast at the RVT, directed by panto
rewards can be very good indeed not just for its backers, but more importantly
legend Tim McArthur. Most of the crew were in Bucks for the awards and it was a
for audiences. Avenue Q returned to London last month to much hype and
joy to hang out with Ada Campe and celebrate her well-deserved win. It was lovely
anticipation. It was so cheeky and a bit controversial in 2006 when it first opened at
to see Nigel Harman, Gary Wilmot and Joe McElderry turn up to support the Panto
the Noël Coward Theatre. Cute little puppets with a ridiculously naughty side was
Awards - all of whom are regular seasoned panto family favourites. The Panto Icon
not something we’d seen before and I remember thinking this is absolutely hilarious.
award went to Lesley Joseph and Brian Conley. Chatting of Lesley afterwards it
In this new version, the jokes have changed and the shock factor has gone, but for
was clear she was genuinely touched to receive such an important prize.
me it is still exceptionally funny and should be a must see for anyone who missed it
20 years ago. Avenue Q is booking through until the 29th August 2026.
Among the busiest and most glamorous red carpet events In April was Kinky
Boots, which opened at the London Coliseuim. Starring Johannes Radebe as
Also, back by popular demand was the annual Pantomime Awards. It was so good
Lola and Matt Cardle as Charlie Price, I’d the chance to catch up with both ahead
to see the Wycombe Swan packed to the rafters with luvvies from across the
of opening night for a chat about what to expect. Another revival, Kinky Boots is a
country for what is always a fantastic nights entertainment. Presented by Vernon
truly wonderful feel good musical with a much deeper story than most musicals.
Kaye, he worked the crowd like a good ‘un with his northern charm and obvious
Johannes is such a gent describing his role with such affection. I wasn’t sure what
respect for all those involved in this under-rated part of the theatre sector. Winners
to expect having seen it in a much smaller theatre on the Strand. But, the set has
came from across the land with some notable Londoners picking up some worthy
been given a serious ‘glow up’ and there is a real sense that it’s now home and
where it belongs. It’s such a shame it has such a short run until the 11th July. Let’s
hope the theatres gods do some magic and have extended.
Those who read my column regularly will know I love supporting our rich off
west-end theatre scene. It’s impossible to see everything given the sheer
number of venues that put on dozens of new shows every month across the
Capital. But, I did manage to visit Waterloo East Theatre to see Thrill Me. It’s a
deeply disturbing true story about two young men set in Chicago in 1924 and the
extent one goes to in the name of love for the other. Additional dates have just
been added to its run through May.
Many will be familiar with the acclaimed queer theatre-maker Alexis Gregory the man behind plays such as Riot Act. He’s now back with a new show called
Smoke at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham. Gregory has teamed up with the
non-profit organisation You Are Loved, which was created in response to the
disproportionately high rates of premature deaths from suicide and drugs within
the LGBTQ+ community. Although I missed the special showing which also
had a Q&A afterwards, it’s great to see that such an important piece of work is
set to tour. Many of the venues are accessible to London and well worth a trip
including Hastings, Brighton, Bristol and Salford to name a few.
It’s my birthday in May and I don’t quite know if that means I’ll spend more
time at the theatre or more time in the pub. But, whatever I do to mark
another year, I will definitely squeeze in some incredible shows that are
already in the diary. Most notable, is Tim McArthur’s hilarious show
Eurovision, Your Decision at the RVT which opens on the 6th of May. This
is always a must-see in the lead up to Eurovision proper. I’ll also be heading
to the years West End Flea Market on the 16th Mary between 10am-2pm at
St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday
morning among the musicals before retiring for a well-deserved lunch
somewhere swish in Soho. Have a fabulous May x
@thomasmagill1
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