Well say hello to the newest member of the CPAP Club… my name is Gari, I’m a flamboyant, fabulous Leo and I’m also a non-sleep-aholic!

Not content with having survived Brain Cancer, and all my other stuff that I’m living with, it seems that my body still tries to kill me 26 times AN HOUR whilst I am sleeping.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and collapse during sleep, sufficiently so to cause a total blockage of the airway for 10 seconds or more

This may lead to regularly interrupted sleep, which can have a big impact on quality of life and increases the risk of developing certain conditions.

As a result, I now have to sleep with a mask that essentially forces air/pressure down my throat to help me keep breathing at night. I’m likely to need to wear it every night for the rest of my life (good job I’m already married… it’d probably be a bit of a buzz-kill for your partner!!)

Knew it was coming, and glad to have the diagnosis, it’s just another thing to add to the list!

My first sleep with The Mask (behave!) is tonight. I’m accepting naming suggestions – comment your witty suggestion below!

(Be warned – Husband has been very supportive and suggested ‘Clarisse’ – which I think might win haha)

I’m not going to do a HUGE review as I’ve gone on and on about the 2010 Broadway/West End production a heap already, but suffice to say that this 50th Anniversary tour had strong elements of the 2010 production, whilst also managing to carve out a new identity for itself.

I really enjoyed watching the cast perform the show, and the casting of (the somehow unknown to me!) Jake Quickenden turned out to be a HUGE triumph as Berger, as was Paul Wilkins as Claude, who provided some stand-out vocals last night!

Speaking of the vocals, step on up to the ladies, you vixens were SO fantastic and you all took turns at swinging that bat and knocking it out of the park. Incredible and you did the classics proud!

You never go to Hair to admire the sets, let’s be honest, there’s barely even the one! However the set up was great, versatile and worked well with the show. I enjoyed seeing the musicians on stage and their blending/interacting with the cast (rather than the usual where they stick a band on stage and everyone ignores them).

Only the one minor negative, the sound quality at times was disappointing, boomy, and too loud. Often you were unable to make out the words. I’m not sure if it was just owing to the venue, else maybe the position that I was sat in, but it wasn’t constant, which makes me wonder.

In summation, it was a great night out, the choreography was stunning, though I didn’t get emotional at the end, like I usually do, but it definitely isn’t a bad production – I’d definitely return to see it again!

Hair is currently touring the UK and is approx 2 hours 30 minutes (inc. 20 minute interval)

For more details, please see their official website: https://www.hair50.com

I’m a huge musical theatre fan as well as fan of the show, and was amazed not to have heard this magnificent version (2012) prior to hearing it on Netflix.

It’s been a long wait, I’m sure, but I very much hope the artist, Lindsey Stirling, gets a lot of recognition for this piece (certainly the YouTube numbers have rocketed in to the millions I believe) – not that she’s not already unknown in many circles, having competed in America’s Got Talent and releasing three studio albums.

Season One of The Umbrella Academy is currently on Netflix and I’d recommend giving it a go – if not for the show itself, but for Mary J. Blige smashing her role and the fabulous soundtrack!!

I’ve been looking forward to this biopic ever since it was first rumoured.

The timing is perhaps somewhat fortuitous, given the recent smash success of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury biopic (HUGE Queen fan too – I’ve been in Heaven!) both in cultivating an appetite for these sort of movies (not often seen) and in testing the waters.

My only criticism was just how much the film became the advert for John Lewis at Christmas time, it was a nice advert and message, but even I was fuming at the ‘loss’ of the advert for the promotion of a random film!

I’m excited to see the film and all the promo and build up leading up to it. I’d also be very happy to see similar for the likes of George Michael, Michael Jackson and Prince!

It’s become the new “been busy?” when it comes to small-talk. Whether I’m with my hair-dresser or my driving instructor, it’s guaranteed to be asked at some point. (Not that I mind, I’ve picked up loads of great shows this way – a lot more productive than random chat about the weather!).

I downloaded my Netflix History last night, if it’s on the list, I’ve enjoyed it and anything in bold was something I recommend*.

*Ignoring obvious classics like Fawlty Towers and focusing on their own & US Syndicated/non-UK classic content

Always on the look out for new suggestions, I’m currently working through ‘You’ and then moving on to ‘The Umbrella Academy’… and then who knows where…!

Quite rightly winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, which incidentally hasn’t been presented to a performer since the 2012 ceremony, it also represents nearly a lifetime of my listening to her amazing music.

In 2001, I was just 16 and starting out as a gay lad… I’d started going out to Manchester’s Gay Village and throwing myself around the Indie room at Poptastic, to the sounds of Get The Party Started, Don’t Let Me Get Me and Like A Pill (and we won’t mention slinking about at 3am in Essential to Lady Marmalade back in 2000, ha!).

By 2002/3, I was leaving home for Uni in Manchester, and things weren’t great – family wise, Mum and I weren’t speaking (and didn’t for 12 more years) and I was definitely going out and having too much of a good time. Family Portrait seemed a suitable soundtrack for sliding in to this part of my life.

In 2006, just as I was getting out of my funk and finally being a bit more responsible and working in The Gay Village, rather than just propping it up, anthemic bops like Who Knew, Leave Me Alone (I’m Lonely) and U+ Ur Hand arrived courtesy of the I’m Not Dead album along with lyrically beautiful songs like Dear Mr President and the hidden track, I Have Seen The Rain

In 2008, I’d just moved to London and the album So What (my personal fave) was in my ears non-stop. Songs like So What, Bad Influence, Please Don’t Leave Me and Funhouse were the songs playing on my first ever iPhone as I explored my new home, and started to explore the social scene in London. Sober was also on this album and it remains my personal favourite of all her songs – I listened to it solidly for about two months. Glitter In The Air totally made me swoon and feel so much emotion. (side note, I totally wanted it as my ‘first dance’ for when I got married (civil partnered back then) but my friends Johnny and Richard totally took it and made it theirs – a really beautiful moment to share in!)

Seeing the Funhouse tour at The O2  was one of the BEST moments of my life!

In 2012, I’d had enough of London, and had met my future husband, Max. We moved (back, for me) to Manchester to the sounds of The Truth About Love album as we travelled up the M6 ready to start our new lives together. Blow Me One Last Kiss, Try, and the phenomenal Just Give Me (A Reason) were all from this album, and I have many memories of these songs as I was doing seemingly mundane things – unpacking boxes, walking to work, shopping etc. It’s also my favourite of all her music videos.

By 2017, an album that (by name) reflected how I felt after my Cancer diagnosis/battle was released – Beautiful Trauma, which included the fantastic What About Us. It was something that I could twist and draw parallels through what I’d been through.

I’m a HUGE fan of The Greatest Showman and I genuinely think her version of A Million Dreams (with her gorgeous daughter Willow) absolutely exceeds the original, to the point that I wish that it had and that she’d been in this film – she would have been PERFECT in it. If you were to ask me today, which song I’d choose for my first dance, it’d definitely be this, no hesitations.

Watching The Brit Awards performance, I got very emotional, and that she’s been recognised for twenty years of making music (and in so being a constant part of my life, ups, downs and the super-shitty bits) feels like a perfect milestone.

Here’s to the next Twenty…ish!!!

I’d been looking forward to this movie since the day it was first announced, and kept a positive and open mind during its turbulent journey to the silver screen.

At 10:40 yesterday morning (first day of general release in the UK), I took my seat, ready to watch and figuring that ‘at worst’, I’d get to hear some Queen songs blasted out in cinematic surround sound.

What followed turned a little bit in to (fairly selective parts of) the Freddie Mercury show rather than a biopic of the band. I have to say that I enjoyed the initial formation of Queen parts a lot more than the later parts. It was good to see that Smile got a nod.

In some places, the narrative seemed quite slow, and there was no real insight in to the creation of possibly the ‘maddest’ song on the planet, Bo Rhap, other than a few raised eyebrows. Don’t get me wrong, the song is iconic and an absolute classic, but if you’re going to name the film after the song, I’d have at least expected a bit more content surrounding it, especially with it being at such a pivotal time for the band Queen. Rather than try and tell most of the story, they could have focused on the run up to this song and the immediate aftermath – I certainly would have found that interesting enough.

The film has been praised for its cinematography around Live Aid and I must wholeheartedly agree, it’s visually very impressive.

Nobody turns in a duff performance but I was just left wishing that it had been a more rounded movie about the band. I’m all for a biopic of Freddie, but if you’re going to do that, then you need to explore his character more deeply, actually get deeper in to the AIDS diagnosis, his life after that terrible news and the effect his death had on the band (and how they’ve risen since). Some of the songs were used out of context too (‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, for example, is not Freddie’s swan song for his AIDS diagnosis – it was in fact a Brian May song for the movie Highlander).

At 2 hours 15 minutes, there’s not much more that they could have fit in to the movie, but rather than extending the length, perhaps the 135 minutes could have been better spent. It’s entertaining and a pleasant enough movie, but as a Queen fan, I came away wanting just that little bit more.

In summation… It’s got mud on its face, but it’s no big disgrace.

It was the predictable story that I was expecting but nevertheless, an emotionally charged show with one or two key songs that I’ve not stopped singing for days now. The concept album has been on repeat (but the songs do work better in the theatre).

I had a thoroughly entertaining evening and whilst everyone was fantastic, there were a few notable mentions who shone out: Luke Bayer was on as Jamie, and after a slightly shaky start I bought in to him as Jamie – he gave a fantastic performance. Josie Walker‘s singing voice is sublime,  and Lucie Shorthouse as Pritti was my star person of the night. Looking through the cast list online, I’m not sure of who I’m referring to (apologies – possibly a shorter haired Ryan Hughes?)  but the chap in the blue hoodie who had some pretty amazing dance moves really caught my eye in every ensemble scene.

The big shame is that there’s only a concept album available at the moment, which, whilst a half-decent recording, I feel it doesn’t really capture the energy of the show, or come close to the vocals from the amazing cast. I’m really hoping for an OLC recording.

In terms on the staging, I found it very mixed. I thought it was supposed to be set in the 1980s, but often modern references and technology were used in the staging. In the end, I just had to further suspend my belief and just go with it as was.

The actual stage and lighting designs were very good.

All in all, a very entertaining evening, I’d certainly see it again. I’d recommend it, but I’d probably suggest you might want to prioritise other West End offerings and wait to see if it tours first.

The show is currently playing at The Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, London and tickets can be bought via the show’s official website.  The show starts at 19:30, and the final curtain is around 22:15.

Nope – not just talking about the rather bitter and frosty weather, I’m talking about the giant earworm that was Nativity, The Musical!‘s opening night at The Palace Theatre Manchester.

I, like most adults I think, adore the three awesome films by Debbie Isitt, however, and I’ll probably get shot down for saying it, I think that I enjoyed the stage version just that little bit more!!!

Getting down to business, of the big kids, I thought Daniel Boys was great in the role of Paul Maddens, and, after seeing him be really goofy in the original Rock Of Ages West-End Production, I found myself strangely enjoying Simon Lipkin‘s performance last night. I was worried that the character of Mr Poppy would come across as idiotic, immature and ‘in-your-face’ but instead, Mr Poppy on stage was a really great and lovable character and I could have watched him all night. Full credit – total 180º turn on my part. How do I sign up to the fan club?

Notable mentions also for Derek Aidoo and Jalisa Andrews, the on-stage swings, who kept dragging my eyes towards them whenever they were on the stage.

Now, to the kids…. I don’t really care which ‘group’ of kids I got to see last night – simply, they were fantastic and I’m sure that all the other groups will be too. Honestly, I’m not a fan of kids in general, and especially not in a theatre setting, but by jove, they all stole the night! It’s probably a bit unfair to pick anyone out, as everyone was SO good, but the thing that made me laugh the most was probably the pure adult-like sass coming from little Katelyn-Janet Rollason as she swung around in the stage on the star.

At the moment, there is no recording of the stage production I believe – I sincerely hope that changes soon, I’m walking around my house this morning humming all the tunes. (speaking of the score, did anyone else notice the cheeky Jesus Christ Superstar riff during Gordon Shakespeare’s nativity masterpiece? Those lashes sounded incredibly familiar, if not slightly rearranged for what I presume are sensible reasons, ha!)

HUGE new fan of this show, I thought there was a little lull in Act Two but otherwise it’s crazy insane fun that you need to go see – I guarantee you that you’ll be grinning from ear-to-ear until Christmas. I’m so glad that I chose Nativity, The Musical! as my family’s festive theatre outing this year, and I highly recommend it to kids of all ages – from 2 to 95!

Nativity, The Musical! is at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, until December 3rd, when it continues to ‘Sparkle and Shine’ on its national tour, which I hear is to star Louis Walsh in the small role of ‘The Hollywood Producer’ during the London dates.

More info can be found on the official website.