OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE ISSUE 39

AFRICA

MAGAZ I N E Issue 39, WINTER 2019

ICONS OF THE SILVER SCREEN

FROM THE PHILLIPINES

FREE

MEET IAN McMAHON

JANJEP CARLOS

THANKS EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THE PRIDE FESTIVAL SO SUCCESSFUL

THE VOLUNTEERS NGO’s ARTISTS & PERFORMERS STALL HOLDERS FOOD VENDORS BARS & BAR SERVICES CLEANERS SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE AND ALL THE SPONSORS WHO MADE ALL THE EVENTS POSSIBLE SAVE THE DATE: PRIDE 2020 MARDI GRAS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE 29th FEBRUARY 2020

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES

2 EDITORS COMMENT: 2 Doris Day -The Passing of a Gay Icon 3 Caster Semenya - Unethical Ruling 4 TRAVEL: New York hosts World Pride 8 Gay Icons on the Big Screen 10 Interview: Meet Ian McMahon 13 THE BUZZ: Snippets of News 18 Mr Gay World 2019 23 Diva’s One Night Only 30 The Golden Gays 32 Music Moves - Latheem Gabriel’s New Music 34 HEALTH: Getting Buff - Really Fast

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14 FASHION 14 - 15 Check Out what’s Trending on the Cat-Walk

SCENE OUT

24 Cape Town Pride 2019

REVIEWS

36 OUT ON FILM: With Daniel Dercksen 38 OUT ON DVD: With Daniel Dercksen 40 ON STAGE: With Daniel Dercksen

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FROM THE EDITOR

THE PASSING OF A GAY ICON

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i all - I am happy to report that Cape Town Pride 2019 went off without any hitches and what a day! The Parade was well attended with marching bands, floats, walkers and even three schools were represented. The Mardi Gras event was packed to capacity and some of the city’s best musical talent appeared on the Pride stage - these included 4 Tons of Fun, Zoe Zana and Latheem Gabriel, who have all been seen at Pride before. Headlining the impressive line-up were the über-sexy Craig Lucas and Jimmy Nevis who had the crowd on their feet. Cape Town is the drag capital of South Africa and 3D, Manila Von Teez and Ceri Du Pree, who was in town all the way from London, England had the audience screaming for more! So turn to page 24 and see who was there on the day perhaps there’s a pic of you!

Next year’s Mardi Gras and parade day has been announced, so save the date, start working on your outfit - February 29, 2020 is a day to diarise...

It is with sadness that we say goodbye to an all time favourite of the Golden Gay’s community, the lovely, good, clean and fresh Doris Day who passed away at the ripe old age of 97.

In this issue we feature an interview with the first recipient of Cape Town Pride 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, Ian McMahon, Ian has spent hours, days and years working for and with gay communities in South Africa - get to know him a little better on page 10.

Cape Town proudly hosted this year’s Mr Gay World; The event which was scheduled to be held in Hong Kong was moved to the Mother City at the last minute and with the help of the City of Cape Town and other helpful sponsors, the contestants had a great week of activities and sightseeing, find out more about the winners and the event in page 18...

One group of gay people who are often overlooked, ignored and discriminated against within the LGBTI+ community are the older gay men and women. We have a very interesting article on page 30 highlighting the difficulties older people have to face - after all we are all (hopefully) going to get there one day.

Diva’s One Night Only is back again for the 8th year ... get your tickets as the event, which showcases drag talent, not only from Cape Town, but other parts of this wonderful country as well, always sells out !!!

Turn to page 23 to find out more ...

Enjoy the read and remember … always be safe and don’t drink and drive!

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he famous actress, icon, and LGBTQ ally, Doris Day, died recently after contracting pneumonia. The actress, who played such iconic roles as Calamity Jane and the girl-next-door roles opposite another icon, Rock Hudson, passed away months after celebrating her 97th birthday.

Calamity Jane was the film that initiated her “gay icon” status playing a somewhat butch, tom-boyish character but it was the song, Secret Love that became a gay anthem to many in-the-closet followers.

The lyrics, Once I had a secret love/That lived within the heart of me/All too soon my secret love/Became impatient to be free struck a chord in the hearts of gay men and women the world over especially in a world where it was more difficult to be out than what young people have today.

Doris starred along-side Rock Hudson in three films. The Hollywood idol, who died of AIDS, a much-feared and stigmatised, and at that time, untreatable disease, was also outed by his illness. The circumstances surrounding his death were made worse by the homophobia and ignorance of the time. After his death, she penned a letter to participants of AIDS/LifeCycle 11 saying, “What you’re doing is so important, both to remember those gone and also to ensure those alive keep living much longer than Rock was able to.”

Doris was married four times, divorcing three husbands and was widowed. In her later years, she devoted herself to animal welfare through the Doris Day Animal Foundation and did great things in improving the treatment of animals in films, and saving animals who were neglected victims of disasters like Hurricane Katrina...

Rest in peace great lady MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358

ISSN 2304-859X Published by: PATTERSON PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 555 1279 E-mail: outmagazine@mweb.co.za outmagafrica@telkomsa.net outlet@telkomsa.net ADVERTISING SALES: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358

CONTRIBUTORS: Daniel Dercksen, Evan Tsouroulis PHOTOGRAPHY:

Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town

Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine.

Cover Photo: Janjep Carlos Facebook Mag 2

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

CASTER RULING IS UNETHICAL

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n 2018 the IAAF issued new Eligibility regulations for Female Classification (Athlete with Differences of Sexual Development) for events from 400m to the mile, including 400m, hurdles races, 800m, 1500m, one mile races and combined events over the same distances - a ruling which directly affected South African Athlete, Caster Semenya, who now has to take drugs to lower her natural testosterone levels. Crazy as this sounds, and unethical as it is to force anyone to take drugs against their wishes, the athletes appeal against this decision was upheld, last month, by the Court of Arbitration of Sport. (CAS) In May, Athletics South Africa (ASA) lodged an appeal against the courts decision which directly impacts Semenya, a double Olympic champion in the 800m.

After the IAAF’s initial ruling Caster reacted, saying, “I know that the IAAF’s regulations have always targeted me specifically. For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger.” And after the CAS came out in support of the IAAF she tweeted, “The decision of the CAS will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”

It seems astounding and a violation of one’s human rights to compel anyone to take drugs to negatively affect their natural abilities ... Should tall basketball players be penalised because they have an unfair advantage over short players? Or should gymnasts with exceptionally supple joints have their natural abilities restricted because they are more lithe and flexible than others ... what next!!!

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TRAVEL

NEW YORK CITY New York City is renowned as one of the gay capitals of the world and this year will be hosting World Pride and with its reputation as “the city that never sleeps� promises the event will be the best so far...

The Empire State Building is lit in the Rainbow Colours for Pride Month Mag 4

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ver the month of June in 2019, New York will host World Pride. The celebrations will going on throughout the whole month. This will be the first time World Pride has been held in the USA.

It’s estimated that 3 million people will be participating in this spectacular event. The festivities will culminate in New York’s famous Pride March happening on Sunday 30th June.

With 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising – the momentous event that is widely accepted to have kick-started the gay liberation movement, NYC Pride 2019 will be branded as both WorldPride 2019 and Stonewall50 in honour of the anniversary.

Expect political debates, queer cinema, lots of music and dancing, events for LGBT youth and more. The opening event of WorldPride, Forever: Love, takes place at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday 28th June with superstar DJs Micky Friedmann and Sagi Kariv playing and over 4000 hot guys will be partying the night away.

passed away. He was one of America’s finest LGBT+ artists.

Immortalised in Patti Smith’s bestselling book, Just Kinds, his legacy continues to fascinate. One of the many queer artists lost to the HIV epidemic, his work explored the more extreme aspects of the LGBT+ imagination. He was obsessed with erotica and BDSM subculture.

Oscar Wilde allegedly said, “Everything in the world is about sex except sex.” Mapplethorpe’s work confirms that statement. His art is far more than highly sexualised imagery. It demonstrates how sex intertwines with all aspects of our lives, culture and politics.

LPAC – Levity And Justice For All 2019 will be playing at the Playstation Theatre on Broadway. LPAC celebrates LGBT+ women in comedy. There’ll be celebrity hosts and performers, such as Emma Willmann, Gina Yashere, and Gloria Bigelow. See how women of colour and queer performers navigate the still male-dominated world of comedy. These performers are proof that the industry is becoming more diverse Hot DJ Micky Friedmann

The World Pride: VIP Rooftop Party 2019 will happen on the 29th June, This will be the biggest gay party in NYC in 2019. Shirts will come off and vast amounts of booze will flow at Terminal 5, NYC’s notorious nightclub. The Masterbeat and WorldPride production will be going on all day and all night.

Terminal 5 will become a megaclub with DJs Rick Braile and GSP in the main room. DJ Erik Vilar will play during the day on the rooftop terrace in the sunshine. Sounds like an event to diarise and definitely not to e missed. The rooftop at Hudson Terrace is the place to be seen on Saturday 29 June 2019.

The closing party promises to be equally spectacular - this will be a night of dancing and debauchery with over 3000 guys partying the night away. This event is ideal if you like things to be a little more outrageous and even a little perverted.

The main music event of World Pride 2019, this where the biggest artists come to perform. Previous performers include Cher, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. This year’s headliner will be the legendary Grace Jones. Make your way down to Pier 97 Pier 97 59th St. & West Side Highway for World Pride: Pride Island 2019 anytime from the 28th to 30th June and be a part of this unique concert event.

The funds raised from Pride Island go towards funding the many free events that take place in conjunction with NYC Pride.

But New York is not just about the parties ... there is so much to see and do in this dynamic city ... there are art galleries, museums, the best shopping in the world, theatre, music, concerts, drag, cruising, parks, bars ... in fact anything that takes your fancy is on your doorstep.

Check out Art After Stonewall - Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, this exhibition will showcase 150 works by artists including Basquiat, Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol. Their works chronicle the LGBT experience in the post-Stonewall era.

If art is your thing then a visit to Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a must do. It’s been thirty years since Robert Mapplethorpe

Also for LGBTI+ women is And So Are You, a Lesbian/feminist installation by Fierce Pussy, an LGBT+ art collective that emerged from the radical protest of ACT-UP in the early 90’s, you can experience this at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. You’ll find a bit of everything here from avantgarde paintings, rare pulp novels and private *adult content* collections. Many of the artworks on display embody the gay experience throughout modern history. The shame, the pride, the isolation and everything in between.

NYC Pride’s OutCinema, in partnership with NewFest and the SVA Theatre, celebrates LGBTQIA+ pride and community on film. Starting on June 17th, June there will be three days of films that speak to the LGBTQIA+ experience.

Featuring specially curated screenings followed by Q&As and open bar after-parties, the new format provides a wide variety in LGBTQIA+ cinema that reflects the community.

OutCinema helps to raise needed funds for NYC Pride and NewFest to help continue their annual programming.

On Friday June 28th there will be a commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising.. The uprising which took place 50 years ago is still relevant today so NYC Pride is taking the Rally back into the streets! LGBTQIA+ rights and human rights are under attack by the current political environment. Join community activists, organizers, politicians, and more for this unprecedentMag 5

ed moment in our history. Take a stand, show up in force, and make your voice heard in this re-imagined Rally experience. The commemoration will take place in Christopher Street in Greenwich Village where the original uprising took place.

The first NYC Pride Rally occurred one month after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, when 500 people gathered for a “Gay Power” demonstration in Washington Square Park, followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. NYC Pride has continued this proud tradition by hosting the event in various locations throughout the city.

On June 21st there will be a Family Movie night under the stars at Hudson River Park’s Pier 45 - the film for this year’s Family Movie Night: Coco!

New York city is a huge place so there are a host of smaller pride events taking place throughout June building up to the city’s main Pride parade. On the 2nd June is Queens Pride in the borough of Queens, then the Bronx Pride Festival happens on the 23rd June. The 10th instalment of Harlem Pride happens throughout June and it’s going to be a big one. Around 20,000 people are expected to attend. It’s also the hundredth anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance.

A number of events will be taking place in Harlem over Pride month, including a gospel concert, Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre, Harlem Pride “In The Mix” and many more.

The Pride 2019 parade will be on Sunday, June 30, 2019 - Starting at noon at 26th Street & 5th Ave. The first March was held in 1970 and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years, its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect.

The March is a celebration of our lives and our community. In 2018, we were joined by over 550 unique marching contingents, representing a vast array of non-profits, community organisaMag 6

tions, corporate sponsors, small businesses, political candidates and activists! With over 100 floats making the trek along the route, last year’s March was one of the largest and most exciting in history, and in conjunction with WorldPride this year’s will be even bigger.

So if you are planning to get away in June and attending any gay events New York in June is without doubt the place to be...

#pride A proud supporter the LGBTQ Community

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Michael Douglas played Wladziu Valentino Liberace in Behind The Candelabra,

GAY ICONS ON THE BIG SCREEN There are Queer icons who change the world in their own extraordinary way, and when they do, we want access to their private lives and there’s no better gateway than the big screen, allowing us a privileged peek into the difference they made, and sharing it with others who don’t always understand what’s it’s like braving a constant onslaught of oppression and ignorance.

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lthough is was a fictitious creation that flamed my blossoming Queerdom, to me the Transylvanian Frank n’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show was real, as he was to millions of others, and when I took my parents to a drive-in theatre to watch the movie in the mid-70s, the anthem Don’t dream it, be it, was instilled in me forever, and my parents understood what their little darling was all about.

For real-life Queer icons, it was no different.

Farrokh Bulsara who was born in Zanzibar, transformed himself in the uniquely talented and flamboyant Freddie Mercury and as the frontman of Queen was one of the most innovative singers of the rock era. Although we bought the albums and watched the doccies, when Bohemian Rhapsody hit the big screen, and Rami Malek walked away with an Oscar for his performance, the LGTB community shared that recognition with pride.

There can also only be one Elton John, and now we can experience his uncensored human story from prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music, to glittering Mag 8

superstar on film with Rocketman, with Taron Egerton stepping into his shoes for an ultimate sexy musical fantasy.

(Glenda Jackson) was plagued by his homosexual urges and lustful desire for Count Anton Chiluvsky.

Another Queer music icon that stamped his identity on the world, was controversial English singer Boy George, whose desperate outcry for acceptance was perfectly captured in the film Worried About the Boy and brought to life by Douglas Booth, who also played the sexy lover of Christopher Isherwood in Christopher and His Kind. Isherwood’s raunchy gay antics in Weimar Republic Germany was also portrayed in I Am The Camera, and Bob Fosse’s inventive re-creation for the film Cabaret.

The Queen of all Queens, flamboyant English writer, raconteur and largerthan-life personality Quentin Crisp was perfectly captured by John Hurt in the endearing film The Naked Civil Servant, a role Hurt reprised in 2009 in An Englishman in New York, which covered the latter years of Crisp’s life spent in Manhattan – you can also see Crisp in his filmed stage shows Resident Alien and Homo Heights, as well as his performance as Queen Elizabeth 1 in the fictional adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s luscious Orlando.

The life of extravagant pianist Wladziu Valentino Liberace was celebrated with exuberance by Michael Douglas’ in Behind The Candelabra, with an equally dazzling performance by Matt Damon as Liberace’s devilish toy boy, somehow reflecting the tragic life of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was played by Richard Chamberlain in Ken Russell’s controversial The Music Lovers, showing how his forced marriage to the nymphomaniacal Antonina Miliukova

The notorious life Oscar Wilde was captured in 5 films: Peter Finch took on the role in The Trials Of Oscar Wilde (1960) that focused on his relationship with the Marquis of Queensberry’s son Lord Alfred Douglas, winning the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film as well as a BAFTA for Best Actor; Wilde’s homosexuality was exposed in Oscar Wilde (1960), starring Robert Morley, and the attempted seduction scene was cut. In Salome’s Last Dance (1997) filmmaker Ken Russell

The Danish Girl showed Wilde watching a performance of Salome performed in the brothel he was arrested; Stephen Fry played the title role in Wilde (1997), and Rupert Everett wrote, directed and starred in The Happy Prince (2018) Wilde was not the only Queer scribe who stirred controversy, English playwright author and diarist Joe Orton raised hell in London in the 60s, and his outrageous lifestyle and tragic murder by his mentor and lover Kenneth Halliwell, was superbly captured in the film Prick Up Your Ears, with Gary Oldman as Orton, and Alfred Molina as Halliwell.

Javier Bardem delivered an impassioned performance Cuban author and exile Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls, Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Oscar for his performance in the outstanding Capote (2005), based on Gerald Clarke’s biography Capote, and in Kill Your Darlings, the lives of the earliest members of the Beat Generation was explored as well as the scandalous killing in New York City, with Dane DeHaan as Lucien Carr who became the object of affection of Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe).

Most recently Melissa McCarthy played real-life literary forger and notorious cat-loving Lesbian Lee Israel in Can You Forgive Me?, with Richard E Grant as her lounge-lizard drinking gay buddy.

Adapted from Eileen Atkins’ 1992 play of the same name, Chanya Button’s Vita and Virginia tells the story of the real-life love affair between socialite Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) and iconic author Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), and in Wild Nights With Emily, a re-imagined dramatization of the life of influential poet Emily Dickinson, she’s an outgoing lesbian who embarked on a love affair with her sister-in-law.

In The White Crow, director Ralph Fiennes gives us an impressionistic glimpse at the forces driving Nureyev — something of a diva even then — to accept no borders or limits in letting his artistry run fee. Nureyev broke the rules about mingling with foreigners and allegedly frequented gay bars in Paris, which alarmed the Mariinsky’s management and the KGB agents observing him; and Girl was inspired the true story of Nora Monsecour, a transgender female dancer from Belgium - Lukas Dhont’s has garnered some controversy and criticism because the director and leading star (Victor Polster) aren’t transgender.

The lives of iconic artists were captured in Julie Taymor’s Frida, with Salma Hayek delivered a moving performance as surrealist Mexican painter Frida Kahlo; Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl was loosely inspired by the lives of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, with Eddie Redmayne as Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery; Tom of Finland explored the life and work of Touko Laaksonen, one of the most influential and celebrated figures of 20th century gay culture. After returning home from WWII, Touko inspired a generation of gay men with his signature work, `Tom of Finland’. Ondi Timoner’s biopic Mapplethorpe is based on the true story of controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whose work sparked outrage in the ’80s due to its provocative homoerotic nature and portrayals of BDSM culture; and there is talk of a film on the gay escapades of Da Vinci, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Political queer icons came to the forefront with Benedict Cumberbatch’s striking performance in The Imitation Game as mathematics alumnus Alan Turing who was convicted of gross indecency in the 50s and, in lieu of a jail sentence, undergoes chemical castration so he can continue his work ; realising that they share common foes in Margaret Thatcher, the police and the conservative press, London-based gay and lesbian activists supported striking miners in 1984 Wales in Pride: the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, was told in Milk and received Oscars for Sean Penn’s brilliant performance, as well as for Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay; and Colin Farrell took on the role of Macedonian general and king Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone’s Alexander, showing his relationship with his childhood friend and lover Hephaistion.

Remy Malik won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury Alan Bennett has been one of the UK’s leading dramatists and his life has beautifully captured in The Lady In The Van, an endearing portrait of a powerful but puzzling, extraordinary woman who arrived from nowhere and completely took over nearly 20 years of Bennett’s life.

In 2003 Charlize Theron walked away with an Oscar for her riveting performance as former prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, with Christina Ricci as her semifictionalised lover, Selby Wall (based on Wuornos’s real-life girlfriend Tyria Moore).

The powerful Freeheld is a remarkable, inspirational story of New Jersey police lieutenant Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) who is diagnosed with cancer and wants to leave her hard-earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie (Ellen Page), and in her struggle for equality, turning justice into political theatre.

Unfortunately, as with Bohemian Rhapsody, or films on gay men and women who became superstars, the Queerness isglossed over in mainstream cinema, showing us how ‘normal’ their lives were until they were seduced by the ‘abnormal’ and decadent gay culture.

Still, we proudly salute our iconic Queer heroes who are immortalised on film.

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MEET IAN McMAHON

THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE 2019 CAPE TOWN PRIDE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD CHATS TO OUT Mag 10

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n March, Cape Town Pride awarded Ian McMahon their inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

Looking at Ian’s lifetime of work, it is hardly surprising that he was honoured recently. Similarly, when they talk of gay US Presidential contender Mayor Peter Buttigieg as “the most interesting mayor you have never heard of”, Ian McMahon has seemed to accomplish so much and remain reasonably under the radar screen. Out Magazine caught up with Ian to talk to him about his award and find out more about him OUT Magazine: How did this all start for you?

Ian: Looking back, it all started in 1995. I was managing a restaurant, a Spur in Melville in Johannesburg and was forced to come out when a rumour ended on the owners desk. I didn’t deny it and 3 weeks later got sacked, after 7 years with them. In those days I suppose, that was the course of how things went, but that same night – one of my later life’s mentors, popped in. Mark Farrelly from Spur Head Office arrived for a night visit and I told him about my incident (not the coming out part), and asked if he would look around the group for another position that might be available by another franchisee in another Spur. Three weeks later he offered me a job at Head office as an Area Manager. He said that he knew “all about be”, and that he had gained some support amongst head office but would vouch for me personally – and the rest is history. I left Spur Group in 2011, having reached the position of Group I.T and Communications Director with many great memories about the executive: Pierre, Mark, Sacha, the family of colleagues – they are truly a wonderful bunch of people at Spur. I believe I was a trailblazer there as today, they probably employ the most gay people for any company that I know of in SA, from seniors all the way down the chain. It’s open, honest, tolerant and accepting – and I’m very proud to say I worked at Spur for most of my life!

OUT magazine: So this was all the business side, how did your entry into activism begin?

Ian: Well, that’s exactly the catalyst I needed. To have been fired for, in my mind, being gay, only to be hired in a better senior position – and they say they know and accept that I’m gay. That changed my being, my psyche. It was a huge confidence boost in my life – picture the down, followed by an up. That’s when I thought I could use this great gay self-esteem I was feeling for good. I joined TOGS (the gay sports group) and became their P.R.O and haven’t stopped since.

OUT Magazine: You were instrumental in founding the Pride Shelter with the late Glenn De Swardt and others – how does it feel now that you are wanting to retire from this amazing facility?

Ian: That’s kinda hard, as it’s like my baby to me, but at some point you can do as much as you can – and then hand it over to someone else can do more, who can take it further. I’m very conscious of founders’ syndrome and understand that new fresh ideas are needed when they are needed. The new Directors joining are outstanding people with a great track record and have super plans for the Shelter to come. I’m proud of the fact that we started this amazing safe space and prouder that I leave it in great hands – thanks to the hundreds of many thoughtful donors and friends whom have helped us along the way.

Ian, on the Pride stage with Pride Director Tommy Patterson with the Cape Town Pride Lifetime Achievement Award able man, an entrepreneur like myself – and our Province is under a very strong, capable and knowledgeable leader. The future is bright!

OUT Magazine: I see on Facebook people jokingly saying you should run for a position yourself?

Ian: Yes indeed, I saw that but you know, politics IS something I have a huge interest in and would love one day, to stick my toe into it. I’d make a difference – I’m sure of it! Its in that same communityservice related game that I have been in since 1995 and although for different communities over time, service is not something that’s taught – its something you have. Its deep-down. Its inside you!

OUT Magazine: So what message do you have to share in that respect?

Ian: I think the struggle for progress and freedom for a better life reaches far beyond our LGBTQ experience but our experience gives us empathy and it fuels us with the momentum to get it done. In funny ways, every South African battles to experience true freedom, every South African needs real security, every South African needs access to jobs, every South African needs the freedom to live a better life that they choose, to have a working and trusted transport system, to have a future! Our future depends on a vibrant democracy and that’s what this message is about. So, in an interview like this – I see it as an opportunity to build each other up, to show where our country can be, and what our government CAN do. It is the freedom TO and not a freedom from.

OUT Magazine: So is that a yes?

Ian: That’s a maybe – it’s about where my skills can best be used for the greater good. Running for any public office is an act of hope, so is volunteering or supporting those running. We have the opportunity for hope in our lifetime. I have been elected the Chairman of the De

OUT Magazine: We have seen much of you recently on social media wearing a blue shirt and volunteering for the Democratic Alliance, tell us about that.

Ian: My good friend Councillor Rob Quintas got me on the volunteer bandwagon, and I assisted the party and Cllr. Dave Bryant in Ward 115 in the run-up to the elections, manning tables, handing out flyers and posting on social media my “McMahon Viewpoint” of why people needed to vote. It was inspiring working with all these great people and I’m very chuffed that I was a small part of Alan Winde’s historic win for our Province. Having chatted to him, he is a qualified

Ian with Cllr. Dave Bryant

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Waterkant Civic Association for 5 years, and that in itself has become quite a political animal the way things are going, but I love it and its altruism in the most perfect manifestation.

CHECK OUT IAN’S IMPRESSIVE RESUME.

OUT Magazine: Moving away from politics, you are involved with your partner Jimmy in a restaurant.

Ian: Yes, Jim and I have been dating for almost 5 years, and when most people buy a house together, being the entrepreneurs that we are, we opened a business! Jim is a renowned Asian Chef and we love working together at our eatery Ben Wei in Wembley Square. He inspires me every day – and I’m a lucky man!

OUT Magazine: Lastly, Crew has just been thru a renovation and has just reopened too?

Ian: Exactly, after 3 months we have turned out the most beautiful venue and are very happy. A new music style, new bathrooms and new floors – everything. It’s a great bar – and the feedback has been fantastic. I wish I had time to be there more – but that’s how it is – I have to segment my life – but I am giving a few things up, so hope to have more time for the things that I’m enjoying at the moment.

OUT Magazine: Politics?

Ian: Watch this space!

OUT Magazine: You are a busy man! Thank you Ian – best of luck on all you do, hopefully we get to see you in public office at some time soon.

Ian: Thanks Tommy, and thank for your time today

24 years ago, Ian was P.R.O of TOGS, the Organisation of Gay Sport in Johannesburg in 1995. In 1996, he joined the committee and in 1998, was elected co-chair of Joburg Pride in 1998. After a move to Cape Town in 1999, he became a Director of GALATTIC (Gay and Lesbian Association Tourism Trade and Commerce). In 2001 he was invited to join the Board of a new Cape Town Pride as Chairperson, and stayed in that role until 2006, where he became a founding Board member on the Pride Shelter Trust, the Cape Town LGBTI+ Crisis Centre and in 2009, he resigned Cape Town Pride to became Chair to the Shelter in 2012 until today where he is set to retire this year.

Ian was a Board member of the San Francisco based Federation of Gay Games (FGG). He became Executive Director of External Affairs before personally hosting the FGG Annual Meeting in Cape Town in 2008. In 2009, he was voted the International FGG Volunteer of the year award. He was an athlete in 4 Gay Games, in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 where he had won a Silver and a Bronze medal in his sports and was part of the team that bid to host the Gay Games in Cape Town in 2022.

Ian is currently the Chairman of the De Waterkant Civic Association, which hosts the “Gay Village” and was recently awarded a City of Cape Town Certificate of Recognition for his work in representing the community on the DWCA. Ian has been a very active member of the South African Gay community!

Apart from his volunteer work, Ian has been the co-owner as venues such as Café Manhattan, Amsterdam Bar, The Loft Lounge, is a partner in MCQP and is currently a co-owner of Ben Wei Restaurant and the well-known 11-year-old, Crew Bar. He was the I.T and Communications Executive of Spur Group for many years, is an M.C and is active in politics. Busy Man! Ian is a proud champion of Gay rights in South Africa – and for this reason, we as Cape Town Pride Festival were very proud to award him our very first community award – The Cape Town Pride Lifetime Achievement Award for all his hard work towards ensuring our rights, making our country a better place for LGBT+ persons to live in, and offering his valuable time for the betterment of our society and having done so for over much of the last 24 years.

Ian with his life-partner, Jimmy Mag 12

THE BUZZ A GAY MORNING WOOD

PETE BUTTIGIEG - Ist OPENLY GAY CANDIDATE

Lastly, he said, “[Trump has] mastered the practice of the most divisive form of such politics, which is white identity politics, designed to drive apart people with common interests. What I worry about is not the president’s fantasy wall on the Mexican border that’s not going to get built anyway.

What I worry about are the very real walls that we are putting up between us as we get divided and carved up.”

BOER SOEK n OU!

T

A

Very Naked Camping Musical is Making its Way onto Broadway. Only the uncultured don’t have a great appreciation for the theatre, which is why gay New Yorkers will be rushing out to see the famous theatre district’s latest offering: Camp Morning Wood: A Very Naked Musical.

Well, having your entire cast naked is a great way to save on a wardrobe budget and attract curious gay male audiences in particular.

Camp Morning Wood follows gay couple Gabe, a struggling actor waiting tables, and Randy, whose car breaks down on a camping trip. Fortunately, they’re not awoken by a serial killer, and instead by Esteban, a member of Morning Wood Meadows; a gay, nudist, campground.

The couple is subsequently faced with a weekend of temptation and new discoveries, that promise hilarity, body positivity, and plenty of genitalia – you won’t get balls in your face at other Broadway musicals ...

Not only that, but director Marc Eardley is planning three nights where the audience get naked too. Let’s just say we think the interval will be quite the experience!

Camp Morning Wood will run at The Anne L. Bernstein Theatre, through Pride season in NYC, from May 29th – July 7th. Check out the travel article to see what else New York Pride has on offer.

Perhaps an enterprising director will produce the show here ... sounds like immense fun!

T

he United States has it’s first openly-gay candidate running for election to the country’s highest office.

During his keynote address at the Human Rights Campaign’s Las Vegas gala, Presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg described his coming out and how it taught him about the importance of building bridges between people with different experiences.

He began, “When it comes to coming out, everyone’s got their own story. Mine is one of taking a long long time to come out, even to myself. And once I did, I started to tell friends after being elected mayor of my hometown. It was easy to drag my feet on telling anyone else. After all, I had a demanding job, not a lot of time for a personal life and the city was a jealous bride. But what happened is I realised I wasn’t getting any younger.”

he popular dating reality show on kykNET Boer Soek ‘n Vrou is back and a recent announcement of the ten farmers who will be searching for love this season includes, for the first time, a gay man looking a life partner. Damian, a 37-year-old cattle and sheep farmer from Bapsfontein, is bravely breaking new ground in a TV show that has a largely conservative Afrikaans following.

But initial responses on Twitter were mostly positive ....

RSA @LivingRSA said “They’re thinking we’re a diverse country and the show shouldn’t be exclusionary.”

Lord Bae-Less @CallMeLum Replying to @News24 @Channel24 “Cool. And it affects his farming how exactly?”

Great news - congratulations to the producers for being innovative and inclusive. The show will be aired over 13 episodes from October.

In the speech, Buttigieg described his decision to come out. He said, “By the time I stepped away from the mayor’s office, on leave to serve in Afghanistan, I was seized with the awareness that I could be killed in action at the age of 33, a grown man and an elected official, with no idea what it was like to be in love. I knew that I had to be who I am.”

Later on in his HRC speech, Buttigieg added, “What every gay person has in common with every excluded person of any kind is knowing what it’s like to see a wall between you and the rest of the world and wonder what it’s like on the other side.”

Mag 13

FASHION Photographer / SDR Photo.

TOKYO JAMES featured heavy padded jackets, hoodies & leather

WARM WINTER FASHIO SA MENSWEAR Mag 14

NICHOLAS COUTTS showed a collection of heavy knitwear and scarves to ward off the winter chill

ON FEATURED AT 2019 R FASHIONWEEK Mag 15

FASHION

MARTIN KADINDA paraded flowing jackets and leather wear

Mag 16

Photographer / SDR Photo.

ICONIC BLACK Featured clothing branded with the South African flag and dared wearers to show a bit of skin

THE DELE MR GAY WO

AND THE WIN Mag 18

EGATES AT ORLD 2019

NNER WAS ...

Mag 19

Words: Evan Tsouroulis

C

ape Town City Hall was the venue for the Grand Finale of the Mr Gay World 2019 competition which took place on Saturday 4th May. After a busy week full of challenges, tests and activities which took the 22 contestants across the length and breadth of the Mother City, Mr. Philippines Janjep Carlos, a 41 year old realtor, athlete, traveller and a fitness enthusiast from General Trias south of Manila, was named Mr Gay World 2019. Outside his professional life, Janjep is involved in advocacy work with Mental Health PH, an NGO which spreads awareness about mental health, and particularly depression, within the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines. Janjep was a clear favourite with the audience, which included a party of 30 supporters who travelled with him from the Philippines. He also won the Best National Costume and Best Written Exam categories. Mr Spain Francisco Alvarado was the First Runner-up and Mr Hungary Oliver Pusztai came in third place.

This is not the first time the competition has been held in South Africa. The fourth Mr Gay World Competition took place in Johannesburg in April 2019. Knysna on the Garden Route hosted the contest in May of 2014 and 2018, in conjunction with the annual Pink Loerie Festival. This year’s contest was supposed to have happened in Hong Kong but had to be moved due to a clampdown by the Chinese authorities on LGBTQ affirming events and campaigns. So it was decided to move the event back to South Africa, a beacon for gay rights in Africa. The progressive post-apartheid constitution saw that South Africa was the first country to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. South Africa was also the fifth country in the world, and the first country in Africa, to legalise same-sex marriages and offer its LGBTQ citizens marriage equality and specified constitutional protections.

Cape Town is the perfect place to host a competition whose aim is to choose an ambassador who can accurately represent the gay community globally while bringing attention to important matters regarding discrimination and equality. Cape Town is regarded as the Gay Capital of Africa. The city has consistently been voted as one of the top tourist destinations for gay travellers. Cape Town was named the “World’s Leading Festival and Events Destination” at the 2018 World Travel Awards in Lisbon Mag 20

last December. The city hosts two major annual LGBTQ events attended by locals and international visitors alike, the MCQP costume party which marked its 25th Anniversary last December, and Cape Town Pride Festival, currently South Africa’s largest Pride celebration.

When Mr Gay World 2019 was moved to Cape Town, the City of Cape Town as well as Cape Town Tourism grasped the opportunity to further promote Cape Town as a wonderfully welcoming gay-friendly travel destination. At a Mr Gay World press conference Counsellor JP Smith, representing the mayor of Cape Town, reiterated that the City Of Cape Town supports the LGBTQ community on many levels. Specifically, the building which houses the Pride Shelter, Africa’s only LGBTQ crisis centre, is provided by COCT at a nominal rent. The Ivan Toms Centre for Health which provides sexual health services for men who have sex with men is located within a city health facility. And for the last few years COCT has been working with Cape Town Pride to ensure a world class event.

In the week leading up to the Grand Finale the press and interested members of the public had several opportunities to meet and speak to all the delegates representing the 22 countries participating in Mr Gay World 2019. All the delegates had amazing stories to tell, and for some of the contestants the road to Cape Town was not an easy one. Some countries like the Philippines have a strong pageant culture so their contestant came with financial and emotional support. But other contestants had to make their own way to Cape Town with little support. It took the Namibian delegate 52 hours on a bus to get here. What became clear was that in South Africa we often tend to take our freedoms for granted. Homophobia and homo –prejudice remains rife in most countries of the world. In South Africa we are indeed fortunate that President Cyril Ramaphosa took time to tweet a welcome to the delegates to Mr Gay World 2019: “South Africa is pleased to host Mr Gay World delegates during #FreedomMonth…As we celebrate the freedoms afforded to all people in South Africa and affirm the democratic values of human dignity, equality & freedom enshrined in our Constitution, I wish Mr Gay World delegates well and I hope you enjoy your visit to one of the most beautiful places in the world.” This is in sharp contrast to newly elected right wing president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro who recently said that he does not want gay tourists coming to his country.

Some of the Asian and Latin American contestants spoke about the difficulty of living an open gay life in their counties. The fact that there were only two delegates from Africa speaks volumes about the state of affairs on our continent. Every delegate without exception spoke about the importance of education of the general populace and of visibility.

Some of the delegates were visibly moved on a visit to the Pride Shelter where in their countries such a facility would not be possible.

The value of such a competition is evident in these stories that the public never hears. Eric Butter, President and Founder of Mr Gay World, had this to say about the contest as a whole: “This is not a pageant but a leadership programme where we educate the delegates and the delegates educate us, it’s about enabling each other. It is about removing stigmas, it’s about diversity, breaking barriers, inclusion and sensitisation. It is an opportunity for all 22 countries to share their projects and to network.”

But be that as it may, most people attending the Grand Finale would consider the contest to be a pageant and a night’s entertainment. There is a strong pageant culture in Cape Town, albeit mostly - but not exclusively - drag pageants. So there are certain minimum expectations. The Grand Finale event was left wanting in many respects. The public were kept waiting in the street for half an hour before the doors opened, only to be met by disorganisation on the part of Howler, the official ticket vendors.

Once the public started coming through the door, there was nowhere to go. Nobody could tell us where the bar was, or if there was one at all.

(One of the evening’s highlights ended up being the discovery that the drinks were free!) Invited press were herded into a corner and told to wait for further instructions. I’m still waiting. As the auditorium was only half full, we were able to find a suitable viewing spot.

The newly renovated auditorium at the City Hall is absolutely gorgeous.

The huge organ was beautifully lit in rainbow colours. As the venue is Mag 21

used mainly for live orchestral performances, dressing the stage is not easy. But one would have expected something more than a white sheet on a blank stage. Once the show began (one hour and fifteen minutes late!) we were grateful for the big screen on to which much of the evening’s proceeding were projected.

But there were problems with the audiovisual. There were too many moments with nothing happening on stage, or waiting for somebody to come on stage. Was there not a stage manager? Host for the evening, TV and radio presenter Ewan Strydom, a beautiful specimen of a man by the way, covered much up as the true professional he is, but one could sense the frustration. One of the points of live entertainment is to fill in the gaps.

Which leads one to question why the entertainment came at the end of the two halves?

Talking of the entertainment, we love Tamara Day, a proven LGBTQ ally. She is a star and she gave us a beautiful performance.

But nobody knew she was performing until she got up on stage. Not a word in any of the pre-publicity. A few extra tickets might have been sold had it been known. And has anybody actually heard of international boy band 5WEST? They were quite sweet and performed well, but who are they? One cannot help but wonder how many world class South African gay and gay-friendly entertainers could have been hired in their place.

On seeing the sensational drag diva Manila von Teez and The Voice winner Craig Lucas in the foyer, we were disappointed to hear that they were not performing. I can’t help but think that a local class act like 4 Tons of Fun would have really got the party started as well as providing an African flavour, which was conspicuous by its absence during the night’s proceedings.

So maybe this sounds like nit-picking. But we are talking about an international event here, not a drag pageant in the Cape Flats with no budget, where they can at least conjure up a red carpet and a photo wall. The show did not live up to the hype. This is in no way the fault of any of the 22 delegates who did well on stage, appearing in swim wear, national costume, and evening wear. They are all intelligent, articulate, approachable gay men who did their countries proud. They are all winners in their own right and all congratulations are due to them. They just deserved better. A full auditorium would be a good start South Africans and Capetonians in particular know how to put on a pageant and this was not the best we could do. We cannot help feeling disappointed, slightly embarrassed and disregarded because we know that there are people who could have produced a really world class show with a distinctly Cape flair. At the Grand Finale, Counsellor Rob Quintas, who is chairs DA LGBTQI said that “Cape Town is open for business”. Yes it is, but it seems like an opportunity has just been wasted.

Mag 22

Janjep pictured with runner up Mr Spain Francisco Alvarado Oliver Pusztai from Hungary was placed third

DIVAS ONE NIGHT ONLY

DIVAS ONE NIGHT ONLY WILL BE CELEBRATING 9 YEARS OF FABULOUS PERFORMANCES FROM SOME OF THE BEST DRAG ENTERTAINMENT IN CAPE TOWN.

K

at Gilardi who is the mastermind behind the Divas One Night Only Variety Show says she is so excited to be hosting another Divas One Night Only because “the talent and enthusiasm from the Cape Town community has been amazing and this year so many more talents have come forward and signed up for the audition process.”

Divas One Night Only (DONO) was first held in 2011 as a “charity show of awareness” by Kat Gilardi who won Ms Gay Western Cape 2010.

The event was an instant success and has been selling-out ever since - because of the awesome support of the community. Kat says “ I don’t think I could have done it without my husband, Errol Stroebel and my right hand, the awesome producer, Barry Reid.

They are such a huge part of why DONO has been so successful.

Divas come as far off as Durban, JHB and other provinces to the audition process and then return for the event with their following, to showcase their talent on stage. Kat said she “just wants to say thank you to everyone and the local community, as well as DONO audiences for supporting the Divas for 8 years.”

Divas (DONO) started when Kat made the leap from pageantry to cabaret. “I knew that I wanted to creatively push myself further,” she explained. “The show would not be a show without the talents that have been supporting me since the first show and these Divas have remained very close friends to this day.”

To mention a few of them that are coming back for the 9th year is so exciting: 3 Divas, Manila Von Tees, Angel Lalamore, Anushka Parker, Laylah Raja Novacek, Vida Fantabisher and so many others that have graced the DONO stage with their talent are all returning this year.

And with so many new entertainers joining the night’s cast, this year promises to be even more spectacular.

The Divas are hard at work rehearsing in an effort to bring to Cape Town an evening of fun, laughter and much more sing-a longs.

Kat says “ We are definitely bringing more Broadway and musical movie scenes than in the past and I’ve noticed through the years, when our Divas do Broadway, the crowd gets so involved especially if it’s a comedy piece.’ She added that, “So many people don’t get the opportunity to go the theatre and this allows us the perfect opportunity to introduce them to musicals and acting pieces as well.”

Drag has taken off in Cape Town in a very big way and the Western Cape has become known as the province with the most active gay calendar.

DONO allows one and all to come out and enjoy an evening where you will experience the best in drag talent and cabaret, pageant queens, first timers and up-coming talent within our gay community on one stage for One Night Only.

Divas(DONO) allows one the opportunity to include your grandmother, nieces, uncles and aunts - in fact the entire family to come out and enjoy the most amazing talent Cape Town’s Gay Community has to offer.

Divas One Night Only will be held on the 3rd August 2019 at the Joseph Stone Auditorium 8pm tickets will be available from May month at Computicket for R160. Your ticket allows you into the after parties.

Mag Mag23 23

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THE GOLDEN GAYS Words: Evan Tsouroulis

I

was recently at a dinner party with a group of “middle aged” (whatever that means) professional gay men. The youngest had just celebrated his 50th Birthday and the oldest is about to turn 65 but he doesn’t want us to make a big deal of it because he thinks that aging is no cause for celebration.

Nevertheless, retirement is the last thing on his mind. We’re all pretty active, in reasonably good health, (one’s a gym fanatic) and sometimes we still party like it’s 1999. Some of us are in long-term relationships, some are happily single and still playing the field. (Who knew so many younger gay men have daddy issues!) It may well be true that 60 is the New 50. Or maybe we are just in denial, thanks to a gay culture somewhat obsessed with eternal youth and the body beautiful. In a rare moment of reflection in a night of characteristic hilarity and mayhem when this crowd gets together, somebody said “I don’t want to get old. Who’s going to look after me?” The default reaction from the youngest member of our group was “We’ll look after each other, Doll!” Laughter all round as we envisage a Golden Girls scenario, and then back to partying.

Nobody really wants to admit that at some point in the not too distant future some of us might need to be taken care of. It’s a worry that nobody wants to talk about. Maybe it’s part of the denial, or maybe the hedonism and living for the moment as survivors of the worst part of the AIDS epidemic prevent some of us from properly planning for our future. South Africans are notoriously bad savers. For many of us, our pensions will be insufficient if we have to stop working. The State cannot adequately provide for us.

All this got me thinking about who will take care of me if I’m unable to look after myself. I’m a childless single gay man, with a brother who lives in another city. His daughter, my sixteen year old niece, lives on another continent and I haven’t seen her since she was seven years old. I don’t speak to my sister, whose political views border on fascism. My cousin and I fell out, not because I’m gay (she is a seasoned fag hag) but because she Mag 30

couldn’t accept that I’m an atheist. So I can probably rule out my biological family. Like many people in my situation I do not have a family support system.

So it seems that we may have to rely on our “logical family”, as writer Armistead Maupin has characterised the relationships gay people build outside their families in order to survive. But members of our chosen families may be in the same boat and not be in a position to help out as they have to cope with agerelated illnesses and frailty themselves later in life.

There’s always the possibility of entering an old age home, but for many gay people this is often a bad option on many levels.

Sandra Butler, professor of social work at the University of Maine, who has studied aging among gay men and lesbians says “Anybody fears going into a nursing home, but it’s an added fear if you think you might not be safe there, or you think you can’t find a paid caregiver to come into your home who will treat you with respect.” Studies in the United States have shown that elderly gay people living in nursing homes or assisted-living centres or receiving home care, increasingly report that they have been disrespected, shunned or mistreated in ways that range from hurtful to deadly, even leading some to commit suicide. Some have seen their partners and friends insulted or isolated. Others live in fear of the day when they are dependent on strangers for the most personal care. That dread alone can be damaging, physically and emotionally, say geriatric doctors, psychiatrists and social workers. In one nursing home, an openly gay man, without family or friends, was moved off his floor in a nursing home because other residents and their families objected to his presence. He was given a room among patients with severe disabilities or dementia.

Because of the possibility of receiving similar treatment, many elderly gays entering care retreat back into the closet as survival mechanism. This is something difficult and undignified for anyone who has been living an openly gay life to do. A partner is identified as a relative. No pictures or gay-themed books are left

around. Everyone suffers the indignities of old age, but these are often more pronounced for elderly gays. Dr Melinda Lantz, chief of geriatric psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Centre in New York said. “There is something special about having to hide this part of your identity at a time when your entire identity is threatened,” she said. “That’s a faster pathway to depression, failure to thrive and even premature death.”

Prime-Timers ...

The withdrawal into the closet also leads to loneliness and isolation. Perhaps residents retreat into themselves or do not try to engage or befriend other residents for the fear of rejection.

Some closeted gay residents might refuse visitors because of the fear that their friends’ behaviour or appearance might give the away to fellow residents.

Elderly couples in committed relationships might have a hard time finding a care facility that would accept a gay couple. Other residents might not be too welcoming. Church-sponsored facilities are largely not available for same-sex couples.

The fear of perceived and real prejudice is often compounded with the fact that elderly gays have specific health needs. In May 2019, the International Longevity Centre (ILC) analysed data from 24 existing studies and found that older LGBT+ people in Britain are lonelier than their straight peers and in poorer health after facing a lifetime of prejudice. Lesbian, gay and bisexual over-50s were more likely to use drugs, smoke and drink alcohol frequently. On the positive side, they tend to exercise regularly. The report’s author Brian Beach said: “There is the idea that people from disadvantaged, marginalised backgrounds experience longer-term stress,” although he cautioned that causation was not yet proven. In general, health and social care does not take the specific needs of gay people into account, which could compound the higher rates of mental and physical ill health they experience.

The report also found that older gay and bisexual men were greatly impacted by the HIV epidemic due to the loss of friends or a partner. Some of those living with HIV reported fears about being the first generation to age while taking anti-retroviral drugs. They were also less satisfied with life, more likely to have attempted suicide and to have a chronic illness such as diabetes.

Fear of discrimination often stops LGBT+ people in general from seeking medical help, but even more so for older people, making it less likely their health problems are spotted before they become serious. Older people’s sexuality and identity is often invisible or denied in social care settings, with staff refusing to acknowledge same-sex relationships or trivialising the loss of a partner, the study said. The review found that staff often ignore or misread same-sex relationships, with older people “less able to avoid homophobia and transphobia in care settings.”

diversity training and sensitisation from organisations such as Health4Men in conjunction with local and provincial government, LGBT+ patients still face stigma and discrimination.

Even if going into care for elderly gays is an option, facilities are insufficient and often unaffordable for those who need them the most.

So what’s the solution? Care homes catering for older gay people have opened in Germany, Sweden, the United States, France and Spain in the last decade, with one opening soon in Britain.

Could this be a viable option in South Africa? The Pride Shelter in Cape Town which caters for LGBT+ people in crisis is a community initiative established in response to a need. Perhaps it is time to mobilise our community to respond to another largely invisible need. The older people in our community who fought for the rights and freedoms which most of the younger members in our community take for granted should not be discarded and disregarded. If not care centres, then perhaps a buddy system similar to the community action where members nursed and cared for one another during the height of the AIDS crisis. What is clear is that as was the case with the AIDS crisis, we have to take matters of our own survival as a community into our own hands.

As they saying goes, getting old is not for sissies. Anyone got any bright ideas? Let’s talk. It’s time.

According to a Stonewall report published in 2015, “a significant proportion of older gay people are likely to live alone, have limited family support and rely on formal services for help in the future.” A 2011 report by Stonewall found 50 percent of LGBT+ people over 55 were uncomfortable being out to care home staff. 60% didn’t feel GPs, social services, and housing providers could meet their needs. A quarter of staff in health and social care have heard colleagues make offensive remarks about LGBT people or have heard colleagues say that gay people can be “cured”. Almost three-quarters of staff say they have received no training in how to respond to the specific needs of gay patients. LGBT+ people with dementia may think they are living in a more homophobic past while many care workers in Britain come from socially-conservative countries that outlaw same-sex relations.

If this is the case in Britain, the situation is worse in South Africa. Even though public health practitioners are receiving Mag 31

MUSIC MOVES

L

ocal singer/songwriter Latheem Gabriel has just released his new single Seed of Unease. Latheem is well known to South African audiences, particularly Capetonians, having performed at a number of Pride events over the years.

The singer described the track saying, “The song is a lyrically charged track that looks at the conversation between the older and younger self.”

Written by Latheem, Seed of Unease is set to an EDM backdrop as a dance track.

This is his first foray into electronic dance music and what a great step it is.

The song is an exciting leap from his signature Indie style, Seed of Unease is designed to keep you moving and is available on iTunes, Google Play and most major music streaming sites.

Follow Latheem Gabriel on social media to connect with more of his music.”

E

d Sheeran and Justin Bieber are back with their first collaboration since 2015, the new song is sure to be played on all major radio stations over the following months.

Sheeran released I Don’t Care on Friday 10 May. The new single featuring Bieber, has the two singers trading lyrics about feeling like outcasts at a party, accompanied by snappy, summery instrumentals from mega-producers Max Martin and Shellback.

Bieber and Sheeran sing about feeling lonely and isolated in a crowded room. “I don’t ever wear a suit and tie,” Sheeran declares, while Bieber nods at his struggles that he’s previously spoken about publicly, singing, “With all these people all around / I’m crippled with anxiety.”

For Sheeran, and Bieber, their romantic counterparts at the party are the only thing that makes their nights bearable, as they sing on the chorus, “’Cause I don’t care when I’m with my baby, yeah / All the bad things disappear / Yeah, you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody / I can deal with the bad nights when I’m with my baby.”

The song is a social statement confronting mental-health issues - a subject close to their hearts Mag 32

F CK PEOPLE 6, Sixth Street, New Doornfontein, Johannesburg · Phone 0114025258 · 083-9652227 Email: hlabanga@me.com · Open at 12 noon every day of the year · Closing times: Mon-Wed 3am Thur-Sun 6am · GPS lat: 26.1989 long: 28.0629 JUNE diary

Friday 7th Leather Night - Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 14th Long Schlong Night - Free entrance for 20cm + · Sunday 16th Youth day: free entrance for youths · Friday 21st Fetish Night - Indulge your fantasies · Monday 17th Full Moon Party Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund JULY diary Friday 5th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 12th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm+ · Tuesday 16th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 19th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 26th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund AUGUST diary Friday 2nd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Thursday 8th Women’s Day Cum take it like a woman · Friday 9th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Thursday 15th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 16th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 23rd Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Friday 30th Fire Crotch Night – Free Entrance with Red Pubes Mondays: Daddies & Toy Boys – R30 entrance between 6 & 9 for under 20s and over 50s Every Tuesday is Buddy Night. Bring a friend for free!

Thursdays: Student Night. R45 with student card, all day.

We have enough heaters to make you sweat!

Mag 33

HEALTH

HOW TO GET BUFF

REALLY FAST Mag 34

Words: Paula Quinene

G

etting buff really fast means you have to focus on building muscle instead of losing body fat. Increasing the size of your muscles quickly and decreasing your body fat are two very different goals. Muscle requires extra calories and plenty of time lifting weights with minimal aerobic exercise.

Dietary Considerations

The hamstring and quadriceps muscles form your thighs. Your thighs may be considered buff in bodybuilding if they each have a circumference greater than 20 inches. The circumference of a top bodybuilder’s thigh may be greater than 25 inches. Building your quadriceps is the most effective method for developing buff thighs. Barbell variations of the squat, such as the half squat and full squat, are the best exercises for building big quads and buff thighs

Step 1

Lower legs

Multiply your weight in kilograms by 50 calories if you are a man, 44 calories if you are a woman. Add 350 to 700 more calories to your number, calculating the total daily calories you must consume to gain 500g to 1 kg of muscle per week.

Calculate the grams of protein you must include within your daily caloric intake to build muscle. Simply multiply your weight in kilograms by 1 1/2 to 2 g of protein. Eat mostly lean or low fat animal protein; include whey protein powder.

The circumference of your lower legs is formed by the gastrocnemius or calf, tibialis anterior and soleus muscles.

According to Ellington Darden, Ph.D., your lower legs may be considered buff in bodybuilding if they are more than 14 inches around. However, you can expect the diameter of a champion bodybuilder’s lower legs to exceed 25 inches. The gastrocnemius has the greatest potential for increasing the diameter of your lower legs. Target your gastrocnemius with heavy lever calf raise exercises. Sprinting, volleyball and soccer can make your calves buff. Hopping on one leg while holding a dumbbell in your arm on the same side also builds your calves.

Step 3

Things You’ll Need

Drink a protein shake 30 minutes before and within 30 minutes after every weight training workout. Blend about 24 to 48 g of whey protein with 1 cup of water and a cored apple for your preworkout shake. Blend 48 to 72 g of whey protein with 1 1/2 cups of skim milk, 1 cup of water or juice and 1 cup of fresh pineapple.

Whey protein Workout log Water Apple Skim milk Fresh pineapple

Step 2

Weight Training Step 1 Train your chest, back and calves on Mondays. Work your legs, shoulders and abdominal muscles on Thursdays. Finish your week with a biceps and triceps routine on Fridays. Rest your muscles by forgoing any weight training on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, maximizing fast muscle gains.

Step 2

Tip Plan and prepare your high-calorie meals at night, ensuring you will eat enough calories to get buff fast.

Warning If you have not been weight-lifting regularly, take two to three weeks to gradually begin your mass-building program. Lifting heavy weights for up to two hours three days per week will leave you very sore and prone to injury if you are not initially conditioned.

Use heavy enough weights so you can complete only six to 12 repetitions of four to six sets per exercise. Do four to six different exercises for your chest, back, legs and abdominal muscles. Complete four exercises for your smaller biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles.

Step 3 Write down all your exercises, weights, sets and repetitions for every workout. Plan the following week’s workout using the data from the prior week. Look at the weight, repetitions and sets you did for each exercise, then increase one or two variables.

Increase the weight you are lifting when you can complete three to four sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for any exercise.

What Is Considered Buff in Bodybuilding?

Upper Arm Your triceps and biceps are the muscles that form your upper arms. Arms that have a circumference greater than 14 inches may be considered buff in bodybuilding. However, the circumference of a champion bodybuilder’s upper arm typically exceeds 17 inches. According to a March 2010 article by strength and conditioning specialist Bret Contreras, pull-up exercises may be the best exercise for increasing the size of your biceps.

Rope triceps extensions are a top exercise for increasing the size of your triceps Thighs Mag 35

OUT ON FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN

K

enyan director Wanuri Kahiu’s film Rafiki represents political filmmaking at its most crucial, centring a sweet queer love story in the middle of a small town election.

The film follows two stylish teens, Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), who crush on each other despite their families’ political rivalry.

When love blossoms between them, they must contend with small town busybodies and the judgment of their conservative society. The film is inspired by Ugandan Monica Arac de Nyeko’s 2007 Caine Prize-winning short story “Jambula Tree”. The film’s title Rafiki (meaning “friend” in Swahili) was chosen, because partners in a same-sex relationship due to homophobia in society often need to introduce their partner as a “friend”, even if they are more than a friend.

Rocketman is an epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years (7/6).

Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva in Rafiki

Ralph Fiennes in The White Crow with Oleg Ivenko as Nureyev

The White Crow (14/6) is an impressionistic glimpse at the forces driving Rudolph Nureyev, starring Oleg Ivenko as the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, and Ukrainian dancer Sergei Polunin as his roommate Yuri Soloviev; and Tolkien (21/6) explores how J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) finds love, friendship and artistic inspiration to write the classic fantasy novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

In Stan & Ollie (28/6) Laurel and Hardy - the world’s greatest comedy team - face an uncertain future as their golden era of Hollywood films remain long behind them; Skin (28/6) follows the life of former skinhead group member Bryon Widner.

Isabelle Huppert plays an eccentric French piano teacher who strikes up a seemingly harmless friendship with the lonely and kindly widow in Neil Jordan’s Greta (5/7), a struggling singersongwriter in a tiny English seaside town wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed in Yesterday (5 July), the live-action The Lion King (19/7) journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born; and Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse — the greatest inventors of the industrial age — engage in a battle of technology in The Current War (26/7).

Johnny Depp plays a world-weary college Mag 36

Neil Jordan’s Greta

professor who is given a life-changing terminal diagnosis and decides to throw all pretence and conventions to the wind and live his life as boldly and freely as possible with a biting sense of humour, a reckless streak, and a touch of madness in Richard Says Goodbye (2/8), Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (9/8) takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood; Blinded By The Lights (16/8) is inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his obsession with Bruce Springsteen; Teen Spirit (23/8) is musical drama film directed by Max Minghella (in his directorial debut) with Elle Fanning as a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing; and Downton Abbey (20/9) features the original principal cast from the television series.

There are several sequels coming up: Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (31/5), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (7/6), Annabelle Comes Home (28/6), The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (28/6); Spider-Man: Far From Home (5/7), The Boy 2 (26/7), Angry Birds 2 (6/9) and IT: Chapter Two (6/9).

On the local front Kings Of Mulberry Street (28/6) follows the escapades of two young South African Indian boys who have to overcome their differences and band together in order to defeat the bullying local crime lord who threatens their families; Ander Mens (23/8) is a star-studded action romance film, and Fiela Se Kind (23/8) stars stage actress Zenobia Kloppers in the title role with ‘Benjamin Komoetie’ played by newcomers Luca Bornman and Wayne Smith.

Next from National Theatre Live is Arthur Miller’s All My Sons (15/6) filmed live at The Old Vic in London, with Academy Award-winner Sally Field (Steel Magnolias, Brothers & Sisters) and Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Independence Day).

Screening from 27 July, Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel Small Island comes to life in an epic new theatre adaptation. Hope and humanity meet stubborn reality as the play traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK. A company of 40 actors take to the stage of the National Theatre in London in this timely and moving story.

Sally Field & Bill Pullman in All Of My Sons

Andrea Levy’s Prize-winning Small Island

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases: www.writingstudio.co.za Mag 37

OUT ON DVD LET’S WATCH DVD’S WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN

A

fter the sudden death of his lover, Guillaume, Tom (Xavier Dolan - Mommy, Heartbeats, I Killed My Mother), travels from his home in the city to a remote country farm for the funeral in Tom At The Farm.

Upon arriving, he’s shocked to find that Guillaume’s family knows nothing about him and was expecting a woman in his place. Torn between his own grief and that of the family, Tom keeps his identity a secret but soon finds himself increasingly drawn into a twisted, sexually-charged game by Guillaume’s aggressive brother (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), who suspects the truth.

Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief, and savagery pervade this psychological thriller from filmmaker Xavier Dolan.

Tom At The Farm

The Favourite has been plucked from real history, set against the outrageously aristocratic tableau of 18th Century royals and marks the first period film of acclaimed Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing Of A Sacred Deer). From the veiled world of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) – the last (and historically most ignored Lesbian) of the Stuart line of Britain’s rulers— who though infamously gouty, shy and disregarded, nevertheless reigned as Great Britain became a global power. It is through Anne’s intricate relations with two other women of cunning and aspiration - her lifelong intimate friend and political advisor Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), and Sarah’s penniless cousin turned social-climbing chambermaid Abigail (Emma Stone) – that the film dives into a whirlpool of manipulations and emotions that define the phrase “palace intrigue.”

Olivia Colman in The Favourite

Die Stropers (The Harvesters) In the isolated conservative farming territory of an Afrikaans white ethnic minority culture obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno (Brent Vermeulen) is different, secretive, emotionally frail. One day his mother, fiercely religious, brings home Pieter (Alex van Dyk) , a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to make this stranger into his brother. The two boys start a fight for power, heritage and parental love. Written and directed by Etienne Kallos, a Greek-South African Director.

In Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Melissa McCarthy stars as Lesbian Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer (and cat lover) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katherine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal gay buddy Jack (Richard E. Grant).

Melissa McCarthy and Richrd E Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Boy Erased tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program - or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. Boy Erased is the true story of one young man’s struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity. Joel Edgerton’s poignant, similarly themed “Boy Erased,” adapted by Edgerton from Garrard Conley’s memoir with the same name Desiree Akhavan’s powerful period drama The Miseducation of Cameron Post is about a young woman who survives a Christian “ex-gay” conversion therapy camp she is forced to atMag 38

Boy Erased

tend, after getting caught making out with a female classmate on prom night. Adapted from Emily Danforth’s YA novel, the title character of Akhavan’s film (played by Chloë Grace Moretz) has a strong conviction of self: we can detect only a faint amount of uncertainty seeping into her conscience while she grows into her sexual identity and wrestles with the traumatizing rituals of the Evangelical camp she bides her time to get out of.

Adam is based on the much talked-about novel by Ariel Schrag, Adam follows a lanky cisgender teen (Nicholas Alexander) who earns unexpected clout when queer New York scenesters mistake him for a transgender man. In the early aughts underground, hot queer girls and clubs are suddenly at his fingertips — so long as he stays in the closet about being cis. With an insightful trans director and a bounty of gender nonconforming talent at its helm, this controversial coming-of-age story stands to offer a brazen but loving look at the topsy-turvy world of queer ecosystems and masculinity’s enduring social status.

The documentary The Gospel of Eureka is narrated by Tony-nominated performer Justin Vivian Bond, and explores Eureka Springs, Arkansas: a little city where both the holy rollers and queer locals have a flair for the dramatic. Each year in Eureka, Christian residents produce The Great Passion Play, an elaborate, long-running reenactment of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Miles away in the town’s gay bar — affectionately known as “Hillbilly Studio 54” — gay men regularly become ordained for the hell of it and drag queens offer up their own Jesus-themed routines. As tensions mount between the two camps over a local bathroom bill, Palmieri and Mosher take close looks at the eccentric personalities on both sides of the measure.

Tell It to the Bees will satiate the appetites of queer women who count dreamy vintage romances like Desert Hearts and Fried Green Tomatoes among their favourite movies. Out actress Anna Paquin stars as Jean, a doctor who has a chance encounter with an unfulfilled housewife named Lydia (Holliday Grainger) in conservative 1950s Scotland.

Nicholas Alexander stars in Adam

The Gospel of Eureka

Wild Nights with Emily

Often, biopics take themselves too seriously, neatly packaging a celebrated person’s chaotic life into three sanitary acts. Director Madeleine Olnek isn’t having it. Her third feature, Wild Nights With Emily, is a comedic take on the life and times of celebrated American poet and notable lesbian shut-in Emily Dickinson (Molly Shannon). Centering on Dickinson’s ‘special friendship’ with her sister-in-law, Susan Gilbert (Susan Ziegler), Wild Nights pokes fun at Dickinson’s desire for female companionship while also emphasizing society’s failure to take the poet seriously as a writer during her own lifetime.

Gay, Oscar-nominated documentarian Matt Tyrnauer has devoted his career to profiling elusive queer heroes, including Old Hollywood queens, the masterminds behind the legendary Studio 54 nightclub, and the fashion titan Valentino. This year, he focuses his lens on one of our greatest villains and Trump’s most notorious mentor: the fiercely closeted lawyer responsible for purging suspected communists and queers from Washington, DC in the 1950s, Roy Marcus Cohn in Where’s My Roy Cohn?

The French film Sorry Angel made waves at Cannes in 2018 and will finally get its U.S. release this year. It tells the love story between a young twenty-two-year-old student, Arthur, and a thirty-nine-year-old Parisian writer, Jacques. Set in 1993, the film explores the effects of the AIDS crisis as Jacques is suffering from the disease.

Read more about the latest DVD releases: www.writingstudio.co.za

Roy Marcus Cohn in Where’s My Roy Cohn Mag 39

ON STAGE

EXPERIENCE IT LIVE! WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN

I

stein, the song writing duo who quite literally changed Broadway forever with their groundbreaking musicals.

CAPE TOWN

f there’s one show you cannot miss, it’s the deliciously wicked NON-Specific at Gate 69, starring the sensational Trolley Dollies. The show is on until 27 July with a possible extension.

Booking is through www.gate69.co.za or 021 0351627. PG18 At The Fugard Theatre the huge-hearted, smash-hit musical Kinky Boots kicks off on 11 June. Inspired by true events, Darren Craig (Grease,High School Musical) plays Charlie Price who has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory, Price & Son, which is on the verge of bankruptcy and finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair find that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible. It also stars Earl Gregory (Into the Woods, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) stepping in to the role of drag queen Lola. Book at the Fugard Theatre box office on 021 461 4554 or through the Fugard Theatre’s website at www.thefugard.com At the Baxter Theatre #JustMen is an honest and empowering docu-drama about South African men telling their story and taking a stand against epidemic of gender violence in our country. It asks the question: What do we as men need to address amongst men to transform these issues?

This is a conversation we can no longer avoid and a show that every South African man needs to see. How do we as men show up and take a stand? It runs from 13 to 30 June. Visit www.baxter.co.za You can also see Joan Didion’s extraordinary one-woman play The Year Of Magical Thinking at The Baxter from 3 to 28 July. It stars Dorothy Ann Gould who takes the audience on a journey through that most universal experience of human suffering; bereavement. Profoundly moving, frequently arrowing and sometimes amusing, the play is ultimately an expression of the power love has to give life meaning.

Others shows at the Baxter include Samuel Beckett’s thrilling play Endgame (8 – 25 Aug), Donizetti’s opera Don Pasquale (21 – 25 Aug), and Marc Lottering’s new one man show Lottering At The Baxter is on from 28 Aug until 29 Sept.

At the Kalk Bay Theatre you can see the spectacular cabaret/vaudeville Bijou Mag 40

At The Montecasino Theatre you can also see Here’s To You - The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook (3 – 28 July), Shakepeare’s R & J’ (12 Aug – 8 Sept), and Family Secrets from 14 – 30 June. from 8 – 15 June, Paul Du Toit and Pierre Van Heerden offer plenty of laughs and singing with Two And A Half Tenors (18 – 29 June), and Man Band is on from 30 July until 17 Aug. At Theatre On The Bay Marc Lottering returns with his new stand-up show Not A Musical (12 – 29 June), in the bittersweet comedy Family Secrets (3 – 13 July) mother and son, played by Dorothy Ann Gould and Sven Ruygrok, find each other at a watershed moment in their lives, and divulge secrets as they face a decision which will change their lives forever, and Here’s To You - The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook is on from 31 July – 17 Aug.

JOHANNESBURG

A

t the Joburg Theatre Sempre Opera is staging one of the most popular operas of all time, the heartbreaking, yet beloved classic, Verdi’s La Traviata (20 – 30 June) starring Cape Town-based soprano Leah Gunter, the biggest African Musical Sarafina! Is on from 19 July to 11 Aug; Gregory Maqoma’s dance piece Cion is inspired by Zakes Mda and can be seen from 5 – 15 Sept. The music in Cion is delivered in stirring fashion by an isicathamiya troupe and the percussive voices of Vuyani dancers, under the musical direction of Xolisile Bongwana and Nhlanhla Mahlangu. Maqoma’s use of Ravel’s Bolero serves as a requiem to the departed souls while offering an opportunity to heal.

Due to overwhelming public demand, My Favourite Things returns to the Montecasino Theatre from 29 September.

Focusing on the events surrounding the writing of the world’s most beloved musical, The Sound of Music, this biographical show details the fascinating and deeply moving story of Rodgers and Hammer-

At Teatro Stomp is back from 13 Aug – 8 Sept, making makes music with brooms, matchboxes, hands and feet, poles, chairs, sinks, basketballs, newspapers and more, climaxing with the exhilarating trademark bins routine, where metal trashcans become drums and dustbin lids become combat shields; and you can see Rock Of Ages from 26 Sept, capturing the iconic era that was the big bad 1980s Hollywood. Featuring 28 nostalgic rock anthems including the music of Bon Jovi, Journey, Twisted Sister, Styx, Poison, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar and many other great rock bands - this musical truly is larger than life!

T

NATIONWIDE

he world’s most prolific ballroom and dance theatre production, Burn the Floor, returns to South Africa for a much-anticipated tour across the country later this year. It will be on at the Baxter Theatre from 8 – 17 Aug, at Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg from 22 August – 8 September, and in Durban at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom from 12-29 September.

Visit the website www.burnthefloor.com.

B

THE KAROO

reak away to the Showroom Theatre in Prince Albert to see Kevin Leo and Jannie Moolman (17 June), William Warren pays Tribute to Neil Diamond (5 July), James Marais and Monique Cassells perform Old Country Legends (22 June), enjoy French folk music with Paul Andreas and The Late Bloomers (29 June), Slam Jam (31 Aug), and classical pianist Christopher Culpo (7 Sept).

Experience Theatre Live and visit www.writingstudio.co.za, featuring listing of theatres in South Africa and internationally.

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