This one-woman opus, Moj of the Antarctic: An African Odysey was specially revived for Queer Up North, having finished its original run in London sometime in 2006. With just one member of cast (the multi-faceted Moj) and the odd set piece scattered around the stage (calling cards of colonialism such as a bookcase, globe and telescope) it may not ( Read more... )

If you rake the sand, good omens will appear. If you rub the Bhudda belly of Mr Pu Tai, a friendly postman with birthday cards and HMV vouchers will also appear (to shove him so rudely into a modern context) and good luck will follow you like a miniature dog.

If you forget to do either of these things, then life will probably go on as normal, but  ( Read more... )

Ronnie Burkett has been bringing his puppet shows to Manchester regularly for quite a few years now, and his back catalogue of performances, including the trilogy Tinka's New Dress, Street of Blood and Happy, as well as his 2003 show, Provenance, have bagged him a host of awards and a reputation as perhaps THE finest puppeteer around. This was all ( Read more... )

I met up for drinks with Red at Taurus before the event at 7pm, where we chatted over a pint each about Red's writing, my comics and poetry and what we've both been doing with ourselves. During the course of the conversation I discovered that Red wasn't much of a fan of Edmund White's semi-autobiographical trilogy of novels, made up of A Boy's Own ( Read more... )

It's already Queer Up North! It started on the 7th of May and is going on for three weeks, culminating in Twee Pride style with a Village Fete on Sunday the 27th. There's a lot going on between now and then - too much to attend it all - but three things that I've booked tickets for are the writer Edmund White's reading at Essential on Tuesday the ( Read more... )

"The unreal happens as part of reality"
                                                              - Zakes Mda

The fridge light didn't turn on today. In some cultures that would be a bad omen.

By two o'clock I had picked up my violin and placed it against my neck when there was a thud at the front door. Loud - like there was some force behind it ( Read more... )

Memories, like dreams, are hard for me to pin down, but they always leave behind this residual sensation - a vapor trail that slowly dissipates as the origin of the experience roars off into the distance ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

I had a very good weekend, and the good times started on Friday evening when I finally began writing some keyboard and banjo parts for Brian's band, 'Los Zombinos', and on Saturday morning I started a short story which I'm looking forward to picking up and re-drafting. Just two of the things that made me happy ( Read more... )

A Tiger’s Ocean ( Read more... )