The Lolita Problem

Kidcore; Jenna Ortega as ‘Wednesday’, ‘St Trinians’, ‘Pretty Baby’, Jodie Foster in ‘Taxi Driver ‘, a young Britney Spears, Natalie Portman’s early roles, Kawaii, groupie tales, sexy young models, schoolgirl strippers, Page 3 and of course, the book from which the fetish arose- these are all massive cultural touchstones for many fans of pop culture.Continue reading “The Lolita Problem”

Archive Review: Happy Days, Tron Theatre

Exeunt exeunt Reviews • Glasgow • ScotlandPublished 21 May 2015 Happy Days Tron Theatre ⋄ 15th – 23rd May 2015 Bleakly hilarious. Lorna Irvine Credit: John Johnston Samuel Beckett wrote brilliant, multi-faceted female characters, so when quintessential actress and his personal favourite, Billie Whitelaw, passed away in December of last year, she left an irreplaceable space in theatre. It seems,Continue reading “Archive Review: Happy Days, Tron Theatre”

Archive Review : Shattered Rosebud

Author: Lorna IrvineShattered Rosebud Adults only Britannia Panopticon panto is immense fun Always a more riotous proposition, the oldest music hall in the world’s adult pantos often feel like pure anarchy, where anything can and will happen. Shattered Rosebud is no exception. Ostensibly the ‘adult’ version of Sleeping Beauty, it plays with the format andContinue reading “Archive Review : Shattered Rosebud”

Thirty Swans A- Dancing

Photo: Hugo Glendenning When Matthew Bourne first premiered his ground-breaking Swan Lake, there were walkouts and little girls crying. Where were the girls in tutus? Why was there a gay storyline? Where were Odile and Odette? Pearls were clutched. It’s thirty years later, and happily Bourne’s iconoclastic and singular vision has not only endured, butContinue reading “Thirty Swans A- Dancing”

Accessing The Fringe

Navigating the Edinburgh Fringe can be a Sisyphean task at the best of times, as the population of Edinburgh doubles and almost every available space transforms into a venue or site specific performance space. So it can be an altogether different kind of nightmare for disabled people, in terms of accessibility. Old buildings generally haveContinue reading “Accessing The Fringe”

Bard In The Botanics 2025 Season

Bard in the Botanics announces the new programme for 2025 season. The endlessly gripping and inventive team return with more suspense, humour, grit, mystery and romance this Summer. Images: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Romeo and Juliet, Doctor Faustus, Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia Bard in the Botanics has today announced details of its 2025 season,Continue reading “Bard In The Botanics 2025 Season”

The Queen Is Dead, Long Live The Queen

James Lee Williams, who has sadly passed away aged just thirty two, was a brilliant all-rounder. The Vivienne, his drag queen alter ego named after legendary designer Vivienne Westwood, was the epitome of Scouse fierceness: witty, no-nonsense and extremely smart. I saw them perform in Drag Race UK Live in 2019 (they were the firstContinue reading “The Queen Is Dead, Long Live The Queen”

Freelancer’s Blues

It isn’t easy being a freelance arts writer. While I’m fully aware there are worse jobs to have (I previously worked in a call centre, a hotel and in retail, uggghhh) there are a few issues with this bizarre occupation. Firstly, some publications insist that they will pay you, only to renege at the lastContinue reading “Freelancer’s Blues”

Oh No, It Isn’t/Oh Yes, It Is: Good Panto/Bad Panto

Panto, pantomime in its shortened form (like porno, ha ha ha!) is where kids in the UK often first witness theatre. Sadly, it’s often the ONLY theatre they ever see, because it’s mostly bloody awful. Don’t fight me on this, I’ve been a critic almost fifteen years now, and have seen more panto than many,Continue reading “Oh No, It Isn’t/Oh Yes, It Is: Good Panto/Bad Panto”