MIRRORBALLS April 2009

Roger Jorge Alex Erfan Monte & Ni単o MegaWoof!

MIRRORBALLS APRIL 2009 Publisher: Nhamo Editor: TheCygnet South African Correspondent: Exit Newspaper Cover Photo & Design: JamTrash (www.jamtrash.com) Contributors: Richard, Philip Rham, Colin Swan, Philip Tsaras. Mikhael Michaelides & Nicholas McInerny

Š Copyright, MIRRORBALLS 2009. No Part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic or other retrievable system, or transmitted by any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Advertisers are reminded of their obligations under the 1984 Trade Protection Act. Advertisers are responsible for the content of their copy under the terms of the Act. The appearance or mention of any establishment, product, individual or organisation within this publication, should not be taken as an endorsement by the publishers of the same unless otherwise stated. The appearance, mention or likeness of any individual or organisation within this magazine should not be construed as an indication of either the sexual preference or political persuasion of the same, unless otherwise stated.

Contributions are welcomed on the understanding that any unsolicited manuscripts that they may be published without further correspondence, with a fee (if applicable) paid at standard rates as specified by MIRRORBALLS. Work cannot be returned to the author unless agreed by the publisher.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

How May I Help You? the story of the story-man Words: Nhamo, Photos: Jamtrash

It was whilst I was browsing, as one does, looking for a new spring wardrobe that I first found Roger. I think I was inspecting a pair of Rough Skin jeans, when from behind me this Oxfordian, literary, educated, warm soothing voice asked me “How may I help you, sir?”

I turned around and standing before me at 5ft 9 with a mega hoof face and a piercing smile that could melt an iceberg was Roger.

Well informed in both fashion and my body proportions he said “I think you are a 32 sir” as I was somewhat hopefully holding a 28.

I could barely read the name of the shop on Rogers shirt as it was stretched across the bulging pectoral muscles that distorted the logo across his chest.

He introduced himself and we engaged in pleasant conversation where we discovered that we shared a common interest in literature, and one book in particular. Roger had noticed a copy of Graham Swift’s The Light of Day peeping out of my bag.

Roger told me that the book would make a good movie script, so I asked him why he thought that.

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His powerful voice commanded such authority in the subject I was not in the least bit surprised to discover that this educated man was also a script writer.

developing new ideas and to ensure that they were properly protected.

It was during this time whilst working at Channel 4 that Roger first began flexing his creative muscles. In 1996 I thought Roger was definitely a man he entered the Time Out/The Times worth getting to know better so, I 'New Screenwriter' competition, handed him my business card and I was which he won for his short film 'Angels thrilled when he contacted me and we At My Bedside' which starred Helen agreed to meet for tea in my favourite Baxendale and Ian Gelder. It was a film café on Old Compton Street. about a woman on the brink of death being visited by two angels - one from During our second meeting Roger modern day Manchester and one from revealed so much more about himself. 18th Century 'Well-to-do' London, He is from tough, hardy stock – a both with very differing views on Welsh farmers son. His carefree ethics and morals and who can't childhood running wild in the Welsh decide whether she is fit for Heaven or hills is one of the things that surely Hell. fuels his imagination.

Then on the back of that film in 2000 After high school this gorgeous hunk Roger wrote 'Fly Fishing' (aka Paying of a man joined the British Army and for it) staring Frances Barber. A was proud to serve his country despite feature length comedy film about a being in an era where the Army was not young guy who decides to escort for so accommodating to alternative older rich women but falls for the lifestyles. Roger decided to daughter of one of his 'regulars'. successfully employ the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy.

After several 'near misses' with feature length films that failed to get Rogers army career was fulfilling but financing in 2005 Roger entered a did not engage his creative side and competition to find a screenwriter for hence when Roger left his regiment he the final year drama students at St searched for a new career within the Martin's College - after several creative media. months of deliberations by the judges he won the competition and was It will come as no surprise that Roger commissioned to write the screenplay was snapped up by Channel 4 TV in for their film which was produced in London to work with people 2006. 'LIFT' was a film about five

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people from a 'self help' support group who after one intense therapy session get stuck in a lift leading to a very rapid and terrifying lesson in selfawareness.

Then in 2007 he was asked to write a play based on the diaries of a male escort. 'Square In The Pocket' is a very frank and honest account of the ups and downs, harsh realities and sometimes hilarious absurdities which comes from being a prostitute in London.

Roger has just finished his first play, which involved many months of interviews and research. This new work will be directed by the award winning director Elijah Mushinski There is just no keeping this man down with his second play 'Waving Through The Window' now in development.

Don’t be fooled by the rough and rugged exterior of this amazing and talented man. I know that we are going to see and hear a lot more of his screenwriting talent, and maybe his pecs too!

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Alex Erfan

we chat with Europe’s party master Words: The Cygnet

Seeing the name Alex Erfan on a poster is always a good indication of a quality event and a good night out.

By nurturing and developing the musical talent behind the decks, Alex has introduced many of the DJs who are now household names on the London club scene. He For the past decade Alex has been explained the main flavour of music at his presenting themed parties across the world, events currently is Spanish with other from cities as far afield as Rio, Mexico City European influences and a dash of exotica and New York to Ibiza, Tai Pei, Tokyo and here and there to keep his audience Cape Town. Now he is back in London with a pleasantly surprised. jam packed schedule of events in the coming months.

We asked Alex what new innovations we could expect to see in clubbing in general and We caught up with Alex recently over drinks his parties in particular. “Everything has in a fashionable Vauxhall watering hole to been done” he explained, “even my new discuss his past, the present and his plans for party, Gay City Rollers, is a revival of the roller the future. discos of the late 70s and early 80’s. In fact we encourage people to come in the fashion Alex was behind the original concept of the of the times by offering them a free glass of Salvation parties at Café De Paris, London bubbly if the do. “ over 10 years ago. Ever since, he has created and produced numerous parties in some of Next we asked how he has seen the London the most iconic of the Capital’s venues, and clubbing scene change over the past spread this magic to Amnesia Ibiza, Heaven decade. “It is definitely not as druggy as it Ibiza, Space of Sound Madrid, Cava Paradise used to be, and with the spread of many Mykonos to name but a few. diverse clubbing experiences around it feels like there are no new niches to be explored Alex has perfected the blend of glamour, and exploited. On the one hand it is good opulence and spectacular showmanship that has become the hallmark of his parties.

Anyone who has attended an Alex Erfan event will know you never quite know what to expect, except the unexpected.

Alex has produced parties in most major European cities; with spectacular events in Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Brussels, Cologne, Prague……the list is almost endless.

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because it means people have a choice and can party any (or every) night of the week, on the other each club must expect lower attendance as there are only so many people to fill all those venues.”

Recently launched in London is Alex’s very latest clubbing experience, LOVECHILD. Initially running at Pasha, London but soon to tour the party capitals of Europe and the Middle East.

Inevitably our conversation turned to Hustlaball London which was a run away success in 2008 and will be an even bigger affair in 2009 with a complete weekend of parties and collaborations with clubs from London and across Europe. For those who don’t know, Hustlaball brings the world of hustlers, hookers, pimps, streetwalkers, flesh-peddlers, porn stars and other scandalous sorts to the dance floor.

The annual sex-drenched HustlaBall has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a one night party held in New York City back in 1998. Twenty parties later, in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Berlin and London, HustlaBall is not only one of the raunchiest events on the dance circuit, it is also one of its hottest tickets. What was originally intended as a “sex cabaret” for erotic artists and exhibitionists has morphed over the years to become a mega-party, where adult content can be presented in a large public space, for the amusement, shock and awe of international audiences.

“It is important that people attending Hustlaball feel safe. Yes, there is a strong adult theme to the event, but there is also good music and you can always escape from the harder scenes we present.”

Alex explained how he had begun the planning process for Hustlaball London 2009 almost as soon as the 2008 party finished.

The Queen of Porn, Chi Chi LaRue, will host the evening. The massive stages of the Renaissance Rooms will feature performances by over 30 hookers and porn superstars including Mathew Rush, Johnny Hazzard, Ryan Raz, Logan McCree, Damien Crosse, Francesco D’Macho and Vinnie D’Angelo.. All stage shows will be choreographed and directed by Nobleman, the legendary designer, art director, film maker and stylist. In his nearly 20-year career, Nobleman has designed for the likes of Diesel, Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang, Levi’s and Stussy; as well as film makers Tim Burton and David Fincher and actors Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. Suzie Kreuger will also return

to host the now infamous HARD ON room, sure to delight all fans of fetish.

As HustlaBall travels around the globe, attracting new fans and participants, the party takes on the flavor of each host city.

The irony is that although some cities are known for sexual indulgence, their zoning laws do not always make that possible at HustlaBall. Las Vegas, for instance, is known as Sin City, and prostitution is legal, but nudity is not allowed where liquor is sold--so live sex onstage in Vegas clubs is never going to happen without consequences. In New York City, where zoning laws are strict but not heavily policed, some sex and nudity slips past the censors, but the stage shows are relatively tame for what one would expect from X-rated pornstars. In heavily policed or zoned cities, the raunchiest HustlaBall performances take place only at underground pre-and-post event sex clubs and bathhouses. In Berlin, on the other hand, HustlaBall is entirely free and sexually liberated—nudity is allowed (Germans walk naked at the beach), sex is totally cool on onstage at a nightclub, and even prostitution is legal.

the same time pushing boundaries to the limit. With help from a heavy roster of internationally recognized pornstars, DJs, top escorts, fans, and party monsters, HustlaBall will explore the edge of what is permissible in the great city of London.

Partygoers should expect many surprises, wardrobe malfunctions, and pulsating titillations throughout the night. HustlaBall London is fast becoming one of the most anticipated, not-to-be-missed parties in Europe with enquiries about 2010 already coming in from Brazil and South Africa.

As we sipped on our drinks, Alex also shared with us some of the special surprises he has planned for this year’s Hustlaball but made us swear to keep them secret. All we can say is it is going to be spectacular, in typical Alex Erfan style, and it really is going to be a night you do not want to miss!!

Watch out for Hustlaball Amsterdam, and Paris soon too, and maybe even a London version of the infamous Black Party toward the end of 2009.

Also coming to London, thanks to Mr Erfan, are some other clubs from mainland Europe.

Soon to be in London are Belgium’s La Demence and Look Better Naked from Prague.

Finally, we asked Alex which part of his job gives him the greatest satisfaction. “When a night is really going well, nothing pleases me more then to look out onto the dancefloor and see a sea of happy faces.

Alex Erfan is a man who works to a twelve As far as London censorship goes, you can be month rolling plan of producing events that sure that HustlaBall will make every effort to impress even the most jaded clubber, and his personal goal is to make people happy. What remain on the right side of the law, while at a great job, and what a delightful man.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Checklist for choosing a massage therapist.

Save your money by picking a good one!

All Words and Photos: Martin Kingston

Fancy a massage? But how do you find a good therapist? Do you rely on gutfeeling? Or do you go to a clinic, where you will get a standard treatment? Clinics pay poorly, so employ inexperienced people with basic training.

a register and define the training, together with a complaints process.

When phoning for the appointment

•Ask about experience Therapists usually support a particular Before selecting a therapist group, like older people or sportsmen.

Think what therapy works for you.

They will know the issues affecting their Therapists should be flexible and respond constituency better. However, they to your pressure-range, rather than just may be more interested if you are dishing out their own style with outside their usual group. everyone.

• Check manner What type of therapist do you want in We all have offdays or poor telephone your life? Therapy may be a nice treat, manner, including your therapist, but but it is more effective if you use it as a you should feel you are building rapport project. You must enjoy the relationship even before you meet up. to keep momentum • Check appointment availability • Ask friends for recommendations Many therapists advertise specific Their experience may be out of date or hours but are easily available outside individual to them. those hours - for instance evenings and • Check for qualifications weekends. Does the therapist charge Without qualifications no insurance. much more to visit you?

There are plans to increase regulation At the appointment but progress is slow.

•Check the therapist’s professional association. Their website should have

The therapist should be responsive to your needs... or you are wasting your time and their energy.

• Will you be late? Warn the therapist Late cancellations stop therapist offering that time to other people.

Consider paying the fee – a clinic would insist.

• Is the therapist clean and organised?

Walk out if there is any health risk.

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Explain why if you can, otherwise just session. Afterwards, did you feel the say "I left my diary in my car" and therapist was there for your benefit? disappear.

• Does the therapist allow you time to rest afterward, or do they manage • Does the therapist check your safety? They should keep treatment their time poorly? records for reference.

Sometimes therapists overrun and rush the end .

• Does the therapist respond to your directions?

The therapist should be responsive to your needs. Be clear and tell them or you are wasting your time and their energy.

•Is the therapist there for you?

Therapists market an image to attract clientele, but they should set aside that ego during a therapy

• Do you tip?

Americans tip therapists, but Europeans normally not. However, if the session was better than you expected, why not?

Aftercare • Does Your therapist show a commitment to your ongoing health?

• Do you get aftercare advice and do they contact you in between sessions?

• Is the therapist treating you as a project or just a series of one off sessions?

• Does Your therapist show a commitment to their own improvement? Have they continued studies? Do they look after themselves.

Want more information? Check out the Links page on the website www.bodyworkerslondon.com Check out my new massage video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=00Pecq7XJPI Or search on YouTube for “Massage Therapy London”

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

MONTE & NIÑO Casa Collective Radio™ Photos: Peter Fredriksson

Monte's journey in music started long before he became a DJ. He has progressed to levels beyond the average person in the industry by far. Putting his mind, body and soul into every set he performs, Monte makes an enchanting impact on his audience. With high confidence in his craft, he's able to read the crowd and direct it with perfection using flawless transitions executed in every mix produced. Utilizing his vast knowledge of music ranging from low BPM tracks, that tantalizing move throughout your body, to intense high tech in your face House. Monte is capable of both vocal and non-vocal sets

that keep the dance floor pumping for hours.

Niño's musical interests were endured after his father presented the world of music with sounds of his ethnic background. He is on a pathway to worldwide acclaim from the progression of creativity that is brought to the DJ booth. With his inviting charisma from every set he performs, Niño spreads a captivating trail on his audience that makes them coming back to listen.

Performance should not be questioned.

He's able to direct a story line from start to finish.

Over the course of Monte's life, a tremendous amount of time was spent educating himself musically. After listening to Chicago radio stations, Monte decided to begin his music career in high school as a DJ. This allowed him to explore the club and music scene. He

Dance; Niño's selection of House music varies from a seductive "let's have a drink and chill" to a "WOW!, how hard is he going to bring it"? Niño's domination of skill is sure to regulate a benchmark with his music globally.

Monte & Nino’s strong leadership is sure to set the standard with their music worldwide. Nothing can hold them back, Monte & Niño will be on top, spreading their groovelicious sets across the globe.

Monte & Niño is most known for their vivacious, funky, sexy house sets, but they have more tricks of their sleeve!

Monte & Niño is a DJ/Production duo comprised of A DJ Called Monte and Niño Bellemo. Photos: Peter Fredriksson later furthered his knowledge and technical skills at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. After military service he built a strong foundation and reputation by staying focused and active in his community. His courage, determination and will to never give up, has made him successful throughout his http://www.casacollective.com career.

Implementing his ability to take music extending from a simple 4 - 4 bass line to an array of percussion mixed with heightened "I Don't want to go Home"

Subscribe to the podcast

WWW.Y-3.COM

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Power to the People british sea power

By Richard

Pretty much every Dr Who fan knows that there is a rip in the space-time continuum running through the heart of Cardiff. Its power has been harnessed to run both the TARDIS and the control centre at Torchwood.

For the rest of us mortals, another resource near Cardiff promises to secure the energy supply of the UK for the next 200 years.

The government is currently consulting on proposals for a barrage across the river Severn. There are a number of options being looked at, but the biggest of these, the Cardiff-Weston barrage could produce between 3 and 5 percent of the UK’s current energy needs.

it. Once high tide has been reached, gates will be closed trapping the water. The water will then be gradually released though channels that will house turbines that will generate electricity.

There is no doubt that the electricity produced would be clean and very green, with no nasty Co2 emissions, and by generating around 8.6 Gigga Watts (which is an awful lot of energy saving light bulbs) the barrage could mean that in the UK we would not need to build 2 or 3 nuclear power stations, so its got to be a good thing hasn’t it?

Well I think it does, but there are those battling to prevent any of the plans being built. The arguments against construction For over 100 years there have been are interesting, because up until a few years proposals, plans, studies and investigations ago I might have agreed with them. The main into the possibility of generating power argument against is that by building the using the tides in the Severn estuary. A tidal barrage, mud flats that are home to many barrage would exploit the huge tidal range thousands of migratory and wintering birds experienced on the river Severn. At 14m would be lost. Whilst this is true now, no one between high and low water levels, this is the can be certain what effects climate change second highest tidal range in the world. At may have on our native and migratory bird low tide the barrage would be in the “open” populations or on sea level rise. The only position allowing the rising tide to flood past thing you can say for sure is that things will

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change, and lets be frank, climate change is about the survival of our species, and if we want to be around for bit longer, some sacrifices are going to have to be made.

to build it, but it is essential for the UK and other nations to secure a clean supply of power.

The sad fact is that none of us want to give up With regards to sea level rise, the projections our little luxuries, our mobile phones, i-pods, are that by the end of the century, the sea flat screen TVs and dishwashers, and they all level will be on average 1 meter higher consume power. Personally I would like to around the UK coastline, again marginalising see a huge increase in the budgets devoted these fragile eco systems, so they are under to reducing our energy consumption, but threat anyway. By building a barrage now we even if we begin switching things off and can reduce our overall emissions and this will move towards more power efficient items, have a significant effect as we move through we will still need to get power from this century. somewhere.

Personally, I am happy to displace the birds, as I am confident that either as a result of the European habitats directive or through sea level rise, that other opportunities are likely to present themselves for our cute feathered friends.

Another consideration for all coastal dwellers is flooding. Whilst the likelihood of flooding on the coastal side of the barrage will increase, the barrage will also protect millions of people in Cardiff, Bristol and as far up stream as Gloucester from potentially devastating tidal surges. The Thames barrier in London was built to protect it from similar surges in the North Sea. These effects can be planned for, and should be part of the construction plans.

Would I rather have a nuclear power station in my back yard, or a big lake? Not a difficult choice for me at least, but what would you do, and what are you prepared to do to reduce your carbon foot print?

If you want to know more about the proposals and the arguments both for and against, simply type “severn barrage� into your favourite search engine and be amazed at how much information you will have at your finger tips, and for tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, why not have a look at http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/index.html

So whilst it is unlikely that the Cardiff of the future will actually be powered by the rip in the space-time continuum, I think that the political mood in both England and Wales There is also some evidence from the only means that if the money can be found, one of other tidal barrage power station at La Rance the proposed barrages will be built and in France, where bio diversity has increased Cardiff and many more homes in the UK can since the construction of the barrage. It is be powered by less polluting power, but believed that this increase is due to greater whether you agree of disagree with me, you photosynthesis occurring in the water as can have your say up until the 23rd April at less sand and silt is moved by tidal currents. http://severntidalpowerconsultation.decc.gov.uk At ÂŁ20 billion the barrage is not cheap, and in the present economic climate, goodness only knows where the money will come from

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

LJ Coffee House coffee as it should be Words: Nhamo

LJ Coffee House is a brand new 100% independent Gay owned and operated Coffee House in the heart of Soho. With coffee roasted also in the Capital by people as passionate as the owners about the bean and the farms it comes from.

David Littlejohn is a very young-looking 28 and has previously worked for both Leon Restaurants and Amano Cafes. This is his first business venture on his own and it is clear he intends to establish a quality brand serving possibly the best coffee in Soho - if not London.

We dropped in for a soothing cup and spoke to David Littlejohn, the man behind the opening. We could not fault the coffee; with a beautiful finish including hints of chocolate and toasted caramel their House Blend has a natural sweetness meaning you can reduce the sugar and taste “coffee as it should be” rich, deep, dark and very smooth.

Steven Macatonia who entered into the world of coffee from inspiration by the micro-roastery cafes of San Francisco, California and then from their observations of the difficult predicament of farmers in coffee growing communities. David explained to us how these beginnings gave Union its fundamental difference which is driven by Jeremy’s and Steven’s desire to discover and share high quality coffee. In their London Roastery, each roast is individually tailored by adjustments to the flame to bring out the exemplary qualities of that coffee, yet all are characterised by the unmistakable Union house style; bold intensity, infused with a deep natural sweetness.

"Here at LJ Coffee House we take Union's hard work and through our skilled barista’s turn their beans into a truly delightful coffee". said David. "Bold, intense and not afraid to be a true espresso his team's dedication to the coffee from start to finish David began by explaining his motivation for allows you to experience coffee as it should opening LJ Coffee house. “I’d had enough of be. From paying over the odds for luke warm, coffee understanding the bean through checking flavoured milk and wanted something a little and adjusting the grind, from an exact more special. I found that something special extraction through to perfectly polished with Union Coffee whose passion for quality milk. “Great coffee is both a science and an beans matched my passion for a great taste - art - we’ve learnt the science so that you can full of bold, strong flavours”. enjoy the art”.

Union Hand-Roasted is a small, privatelyowned company dedicated to the joy of high quality Arabica coffee. They roast their coffee every day in small batches to display the coffee's fullest expression of flavour and aroma. Established in 2001, Union HandRoasted was created by Jeremy Torz and

LJ Coffee House isn’t just about the coffee however. David told us he believes that a great coffee house should be somewhere for people to meet and feel relaxed - an extension of their own living room. The coffee house offers board games, magazines, papers and playing cards for

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customers who want to enjoy a little recreation with their drinks. David explained; "We want our customers to feel comfortable playing a game of scrabble with their friends without feeling pressured or hurried out after they have made a purchase. The ‘coffee culture’ is as much a part of great coffee as the coffee itself.

David's passion for great coffee is also mirrored in the selection of other products too. "We’ve worked hard to source only the best items we can find - so our sandwiches are made by the SoHo sandwich company and delivered in fresh to us every day. Our large selection of cakes are all Handmade by the Handmade Cake Company and we’ve sourced the nicest cookies we’ll think you’ll taste straight from Byron Bay in Australia."

For those who prefer leaves to beans they have loose leaf tea’s and for the sporty or health conscious fresh smoothies are blended in small batches daily from 100% real fruit to make sure you get the best taste.

We will leave the last word to David. “LJ Coffee House is about more than just fantastic coffee, or great service - it’s about an experience. An escape from the rush of day to day life with a focus on quality over quantity and individuality over Company Policies”.

LJ Coffee House, 3 Winnett Street, Soho, London W1D 6JY (020) 7434 117

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Underground Music Festival Figaro qua, Figaro la!

Words and Photos: Nhamo

On March 26th 2009 at 7.00 pm, London's Bolivar Hall filled to full capacity to celebrate the talented musicians who took part in the Underground Music Festival organized by the Venezuelan Consulate in London.

Torroba’s well known Luisa Fernanda called ‘Los vareadores’. He did so with expression and lyricism well matched to these beautiful Spanish melodies.

We had an opportunity to grasp Carlos’ dramatic qualities as he tackled another This gala performance included Zarzuela romanza also by composer performances by Fabio Tedde (pianist Moreno Torroba from Maravilla called and composer), Mike Muttel (chapman ‘Amor vida de mi vida’. With Carlos’ stick player), Wilmer Sifontes honesty, truthful expression and floating (percussionist), Jose Requena high notes, it came as no surprise when (clarinetist), Diego Alonso Laverde Rojas the audience stood on their feet with (harpist) and Carlos Cogul (baritone). cheers, loud clapping and even some were moved to tears.

One by one they poured their talents forth and kept the audience tapping their Carlos closed his ‘official’ contribution to toes with passionate Latin rhythms as the gala with the very famous ‘Toreador well as heartfelt melodies.

Song’ from Bizet’s Carmen sung with cheeky arrogance and courageous Our favourite baritone, Carlos Cogul, diction. By the end of it, and by public took the stage by storm and came in from demand, Carlos obliged with an encore the wings, singing the first notes of the the famous and vocally demanding song most famous opera aria ever written: Granada by Mexican composer, Agustin Largo al factotum from Rossini’s Barber Lara. of Seville. His singing was as effortless as brilliant. He was technically secure and neat, and although he was not wearing Figaro’s costumes, Carlos managed to transmit all the lightheartedness of the character. As soon as he finished the explosion of roulades and scales, the audience went literally crazy with cheers and bravos.

After the initial excitement, and now fully settled on staged, Carlos delivered the Zarzuela ‘romanza’ from Moreno

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With still the final applause echoing in the Hall, we caught up with Carlos backstage with a few questions for our readers.

MIRRORBALLS:Congratulations on you performance, Carlos

Also, physically is demanding as you have no break in between numbers and you need to keep a certain level of stamina to hit all the notes full on.

MB: What makes you do what you do?

Isn’t it scary?

Carlos Cogul: Thank you very much MB: How do you feel right now - having just sung your heart out and receiving such a magnificent response from the audience?

CC: I am on cloud nine. I am higher than high and with plenty of adrenaline running up and down my body.

MB: Were you expecting such a marvelous reception?

CC: Honestly, before a performance, that is the least of my worries, and although I appreciate so much the love and support of the public, my only focus is on having a good time on stage and being real, being truthful to the composer’s intentions when he wrote his masterpieces. If I don’t enjoy it chances are, the audience is not going to enjoy it either.

MB: Does such a demanding programme require special preparation?

CC: (laughs) It’s what I love to do. Sorry I have no better answer than that. But it’s pure love. In love there is no doubt, no fear. I just allow and let my being express as he wants to. I must admit I do like danger and taking chances tho... I enjoy everything that stretches me as an artist and as a person. I love contrast. I love desire and letting myself go.

MB: Why did you choose this particular music for tonight’s performance?

CC: It just felt right to sing what I sang. It takes me ages to decide what to sing, as I may want to change it at the very last minute. I later realized, all the music I chose, had Spain at its core or Spanish theme, which made me very happy, as this is a very Latin evening.

MB: Finally, tell us what is next in your schedule?

CC: Some more recitals in Spain and Italy and some opera performances CC: Mentally, it does. You need to be able before the end of the year, ah… and to go from one character to the a very cold beer right now! other very fast and also to accommodate the different I guess that’s why he is… our favourite components from different styles of baritone! music in a very short period of time.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Castle for Sale, Offers Invited Ever dreamed about waking up in your own castle? Us too!

Here at MIRRORBALLS we search the world to bring you, our readers, the very best. In this case we think we have excelled ourselves. We have found a castle for sale in South Africa and at Avalon Castle fantasies can come true.

windows, comprising some 2,200 square meters of reception and conference areas as well as accommodation.

Set in 11 hectares of landscaped beauty including several fountains, a moat, bridge, dam, sweeping driveways, paddock, stables undergoing refurbishment, crystalline circular swimming pool, working water mill, and the grounds are stocked with a variety of game and exotic birds.

Avalon Castle, is situated tranquil countryside, just 15 minutes from Silver Lakes and 40 minutes from Johannesburg Avalon Castle boasts the Crystal Ballroom International airport. This fabulous structure and Patio, The Africa Lounge and Terrace. is a magnificent turreted, three storey Marquees of various sizes can be erected on castle dating back to 1920 with gothic the lawns.

restaurants and an arena. There are many A Chapel in the main building and two museums and art galleries locally and in Gazebos on the lawns to the front are Pretoria itself, and the world famous Cullinan suitable for wedding ceremonies. Indoor and Diamond Mines is just 15km from the Castle. outdoor heating afford year round comfort.

The castle is immediately available and Attractions and activities in the local area serious offers are invited for the purchase of include golf, horse riding, hot air ballooning, this wonderful home with scope for use as an flying, game parks, and rhino park. entertainment and hospitality venue.

World class shopping is only minutes away at To enquire contact Deon or Richard on: east Pretoria’s Menlyn centre, which also Tel: +27 (0)82 897 4307 or email: houses cinemas, an extensive choice of castleavalon@hotmail.com

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Elections and Erections

By Nhamo

ELECTIONS & ERECTIONS is a personal journey through the minefield of fear and fun on the eve of South Africa's most crucial general election.

both freely available in South Africa and each carries the warning of danger.

Come and lead the parade with laughter at fear.

Turn it into fun and optimism for a future after only fourteen years of a remarkable and unique democracy. If the people find the courage to lead in that direction, the government will be just too happy to follow.

Pieter-Dirk Uys celebrates the two issues that were illegal for most of his life in South Africa: democracy and sex. He uses humour, his weapon of mass distraction, and compares today's freedom of speech to those years of no freedom. And yet then there was enough speech to help end a brutal system and usher in a young Depending on Who's Who in the Political Zoo, Uys democracy. There was also laughter. will present a host of familiar and upcoming politicians and opinion-shakers, from the The issue of the next President and a new Clintons and Obamas in the USA, a Tutu here and Government is not making South Africans laugh. a Mandela there, old Nats, reinvented The tsunami's of recession, economic woes, Communists, designer Democrats, Fat Cats and crime, corruption and denialism merge with the bloody Fools. And Evita Bezuidenhout leading Zunami of Comrade Jacob's dramatic journey to her political congress, Evita's People's Party, the most powerful position in the land. with a unique Q&A session with the audience and a surprise guest each night.

Nothing seems to be funny anymore.

It is time to laugh! Pieter-Dirk Uys invites you Catch Elections and Erections at the BAXTER share that shower with him and his chorus line of THEATRE CAPE TOWN from 7th April until the politicians and people. Democracy and sex are 2 May 2009.

Noon to 6 PM Sunday, May 24, 2009 Wickham Park Pavilion, Melbourne, FL (Just south of Brevard Community College at Post and Wickham)

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Madame de Sade Wyndham’s Theatre - 22nd March 2009 Words: Philip Tsaras

There can be few people who have not heard of the Marquis De Sade, and, though many may not know about the actual sexual acts which led him to spend about 32 years of his life in various prisons and an insane asylum, most will be aware that he gave us the word sadism. Yukio Mishimo’s Madame De Sade is, however, more concerned with his wife, who stood by him throughout his imprisonment, and then, inexplicably, changed her mind on his release. Its three short acts span 18 years of the Marquis’ imprisonment, seen through the eyes of six women; his wife, Renée, her sister Anne, and their mother Madame de Montreuil, and the fictitious Comtesse de Saint-Fond, representing licentiousness, and Baronesse de Simiane, representing piety. Completing the cast is the long serving maidservant, Charlotte.

understudy, Marjorie Hayward, coped admirably with the role’s intricate speeches, but it would be idle to suggest that the performance as a whole was anything but compromised, lacking the authority at the centre, that Dame Judi would no doubt have brought to it. How could it have been otherwise? We were very near the beginning of the run, and it is probable that Hayward had had no more than a few hours rehearsal, Although Mishima never learned French, he compared to the weeks the rest of the cast was heavily influenced by French classical had spent working. The rest of the cast were literature, being particularly drawn to the uniformly excellent: Frances Barber, formal elegance of Racine, a quality also to deliciously malevolent in the role of the be found in classical Japanese poetry and in Comtesse de Saint-Fond; Deborah Findlay, the Noh plays. As in Racine, the action, such beautifully nuanced as the Baronne de as it is, is advanced by Racinian tirades – Simiane; Fiona Button as a delightfully lengthy descriptions of something that has kittenish Anne and Jenny Galloway as a happened or of a character’s reaction to dourly truculent Charlotte. Best of all, events. But, unlike Racine, in which perhaps, was Rosamund Pike’s radiantly characters are usually torn between passion devoted Madame De Sade. The play looked and duty, Mishima’s women all debate from a absolutely stunning too, with gorgeous sets single viewpoint, from which they never and costumes by Christopher Oram, deviate. beautifully lit by Neil Austin. Michael Grandage directed a thoughtful and Unfortunately, Dame Judi Dench, who was brilliantly paced production, but, whatever performing the role of Madame de Montreuil this excellent cast and team did for the play, had fallen leaving the theatre a couple of Mishima’s characters failed to engage my nights previously and had been ordered by sympathies the way Racine’s characters can her doctor to rest and keep the weight off a do. Final verdict. Costume drama without sprained ankle. Given the circumstances, her the drama.

Words: TheCygnet Photos: courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Spandau Ballet are touring, the Pet Shop Boys are in the charts, Michael Jackson has announced a string of live dates, rah-rah skirts are tipped to be the summer fashion (you read it here first - Ed.) and filmgoers are anticipating the release of a new Terminator movie.

rather tight denim and leather and one teutonically articulated catchphrase which has passed into common parlance; “I’ll be back”.

Director McG – yes, he of Sorority Forever and Charlie’s Angles fame – has said little about the film except that he will show how No, don’t worry, you haven’t dropped people try to survive in the nuclear through a wormhole in the space-time wasteland. When challenged if Governor continuum in blinding flash-storms of electricity to appear naked on the street in a Schwarzenegger’s famed catchphrase will be proven true one more time, his tight bygone age. Its just that, along with all the lipped reply was "He has been approached, other 80’s revival acts happening this year, and in the early days of our development of film producer John Middleton though it was high time he revived the man versus machine T4, one of our producers, Andy Vajna, who's a good friend of his, spoke to him about doing franchise.

Described by the production company as “post-apocalyptic” (cue Tina Turner singing Thunderdome) Terminator 4 is set after the nuclear exchange which forms the climax of Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines. This new outing promises to reinvent the cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over, you guessed it, a three-movie span.

If you have never seen any of the first three Terminator movies – and I have to believe there are a lucky few among you – let’s have a quick recap of the plot so far.

An artificial intelligence from a future in which mankind is battling for its survival against machines sends an unstoppable killing machine back in time to kill the man who will lead the human resistance, before he is born or while he is just a boy. That’s it!

Three movies, all roughly the same with plenty of “shoot-em-up” action, some

© 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Terminator Salvation we preview the summer blockbuster

Š 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Š 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Š 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Š 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© 2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Its 2018 and John Connor (Bale) is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But, and this is where it gets interesting, the future which Connor was raised to believe in has been altered, in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must find out whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or has been somehow rescued from the past. And while he is puzzling on this temporal conundrum, Skynet prepares its final onslaught.

Of course no Terminator movie would be complete without an impossibly challenging mission to complete so Connor and Marcus must both penetrate the very heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.

a cameo. This was even before he was governor. But we know now that he is governor, he's got priorities that are above doing movies."

The good news is that fans of the Terminator movies will be getting lots more man and machine mayhem. But in a break from tradition it seems the future has finally arrived . . .Terminator 4 won’t be rehashing A predictably stoic statement from the that whole plot again (after all, how can they official sources, and who can blame them, the “will he, won’t he” debate is creating lots after the profusion of mushroom clouds in T3?). T4 will be a film in which humanity is of column inches (guilty as charged) as the publicity machine moves into top gear ahead pitted in the desperate battle for survival which has so far only been hinted at in the of the release next month. However, previous three movies.

MIRRORBALLS can reveal that our Holloywood contacts have spotted Arnie, So, real plot progression, a full-scale war the Governator, on the set talking to newbetween Skynet and humankind, and the boy Christian Bale and other members of the promise of a cast which has is made up of cast and crew. stars who have already proven they can act.

So, now we have set the scene, what do we know about the plot of Terminator Salvation?

We think that Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, might actually turn out to be a summer movie to look forward to and enjoy.

But if that turns out not to be the case, just do as Frankie Say, Relax!

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

My Cup Runneth Over

a week in the cultural life of MIRRORBALLS’ resident flâneur Words: Philip Rham

For a change, dear readers, I thought I’d share with you what has turned out to be a very full and varied cultural week in merry London; it’s not always like this by any means but I have had a veritable cornucopia of culture this week.

On Tuesday a trio of friends met at the Notting Hill Coronet (£3.50 on Tuesdays!) to see “LA CLASSE” directed by Laurent Cantet, a much heralded mockumentary from France which won the Palme D’Or in Cannes. Superficially it follows the progress of a class year in a tough multiracial Paris suburb and apart from the schoolyard and a few other classrooms, the camera never leaves the classroom.

Discipline and attention are low but our liberal professeur Marin (Francois Begaudeau) attempts to engage, in a logical and patient way, with the 14/15 year old pupils of North and West African, Chinese, Caribbean descent plus a few Caucasians thrown in. Over the year they touch on selfportraits, Anne Frank’s diary and poetry and the imperfect subjunctive of all things (God help us!) The film reaches its climax when the Malian lad, Souleymane stomps out of class after the prof brands the two girls “petasses” (skanks in the subtitles but really

just tarts) for their behaviour as reps on a school pupil assessment board – what were they doing on that in the first place??? And he was right they were behaving appallingly.

A disciplinary panel is convened and the upshot is Souleymane is expelled (once again Marin was on the panel even though he was involved – very odd). The end of year arrives and one of the Catherine Tate “Am I bovvered” girls admits to having read Plato’s Republic (!!!) and so becomes the year’s success story but straight afterwards, as if to undermine this, another girl confesses she hasn’t learnt a thing all year.

The next question is what have we learnt? Is it that a well- meaning liberal approach can really tackle the fundamental lack of integration into French society of multicultural sink estate or is it that the system of French education and French organisational structures militate still against any progress being made? The film leaves the answer hanging in the air. The kids acted , improvised , devised - whateverbrilliantly as did their teacher, Begaudeau, the writer of the original non-fiction account”Entre Les Murs” They all create a totally naturalistic world of claustrophobic melting pot but for me, with my special needs governor hat on, I found it frustrating that the lessons seemed so unstructured and plainly not tailored to engage this type of class, the teacher’s behaviour (charging into the yard to start a heated argument with the pupils ) and the apparent total lack of support systems for these challenging children and for the teachers baffled me and ultimately annoyed me.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Over pasta in the delightful “Sugo” restaurant in Notting Hill, it certainly provoked a lively discussion with my friends.

So, impressive though the acting and interest quotient were, I’d give this film a 7 out of 10.

Out of the blue two days later Thursday another friend called me at five to see if I was free that evening to see a new play called “NEW BOY” by Russel Labey, based on a novel by William Sutcliffe about confused teenagers and their burgeoning sexuality. Of course I cancelled all previous engagements and jumped at the chance. Nicholas Hoult, he who stole our hearts away in SKINS on Ch 4, was playing the lead (Mark). It was at Trafalgar Studios, in the small studio there. I was not to be disappointed and indeed was very pleasantly surprised, considering some of the reviews I had read. The tale is of a floppy articulate teenager dealing with his feelings towards the newly arrived hunk Barry, played with aplomb by a well-fit Gregg Lowe. They become friends, egging each other on in girl conquests until Barry has moved in with the French teacher, a hilarious performance from Mel Giedroyc (she of Mel and Sue fame).

She plays with us like a cat playing with a captive mouse and brings the house down.

However Mark’s feelings are totally blown off-course when Barry announces he is going out with Mark’s older brother and that he is definitely gay!!! There follows a remarkably intense and delicate scene when the two

reflect back on those first days at achool.

Barry goes off into the San Francisco sunset with a nameless Hollywood star (they named him but for legal reasons I cannot repeat the name here!!) Meanwhile Mark settles down happily married , so we are told, never to see Barry again.

The intimate space , the clever design (Jason Denvir), and the superb cast (plus Ciara Janson & Phil Matthews), who delivered the witty and self-aware script so naturalistically, made for an evening of pure entertainment and not a little frisson and fun.

Afterwards our group of four went to have a sumptuous feast at ORSOS in Bow Street WC1, courtesy of David whose birthday it turned out to be. All in all a delightful evening.

The very next day, even though tickets were like gold dust, my friend Paul and I went to

“ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE” a play by Joe Orton at the very same Trafalgar Studios but this time in the main house. I’d managed to buy the last ticket going but thanks to the

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

benign influence of the duty house manager Thom Southerland – a director of hugely successful musicals at the Union Theatre and a name to look out for in the future, folks-, we were treated royally. I had a front row seat from where I could sit back and bathe in the luxurious luminosity that is Imelda Staunton.

The part of Kath is a gift admittedly but she took it by the scruff of the neck and soared up to new heights of comic poignancy. Kath is a truly desperate woman, yearning for love and lust and social acceptance; she is abused and used but also quite ready to manipulate others herself to achieve her ends. La Imelda captures every rich facet of this complicated confused character and physicalises each emotion and reaction. It is a comic performance that was a privilege to witness.

BRAVA, BRAVA!.

Kemp, her father, is a superb creation as well.

Richard Bremmer, a veritable blue meanie from the Beatles film Yellow Submarine, is suitably eccentric, yet still menacing despite his frailty. Matthew Horne as Sloane does well but is really miscast alas – he just doesn’t have enough sexual magnetism or menace that are crucial to make sense of the part.

Simon Paisley Day as Ed, Kath’s misogynistic (and ultimately gay) spiv of a brother is so arch and mannered that , yes , he gets the laughs but there’s no ambiguity or mystery and therefore no real menace about him either. Needless to say the bar has been raised to such stratospheric heights by Staunton that she would overshadow any cast - the comedy performance of the year so far, no question.

at the same theatre in 2006, quenching my thirst after a show!

To crown this cultural extravaganza of a week, I went with friends to the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday to a marvellous programme given by Mariss Jansons & The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra with Anja Harteros (soprano).

The first half was taken up with Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony No 3, followed in the second half by Anja Harteros singing Strauss’s Four Last Songs and the concert ended with Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2.

Sometimes you think you know a piece of music well and then an outstanding conductor and an utterly responsive orchestra come along and make you sit up and listen and experience every note afresh.

And so it was on this occasion. The dynamic contrasts, the meticulous attention to Beethoven’s markings in the new Jonathan Del Mar edition and the perfect execution by this matchless, committed orchestra was edge-of- the- seat music-making. This was We rounded off the evening with two pints of no bish-bash Beethoven. We were given Black Country Real Ale at Weatherspoons finely judged attack and the clean clarity of next door at remarkably low prices, which the various voices between the strings took me back to when I played in “Jane Eyre” especially were a joy. The slightly slower

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

tempo in the Adagio created an almost Brahmsian expansiveness and richness of sound which was reproduced in the final movement so that the final horn theme evoked the burnished armour of the hero only to be dashed in the agony of disillusion (Beethoven originally dedicated this symphony to Napoleon but quickly changed his mind!)

I have never seen such physical involvement from orchestral players (apart from the Simon Bolivar Orchestra, of course), especially Ramon Ortega Quero, the principal oboist who provided the exquisite solos, swaying to mould the phrases into a sonorous beauty and I would mention the double-bass section attacking every military and menacing phrase - one lady with a blonde pony tail (Alexandra Scott??) played as if her life depended it. The musicians’ commitment to the music and to their condustor Jansons swept us up and immersed us in this sublime monumental work.

out the symphonic grandeur of the piece. It reached its earth-shattering apogee as the sun finally rises to its incandescent glory. At its heart, the orchestra produced a sound like glistening moss for an exquisite flute solo, Pan in the ballet.Philippe Boucly, who like his oboist colleague, swayed and jabbed physically to produce a sensual voluptuous line. Jansons then whipped the orchestra into a fury that climaxed in a transcendent blaze. Mindblowing!

The subsequent ovation forced Mariss Jansons to give us two encores no less.

Solveig’s Song from Peer Gynt by Grieg, violins playing like gossamer in the softest of moving pianissimi. Not a pin dropped this time despite some sanatorium coughing earlier on in the concert. Then we didn’t want it to stop so Jansons obliged with The Wild Bears movement from “The Wand of Youth”

by Elgar. This was absolutely ‘hair on the back of the neck’ playing, tossing off Elgar’s very difficult music as if it was a whale playing with a seal. It was exhilarating!!

Anja Leteros won Cardiff Singer of The World in 1999 and rightly so but alas my seat in the choir was behind the orchestra prevents me from doing her justice. However, despite her glorious tone and power and control, I felt she was slightly tentative and in the end “undercommitted” – if such a word exists..

The orchestra, marginally too large in my opinion for these songs, played peerlessly; in the last two songs especially, it created a rich velvet sound world and very moving support , like a full-bodied glass of vintage Petrus wine.

This was a truly unforgettable and uplifting concert. We went out on a transcendental high. Thank You Mariss Jansons and The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra! Pure World Class. You can come again anytime.

Then the final Daphnis and Chloe was truly magical, the rhythmic attack and solidity, amazing pianissimi and sforzandi brought

And so to bed

And so ended my cultural week, a veritable cornucopia of stimuli!. London can do this for you. Not on a regular basis for financial reasons but it is a city overflowing with cultural excellence of all kinds and I hope I have given you a taste. Dear friends, my cup runneth over indeed.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Plague Over England Duchess Theatre, 11th March 2009 Words: Philip Tsaras

It’s 1953. Homosexuality is still illegal in the UK. Gay men live in continual fear of arrest, and, worse, undercover pretty policemen are often stationed in public lavatories to entrap gay men into importuning male persons for an immoral purpose, a law that penalises men not for what they actually do, but what they appear to want to do. In those days, homosexuality was considered a terrible infectious disease, to which young men were thought particularly susceptible.

Older gay men were considered dangerous predators, seeking to convert these innocent young men to their cause.

It was in this climate that the recently knighted Sir John Gielgud was arrested in a public lavatory just off the Fulham Road on 21 October 1953. The case was a huge scandal, eclipsed only in the following year by the more serious one, involving Peter Wildeblood and Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Both cases were largely instrumental in making homosexuality part of the Wolfenden report, which in turn eventually led to homosexual acts between consenting adults in private being decriminalised.

private and personal pain Gielgud experienced as a result of his arrest. Much of the writing has a peculiarly fustian, old fashioned air about it, and, though Michael Feast does a superb job of capturing something of the essence of Gielgud, he is never given the opportunity to delve deeply into Gielgud’s character, notwithstanding a gently moving scene in which the terrified Gielgud is led on stage by the stoic and supportive Thorndike (a wonderfully sympathetic performance by Celia Imrie) on the occasion of his first performance in public There is certainly an interesting play to after the arrest. Though the audience, in be written about this period of gay history, but I’m not sure that this is it. For this version, give him an encouraging a start, author Nicolas De Jongh doesn’t round of applause, such support was not forthcoming in the press, and there were seem to know whether his play is an expose of the injustices meted out to gay many calls for Gielgud to be stripped of his knighthood, and even for him to be men in the 1950s or a piece about the

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

expelled from Equity, which would have effectively meant the end of his career.

These issues, though, are hardly touched on and, for the most part, we are treated to a series of short scenes, which do little more than establish a historical backdrop to the drama.

There is also a somewhat unconvincing sub plot; a love story involving the young policeman who arrested Gielgud and the son of Mr Justice Percival Lightbourne, the purpose for which I never quite worked out. The last scene of the play catapults us forward to 1975. Margaret Thatcher has been made leader of the Tory party and Gielgud is poised to play a discreetly gay character in Pinter’s No Man’s Land. Some of the protagonists find themselves once again in the public lavatory where Gielgud was arrested back in 1953, now on the point of being closed down for good. A gay pride march is passing outside, something Sir John

views with absolute horror. Perhaps we are supposed to draw parallels between the gay witch hunts of the 1950s and the rabidly anti-gay stance of the Thatcher government, who, it will be remembered, gave us the odious Clause 28, or perhaps, heaven forbid, we are supposed to look back on the 1950s, with a sort of nostalgic regret as Sir John and the lavatory attendant evidently do.

Whatever the intention, this ending is both clumsy and contrived.

An excellent cast makes the best case possible for this uneven play, but it fails on too many counts. Nicolas De Jongh is a respected London theatre critic and has been brave indeed to put himself on the line like this, but I am reminded of the dictum, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach... And those who can’t teach, become critics.” Perhaps De Jongh should confine himself to criticism from now on.

Bari Goddard Art & Photography

www.barigoddard.co.uk +44 7907 998418

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Swing High, Swing Low

The Highs and Lows of Self Esteem & What You Can Do About It

By Peter Michael Dedes - Holistic Life Coach

During many years of coaching clients I have identified seven main areas that afflict human beings. These are in no particular order: • Loss of freedom • Loss of power • Inability to be fully self expressed • Distorted self image • Low self esteem • Poor Self Worth • Your Power of Choice

from an all-encompassing feeling that, whatever you are doing in life, you are contributing to life through useful, valid and viable actions. Self worth is based on your feelings of skills, achievements, acknowledgements, status, financial resources, physical attributes and the ability to measure up to and satisfy society’s norm.

You can see what’s happening to many people’s self worth and self esteem during this period of economic downturn, aka Credit Crunch. In fact nothing depreciates faster than your self esteem and self worth when the principal actors such as rage, anger, resentment, fear and uncertainty enter onto the stage of your life.

For the sake of this article I am going to focus particularly on Self Esteem with Self Worth and Self Image, as these three are interrelated and each one has a bearing on the other. The other aspects of what afflicts human beings are encyclopedic and I will write about these another Self image is important as it impacts on the way time. that you feel. You know that if you look good, you will feel good about yourself. Understanding why Let’s look at some simple working self image is important is critical to your self definitions: esteem as it affects the way you project yourself outwardly to Self esteem is an issue others, realising that your that everyone at relationships, your some time in life engagement with comes up against others are directly and it usually influenced by your happens when self view. A self you are not image that oozes contributing confidence enables significantly to life others who you processes. Your engage with to feel self esteem is relaxed and at ease. about appreciating Many people with a your own self worth positive self image can and importance, and absorb criticism and knowing that you are resolve conflict which is making a purposeful fundamentally a key to contribution and a successful relationships valid response to life. with others, and most This is so important to importantly with you. understand.

Self Esteem Self worth derives Every day you are

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bombarded by a tidal wave of conflicting information about losing weight, image, what it takes to be successful, the clothes you need to wear to be part of the ''in'' crowd, all of which are supposed to make you feel good. The point here is that all of these offensives on the human mind and body can be explained with what seems to be a logical rationale that can seem quite compelling and seductive, especially for the uninitiated.

The questions here include: How do you feel about and value yourself?

How do you judge your worth as a person?

Do you realise that you are unique and precious?

Do you realise that you have a unique fingerprint and a unique DNA that 6.5 billion people do not have?

What does that say about you and who and what you are?

Do you feel good about yourself?

Do you feel worthwhile?

underpinned by low self esteem. This can be part of a bigger problem.

What is important to understand is that being human is not about being perfect, although others may tell you differently, especially if their brain chemistry is imbalanced. Part of being human is accepting the fact that we are all born equal, but the difference is ‘What we do with it'.

Being human means we are going to make mistakes on our journey through life and may do things of which we are not proud.

Building a healthy self esteem means learning from your mistakes. Those mistakes will only cost you nothing if you actually learn from them, applying the necessary course corrections for the next time. It's not so much what you come up against in life, it's rather how you measure yourself and present yourself to the challenge.

Let’s look at some of the factors that may influence low self esteem: These questions are designed to winkle out some Your own thoughts and perceptions, whether thoughts and feelings about your own journey they are balanced or faulty. Other people’s with self esteem. There have been many perceptions and thoughts that get foisted on methods that have been employed to pump up you or you allow them to do so, self esteem from ‘think positive’ to going on Comparing yourself to others- analysis and seminars that put you in, what I can only term, comparison. School experiences- bullying, ‘motivational hell’. ridicule, ousted from the 'in' crowd, feeling nerdy. Sports days- not liking competition, not Many, though not all, individuals will put up a being athletic, body dysmorphia. Work smoke screen to hide low self esteem and this experiences- not feeling good enough, can be manifested in many ways. competition. Culture- forced relationships, Some individuals may adopt an dominance, ambiguity. Injury – feelings of air of superiority. uselessness, out of the game.

In fact a Disability – immobile, inability superiority to fully act is engage as generally an able bodied person. underpinned Illness. by an inferiority complex, which in turn is

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Depression – lack of compression, self loathing, inability to function fully or at all. Role and Status in Society – keeping up with the Jones' Relationships – dysfunctional, dominance, rescuer, people pleaser.

Relationships can be powerful or limiting in the sense of how relationships influence your self esteem. Parents, teachers, siblings, peers are all powerful influences that affect your belief system, namely what you believe and the many and varied messages you have received over time about you, all of which may affect your self esteem.

sense of inferiority and poor self worth. On the flip side if your experiences are positive, then your beliefs about yourself will be positive and your self esteem will be high and healthy.

My dear late father always told me “Never look back, only look forward!” and while you or I cannot alter the past, what you can do is to breed a consistent awareness of self-critical thoughts, you know the kind, the ones that make you feel worthless, those that feed and fuel low self esteem. You must realise that you are seduced, manipulated and lured into non- constructive thinking traps that are corrosive and unhelpful.

If you have been ridiculed, teased or bullied you are more than likely to believe you are not good enough; you have this little voice that whispers in your ear telling you, you are worthless and useless, that you are unlovable. Low self esteem impacts every area of your personal and professional life, from school to work, from relationships to your emotional and mental state.

It prevents clear thinking and creates selflimiting emotions and self-defeating habits that do not serve you. At the heart of low self esteem is the negative beliefs you have about yourself.

You accept these beliefs as a statement of fact instead of realising these beliefs are just faulty They will undoubtedly limit your progression and and unhelpful views and experiences that you keep you in that negative self talk loop - not a have had in life. good place to be in, by all accounts.

Your thoughts, your views, the impressions you Here are some common traps that most of you expose yourself to are critical and perhaps have may recognize. the biggest impact on your self esteem. As is your “self talk”, you know what I mean, the noises of concern that chitter chatter in the semiconscious mind. Most people will try and drown this out by having the TV on or music playing in the background- they don't really notice it, but at least it silences to some degree the negative self talk.

What you tell yourself, how you perceive situations, beliefs about people, places and events, how you measure and interpret success and failure all contribute to low self esteem, a

Faulty perceptions. Namely, seeing things as fiction as distinct from non-fiction will cause you to jump to negative conclusions Low self esteemers can be perfectionists and set unachievable standards for themselves and others Balanced Perceptions versus Faulty Perceptions.

This turns up when as, for example, if one thing goes wrong then everything is wrong, which is not the case. Low self esteemers will look at the scenario with a faulty perception - life is not black or white, it is black AND white.

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Self discounting and the inability to receive a positive- This turns up with beliefs that ‘I am not good enough’ or if someone gives you a positive compliment you do not receive it as a positive and you discount the compliment and in effect self discount yourself

Find out what inspires you and follow that inspiration to see where it leads you and what it connects you too.

Contribute to your community.

Surround yourself with friends that are true.

Laugh, laugh and laugh more, it’s a great tonic.

Journal all of the great things that you notice Extreme High Self Esteem. This is when you have about yourself. an unrealistic and an inflated view of yourself in Quit analyzing and comparing and follow your the sense that you are better or worth more than intuition. others which in itself is a faulty perception. This Have a “me” day, pamper, spoil and/or treat creates a narcissistic self image that is yourself monthly. characterized by arrogance, pride and Meditation Practice. broadcasting one's achievements with Exercise that you enjoy. bombast.

Self esteem and self belief are in your hands and Non-Constructive Self Esteem. This is where you is the key to happiness, contentment, place a low value on your ideas, views and fulfillment, achievement and ultimately opinions and generally feel that your input is freedom. Your mind and mentality can organise useless and propel you into changing your state if that is what you decide you want to do. With positive Healthy Self Esteem is when you have balanced suggestion, inspiration and visualisation, you thoughts and perceptions about your life, your can develop your self belief and start to change environment, your relationships, while aspects of your life to meet new requirements. recognizing an awareness of your limits. Healthy self esteemers are confident and think positively You can change the way you think, feel and act. if about your strengths, capabilities, that is what you truly want. The decision as accomplishments, your physical appearance, its always is yours. Decision and choice are two demeanour and display. powerful generals at your command; you only Your self respect and self worth are balanced and need to instruct and show them that self esteem you don't think of yourself as better or worse is in your hands and that you have the ability and then anyone else, you value your strengths and capability to swing high. understand your weaknesses and limitations in a balanced and thoughtful manner.

Low self esteem can be part of a bigger problem.

If you need coaching or counselling assistance, Crafting your Self Esteem Building Habits please email Peter Michael Dedes All enquiries are I believe that when you actively engage in held in the strictest of confidence. anything in a practical way, it has the ability to indelibly engrave itself into the neural pathways of your mind, thus affecting and conditioning Peter Michael Dedes BA Hons- Dip your habits and behaviour. I am going to start you Psych – Certified Coach PCC, NLP off with several crafted self esteem building Master Practitioner IBPDA habits you can employ to build healthy self esteem patterns. These are some examples that info@acadevo.com you can use to raise your self esteem to new heights.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Gray I’Ons featured photographer

Our featured photographer this month is Gray I’Ons. Gray has had a passion for photography since he got his first camera at the age of 14.

After lengthy studies, Gray became a qualified photographer, and has lectured on the subject for over 11 years.

With a passion for fine art and photography, Gray has hung over 15 exhibitions of his own work and is currently developing a collection of tattoo themed works for an exhibition later in 2009.

These days Gray only shoots on digital, making good use of his skills in photoshop to enhance his images and give them a rich lustre and saturation.

The photographs displayed over the next few pages show Gray’s fascination with body and wall art, and how he uses his chosen medium to weave the two together.

Gray I’Ons Tel: +27 83 383 0552 Fax: +27 86 538 2222 e-mail: grahamions@gmail.com

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009 © 2009 Gray I’Ons. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009 © 2009 Gray I’Ons. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009 © 2009 Gray I’Ons. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009 © 2009 Gray I’Ons. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009 © 2009 Gray I’Ons. All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Jorge - Spanish Muscle Hunk speaks exclusively to MIRRORBALLS Words: Philip Rham

MIRRORBALLS managed to grab a few moments with 25 year old Jorge while he was filming his latest assignment for UKNAKEDMEN.COM. The man’s man from Spain with the no nonsense face , hard muscled body and a soft centre answered a few questions for MIRRORBALLS readers , eager to get behind this up-and-coming star of adult entertainment.

MB: First of all Jorge, thanks for taking the time out to tell us a bit about yourself

J: Thanks. I started on my body in the way any young kid would (cheeky smile) but seriously I wasn’t that sporty. It was just after my 17th birthday that I turned up at a gym with some mates one day and I’ve never stopped going (another cheeky smile).

Actually I’m very committed, I don’t waste any time chatting, I get to the gym , put my Ipod on and just lift weights. I just do 50 minutes every day not any more than that.

Oh yeah, and I LOVE ski-ing. I’ve done it since I was little. Whenever I have a spare moment, I treat myself to an outing up to the hills.

J: My pleasure MB: Ah that’s why you have such great legs.

MB: No no the pleasure’s all mine!

J: (laughs) probably!

J: (laughs) Thanks MB: Where did you grow up?

J: I come from a city called Valladolid in Spain about 200kms north of Madrid. I was born into a medium sized family and I get on really well with them but there are a few things I don’t tell them about (smiles)

MB: And I suppose you get all your cardio work from the dancing you do. How did that start?

J: Well, I started about four years ago at a club called MAMBO in my home town It’s well known in the city and then it went on from there…., you know a friend of mine suggested it via a girl friend he knew and I said why not??

MB: Yes I can imagine!

J: I get back to see them whenever I’ve got a moment , maybe for a day or two, or just an afternoon. It’s easy to get there, just 50 minutes by train but I live in Madrid full time now, of course.

MB: And here you are coming to London to dance for the HUSTLABALL in MAY!!

J: Yeah that’s brilliant and I might be doing a show as well

MB: Right I’ll be there. So Jorge what kind of MB: You have a great physique. When did you music gets you going? start on your body and how do you keep in shape these days?

J: Well I listen to a bit of everything but I have a weak spot for house and any good dance

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

sounds. But more often than not it’s being with good mates and then any music is fine.

fall for those guys and they must look after their bodies of course (smiles) and before you ask I don’t have a boyfriend at the MB: Let’s talk about your film career. How did moment. They never seem to last long, they you start and what was it like shooting your always end up by leaving me (smiles) first film?

MB: So you’re available! Our readers will be J: Well I was given the opportunity to be in a glad to know that! How do you see your life film by Kirsten Bjorn when I was 21. The after your film career? chance came up and I said to myself why not give it a go??. The first one was called “El J: Well actually I work in an office during the Rancho” and yeah I have to say that first week for a travel agents. I’m just a 9 to 5 man experience was difficult, everything’s new, really! you’re under a lot of pressure – anyway I was just a young lad then but that was then MB: That’s why you’ve got your feet on the Things are different now (cheeky smile) ground Jorge probably. And so after a day’s MB:Absolutely! When is your next film work, gym and then how do you relax? coming out?

J: The best for me is staying in and cooking a J: The next one to be released is for Butch meal and putting on a DVD Dixon at TRIGA films anf some for WURSTFILM in Berlin and yeah there are MB: OK and most romantic dream holiday? quite a few projects in the pipeline.

J: My favourite would be anywhere in the Med with a pool AND a beach (smiles) MB: That’s great you’re so busy.Do you have a favourite porn actor?

MB: I get the picture! So you’re here filming for UKNAKEDMEN? J: I don’t really have one, as a matter of fact I hardly ever watch porn – I know that sounds MB: Yeah they’re brilliant It’s always a bad! (laughs) pleasure working for them. I’m definitely going to do more shoots for them.

MB: Not at all. You come to it fresh – so to speak!. So at what point did you realise you MB: Well we look forward to catching you were gay? back here in London in May for the Hustlaball.

Good Luck with everything!

J: Well it’s something that’s deep inside you that comes out little by little, isn’t it? In fact I J: Thanks. Can’t wait to come back. Luego! always felt attracted to men even though I Adios! kissed some girls a few times when I was a kid to keep up appearances. But I have to say, I And with that Jorge sped off. A young lad finally came out of the closet when I was 20. with sexy good looks but with his feet firmly on the ground and as they say in Spanish MB: What type of guy turns you on? “con las ideas claras”. Watch out for Jorge!

Here he comes!!

J: MMM well I like them to be sweet and honest, dark looks with blue eyes – I always

www.regulation-london.co.uk Š 2009 Jamtrash All Rights Reserved.

Š 2009 Jamtrash All Rights Reserved.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Mr K Comes Home Words: Nhamo

Mr K is an original Londoner, and a clubber from the original club scene of Soho during the Acid House days in the late eighties and 90s (Busbys, Heaven, & Bagleys Warehouse). He has seen a lot of change.

Justin arrived in Brighton in the early 90s and secured the city as his own in 1997.

him with two consecutive nominations as Best Male DJ in the town's provincial awards ceremony - but now its time to go home to London.

On May 3rd 2009 Mr K will be appearing at the Arches, London Bridge for RECON Full Fetish as one of the DJs hired for this night.

Over recent years the larger-than-life DJ has Other venues down south have been Storm, developed his place as a known name on the The Candy Bar, The Anvil, several Bear gay scene in and around Brighton and events and also private events around previous countless club appearances have London, Ibiza, Madrid, Amsterdam, and in established his name well and truly on the, the last year at the outdoor arena Buskett once active, mens circuit in Brighton.

Roadhouse for 2008's Malta Pride. Mr K’s style is retro, commercial, tribal, vocal Now he's back in London and under the house and trance, all of which have garnered radar ! It looks to be a good summer.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Big and Butch Words: Mikhael Michaelides & Nicholas McInerny

I first stumbled across Butch Dixon a few months ago when a friend of mine called me up excitedly and said “Hey, I’ve finally found a site with *real* men!!”. Naturally, being an Internet whore for 15 years I was a little cynical. Most sites seem to feature impossibly chiselled men straight out of Fantasy Central, USA division.

They didn’t have that air of reality I liked – the sense that these guys didn’t live 24/7 in the gym. And the English sites too often seemed to be a pale copy - Well that is until Butch Dixon came along...

suspenders could be so damn sexy! In fact this imaginative approach just enhanced the on screen action – a playfulness that made me smile even as it turned me on. Accompanying each model is a short piece of blurb where the interviewer delves right in and describes each man in detail, clearly relishing his job. This kind of enthusiasm is exciting - I felt like I was in the studio with them getting involved with the proceedings (I wish!).

Top marks should also be awarded for the I clicked open a browser and sat up guys playing safe even as they were straight in my chair. The site layout is sizzling – showing us the two things simple but effective – a large photo to the aren’t mutually exclusive. I should point right with several smaller beside, which out that MIRRORBALLS and Butch Dixon you clicked on for full page. The standard of pictures is very high – often shot against a plain background with proper lighting so that each model looked relaxed and comfortable knowing the photographer was making them look as sexy as possible. With some there is a minute-and-a- half video preview – a tantalising glimpse of what the full length video featured. There was a sense of humour to some of these.

One was set outside MI6 – one of the models ‘stripped’ his playmate by pressing a TV remote. In another two guys in suits got down and dirty outside in the rain – I never knew sock

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

are working together to help bring AIDS awareness to all areas of the gay community – well done guys.

Thirdly, the reviews appear to have been written in a breathless style but a little extra care could have been taken with spelling & grammar as there are a couple So the big question – what about the men of cringe worthy clangers in there themselves? Well I like my men (ouch!). masculine, hairy, rugged rather than ripped – above all men who are confident However these are small gripes to what is in themselves. I believe ‘Sexy is as sexy a very polished and enticing site – with a does’ – and that’s what these guys do roll call of gorgeous men doing all kinds of bigtime. Butch Dixon really does give you extremely sexy things to each other in a a variety to drool over - while some are way that literally bursts off the screen. indeed muscle-bound studs, others are Big, meaty, hairy and horny – these men more of your “bear next door” type that are a far cry from the sculpted and oiled you could quite conceivably run into at a Adonis that have graced our screens up place like XXL or the King’s Arms. More until now – and BUTCH DIXON now a very importantly, they all seem like genuine, firm favourite! real guys you could share a pint with and indeed the three I’ve met (Marco, Korben and Christian), I’ve found to be very approachable and friendly. And as sexy in the flesh as on the screen!

It’s a sign of how confident the site is that they even have a MODEL FOR US option – where if fancy having a go at being a BUTCH DIXON model, then you can apply. They’re honest about their requirements, but the whole effect is friendly and informal. It makes you feel involved.

If I had any criticism they would be small, e.g. why are prices quoted in dollars first – does this represent market conditions?

Secondly, quoting the prices in dollars – with such a weak pound – is working out quite expensive and could put a fair few people off.

UKNAKEDMEN

Best of British Beef…go on, pick your favourite!

By Richard

The thing I like the best about the UKNAKEDMEN website is they are not shy about showing off the talented studs they have in their stud farm.

When you go to their site before you have to part with any of your hard earned cash, you not only get plenty of pictures of each of their stars but also there are a great selection of high quality video clips of some of the movies, to tantalise and tease. Part with your cash and get treated to some fullon fantasy fun with some of the hottest guys on the web.

The guys are all what I would call REAL guys. the ones you might see at the gym or behind the counter in your favourite sandwich shop (Kurt, you know who you are!) - the kind of guys you wish you could pluck up the courage to talk to, and feel as though you might have half a chance of them not saying no.

I spent a very pleasurable time surfing through the mens' profiles, trying to decide which of the men I liked the look of best. Top of my list is definitely Jorge – a rugged, muscular, hunk of a man.(See our interview with Jorge in this April's issue. Ed) He would be perfect for me in so many ways, my true fantasy man, and that’s what this site is all about - fantasy. Look through the guys and I am certain at least one will catch your eye, maybe more.Take a look at Harry Louis (wow!), BJ (woof woof!) Matt Hughes (OMG!!). Although I never seem to meet hunky gym instructors ready to train me in more ways than one - despite having looked quite hard – here, on UKNAKEDMEN, muscle-

bound gym trainer Carioca also caught my eye. He played out some of my fantasies by taking the young hottie Rafael firmly in hand, putting him through his paces with a hard sweaty work out. Rafael is flat on his back pumping iron, and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on. If only it were me!!

The site is easy to navigate and very simple to use. With high quality preview clips from a great selection of their films, you know that when you download one of the 150 videos on offer, the full length version will be something a bit special that will look great in full screen mode.

UKNAKEDMEN brings you new exclusive videos every week - three hardcore feature videos, one solo video and four new galleries every month. And now your membership gives you free access to their new site www.ButchDixon.com too, which features big hairy men, muscle bears and mature guys - so double the bang for your hard earned bucks!

Every UKNAKEDMEN video comes with a gallery of high quality photos (not just screen captures). Bonus videos include interviews & chats with the guys, behindthe-scenes footage and exclusive clips.

There are also hundreds of hours of bonus videos from Rear Stable (Raging Stallions), Treasure Island Media, Fratmen, Sexgaymes, Czechboys, Jake Cruise & more.

But don’t take my word for it…check it out at www.UKNAKEDMEN.com

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

SHIRTLIFTERZ.COM a new gay social network website

By Colin Swan

The gay community can now access its own Facebook style social networking site, created by and for gay users. Offering users the same social action features as other mainstream social networks, shirtlifterz.com goes further. Video messenger and instant chat allows users to interact face to face in real time, as well as sharing their favourite images, videos and music.

Users can add friends, join or create groups, arrange events, gossip on the communal wall, or maintain their own blog.

Unlike other social networks shirtlifterz.com provides its own stream of content and entertainment. A host of feeds maintains a fresh and lively feel to the site, including streaming music from the internets funkiest DJ’s, to streaming xxx rated films. Site maintained blogs focus on the worlds of fashion, music, and of course beautiful men. The site also covers more sensitive material aimed at generating discussion and opinion, such as a recent blog on male rape.

Chris Glover, of shirtlifterz.com told us ‘People want more from the internet than the usual dating site experience. Organisations such as Facebook have raised expectations and users are looking for a more sophisticated experience. Of course guys can log on and hook up if that’s what they want – but there’s so much more to us than that. We’re offering a lifestyle.’

MIRRORBALLS has had a profile on shirtlifterz.com since the beginning of the year, but the service only went live on 1st April. We would encourage all MIRRORBALLS readers to register with the site and link to our profile.

Remember to send us a quick note when so join so we know who you are.

As with other social networking sites shirtlifterz.com is 100% free without restrictions or tariffs for certain levels of access or usage. You can currently connect with guys in the next street or on the other side of the world. At present the network is aimed squarely at gay men with a girls only version due for release early summer.

MIRRORBALLS - April 2009

Photos: TheCygnet & Nhamo

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spirit energie conviction

www.verve-london.com