DeMontfort University have held a DMU Pride event to
celebrate LGBT History Month since 2015. This encompasses all sorts of
supportive events within the university as well as cultural events at Curve and
Phoenix Cinema.
This year Curve is hosting five events throughout February,
four theatrical performances and one dance workshop. One of the shows on is a
very welcome return of Gypsy Queen after its sold out show last year.
I spoke to Rob Ward, writer and actor in Gypsy Queen and
asked him if he deliberately booked the show in for DMU Pride or did they
approach him?
“We actually worked with them last year” he said “and we
were approached to do the show last year for their Pride events in one of the
cute rehearsal rooms at Curve and we sold out. So when we were approached for
this year I got on to Curve, spoke to Nikolai Foster and they came and saw the
show and this time we are booked in the Studio.”
I mentioned that DMU were probably quite unique in spreading
their LGBT awareness outside of the university
“Yeah, they have fostered such a good relationship with
Curve that they can have this mini LGBT festival”
Then we moved on to Gypsy Queen. I wanted to know why Rob,
as the author, wanted to set it within the travelling community.
“I already had a small play about two gay boxers and I was
looking to extend it to a more full length show, a studio tour. The problem was
I couldn’t find an angle to extend the story. Then about three years ago there
was the whole incident with Tyson Fury and the BBC Sports Personality of the
Year Award when he made a series of homophobic, sexist and generally awful
comments around the time he had won the World Heavyweight title. There was an
almighty uproar because he was shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality award
despite these remarks having been made public. This was a big issue for me
because sport doesn’t have role models for the LGBT community. It doesn’t have
openly LGBT sports people for fans like me. I don’t feel like I belong in that
world. So when the whole Tyson Fury thing came out I wondered just why he felt
he had to say these things about gay people. What was his personal interest in
all this? Then it crossed my mind what if he was gay himself? What if it was
that classic defence mechanism? Maybe it is a case of those with most to hide
shout loudest, and in that moment I thought what if one of these boxers is from the Traveller
community. Suddenly you are bringing in not only a world of sport but also a
community in which it is also very difficult to be gay but also the whole
catholic debate and it gives the story a few more layers. You have two men, one
from the world of professional sport and one from traveller community meeting
and falling in love and suddenly the story burst into life.
“On this tour we have had a cast change, we have gone back
to the original actor, Ryan Clayton [known for Josh Tucker in Coronation
Street] now that he is available. He created the role of the sexually confident
but closeted boxer, Dane, while I
played the repressed gay traveller, George.”
Gypsy Queen is on at Curve on Monday 25th
February. Tickets are available from the Curve website.
The other productions for DMU Pride at Curve are Rubber Ring
on Monday 18th February, the story of a 16 year old isolated on the
Norfolk coast who runs away to London to see his hero Morrissey. On Wednesday
20th February there is Drip, a one man musical comedy about a 15
year old synchronised swimmer who can’t swim. On Thursday 28th
February there is Joan, a drag king’s homage to the men she defies. Finally,
for those feeling brave, there is a dance workshop on Friday 22nd
February for those who want to learn to walk or dance in heels. Or maybe just
take a class for the hell of it!
Full details of Curve’s DMU Pride events can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yb4lm4x3 or via the
Curve website
The entire schedule of all events for DMU Pride can be found
at https://tinyurl.com/ybh4n4v7
First published on Western Gazette
First published on Western Gazette
