Q Scene: Quick Read Reviews and Double Bill Recommendations

CHANGING ENDS (2023) ITV X

Growing up gay in 1980s Northampton is no bed of roses for the young Alan Carr, but it carries extra complexity due to his dad being the manager of the Cobblers (Northampton Town Football Club). Written by Alan Carr and Two Doors Down’s Simon Carlyle, Changing Ends is a delightful exploration of Carr’s early life, from his first day at secondary school to his love of drama and early comedic talent. To say Alan doesn’t quite fit in would be an understatement. His passion for The Golden Girls, dislike of football, oversized glasses, gappy teeth, squeaky voice, and penchant for performance make him unique in suburban Northampton life. Luckily his mum, Christine (Nancy Sullivan), is full of love and support, no matter her son’s differences. At the same time, his football manager dad, Graham (Shaun Dooley), is utterly confused by his son’s behaviour as he struggles with a football club at the bottom of the fourth division and a ground falling apart at the seams. 

As a gay kid who grew up just down the road from Alan in Bedford, Changing Ends perfectly captures the joy, fear and humour of its time. From the gut-wrenching fear of the communal school showers to the flamboyant drama teachers now sadly absent from many schools and the “boys must love sports” mentality of so many 80s dads, uncles and teachers. Carr and Carlyle’s comedy is like a time machine as you are transported back to the analogue charm and darker social exclusion of late 80s Britain.

At the heart of this joyous and tender coming-of-age comedy is the young Oliver Savell, who perfectly captures Carr’s camp, theatrical and cutting humour through a performance that is as near to perfection as you can get. The result is a hilarious and heartwarming semi-autobiographical comedy that shines through its performances, wit and endless charm. 

Watch now on ITV X

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (2008-09) BBC

From late 80s Northampton in Changing Ends, we travel to Reading in 1997, and a Britain on the verge of change as Tony Blair swept to victory in Jonathan Harvey’s superb sitcom Beautiful People. Here we meet Simon (Luke Ward-Wilkinson), his best friend Kylie (Layton Williams) and the Doonan family led by his mum Debbie (Olivia Colman) and his dad Andy (Aiden McArdle), oh and the eccentric and blind Auntie Hayley (Meera Syal).

Beautiful People would run for two seasons on BBC Two from 2008-2009 and was loosely based on the bestselling book by Simon Doonan. Full of raucous humour and exquisite performances and writing, Beautiful People would not only wear its ‘Camp as Christmas’ badge with Pride but reflect on a period in British history full of hope and optimism. In 1997, the dark days of Thatcher were behind us, and Blair’s New Labour offered a light that had felt distant just a few years before. This was especially true for LGBTQ+ communities as New Labour committed to equality reforms that would finally end the Conservative bigotry of the past.

Often forgotten in the mists of TV history, Beautiful People was and still is a joyous celebration of difference, family diversity and cultural change that speaks to every closeted gay kid who longs to break free from their small town home and embrace their gay self. Beautiful People is a celebration of social change, a love letter to family and a hilarious coming-of-age and coming-out comedy that deserves far more praise.

Watch season one now on ITV X

LITTLE RICHARD: KING AND QUEEN OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (2023) BBC TWO

Writer-director Craig Boreham’s fascinating ode to the wanderer is wrapped in a physical intimacy rarely captured on film. Boreham would turn to Grindr in casting his film, leading to a raw, unfiltered style of performance that owes much to Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho and John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy.

Casey (Josh Lavery) is a country boy drifting through the big city, arranging a series of hookups for cash. But Casey’s journey from the outback to Sydney is not the story of a rent boy travelling from town to town earning a trade; it’s the tale of a damaged young man escaping his past through sex, his map torn and his destination uncertain as he walks the streets with a bottle of Jack in his hand. On meeting the firey and confident Tib (Daniel Gabriel), during a threesome, Casey finds something new, a man he can connect with physically and emotionally.

In Lonesome, sex flows through the veins of the story, from tender moments of connection to aggressive encounters and steamy group sessions. But at the centre of this carnal flow sits a beating heart full of conversations on trust, healing, self-worth and personal rebirth.

Boreham’s film is about intimacy, both physical and emotional, and as a result, Casey’s journey is rich in texture, imagery, heat and sexual energy. Lonesome won’t appeal to everyone, and some may find it too stilted. But the bravery of the production choices is admirable, and when coupled with stunning cinematography and gentle yet strong performances, Lonesome is another stand-out example of a new wave of LGBTQ+ Aussie filmmaking

OUTED: GEORGE MICHAEL & OUTED STORIES (2023) CHANNEL 4

Ask any gay man about their first experience of gay sex, and many will talk about the excitement, apprehension, fear and doubt of their first encounters. For many gay men of my generation, first meetings were secret and full of risk, often kept hidden from public view. Some of us flirted with the social danger of a local gay cottage or cruising on a wet Saturday afternoon. In contrast, others resorted to clandestine meetings away from any public view. In the years since, gay confidence has grown, but has the risk of cottaging or cruising diminished in the new online world of gay hookups and dating?

Cruising was inherently risky for teenage boys who were only just finding their feet. In secluded areas or rundown toilet blocks in the heart of town, men of all ages hoped they would catch a bite leading to a brief non-verbal acknowledgement and a quick sexual release. These meetings could be scary and abrupt but also full of addictive adrenaline and risk.

The arrival of online gay dating apps such as Grindr marked the beginning of the end for many local gay cottages and cruising grounds, with many arguing the apps freed gay men from their years of hiding. But is this new digital world any safer for young gay men? After all, many of these gay apps are full of blank profiles, faceless pictures and unknown identities.

Samuel Van Grinsven’s Sequin in a Blue Room explores the digital world of teenage gay sex by bravely and boldly examining one young man’s quest for anonymous sex and pleasure.

The result is an urgent and timely coming-of-age film that isn’t afraid to explore various issues facing young gay men as they dip their toes into the online world. Here the vulnerability of our teenage protagonist is cloaked in a youthful shroud of invincibility as he enters a digital Sydney sweetshop full of enticing new tastes.

Read our Neil Bakers interview with Samuel Van Grinsven

LONESOME (2022)

Writer-director Craig Boreham’s fascinating ode to the wanderer is wrapped in a physical intimacy rarely captured on film. Boreham would turn to Grindr in casting his film, leading to a raw, unfiltered style of performance that owes much to Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho and John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy.

Casey (Josh Lavery) is a country boy drifting through the big city, arranging a series of hookups for cash. But Casey’s journey from the outback to Sydney is not the story of a rent boy travelling from town to town earning a trade; it’s the tale of a damaged young man escaping his past through sex, his map torn and his destination uncertain as he walks the streets with a bottle of Jack in his hand. On meeting the firey and confident Tib (Daniel Gabriel), during a threesome, Casey finds something new, a man he can connect with physically and emotionally.

In Lonesome, sex flows through the veins of the story, from tender moments of connection to aggressive encounters and steamy group sessions. But at the centre of this carnal flow sits a beating heart full of conversations on trust, healing, self-worth and personal rebirth.

Boreham’s film is about intimacy, both physical and emotional, and as a result, Casey’s journey is rich in texture, imagery, heat and sexual energy. Lonesome won’t appeal to everyone, and some may find it too stilted. But the bravery of the production choices is admirable, and when coupled with stunning cinematography and gentle yet strong performances, Lonesome is another stand-out example of a new wave of LGBTQ+ Aussie filmmaking

SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM (2019)

Ask any gay man about their first experience of gay sex, and many will talk about the excitement, apprehension, fear and doubt of their first encounters. For many gay men of my generation, first meetings were secret and full of risk, often kept hidden from public view. Some of us flirted with the social danger of a local gay cottage or cruising on a wet Saturday afternoon. In contrast, others resorted to clandestine meetings away from any public view. In the years since, gay confidence has grown, but has the risk of cottaging or cruising diminished in the new online world of gay hookups and dating?

Cruising was inherently risky for teenage boys who were only just finding their feet. In secluded areas or rundown toilet blocks in the heart of town, men of all ages hoped they would catch a bite leading to a brief non-verbal acknowledgement and a quick sexual release. These meetings could be scary and abrupt but also full of addictive adrenaline and risk.

The arrival of online gay dating apps such as Grindr marked the beginning of the end for many local gay cottages and cruising grounds, with many arguing the apps freed gay men from their years of hiding. But is this new digital world any safer for young gay men? After all, many of these gay apps are full of blank profiles, faceless pictures and unknown identities.

Samuel Van Grinsven’s Sequin in a Blue Room explores the digital world of teenage gay sex by bravely and boldly examining one young man’s quest for anonymous sex and pleasure.

The result is an urgent and timely coming-of-age film that isn’t afraid to explore various issues facing young gay men as they dip their toes into the online world. Here the vulnerability of our teenage protagonist is cloaked in a youthful shroud of invincibility as he enters a digital Sydney sweetshop full of enticing new tastes.

Read our Neil Bakers interview with Samuel Van Grinsven