A Beginner's Guide To A Forty Something Gay Man.

This week I'm chatting to a colleague from my youth. Mr Dominic McChesney. Dominic was at drama school with me and even though we were in the same year, we never had much chance to connect as we were never cast in the same plays or ever in class together. I always respected his work at school and thought it was a shame we didn't get to work together. Until now! We have crossed paths a couple of times since leaving, once whilst I was working on show at the Brighton Fringe in 2002 and then again the week before last at an audition for the same role! We also discuss the preconceptions we had of each others 'Gay confidence' and how wrong those preconceptions can be. We discuss coming out to yourself, being an actor of our age and how that plays out as gay man as well. We chat around his love of Musical Theatre and Gilbert and Sullivan. Dominic has a real vigour for grabbing life and staying true to himself and I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to a warm, funny and witty gentleman tell me all about the stuf

After huge technical issues with the last podcast recording relating to the 20 year memorial of the Soho Nail bombing - and we intend to release this podcast once it's been re-recorded - we are off on the Palaces Of Pride trail again. This time we are in my spiritual home of San Francisco. I take you through The Castro and the surrounding area. Talking about my personal connections to the area and the history of some of the residents of the the past and present day. From Harvey Milk to Armistead Maupin to Peaches Christ. The history and atmosphere of this vibrant area are rich and its legacy is forever imprinted upon my psyche. It's also the place where I went on my first date with my husband! I hope this may inform anyone who is planning to go and visit this glorious city on places of interest but also give a Brits perspective on some more 'Palaces Of Pride'. https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/40somethinggay

After having a brief hiatus, I'm back with the wonderful Asifa Lahore. Lovely listeners, you are in for a treat this week. You couldn't meet a warmer and more lovely human than Asifa. What a pleasure to chat to. Over a cup of Yorkshire tea she shares her amazing journey. Via Pakistan and the Hijra that she admired so much when she was young, to Brixton and her initial steps into the LGBT world as a young gay man to the proud Trans woman she is today. Her story is super inspirational and brave. She came to the nations attention in 2014 after being censored from discussing Islam and the LGBT community on BBC Free Speech. Leading to appearances on C4 news and eventually appearing on the BBC to discuss the topic. The following year she appeared in Channel 4's 'Muslim Drag Queens' which lead to receiving the 'Attitude Magazine Pride Award' Her journey includes Eurovision entries and the Brits School along the way and she talks about her first steps as a performer and love of the Spice Girls. Along side being

This week is the first in an ongoing sporadic series I'm calling 'Palaces of Pride'. Throughout the year I will be dropping these episodes in between my chats with other humans. They'll be about places across the UK and the rest of the Globe that have been part of our history and possibly that have moved me to visit. I'll talk on a personal level as well as chatting through the history of each 'Palace of Pride'. I'm starting at the 'Stonewall Inn', a place I visited in 2015 and felt very moved by. I'll talk about the history of the bar and the riots that kick started the Gay liberation movement as we know it. Pride begins here. Nowhere better to begin the series. I also talk about Greenwich Village and my experiences on Christopher street and the emotions it evoked. As well as the usual recommendations and current affairs thoughts, jump into Episode 55 with Pride in your heart! Don't forget to find me and connect with me at https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ https://twitter.com/40somethinggay https://mattia

Happy New Year! To start the new year, I met up with one of London's most renowned D.J's, and now Podcasters, Neil Prince. What an absolute pleasure it was to sit and talk music and Pop with someone with such an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject. One of London's premier pop DJ's, Neil recently was the opening act for Bananarama on their original line up tour - across the UK and in NYC - and, as part of the night he co-created 'R&She', opened for En Vogue! 'R&She' is a night dedicated to the queens of Hip Hop and and R & B and has been across London and over to NYC aswell. Neil is also has residencies at 'Camp Attack' at London's Heaven nightclub and Sink The Pink to name just a couple. He can also be found playing at festivals across the globe, including 'Mighty Hoopla' here in London in the summer. Neil used to play the pop room at my all time favourite London club 'Popstarz' in the Pop room and we reminisce about those brilliant nights and talk about clubs that have since come and gone. Of course

This week is a fabulous bumper Xmas special. With the gorgeous cast of Cinderella at the Groundlings Theatre in Portsmouth. You get seven of us. Sharing a sherry and discussing all things Panto, Xmas in general, coming out to family and a lot of ridiculous quick fire questions I threw at the team. We had a lot of fun recording this. Hope you enjoy it much as we did! You can find the gang at: @MissM_Alexandra @Lara_Sas96 @EllaMccready @Tom_Taplin @lisledeslandes @Russ8oy A big thanks to all of you for your continued support as listeners. I sincerely wish you all a very happy Christmas and a brilliant New Year. This is the last one for 2018. See you on the other side.

One of my first episodes coming from deepest, darkest Panto land. There will be a few eps coming out as and when I can get them to you. This week I'm chatting to the Lisle, who is playing 'Buttons' along side me in Cinderella, down in Portsmouth. He's a charming chap, with a great sense of humour and lots of talent. We have an honest and open chat about his coming out and his formative years in Liverpool - which he still calls home. We touch on his school years and how Lisle came out the other side a stronger and more confident gent. We talk about what switched him on to performing and his inspirations, his love of drag and his pop cultural icons - including his massive love of the Spice Girls and what they meant to him as a kid. We also dig deep into some grittier subjects but ultimately this is podcast that will brighten a dark winters day. Enjoy Part 1 of my Christmas/Panto specials!

This week is one of my shorter and sweeter solo Ep's. I'm off to Portsmouth to start Panto, 'Cinderella' as an Ugly Sister. This will be the last Episode from London for this year! There will be episodes coming to you live from Panto land and plenty of Xmas fun. I chat about the preparations for that and what I'm looking forward to. Meanwhile, I do my year round up and chat about my ultimate recommends and 'best of the year' (So far!) Please feel free to share your favourites and recommends with me on Social media too. Keep tuning in for Xmas fun and games and keep subscribing. Don't forget to visit https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/40somethinggay/

This week I had the absolute pleasure to catch up with the actor/Panto king/ queen Mr Robert Pearce - otherwise known as Mama G! Robert and I worked together 13 years ago and I have seen him turn being a 'Dame' into a full time occupation in that time. He now writes, directs, produces and performs in Panto throughout the year. To date, he has performed in 26 Pantomimes in 14 years. A proper aficionado with a passion for the genre, Robert discusses some of his Panto heroes, why and when he was first switched on to the world and how he came to create his own company - 'Petite Pantos'. Currently preparing to make a triumphant return to the Woodville in Gravesend, UK this Christmas, Robert also has dates into 2019 where he'll be sharing his character 'Mama G' with the world. Mama G has already taken him to Prides throughout the UK and even as far as Vancouver Island in Canada. Spreading positivity and joy is the name of the game with this gentleman and I hope you all enjoy our chats as much as I did. You ca

This week is me again as a solo flyer. Apologies for the delay to the regular subscribers. Life has been busy. This week I cover everything from National and International Coming Out day to Soft Cell's final ever gig which had me in tears. Thoughts on Doctor Who and '22nd July' and all the usual recommendations. An update on our travels and how I felt returning to the town I spent my teenage years in. Updates on 'Lili In the Guesthouse Window' and how you might be able to help. Plus all the usual witterings and shenanigans. Very excited for my next few guests ahead and don't forget to check out https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/40somethinggay/

This week I'm chatting to my friends, the effervescent Gregory A Smith and the delightful Stephen Oswald. Greg has written the play 'Lili - In the Guesthouse Window' which he presented to me on my birthday this year with an amazing gift of a role. Best present ever. Greg describes it as a an enduring love story from 1930's Berlin to 1980's Brixton. Sexuality, race, persecution and survival are strong themes throughout the play. Greg and Stephen help me delve deeper into the piece and we look at how we are going about getting a play from page to stage. We discuss what drew Stephen to the project and what really resonated with him about the play. We aim to keep you posted as the project grows and really give you an honest view of our endeavours as they happen. We hope that some of you will get to see the piece down the line and feel connected to our work via these chats. Please feel free to follow the show's twitter at @LiliWindow and Stephen @StephenAOswald and Greg @greggers76 and of course me at @4

This week I had the chance to sit down for a mug of tea with playwright and director Mr Ian McFarlane. Ian has directed, and written two of the Pantomimes that I have appeared in and also 'The Three Musketeers' at the Kenton Theatre in Henley. Ian chats about growing up in Preston, Lancashire and his first steps into Theatre - Initially as an actor and then moving on to writing and directing. We chat through his coming out story and his move from the north of England to 'the big smoke'. We chat on his breakthrough show 'Betwixt' at The Trafalgar Studios and everything he learnt from that experience. Ian chats about his times working with Henry 'the Fonz' Winkler and Russell Grant. He also talks, with great affection, about his friendship with the late Dame Gillian Lynne and how much she supported his work. Fun and fast talking is the name of the game this week. Get the kettle on and join us for a cup of 'Taylors' as we chew the cud on life.

Madonna at 60. This week, in celebration of Madonna's big birthday, I'm taking a deep dive into what has kept me so devoted as a fan. I break down her discography, in tandem with my own life as a gay man and the build up to coming out. From 15 years of age to 50, I have always had her soundtracking my life in one way or another. From the 'Madonna' album, through to 'Bedtime Stories' to 'Rebel Heart' I look at how Madonna has influenced Pop culture, how she has influenced Gay culture and how she has influenced me! Back to guests for the next podcast! Links https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ https://mattiankelly.com/

This week I caught up with author and playwright Dylan Costello. I met Dylan a few years ago in the wonderful world we call theatre and ever since have seen his work blossom and grow. From sell out runs of his last two plays at London's Park Theatre to a very successful memoir of his early years, entitled 'Gay'd in Dagenham' to his current heartbreaking time travelling novel 'The Timeless Father'. His plays 'The Glass Protege' and 'Hello Norma Jean' have both gathered critical acclaim and awards. Each touching on aspects of the Hollywood machine and it's downsides. Dylan is a refreshingly honest and funny gentleman. I think that whatever your background and outlook on the world, you'll enjoy this frank and funny chat. Ladies and Gentlemen - Mr Dylan Costello. Links - https://www.dylan-costello.com https://twitter.com/costelloauthor

This week I'm joined by my friend and colleague, the lovely Mr Ian Hallard. Ian has a vast CV that encompasses everything from two plays at the National Theatre to 'The Boys In The Band' in the West End. Alongside of appearances on 'Doctor Who' as Alan-a Dale and co- writing with his husband on 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' We discuss the joy of being the 'Dame' in Pantomime and some of our shared moments on stage and some of the natural disasters that occurred whilst making that show happen. We discuss his passions for Abba, Kylie and classic pop and what inspired Ian in his formative years. Also touching on Ian's experiences of Pride and what it means to us in 2018. It's a lovely honest and relaxed chat that we recorded in Ian's garden and features guest appearances from a water feature, Ian's hubby and their gorgeous dogs Bunsen and Bob. Links https://twitter.com/IanHallard https://switchboard.lgbt/

This weeks chat is with Mr Patrick Wilde. Patrick is TV, film and theatre writer. He has also worked extensively as a theatre director. His film 'Get Real' is a favourite on the LGBTQ section of Netflix. To list all of Patrick's achievements would take up pages of notes but just a sample they include - the cult hit TV show 'This Life', 'Eastenders', 'As If', 'Casualty', 'Monarch Of The Glen'. He also worked with Tim Rice on a London revival of 'Blondel' and, amongst other plays directed my second play 'Lightning Strikes' at the Dublin Gay Theatre festival. We talk about his life and work in London and how it all began. We talk about the politics that inspired his writing and how different London was pre the abolition of Clause 28. Ladies and gentlemen - jump in and enjoy!

To celebrate the oncoming Pride season around the world I chat with Tony about some of his favourite things about his early trips to Prides. What does it mean to us in 2018? Where did we celebrate and what do we feel about some of the changes that have occurred since the 90's. We chat about his first excursions into London and Soho. The favourite places we celebrated in and the places that have come and gone along the way. A lot of London reminiscence. As an extra, I ask Tony to talk through his thoughts on this season of RuPaul's Drag Race too. Generally it's a genuine catch up with a friend as we put the world to rights. A bit of fun we hope. The usual recommendations and news are at the top as usual. Links - 40somethinggay.co.uk www.facebook.com/40somethinggay

Flying Solo again this week. Chatting about the ever growing community of Twitter Trolls out there. How that even after a a celebrity has marched off this mortal coil or is in a state of despair, some of these people continue to harass and threaten. I talk about how Eurovision is panning out this year and share my favourite entry. Also, on a musical tip, I chat through my renewed love of all things Jamiroquai and Mr Jay Kay. Having a big trip down a musical memory lane. The usual recommendations and news of shows ahead! https://40somethinggay.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/40somethinggay/

This week I'm chatting to the charming Mr Paul Norcross-King. Episode 40 and we are coming to you live(ish)from the garden of my local pub! Paul is a talented Tenor who specialises in Early and Contemporary Opera, Oratorio, Musical Theatre, Operetta, Lieder, Melodies, Art Songs, and Swing Jazz. Paul is also a talented Actor/Musician and is a multi -instrumentalist. We talk about Paul's experiences of being a young gay boy in Kent in the 70's and 80's. The local influence of the 'Rolling Stones' on his area and how different his schooling experience was to mine. Paul talks candidly about being bullied and how his career trajectory took him from school to the city to touring the USA as one of 'Ireland's Three Tenors' . Our chat is very relaxed, fuelled by wine and beer, and is as you would find us in conversation on a Wednesday evening in April! Open a wine and join in. Links to Paul - http://paulnorcross-king.com/pjnk/Welcome.html https://encoremusicians.com/Paul-Norcross-King?tab=3 twitter.com/pjnorcro

Episode 39. After a bit of an hiatus I'm back! Normal service is resumed. This week it's a long distance phone chat so if there are moments of delay then blame the miles! This week it's the turn of the marvellous Matt Baume of The Sewers Of Paris podcast. I'm an avid listener to Matt's show and(once you've listened to mine)I recommend you head over there and subscribe. Matt is pretty prolific in his endeavours. He has also written for 'Rolling Stone', 'Vice Magazine' and 'The Advocate' to name but a few. He is also author of the book 'Defining Marriage' - which is now a podcast aswell! In May he launches yet another podcast entitled 'Queens Of Adventure' which is based on his live show 'Dungeons and Drag Queens'. This is also leading Matt to RuPaul's Dragcon where he will host a special of the show there. Matt is a witty and charming individual who I really enjoyed chatting to. I turn Matt's big question to his guests - 'What was the entertainment that changed your life?' - on him and got some great answ