Ellen Cheshire

Two theatre visits have been ticked off my bucket list over the past few weeks, and they sit neatly alongside each other, even if they come from very different theatrical worlds: Grace Pervades by David Hare at the Theatre Royal Haymarket (27 June 2026), and Grayson, a new musical about Grayson Perry, seen in a work-in-progress presentation at Soho Theatre Walthamstow (18 July 2026). The coincidence is almost comically neat: both share the initials GP, but they also form an u

Seeing Northern Ballet's production of Gentleman Jack at Sadler's Wells Theatre and visiting Queer Britain, the National LGBTQ+ Museum both went onto the bucket list the moment I heard about them. With the ballet only having a limited run at Sadler’s Wells, I took a day off work and nipped up to London for the Thursday matinee. The two felt like an obvious pairing: matinee in Angel, then a bus down to King’s Cross afterwards. Thematically and geographically connected. The onl

On the bucket list: attending the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 live. I didn't make it to the Grand Final, but in some ways what I did do turned out to be something even more fascinating: the afternoon dress rehearsals for the first and second semi-finals in Vienna in May 2026. Enough of the atmosphere and spectacle to feel part of the event, but also enough distance to see how the whole extraordinary machine actually works. Opening video package from the first Semi Final And

Jamie Patterson, born in 1986 in Brighton, East Sussex, is a British filmmaker whose work is closely tied to his home city. He co-founded the Brighton‑based production company Jump Start Productions and in 2018 wrote and directed Tucked , his first feature film. Tucked is a raw and tender drama about Jackie, an ageing drag queen given six weeks to live, who forms an unexpected bond with a younger queen called Faith. The film explores identity, grief and community, blending h

I’ve always been fascinated by bio-pics, so much so that I wrote a book about them! Seeing Blue Moon (2025, Richard Linklater) at the London Film Festival reminded me exactly why. Opening in the UK this Friday, it is a gorgeous example of how a short window in someone’s life can illuminate an entire world. Richard Linklater’s latest unfolds over a single night in lyricist Lorenz Hart’s life in 1943, at the opening night of his former writing partner Richard Rodgers’ Oklahoma

February is #LGBTHistoryMonth and I am focusing my film watching on LGBTQ films. Check out my diary at letterboxd. After the epic Ben Hur...