Lip Service v The L Word

Have you ever stopped to wonder what made The L Word such a massive success? Obviously it helps if you have a cast of gorgeous women, great story lines, sexy scripts, slick direction and if all the action takes place among the sunshine and glitz of downtown LA. But really, was that what made it so great? I'm not convinced. You see, for me, the thing I really loved about The L Word, was the cool group of women at its heart, who would hang out together at the Planet, drinking coffee, swapping stories, and occasionally falling in and out of love with one another. I really liked them all (with the notable exception of Jenny- who if she hadn't fallen to a watery death at the end, might possibly have met an even less pleasant end at my own crazed hands) and in my mind I had this lovely conceit that if I visited Los Angeles, and happened across The Planet, I could pop inside for a spot of lunch, and I would see them all sitting there: Bette would be on her laptop, Tina feeding the baby, Shane eyeing up the waitresses, and Alice would be recounting another crazy anecdote to a rapt audience. The lovely Helena would be paying the bill, of course. By some strange twist of fate, I would stumble into their company and they would recognise that I totally belonged there and before you could say fantasy island I would be their new best friend. I think that's why the show worked so well; because every single woman watching it felt the characters might be their friends. Then the terrible day dawned when the show ended, and the entire lesbian world went into mourning (not for Jenny, clearly) and there followed a long winter of discontent... Until eventually, spring appeared over the horizon and the BBC called it Lip Service.
But I have to be honest, that first series, fell short of the mark for me. (I'm sorry- I know I'll probably be lynched for saying this!) At times, it just felt as if the beeb were trying too hard to recreate The L Word in Glasgow- Frankie was a less cool version of Shane, Tess was our answer to Alice, Cat was a little bit too much like Bette etc etc. I realise my theory breaks down a little over Jenny, because Lip Service had no Jenny, but I can only say, thank f*** for that! Anyway, although the first series had some very definite high points, I still felt it was missing the mark. Whilst I have to confess to watching every single episode (some of them twice...Okay, okay... I watched one episode 5 times) I still always thought it could be better and I never felt that affinity with the characters that I did with the cast of L Word.

And then came series 2...

I know I've been saying this every week, so apologies for being boring and repetitive, but the new series of Lip Service just gets better and better.
In Friday's episode we saw Sam reluctantly agreeing to accompany the gorgeous Lexi to a wine tasting and boy the chemistry between those two positively sizzled!
Tess meanwhile, chaperoned Ed on a blind double-date with his new bitch-from-hell girlfriend, and a woman who turned out to be, shall we say, less than alluring. Sadie caused much chaos and hilarity as a cheeseboard waitress and later inadvertently stumbled into her secret lover's wife, who ended up offering her a job, and then finally, shock horror, Cat's possessions were released into Sam's care, and she pieced it all together. (Oh yes, and Lexi now has a stalker; a new and interesting storyline which I'm hoping will result in Sergeant Sam leaping to her rescue very, very soon.) So with Sam in complete meltdown, and Lexi all flustered over her stalker and  the growing attraction she feels for Sam, the episode reached a pretty hot climax, when Sam turned up at the house and made a desperate move on Lexi- only to be knocked back- which lets be honest girls, can't have been very easy for her.

As the credits rolled, and I sat there slightly stunned, I suddenly realised why Lip Service was now working for me at a whole different level. Yes, the story lines are great, the scripts are much better and, in actual fact, I think the quality of acting is at time astonishing, but it's not just that! The show is starting to capture some of that magic I was talking about earlier and all at once I really care about these characters. They feel real somehow, and I can actually imagine them in their time and place- a cool group of women, whose lives intersect by various twists of fate. The drama is electrifying and the interaction between the characters riveting and occasionally heartbreaking- but more importantly, I think they are starting to really connect with the audience. It's interesting, because it suddenly feels a lot more like the L Word, whilst in actual fact, it is developing it's own special identity. It's turning out to be a programme of substance and quality, the standard the BBC is famed for throughout the whole world and that makes me proud to be British... and a lesbian.

Interview with Indie writer, Rosen Trevithick

Best selling indie author, Rosen Trevithick, talks to me about her latest collection Seesaw, her influences and ambitions, and multi-coloured teapots. 

Rosen Trevithick is one of a new breed of author; talented novelists who have turned away from the big publishers and struck out on their own.  A proud indie writer, Rosen is passionate about her work and has achieved some remarkable early success; publishing her own work and hitting the top spot in the Amazon rankings numerous times.

Rosen has so far written two novels and a selection of short stories, which she has recently brought together in a brilliant collection, Seesaw.

A Cornish writer, now living in Devon, Rosen’s life ambitions are to write a worldwide bestseller, own a rainbow-coloured teapot and have her own cat. She claims to have achieved two of these.

Rosen, Your new collection of short stories Seesaw is doing very well in the UK charts right now. Tell us a bit about it?

Originally, I wrote a couple of novels, such as the bisexual comedy romance, Straight Out of University. I wrote a series of short stories to grab the interest of new readers. However, the short stories ended up popular in their own right, so I put them together in a collection, called Seesaw.

Did you always want to be an author?

Yes, I think I did. There were brief interludes during which I was momentarily distracted by dreams of being a Radio Cornwall presenter or a forensic psychologist, but my heart always ended up heading back to writing.

Who or what has been the greatest influences on your writing?

Roald Dahl was my favourite author as a child. He taught me how much fun books can be. Aside from that, I would say I'm more influenced by experiences than other writers. When interesting things happen, I feel a strong desire to make them into stories.

How would you characterise your work?

My work varies a lot. I've written some serious psychological fiction, but I feel most comfortable when I'm writing comedy. I'm quite an opinionated person and there's often a political undercurrent, for example raising awareness about bisexuality, challenging our perception of what is an acceptable form of love, or de-stigmatising mental illness.

Which piece of writing are you the most proud of and why?

I'm proud of different pieces for different reasons. Perhaps London, the Doggy and Me is the funniest, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Footprints because it was my first novel, and then there's Seesaw, which is my only paperback. There's something about holding your own paperback in your hands, which is hard to rival.

What kind of books do you like to read?

At the moment I'm reading books by other indie writers. I've read a few books with a lesbian theme such as A Hole in the World and The Lost Resort. I'm also reading highly recommended Kindle books from a variety of genres, such as those by Steve Robinson, Shaun Jeffrey and David Wailing.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I'm currently writing a humorous mystery novel about a group of indie writers who go to a writers' retreat and afterwards, find that the plots of their stories start to come true. It will be available later this summer.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers hoping to get published?

I'd take the focus off getting published and empower them to put themselves out there as an indie. The market is changing. You don't need a publisher to get your work read these days. Aspiring writers should focus on getting at least one idea down on paper, and once they're happy with it, try sharing it with friends. If they like it, why not self-publish an eBook? It's not an all or nothing publishing world anymore.

What do you think are the greatest challenges facing a writer today?

Getting noticed is the hardest part. There are so many books out there, that even if your writing is superb, unless you do an awful amount of promotion and have a great amount of luck, people might not even notice that your book is there.

It's also very difficult to earn a living from writing. Authors usually get a very small cut from a paperback sale, and eBooks tend to be so cheap that even a writer selling ten thousand copies a year, might not be earning equivalent of the minimum wage.

What is it that really motivates you as a writer?

I just really love writing. Getting feedback from other people is motivating, but I was writing long before I was sharing.

Rosen’s published works are listed on her website http://rosentrevithick.co.uk/

Lip Service Episode 3- An Acting Masterclass from Heather Peace

Yet again, the producers of the new Lip Service have forced me to eat my words and I'm now feeling very humble over my initial misgivings about this show.

This week's episode featured another acting masterclass from Heather Peace, who stole the show with her sensitive portrayal of a woman who won't allow herself to grieve and who is suddenly plagued by doubts, flashbacks and panic attacks. Peace's affecting, believable performances have been the highlight of the series so far and I'm delighted that she has been given more quality material to showcase her prodigious talent.
It was quite a surprise to say farewell to Frankie so early on, and I couldn't help but wonder if the production team are trying to inject  some life into the second series, by moving on one or two familiar characters in order to make way for the new new and potentially more interesting ones. I suppose not everyone will approve of Glasgow's answer to Shane hopping on a plane back to the Big Apple, but I suspect it's a positive move for the show, particularly when we have new, interesting characters to enjoy and when characters like Sadie and Sam are getting more of the limelight.  Lexi, in particular,  is a fresh and rather exciting introduction (is it just me or is that girl totally gorgeous?) and I do love Sadie's survival instinct and her insatiable appetite for hedonism. (Strawberry Jam? Interesting.)

I'm slightly worried where they are taking Tess's story and have to confess to finding the scenes with her dreadful thespian colleagues quite interminable. Obviously Ed is going to shag the bitch-from-hell, who is clearly only after his money (no offence Ed) and I suppose that could lead to a bit of drama- but beyond that, I'm not convinced that strand of the series is working at all and it seems a shame for Fiona Button- because she too is an awesome talent who currently isn't getting the right material to play with. Having said that, she definitely had the best line of the episode on Friday when she noted, "I must have missed the memo about last night's house shagathon." Brilliant!
Anyway, the burgeoning romance between Sam and Lexi is heating up and I for one can't wait for the shit to hit the fan when Cat's phone finally turns up. (What happened to that anyway?) Other questions worth pondering are: Where is the silver bracelet? Will Sam ever be able to get over Cat's death sufficiently to bed the gorgeous doctor? (because if not.. er ...I'll just leave it at that I think)...  Will Tess be arrested for receiving stolen goods? and why did Sadie's yoghurt change flavour between the kitchen and the front door? ( I know! I know! It's sad that I notice that stuff.)

Flippancy aside, I'm really looking forward to episode 4 of a series that seems to be going from strength to strength.

Go girls!

Albert Nobbs- A Gentle, Touching Drama

Glenn Close first played the title role of Albert Nobbs in an off-Broadway adaptation of the George Moore novella almost thirty years ago and has been trying to bring it to the screen ever since. This is a gentle, touching film, set against the harsh backdrop of 19^th century Dublin, and follows the story of Albert Nobbs, a woman who has been posing as a man for many years, to escape from abuse and abandonment and ultimately find employment in a male-dominated world.

When we first encounter Albert he is working as a waiter in Morrison’s, not the supermarket, but actually a small Dublin hotel, frequented by a company of upper-class misfits and outsiders, all of whom we gradually learn are hiding behind one deceit or another. The hotel staff are equally mired in a world of deception, whether it be secret drinking, sexual deviance or well-hidden illiteracy. Albert’s deceit is of course his true gender, and he believes he is alone in the lie, until he happens across Hubert, another woman posing as a man, who, whilst employed to decorate the hotel, inadvertently discovers Albert’s secret and quickly reveals that she too is a woman. Albert, whose life until that point had been unrelentingly miserable, is revitalized and sets about finding out all about Hubert and the happy life he has built with his “wife”, Kathleen. For many years Albert has been saving his tips; counting them night after night and hiding them under the floorboards and he is suddenly seized by the notion that he might leave the hotel and open up a small tobacconist, perhaps with a wife by his side. So begins his courtship of Helen, an attractive young maid, also employed at Morrisons. But she is in love with another and her motives toward Albert are not entirely honourable. As the story unfolds, and Albert’s vulnerability to the girl becomes increasingly pervasive, the audience is slowly drawn towards a nail-biting climax, which at times can be difficult to watch.

Albert Nobbs is an affecting, attractive film that sensitively explores the issues of isolation, abuse, sexuality and deception, whilst also considering the circumstances and interactions that ultimate shape and influence character.

Glenn Close’s performance in the film has been highly praised and even earned her an Oscar nomination, but I have to confess that the highlight for me was the quite astonishing supporting performance from Janet McTeer, as the irrepressible and adorable Hubert. The film lifted each time she stepped onto the screen, and she was utterly compelling as the brash, barrel-chested Dubliner, completely content in his own skin. Close, on the other hand, was singularly less convincing as the timid and inexperienced Albert and, whilst it mustn’t be forgotten that it was principally her efforts that brought this beautiful story to the screen in the first place, I couldn’t help feeling that she was also the film’s biggest issue.  Her vocals generally felt wrong and made me uncomfortable and her portrayal of Albert was at times affected and misplaced, particularly when set against the superb, performances going on all around her. Pauline Collins was also a revelation as the horribly ruthless hotel owner, with ideas well above her station.

I would recommend this film with a worthy 7/10 and a thumbs up. It is refreshingly different and well worth the price of the ticket for McTeer’s performance alone, which I predict will happily linger in your memory for quite some time to come.

Summary - 7/10

Highlight- Janet McTeer as the irrepressible Hubert