#richard haughton

[angelfirewalker]

I NEVER liked the word 'Nice' either...

“Nice is a four letter word?”...... it's such an insipid word... so bland, dull and twee! I have always been insulted when called it myself. I get why he responded this way.... he's a demon.... can you imagine how insulted he felt... if I a mere human feels insulted by the word Nice!

I made this move once, not quite so violently though. I pushed Adam Ant against the wall when he was getting panicky before going onstage for his first/ opening night of the Joe Orton play of Funeral Games 1996. I totally understood why, because I got stagefright the night The Lindsay Kemp Company's Cinderella opened at Sadlers Wells the year before .I had toured Italy and Spain no stage fright... but London and knowing Adam and other friends were out there...arrghh! Adam suddenly lost the plot, and said he couldn't go onstage, and the easiest thing to do was hold him in place against a wall, and talk him down. It worked, after he had done the quick change after his first scene , he turned around and gave me a kiss, then saying Thank you. I guess both he and I would be accused of inappropriate behaviour these days... I liked my kiss from him... and he was happy to get onstage... can you imagine if he hadn't gone onstage...?

Good Omens always feels like it was in my head all along..... as it activates so many thoughts and memories....

Makes me wonder what Good Omens 3 will trigger in my memory bank?

Funeral Games The Drill Hall, London 1996.

Not my programme, I never was one for collecting autographs in my career in Theatre.

I also got to work with Sylvester McCoy, my 2nd version of The Doctor...( the first was Colin Baker when he played Captain Hook.) 1989/90 at Brighton Dome.

B/W...Me and Lindsay Kemp in Cinderella. Photo by Barbara Spegne. Italy. 1994

Colour photo ....Kinny Gardner and me, up my stairs. Sadlers Wells dress rehearsal. Photo Richard Haughton.

Everyone went onstage in the Kemp company, my main job was Associate Designer and Costume Supervisor.

Still can not believe I was part of the same theatrical company David Bowie was once part of... but Lindsay Kemp broadened his interests, as he did with anyone who became part of the company. Bowie often said Lindsay was the reason he started it all.

The Lindsay Kemp Company was a very gay/queer company. The majority of the performers were . A few of us were straight. The company was around before it was even legal to be gay in the UK... which it was from 1967. Many of the themes were about fluid genders. The show Flowers was based on Jean Genet's book Our Lady of the Flowers. JG was in and out of prison for being gay.

Happy World Theatre Day!

[dioraddictrunway]

The choreographer and dancer Michael Clark in 1986. Photographed by Richard Haughton

[kiki-de-la-petite-flaque]

Siouxsie by Richard Haughton

[data-reel]

Legend of the Seeker - S1xE2 - (Destiny) ~ Original Air Date: November 1, 2008

[milksockets]

'michael clark dances in body map, shot by richard haughton' in the fashion book - phaidon (2020)

[robertfripp]

photo by richard haughton

[20th-century-railroading]

F-4 class 2-10-2 No. 3712 leads a freight across the Great Salt Lake on the Lucin Cutoff west of Ogden, Utah, in the 1940s. The line was part of the famed Overland Route where through Southern Pacific freight trains operated in conjunction with Union Pacific. Richard Haughton photo

[8dpromo]

Kohib - Find You (Beatservice Records)

8DPromo · Kohib - Find You (Beatservice Records)

A key figure in Tromsø's club scene since the late nighties, Øivind Andersen Sjøvoll, returns to Beatservice Records under his Kohib moniker for a deep, hypnotizing house cut, "Find You." Having released on Beatservice Records for nearly 20 years and putting out productions on labels such as Paper and Sprechen, Kohib's stature as a world-class producer, DJ, and club promoter speaks for itself. Get ready to be entranced by "Find You," Kohib's latest single. It's a musical journey that commences with a powerful, industrial bassline, punctuated by crunchy drum machine hits and echoing claps. Karoline Stensland's captivating vocal refrains further draw in the listener, creating a mantra that locks one into a spiraling groove as offbeat synth stabs and subtle strings bounce around the mind. It's a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Mesmeric and driving, every element is perfectly placed to resonate through the body and soul. This is machine music fused with feeling.

DJ Sabo (Sol Selectas) – “Damn this is fire. Proper groovy bass and luscious vocals. Love it.” Richard Hardcastle (All Out War Radio Show) – “Chicago vibes via Tromso – large!” Lee Jones (Country Gents / Buslife) – “This is really really good. Thanks loads.” Duserock (Finely Tuned) – “Love it! I will absolutely play it.” Simon Kirk (Proton Radio) – “Awesome … what a tune!” Yogi Haughton (DJ Mag reviewer) – “Oooof! Great vocal part and that bottom end. Love dis.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.

[americanahighways]

Interview: Loreena McKennitt Focuses on Community For “The Road Back Home”

Interview: Loreena McKennitt Focuses on Community For “The Road Back Home” @LoreenaMcKennitt @hannahmenzies @americanahighways #americanamusic #newmusic2024

Loreena McKennitt photo by Richard Haughton  Loreena McKennitt Focuses on Community For “The Road Back Home” The Road Back Home is a live album released by multi-platinum selling and Juno Award-winning Celtic and Folk artist Loreena McKennitt that arrived on March 8th, 2024. It follows 2022’s seasonal live album, Under a Winter’s Moon, and was recorded at four folk festivals in Southern Ontario…

[the-gasstation]

Richard Haughton Photographs

[mosssik]

Everything But The Girl

Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt

1. Hull. 1983. credit: Robert Cheesmond

2. London. 1985. credit: Richard Haughton

3. Clerkenwell, London. 1988. credit: Richard Haughton

4. London. 1989. credit: Richard Haughton

5. New York. 1995. credit: Marcelo Krasilcic

6. London. 1996. credit: Juergen Teller

7. New York. 1995. credit: Marcelo Krasilcic

[angelfirewalker]

Strange not to be writing about my favourite Demon Crowley, I have mentioned so....(any excuse for a pic..)

but I wanted to share some Queer Theatre History with you.

On Sunday, I had a text from Sandy Powell (the Oscar winning costume designer) who I know as both our roots in Costume come from being part of The Lindsay Kemp Company, though at different times. She wanted to know if I had any videos available for a certain scene in the Kemp Company's Flowers. Flowers is a stage production based on Jean Genet's book , Our Lady of the Flowers. Her text made me have the urge to watch the show once more....and then, as it is PriDEMONth , I thought that I would write a little more about queer/ gay theatre history... especially Flowers.

Sandy and Lindsay over the years.

Jean Genet's Book.. Our Lady of the Flowers, it's worth reading the synopsis of the basic story.

It is the story of Divine, a trans woman whom Lindsay Kemp portrays in the theatre show by his company. Darling and Our Lady

Lindsay as Divine, Neil Caplan as Darling, Atilio Lopez as Our Lady.

Lindsay Kemp Company Facebook page is an archive of the company history....please come visit.

https://www.facebook.com/TheLindsayKempCo

The Lindsay Kemp Company is basically what I would call the essence of pure theatre.... a mix of comedia del 'arte, mime, dance, musical theatre, Cocteau, kabuki, butoh and acting. It really is very hard to define. Before I joined the company, I saw many shows live in the theatre, many adored the companies' work. Others got up and walked out. Homosexuality and gender fluidity upset them. But others loved it all, David Bowie and Kate Bush specifically also Holly Johnson (FGTH), Marc Almond etc.

Lindsay took from so many influences.... as Oscar Wilde said... Talent borrows.. Genius steals. Lindsay was a thief. He never hid his sources.... Flowers, although loosely based on Genet's book, and set in 1930s Paris, it also has a hint of the film Cabaret in the nightclub scenes.

The opening scene of the Kemp Company's Flowers was 5 men in jail wanking. Some of them were not acting...just saying lol.

Photos of opening scene of Flowers .

Top 2 photos of François Testory, and bottom left of Neil Caplan by photographer Anno Wilms. Bottom right photo of Christian Michealsen by Richard Haughton.

Sadly, the quality of all videos I am posting are from 1982, or the b/w 1976 filming from Australia.....so they are very grainy at times and the sound can disappear.

The music for Flowers has many famous tunes, along with live percussion by the most wonderful Japanese Musician Joji Hirota. Also, Jack Birkett, aka The Incredible Orlando, was actually Blind... He plays Mimosa, Divine's friend, the black bird in Cabaret scene, and the person murdered by Our Lady.

In this film /documentary about Lindsay there is a very early version of Flowers performed in a graveyard in Scotland.

The next few video links are photos from Flowers that various photographers have uploaded.

I just wanted to share some theatrical queer history this PriDEMONth. The Lindsay Kemp Company was formed before it was legal to be gay in the UK ,so even in the 70s and 80s things were still proclaimed as shocking. Then Aids hit, and very sadly, we lost 5 wonderful creative souls to the dreadful disease.

Neil Caplan from the UK in 1994. Centre.

Micheal Matou from Australia in 1987. TR.

Neil Cunningham from the UK in 1987.BR.

Atilio Lopez from Brazil in 1990.TL

Javier Sanz from Spain in 1994.BL

So during this Pride Month... please remember the Queer creatives that walked the path before you.... No matter how hard it feels today, it is a little easier than it was for them. Some went to Hell and back many, many times.

The finale of Flowers....

I hope the young queer community enjoy this blog and videos, and for the old ones who saw the shows... Happy memories.

[abstrakshun]

Richard Haughton (English, b.1980)

more here

[guy60660]

Claridge’s | © Richard Haughton | Financial Times

[fuskida]

Leigh Bowery “I am Curious Orange" photography by Richard Haughton

[rolloroberson]

Paul McCartney 1997 Flaming Pie sessions.

Richard Haughton Photography