Goodbye to Soho

Author, diarist and playwright Clayton Littlewood talks about his latest book, Goodbye to Soho, and telling X-rated stories for the National Trust app on Soho.

“I had all this material waiting. And I wanted to do justice to all the characters in the first book and say goodbye to them properly.”

Clayton Littlewood at Gay’s The Word, May 3, London

Celebrating the launch of Clayton Littlewood’s new book Goodbye To Soho.

“Downright Dickensian… not simply a good writer but a great writer! – Polari Magazine”

Quentin Crisp

Clayton Littlewood selects Quentin Crisp for Polari Magazine’s list of LGBT Heroes. For UK LGBT History Month 2012.

In this ‘bear age’ of gay male culture that we now seem to be sheltering in, it’s the individuals that choose not to follow the herd, individuals that take a different path that I find the most interesting. And no one took a more different path than St Quentin.

Dirty White Boy: from blog, to book, to stage.

Christopher Bryant talks with the assistant director and the cast of the play Dirty White Boy in the final days of rehearsals. We talk about settings songs to the action, the underwear scenes, and most important of all the great emotion that is at the heart of the work.

“It’s not a gay play,” Clayton insists. “It’s a social play,” Kat confirms “It’s a commentary on a certain time and a certain place.” Now we’ve really hit on something, and everyone becomes more animated as a result.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: David Shenton.

Clayton writes about an exhibition at the Drill Hall by the cartoonist, David Shenton.

I first saw Shenton’s cartoons in the weekly gay newspaper Capital Gay back in the early 80’s. They were funny, thought-provoking, depicting a world of check shirt and leather-clad clones.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: Soft Cell and Lady Gaga

Clayton writes about the joys of Soft Cell and the inspiration of Lady Gaga.

He tells me where the early Soft Cell videos were filmed (around Walkers Court), about recording in Trident (which is just up the road on St Anne’s Court), a studio where Bowie and Bolan once recorded.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: the film The Prophet

Clayton writes about the film The Prophet, and Sebastian Horsley.

But what was also nice were all the bum shots. There were bum shots in A Single Man but they were arty bum shots. Bums drifting in cloudy swimming pools. Bums lingering seductively in bedrooms. In A Prophet they were ‘dangerous’ bum shots.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: on Tom Ford.

Clayton writes about Tom Ford, A Single Man, and Ford sidestepping the issue of homosexuality.

What has been disappointing is that this is now the third interview I’ve read where Ford has tried to distance himself from the film’s homosexuality ‘It’s not a gay movie. Absolutely not,’ he said in one interview.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: on Katy Manning and Dr Who.

Clayton writes about meeting Katy Manning and the magic of Dr Who.

When I was growing up the Daleks were scary. I mean really scary. They were like the Terminators of their day.

Clayton Littlewood’s Soho Stories: Jonathan Kemp.

Clayton writes about cafes, record shops, and Jonathan Kemp, author of London Triptych.

Outside the street is even busier, the crowds more raucous, and we decide to end the night back at the coffee shop, passing dancing Krishnas, drunken businessmen and six blonde girls with pink fluffy headbands and weather-defying minis, their thighs turning pinky-blue with the cold.