Giving Thanks: Jonathan Harvey

Originally posted on www.biggaypictureshow.com

Once again I’m giving thanks to those working behind the scenes in film and television who have helped gay people gain a prominent place on the screen. Last week I looked across the pond at American director and producer Angela Robinson. This week I’m returning to the UK to take a look at one of the best known people who has helped LGBT characters burst into the mainstream – Jonathan Harvey.

Harvey began writing plays in his teens and garnered much success after writing The Cherry Blossom Tree, Mohair, Wildfire and Babies in the late 80s and early 90s. These works also won him several awards, including the George Devine Award. However, it was his 1993 play Beautiful Thing that garnered him huge attention and helped bring a new side of the LGBT community to the public. Unsurprisingly, the play has been staged numerous times since its debut.

Beautiful Thing tells the tale of two teenage boys coming to terms with their sexuality in a beautiful coming of age story. It was turned into an excellent film in 1996, which was very well received and has become a gay flick fave around the world.

Not content with staying in the world of theatre and film, Harvey also moved into television and achieved huge recognition when he wrote the laugh out loud comedy, Gimme Gimme Gimme. The show stars James Dreyfus and Kathy Burke and focuses on two mismatched flatmates in London, both desperately searching for a man. The lead character of Tom was one of the first openly gay (and outspokenly gay) leading characters on British TV. Despite some negative reaction towards the character because of perception about his overt stereotyping, the character was a very important step in television recognition for the gay community.

Since the final episode of Gimme Gimme Gimme premiered during the early 2000s, Harvey has continued working in the television world. He created the TV series Beautiful People, which is based on the memoirs of Simon Doonan and tells the story of him coming to terms with his sexuality in another laugh out loud situation comedy.

He has also worked as a writer since 2004 for one of the most popular soaps on British television, Coronation Street. Since he took the job, we’ve seen the introduction of a number of gay characters such as Shaun Tulley and seen a number of gay storylines like, such as Todd Grimshaw and Sophie Webster realising they were gay. How much input he had in this I don’t know, but I’m sure he lent a helping hand in moulding the story.

So as we can see Jonathan Harvey has been proving since the 1980s that he’s not just a great playwright, script writer and producer, but a triple threat in the world of the arts with successful films, television shows and plays, who has helped get gay people the screen and stage time they rightly deserve.

We Remember: Beautiful Thing

Originally published on www.differentscene.co.uk

Re-wind back to 1996 and the laws were completely different for gay people in the United Kingdom, Section 28 still existed which prevented the ‘promotion’ or ‘teaching’ of homosexuality, meaning the discussion of gay relationships in schools weren’t allowed, and the legal age for gay sex was eighteen year old, two years older than that of straight people.

But amongst all this one film emerged in 1996, Beautiful Thing.

The film, which initially started life as a play back in 1993 focused on the developing relationship between two teenage boys living on a working class estate in South East London, as they both come to terms with the fact that they are gay.

The film truly is magical as it focuses on Jamie and Ste, as they gradually realise that they are both gay and ultimately from what you can see as a viewer, fall in love. The film doesn’t concentrate on copious amounts sex, clubbing or drug taking which would later emerge in hard hitting controversial programmes such as Queer as Folk and Sugar Rush, but is instead a truly beautiful coming of age story for these two boys, which young gay boys can resonate with at some point or another.

Beautiful thing is driven by some brilliant performances, most notably Linda Henry’s (Shirley from Eastenders) performance as Sandra, Jamie’s mother, as she realises her son is gay and as she comically points out “will never have grandchildren.” Here instead of seeing a mother worry or cry over the thought of having a gay son, she truly embraces him, sending out the message to young gay boys all around that it is ok to be gay.

As the film progresses we finally get to the true realisation at the end of the film (which I won’t spoil) between the two boys, and as Mama Cass sings you out, the film and this final scene, truly is a beautiful thing.