2 Dugard Way, London
Fri 28 Aug · 18:30 · £10
ACT UP London and friends invite you to the UK premiere of ARTE’s Jimmy Somerville – Queer Rebel of English Pop (2025), awarded the SACEM Award for Best Documentary 2025. With his 1984 hit “Smalltown Boy”, Jimmy Somerville hit the bigtime and became the voice of the gay movement in Britain, hoping for freedom and equal rights in the face of discrimination. As frontman of Bronski Beat, then The Communards and finally as a solo artist, he became an icon of the 80s without ever denying his identity. With his soaring falsetto and magnetic yet understated stage presence, Jimmy Somerville burst onto the 1980s new wave scene, making the world dance to songs rooted in struggle and resilience. From the harsh realities of Glasgow’s working-class neighbourhoods to the challenges of growing up gay in a hostile world and the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, Somerville transformed pain into anthems of freedom. He became both rebel and diva—the unmistakable voice of a generation fighting for equality. Through intimate stories from those who have stood by him for four decades, this portrait reveals a rare artistic powerhouse who has never wavered in his convictions. The entire night and fantastic line-up is a celebration of music, queer club culture, art and HIV activism. Delicious food will be supplied by The Food Chain (link opens in a new tab), the UK’s only HIV specialist nutrition charity.
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.