Speed dating in How it works – in a nutshell... • At the event you’ll meet around 20-25 people between the ages 20-35. • You spend 4 minutes chatting to each person before moving on to your next date. • If you’d like to meet up with someone again, mark his or her name down on your dating card. • If you both indicate that you’re interested The Lantern provide you with each other’s contact details within 24 hours. *This event is specifically designed for gay and lesbian people Tickets are £15 per person and are available by visiting www.thelanterntheatre.co.uk alternatively to find out more about the event please call Daniel on 07403631280, or Margaret and Siobhan on 0151 703 0000. The Lantern Theatre, 57 Blundell Street, Liverpool, L1 0AJ
Liverpool’s Lantern Theatre is introducing LGBT Speed Dating to its monthly events. With split opinions on the concept, Paul Culshaw asks is it really any more unusual than responding to a photo on a website? We’ve all had them. Dates we’d care to forget. I could write a book. There was the guy who was lovely but then told me at the age of 24 (at the time) - that he liked younger men - since when was 24 prehistoric? Then there was the guy who broke down in San Carlo over his ex within 20 minutes. Not forgetting the musical theatre director from London where the date went really well, but when it came to me throwing the lips on him on my couch, mid-smooch he asked me to put the DVD of ‘Chicago’ on in the background only to continue to try and smooch with one eye ball firmly fixed on Catherine Zeta-Jones. After a few minutes of this nonsense I asked him about it where he went into an endless speech about his deep-rooted love for the actress. I kid you not. Let’s face it, the dating game is difficult. In a world of Grindr, Facebook, Twitter, Gaydar, Fitlads.net etc not to mention the lively clubs on our relatively small but vibrant scene, dating for a young (ahem ish) gay man or woman and everything in between can be tough. It can all get a little bit confusing and exhausting when one considers as they flick through a catalogue of men on their smartphone or computer trying to find the one that’s right for them. It’s no wonder gay dating in the 21st century is so tough – so much to consider and so many basic judgments made on a person based on a megapixel picture of them falling out of the G Bar. Well the wonderful people at the Lantern Theatre have got a 2012 twist on the dating game. Speed-dating. Yes, I am aware the mere mention of the term will have some people choking on their hummus and cowering into the corner in fearful submission. ‘As if / The shame / I could never do that’.
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