The ever-fabulous Dr Sharon Husbands and her partner in crime the chicest of disc-spinners, The Duchess of Pork, celebrated the second birthday of their phenomenally successful nude literary salon ‘Naked Boys Reading’ last week.
By Patrick Cash
Husbands looked virginal and Sapphic in white with hirsute chest, red lips and blonde locks completing the look and the Duchess gave us a golden blend of perfect pop as the vast crowd of East End boys, men and intrigued girls awaited the literature and cock.
First upon the stage was the ‘naked poet’ himself, renowned London performer Ernesto Sarezale, who narrated a short story about hooking up with a gorgeous man who harbours a secret behind his legs. We then saw a successive array of male nudes, with a lovely boy giving us a tale of an ominous feline, James Stanley Thomas getting the room hot under the collar, and the hands down amazing Greg Mitchell keeping everyone spellbound not just with his Prince Albert, but with an excellently constructed self-penned story about his escorting experiences.
It was great also to see David Saxon, an older man, reading out an eloquent extract from E. M. Forster’s Maurice, and by virtue of his nudity proving one other aspect of Naked Boys Reading’s appeal: that it does not bow down to the gay scene’s body fascism, and in fact gloriously eschews it. Every one of their boys reading is attractive in their own way, and some are traditionally ‘gym fitter’ than others, but it’s not a no-carbs, selfie-obsessed environment. They celebrate the male body in all its types, which is refreshing.
Between the readings, the audience were invited to indulge their hedonistic side at the bar, and to venture into photographer Holly Revel’s ‘Dark Room Booth’, hosted by the ever-bitingly sexy Zachariah Fletcher. Several boys emerged the less of clothes from this little project. Husbands took us through the night with acerbic professionalism, before our exemplary last two readers: gorgeous Chris Miller’s paean to balloon fetishism, and the wonderful Ashley Ryder giving us some One Direction fan fiction.
All in all, a brilliant night! Congratulations to Naked Boys Reading and all who sail in her valuable contribution to queer London performance nightlife.
By Patrick Cash
• The Ace Hotel, 100 Shoreditch, High Street, E1 6JQ
Thursday 4th September.
