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Flamboyance by Jack Parlett arrives as a sprawling memoir‑cultural history that proposes flamboyance as a political weapon and artistic model. The Guardian’s review highlights its ambitious scope—from Oscar Wilde to Lil Nas X—while critiquing its meandering structure and uneven connections.Parlett’s Vision: Flamboyance as a Model for Queer Political EngagementPositions flamboyance against “art for art’s sake” and ties it to historical moments such as Spanish fascism and 1980s UK politics.Blends personal memoir (alcoholism, self‑realisation) with cultural surveys of gay men’s aesthetics.Uses a wide‑ranging reference list: Oscar Wilde, William Morris, Big L, Lil Nas X, Donald Trump.Price Point and Market Positioning of the New Granta ReleaseRetail price: £18.99 (standard paperback).Published by Granta, a respected literary imprint known for niche cultural titles.Target audience: readers of queer studies, cultural history, and literary memoirs.Potential Influence on Queer Literature and Political DiscourseMay encourage other authors to foreground political commitment within queer aesthetic discussions.Provides a reference framework for academics examining the intersection of flamboyance, camp, and activism.Risk of being perceived as overly eclectic could limit its adoption in curricula.Outlook: How Flamboyance Could Shape Future Queer Cultural NarrativesIf embraced, the book could spark a resurgence of “flamboyant” activism in art and media.Its mixed critical reception suggests a modest commercial performance, but niche interest may sustain long‑term relevance.Future editions or companion essays may tighten its arguments, increasing academic uptake.

Christine Baranski, known for her TV roles in The Good Fight and The Gilded Age, is set to make her West End debut in a revival of Noël Coward's comedy Hay Fever. She will star as Judith Bliss, a newly retired actor, alongside Richard E Grant, who will play her novelist husband.Baranski, a two-time Tony award winner for best featured actress in a play, expressed her excitement to “tear a passion to tatters” in the 1925 play about a family toying with their guests at a country house party. The production, directed by Emily Burns, will run at Wyndham’s theatre from 22 September to 12 December.Baranski described the play as a “101-year-old comedy of appalling manners” that requires “quicksilver delivery and suave flamboyance.” She also praised Grant as “whip-smart and wickedly funny.” This production marks a significant return to the theatre for Grant, who has recently appeared in supporting roles in films like The Thursday Murder Club and Nuremberg.The revival of Hay Fever is part of a recent surge in productions of Noël Coward's works, including Fallen Angels and Easy Virtue. Baranski's West End debut is a long-awaited event, with the actress having attended her first West End play in 1971 as a student at Juilliard.