The Hidden Review

Stars descended on the 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival at BFI Southbank. They were there for the red carpet. The event was the World Premiere of MADFABULOUS. The director, Celyn Jones, was in attendance. Cast members Callum Scott Howells, Ruby Stokes, Louis Hynes, Tom Rhys Harries, and Clara Paget were also present. Their presence lent glamour and excitement to the evening. Special guests such as Iwan Rheon, Shaznay Lewis, Black Peppa, Michael Gunning and Anaïs Gallagher walked the red carpet. This underlined the film’s buzz within the UK queer culture and entertainment scene. The festival is the largest LGBTQIA+ film festival in Europe. It runs from 18 to 29 March at BFI Southbank in London.

MADFABULOUS: a radical, queer reimagining of a forgotten aristocrat

MADFABULOUS draws inspiration from the extraordinary true story of Henry Paget. He was an unlikely British aristocrat who defied class expectations. He ignored rigid Victorian norms of gender and decorum. He squandered a multimillion-pound fortune before his untimely and heartbreaking death. The film is pitched as a riotous, uncompromising celebration of otherness. It reclaims a historical figure. His flamboyance and queerness were long treated as scandal rather than legacy.

Plot: Henry Paget’s glittering rebellion in 1890s North Wales

Henry Paget, played by Callum Scott Howells, arrives in 1890s North Wales from France. He comes to claim his aristocratic inheritance. He arrives to seize his aristocratic inheritance. His theatrical flair and unapologetic eccentricities send shockwaves through the upper‑class elite. The local townspeople are amused. They are often enchanted by his performances and fashion. However, the aristocracy sees him as a threat to order and tradition. Alongside his spirited cousin Lily (Ruby Stokes), Henry tries to carve out his own identity as the Fifth Marquess. He navigates suffocating social codes and deals with scheming relatives. He faces the long, oppressive shadow of his estranged father. Henry is supported by his loyal butler Gelert (Rupert Everett). In the end, they leave nothing but love – and a very good story.

A landmark LGBTQIA+ premiere at BFI Southbank

MADFABULOUS brings Henry Paget’s life to the forefront at one of Europe’s most important queer film festivals. It positions itself as a bold period piece. It also acts as a vital act of LGBTQIA+ historical reclamation. Its World Premiere at BFI Flare celebrates a singular, madly fabulous life. It also speaks to contemporary conversations on gender expression, class, and chosen family. Furthermore, it highlights the right to live loudly, even against the strictest of norms.

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