Born into a suburban family, Andrew Logan spent his early years wanting to be a vicar; the idea of taking services and organizing an annual fete proved exceptionally appealing. Eventually he became a sculptor with a talent for self-publicity; his radical designs for the reconstructed roof garden at the old Derry & Toms store in Kensington High Street attracted the attention of the media (even though they were later taken down).In later years, Logan - together with his longtime partner Michael Davis - has become famous as the driving force behind the Alternative Miss World competition, of which there have been twelve since the early Seventies. Dedicated to magnificent costumes, as well as freedom of self-expression, the contest has attracted regular participants, including film director Derek Jarman, actor Jenny Runacre, Logan's adopted sister Janet Slee, as well as various members of Logan's immediate family. Celebrity guests attracted to the event have included Richard O'Brien (of ROCKY HORROR SHOW fame), David Hockney and Fenella Fielding.Jes Benstock's documentary traces the history of the event, intertwined with cinéma-vérité footage charting the organization of the 2009 pageant. With little or no financial resources at their disposal, Logan and Davis mostly rely on gate receipts for survival; on the one occasion they were in severe debt, they had to rely on the generosity of financial angels (like Hockney) to bail them out. Nonetheless they put a lot of time and effort into the event; in collaboration with long-term choreographer Stuart Hopps, they manage to create a pageant that remains in the memory of all those fortunate enough to attend.In sociological terms, THE British GUIDE TO SHOWING OFF tells us a lot about changing fashions in popular culture. In the punk era of the late Seventies, celebrities such as Molly Parkin flourished; many of the costumes bore the stamp of punk fashion, with plenty of black make- up and ornaments made out of household items. A decade later the Alternative Miss World could be seen as a resistance against the notorious Clause 28, a restrictive piece of legislation instituted by the Thatcher government to ban the so-called "positive" promotion of gay issues. Nowadays the Alternative Miss World has become a regular event for those desiring to pursue different lifestyles; in a London notable for the variety of its cultures, it perhaps cannot be described as "alternative" any more.Logan himself comes across as a serious artist dedicated to popularizing his work - not only through the pageant, but through a museum dedicated to displaying his exhibits which has now opened in North Wales. Benstock's film characterizes him as immensely likable, even if he appears to leave most of the organization of the event to his long-suffering partner.

The British Guide to Showing Off is a low budget documentary focusing on Andrew Logan and his Alternative Miss World Contest that has been going since 1972. It is a campy alternative to the more famous and glamorous Miss World and quickly became popular with the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and alternative scene.The 1978 contest which Divine attended was previously filmed and has been shown on television several times. Here we see performance artist Andrew Logan planning the 2009 contest but its really a look back at his life and the previous contest and we see personalities that were on the scene at the time such as Derek Jarman and Leigh Bowery who are no longer with us.Obviously part of the stories and footage would be deemed to be outrageous and avantgarde. The contest is held every few years but its really an interesting take of a scene which came under attack in the 1980s and early 1990s with the then Tory government's anti gay legislation as well as the spread of AIDS.One footnote was that when the official Miss World contest sued, one of the young barrister's hired by Logan to defend him was Tony Blair.

As a film, if we're talking about direction, cinematography, story etc, 'The British Guide to Showing Off' isn't likely to win any awards, but its subject of it is interesting enough that its worth a watch. Andrew Logan takes us on a tour of the history of the Alternative Miss World show, from the heady, druggy haze of 1972's 'Party' theme all the way up to the show he is planning in the film, 2009's 'Elements' theme. The viewer gets to learn about Logan as a person and an artist, we see many of his contemporary sculptures, discover he is the only living artist in the UK with his own museum, and find out how and why he created AMW, a transformative human art show in which anything goes. And AMW is something that needs a documentary to explain it, because it seems that unless you've been there, you might not understand...We hear about the year Divine hosted, the year David Bowie couldn't get in because it was too jam-packed (even though Angie was a judge) and about the year Grayson Perry's naked ex-girlfriend swore at people on stage covered in felt-tip tattoos. We hear tales of drunkenness and debauchery that would curl even the thickest of false eyelashes. Best of all, we see scenes from the show, people preparing, old and new, famous and non-famous, female, male and everything in-between, and whether you'd want art like that on your wall or not, it's stunning. It's a joy to see what people can do when they are challenged creatively, and to watch the living, breathing sculptures, suspended in the air by their hair or surrounded by dancing minions, is to witness both the human imagination and the sense of fun at their highest levels. I'm delighted to say this film inspired me to book tickets for the 2014 AMW show. I can't wait!