journalism
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Sketch Off Edinburgh Preview, Edinburgh Branch Theatre, London
Note: this review first appeared in the Morning Star newspaper… As July collapses into August, all the weirdos migrate north. Trains, planes, and automobiles filled with more clowns than seems possible – honk honk! – are en route to Edinburgh for the Fringe. Some of these clowns are tired already. Every year, working class performers Read more
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An interview with comedian Camilla Borges
I did an interview with the excellent Camilla Borges in my Indie Brighton newsletter ahead of her show at Fringe this weekend. Reposting it here for posterity! Hi there! Who are you, and why are you coming to Brighton? Hello! I am Camilla, I am a comedian and clown bringing my show, Be Not Afraid!, to Read more
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REVIEW: Proud of Yourself Comedy – The Colonel Fawcett, Camden
Stand-up comedy is in a funny place. The most successful proponents are fairly trad, liberal acts, many not wanting to upset the political apple cart lest they get banned from Live At The Apollo. There is also a whole new roster of extreme right wing comedians grifting and griping about being “cancelled” while punching down Read more
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REVIEW: Brighton Fringe – Alex Franklin: Gurl Code
Everything is everywhere all at once in Alex Franklin’s brain, an ADHD explosion of infinite possibility in which no logical cul-de-sac can be left unexplored. A British, half-Chinese and trans stand-up comedian, Franklin has put together a beautiful, proud, intersectional hour. It bounces around ideas about family, identity, and belonging, and hangs off a subtle Read more
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REVIEW: Brighton Fringe – Dian Cathal: Trans*Atlantic
So who do you hate more then, Americans or trans people? Actor, writer and stand-up Dian Cathal fits into both categories, you see, and it would be helpful for him to know which aspect of his being you have more of a problem with. Not that he would ever apologise for or compromise over either, Read more
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I interviewed Rachel Stamp’s David Ryder Prangley for Indie Brighton
This year I’m trying to do a lot more features and interviews alongside my weekly listings. The plan eventually is to set up a proper website to compliment the newsletter, which means I think I have to think a bit more about how comprehensive I want my guide to be, and how to stick to Read more
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Save the Observer strike
Today I joined the picket line outside King’s Place, home of the Guardian and Observer, amid a two-day strike in protest of the proposed sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media. “It’s fucking embarrassing it’s got to this point in the first place”, says one old feature writer, who greets me like a friend but Read more
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“Authority lies within ourselves”: An interview with “The Popess”’ Elena Mazzon
Another interview for the Brighton newsletter, this time a writer/performer bringing an extremely thought-provoking show to The Yellow Book. It’s so interesting to me that Mazzon’s “in” for this story was Tarot cards! Everyone seems to know the (probably apocryphal) tale of the female Pope – Sergeant Buzfuz certainly did – but this is a Read more
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“I realised, this isn’t me – it’s Leslie”: an interview with Simon Topping
For this week’s “interviewing someone doing something cool in Brighton” [2] section of the Indie Brighton Listings, I interviewed Simon Topping, who runs Extra Topping Comedy. I’ve known Simon a while now, and am a massive fan of both his character comedy and his ability to curate an ever-interesting lineup. I caught up with him in Read more
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