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Day: April 23, 2015

PREVIEW: Brighton Festival Fringe: Made in Cumbria by Jane Postlethwaite

Posted on by Contributor

Jane Postlethwaite brings her first ever solo show, Made in Cumbria to the Brighton Fringe where she will introduce you to a selection of dark female characters who will welcome you into their unique world.

Made in Cumbria

MADE in Cumbria is part of the Laughing Horse Free Fringe for the Brighton Fringe 2015.

Jane Postlethwaite is an actor, comedian and writer based in Brighton. Originally from the Lake District, she thinks of herself as an advocate for the North.

Inspired by her roots in The Lakes, she has created a collection of female comedy characters for a fringe show in 2015. Part of her motivation for writing her own characters comes from being fed up with watching southern comedians using a northern accent for a cheap laugh and representing northerners as thick and stupid. She aims to create more original, complex and dark characters.

The characters for Made in Cumbria include Kirsty Bird a falconry expert, Karroll Kavannagh a survival expert who is serious about survival, the first northern female astronaut, a children’s author who is determined to be the next Beatrix Potter, and Bri Frommage a creative director and online life coach.

Event: Made in Cumbria by Jane Postlethwaite

Where: Laughing Horse at The Quadrant, 12 North Street, Brighton

When and Time: May 4, 16, 28 at 7pm and then on May 31 at 5.45pm

Ticket: Free entry

PREVIEW: Brighton Festival Fringe: Pull Your Socks Up, Britain with Lotta Quizeen

Posted on by Contributor

Katie Richardson

“Just leave it all to me. I’m going to sort EVERYTHING out.  Sort out this troubled nation like an unruly sock drawer at half-term…”

AT times of national peril, with all this devolution, UKIP-Lilliputian and Russell Brand-prostitution, what we need are role models with high standards, proper poise, and a healthy respect for good grammar. Thank goodness Lotta Quizeen is here!

While husband Dickie is abroad with work, Lotta’s son Hugo has agreed to help his mother out with her campaign – if only he would hurry back from Prontaprint with the pamphlets!

The empty nest has never seemed emptier for women like Lotta and with so many young women busy with their careers (including her daughter-in-law, Susan), Lotta is ready to step majestically into the breach and bring sensible back to this fair isle!  Today the John Lewis Aga; tomorrow, the World!

“Special highlight of Female Arts Scratch: Revolution with Elocution! I can even fold a fitted sheet now…” Audience member, Bread & Roses Theatre 2014

“Lotta Quizeen has a unique thing going and, well, I’ll never be able to fold a napkin without giggling again.” – Theatre in the Cheap Seats, Battersea Arts Centre 2013

“Amidst the humour, there’s a theme of atrophy, of faltering love, of simply growing old.” – FringeGuru, Brighton Fringe 2012

Lotta Quizeen a.k.a. Katie Richardson returns triumphantly to Brighton Fringe with her unique blend of domestic audience trials, quips on current affairs and ruddy rude British humour.

Lotta’s newest incarnation is the result of a collaboration between female new writing company, The Thelmas, director Madelaine Moore and playwright, Serena Haywood.

The Thelmas are devoted to the promotion and development of female writers and theatre makers. They want to tell stories – stories of women, by women and for women.

Event: Pull Your Socks Up, Britain! with Lotta Quizeen: Performed by Katie Richardson, written by Serena Haywood, directed By Madelaine Moore and produced by The Thelmas.

Where: Otherplace at The Pit, 24 Kensington St, Brighton, BN1 4AJ

When and Time: May 8,9,& 10 at 12.15pm & May 29, 30 & 31 at 4.30pm

Tickets: £9/£7.50 (concs): Running time: approx. 45mins

To book tickets online, click here:

Or telephone box office: 01273 917 586

PREVIEW: Brighton Festival Fringe: The Kilted Tommy

Posted on by Besi

WW1 comes to Brighton!

Kilted Tommy

MEET Harry Kay, the grandfather of the writer/performer. Find out what he did in the war, why he did it, what it meant to him and how it affected him.

Find out why thousands of Englishmen fought in kilts in the war, and what this somewhat unusual battledress (to Englishmen anyway!) meant to them.

With a little help from Shakespeare and Rupert Brooke the story is presented with humour and compassion.

Historical Interpretation has been writing and performing monologues about historical events seen from the eyes of the ordinary person for two years.

They have been performed at events all over UK. This show will go on tour to the Oxford Fringe and the Buxton Fringe, with further performances later in the year, including in Lewes.

For more information about Historical Interpretation, click here:

 

Event: The Kilted Tommy, written and performed by Simon Waterfield of Historical Interpretation

Where: The Old Courtroom, 118 Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UD

When and Time: Thursday, May 14 at 5pm;  Sunday, May 17 at 4pm;  Friday, May 22 at 2pm, and Saturday, May 23 at 2pm

Tickets: Tickets £8 & £6

To book online from Brighton Fringe, click here: OR

To book online from The Old Courtroom, click here:

Kilted Tommy

Wessex Wyverns R.F.C. launch new kit at London Hotel, Southampton

Posted on by Besi

Tight shorts, sweaty men and hard tackles. Sounds like a gay mans dream!

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RUGBY has never had so many LGBT role models including a former Wales, British and Irish Lions captain in Gareth Thomas and a current top line referee in Nigel Owens to name but two.

Then there are people like Ben Cohen, a World Cup winner who tirelessly supports the LGBT+ community.

But whilst inclusive gay teams have popped up all across the world since the Kings Cross Steelers formation, in London in 1995, the south coast has seemed to lag behind.

But that is now a thing of the past!

Wessex Wyverns RFC have arrived, a team based in Southampton currently boasting players from Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and Basingstoke and open to members from all over.

Rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes, one look at Wessex Wyverns RFC and you can see they embody that mantra.

Wessex Wyverns RFC have already proved worthy opponents, winning against some very notable teams, including Kings Cross Steelers, Cardiff Lions and Bristol Bisons. They have quickly built a great reputation of being a great team.

On Sunday May 3, the Wessex Wyverns RFC will launch their new kit at The London Hotel, 2 Terminus Terrace, Southampton. Everyone is welcome to go along and check out the beefcake at around 7.30pm.

For more information, click here:

On Facebook, click here:

Dukes Mound spring clean!

Posted on by Besi

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) has had the go ahead from City Clean to arrange a Dukes Mound spring clean!

Dukes Mound

They are looking for volunteers to give them a helping hand on Saturday, April 25, from 1 – 5:30pm.

Litter pickers, spades and brushes will be provided along with lots of refreshments and snacks to keep everyone going.

If you can help email: ross.boseley@tht.org.uk

Or telephone 01273764208

Lunch Positive Sunday lunch pilot a success

Posted on by Besi

Lunch Positive the HIV lunch club have been running regular monthly Sunday lunches for people with HIV have been running for the last six months, funded by The Rainbow Fund.

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THE Sunday Lunch project has been a pilot over the autumn and winter months to give more opportunities for people with HIV to have social time together, share a meal and benefit from peer-support.

A Lunch Positive volunteer, said: “It’s been great to see faces return that we haven’t seen for a while, be able to spend more time getting to know people and hear how much getting together has helped. It’s also been really enjoyable volunteering in a setting that’s socially intimate and has helped us as a team”.

Gary Pargeter
Gary Pargeter

Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager added: “This pilot has been very successful, with around 20 people on average coming to each Sunday session. It’s been especially useful in helping people get together who are more isolated and those who find coming to the weekly Friday sessions difficult, either because they are working or find larger gatherings too busy. We’ve heard great feedback.  It’s also been very uplifting to see our volunteers excel – they’ve taken on every aspect of putting it together, and have left me with very little needed to do!” 

“The project has generously been supported by a team of volunteers from Metropolitan Community Church with great success, and Lunch Positive has also recruited six new permanent volunteers as a result.”

“Thank you to the Rainbow Fund, MCC, our own volunteers and everyone who has come along – this has been a fantastic six months, and monthly Sunday Lunches will resume in the autumn this year.”

Bright Light Bright Light at Brighton Pride

Posted on by Besi

Adored by Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters and Sir Elton John, critically acclaimed by The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Q, NME and Uncut, Bright Light Bright Light a.k.a. Rod Thomas is an electronic pop artist going places.

Brighton Light Brighton Light

HE will be joining Brighton Pride this summer for a very special Pride Festival Main Stage performance in Preston Park.

Described by the NME as “the boy Robyn in all but name”, Bright Light Bright Light brings dance floor appeal and strong pop sensibilities to play with his uniquely lush cinematic sounds providing your first stop for stomping melodies, lyrics and harmonies, combining them effortlessly to create music that will always charm you.

Be it the dark house beats of Good Luck or the soft-synth and string laden pop of I Wish We Were Leaving, his duet with Elton John, each song has a story to tell. And it’s a story we will hear at the UK’s best Pride event, Brighton Pride 2015.

Bright Light Bright Light takes his artist name from Gremlins, his favourite 80s film, but the only beasts in his performances are his monster tunes. Immerse your self in Bright Light Bright Light’s uplifting dance beats and pop textures and his sparkling, seamless blend of ‘80s synthpop and ‘90s dance beats from his critically acclaimed album Life Is Easy.

Event: Pride Brighton & Hove 2015

Where: Preston Park, Preston Road, Brighton

When: Saturday, August 1

Time: 12noon -10pm

Tickets: Early Birds & £16.00 (first release) Sold out: Advance £18.50 (second release) £21.00. (£25.00 on the day). Joint tickets available for Festival and Village party.

To book tickets online, click here:

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