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PREVIEW: Normal Heights: Brighton Fringe May 8-19

Besi Besemar May 8, 2014

RaucousĀ brother act from USA honours deceased uncle, while promoting inclusion and laughter.

Normal Heights

Normal Heights is the original one-and-a-half-man show that was a five-star audience favorite at the Boulder International Fringe Festival.

Creator/performer Jim Walker and accompanist brother Adam bring the production to UK audiences for 11 shows only ā€“ at the Brighton Fringe Festival (between May 8-19) ā€“ and Londonā€™s Leicester Square Theatre (between May 26-28).

Drawn from the writings of Edward Walker ā€“ a gay man forcibly outed in 1950ā€™s San Diego ā€“ the 50-minute show combines cabaret, memoir and theater to effect keen cultural satire around sexuality, masculinity and the costs of silence.

Original songs with razor-sharp lyrics reveal California suburbs awash in pool play, foreplay, playboys and word play. The lively and hilarious show explores coming of age (and coming to terms) in the land of donā€™t ask-donā€™t tellĀ 

A University of Colorado writing instructor & PhD, Jim was inspired to create the piece upon inheriting his late uncleā€™s journals. He collaborated with Denver Center for the Performing Arts composer Gary Grundei to create the showā€™s Ā original songs.

At a time when battles rage across U.S. staterooms and courtrooms over LGBT rights, the pieceā€™s focus on sexuality and inclusion could not be more apt.

Jim and his musician brother Adam now tour the show in honor of their deceased uncle ā€“ a man of culture and creativity who was himself an actor in 1960ā€™s London. Thus, this UK debut is both homage and a kind of homecoming.

Original songs by Gary Grundei and Jim Walker, directed by Meridith Grundei with musical accompaniment by Adam Walker.

Brighton performances:

What: Normal Heights by Jim Walker

Where: DukeBox Theatre, 3 Waterloo Street, Hove

When: May 8-10 and 12-13 at 8pm

Time: 8pm

Cost: Ā£8 (Ā£6)

Where: Latest Musicbar, 15-17 Manchester Street, Brighton

When: May 17-19

Time: 7pm

Cost: Ā£8 (Ā£7) Ā£10 on the door

To book Brighton performances,Ā CLICK HERE:

Or telephone:Ā 01273 917272

London performances:

What:Ā Normal HeightsĀ by Jim Walker

Where:Ā Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX

When:Ā May 26-28

Time:Ā 9.30pm

Cost:Ā Ā£8 (Ā£7)

To book London performance, CLICK HERE:

Or telephone:Ā 08448 733433

For more information about Normal Heights,Ā CLICK HERE:

 

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