We are right in the middle of preparations for our performance of ‘WARNING: May Contain Nuts’. The title for the event was suggested by Danny and Naveed at the Sunrise mental health Drop-In Centre in Slough, back in 2010. The performances have grown and flourished since then. The comedy angle arrived because we found so much humour in drop-in centres and groups, and because, by chance, World Mental Health Day occurred during the annual Brighton Comedy Festival. The Festival had no idea of this, but could see a good link and was happy to programme ‘WARNING: May Contain Nuts’ in 2010 and again this year.
We are preparing all new material in our weekly Brighton performance group. We’ve had good fun with John Hegley, the performance poet, who is doing songs with the group alongside Lorraine Bowen, ‘the Casio Queen of Brighton’ who’s starting off with the lovely ‘Everybody’s good at doing something, and I’m good at cooking crumble’.
We love Jonathan’s lines ‘Anxiety, Anxiety, Anxiety! This can’t be happening to me! I’m the God of the Galaxy! ‘ and the chorus “He’s the God, He’s the God, Of the Galaxy, But he’s got, but he’s got, Anxiety.’
Not to mention Barbara’s contribution, called Sky:
So, the other day, I’m going home from poetry group and my neighbour comes rushing out of the house. Barbara, she says, Can I borrow 60p for the phone box, my Sky’s gone! So I think Sky? What Sky? Has she gone and named her daughter Sky? And then the penny drops. Oh, she means Sky Television. So I rummage in my purse for change. And after she’s gone I think, 60p for a phone call?
Loads more to come on October 10th at the Pavilion Theatre, now the Dome Studio, where our compere will be Angela Barnes. It sold out last time so book now if you can, hope to see you then. Brightoncomedyfestival.com Telephone 01273 709709.