- Positive: Interview with Shaun Kitchener & Timothy George - 31 May, 2014
- An interview with Rachel Lincoln - 28 May, 2014
- Brighton Fringe 2014 – Editor’s Picks - 12 May, 2014
Less than hour on the train from London, Brighton is a perfect location for a weekend jaunt. As the weather starts nudging towards summer, time spent on the beach becomes more appealing too. During May, Brighton hosts hundreds of artists, theatre makers and comedians who participate in the Brighton Fringe Festival. I enjoy zipping to Brighton in May for the Fringe. There’s a lot of shows that will soon be appearing in Edinburgh in August who come to Brighton to try out their new material, as well as local groups and tried and tested shows. It’s a fun month with a wide variety of performances to take in, as well as the charm of the gay old seaside town thrown in.
Here’s my pick of what to see this May:
THEATRE
Away From Home – Exciting LGBTQ narrative featuring a male escort whose life changes when he is hired by a premiership footballer. A humorous yet moving discussion of football’s last taboo by Hartshorn – Hook Productions.
Marlborough Theatre, 22nd – 26th May at 7:30pm.
Ernest and the Pale Moon – Playfully sinister theatre company Les Enfants Terribles (creators of The Trench and The Infant) team up with Pins and Needles to present their long running noir love note to Poe and Hitchcock. A blend of live music and physical storytelling create a gorgeous gothic performance well worth seeing.
The Old Market, 21st and 22nd May at 7:30pm.
Killing Roger – Puppetry performance from Sparkle and Dark features the two characters at opposite ends of their lives – a stark look at assisted suicide. Expect to be moved.
The Warren: Main House 17th and 18th May at 5:45pm and 19th May at 7pm.
CABARET
Peter Antoniou –Suave mentalist Peter Antoniou presents his 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Comedium’. I caught this guy in his first performances of his career when we were students in Sheffield and his work continues to go from strength to strength. If you like Derren Brown and a good laugh, check this man out.
Komedia Studio, 24th and 25th May at 4:30pm.
East End Cabaret – Lady duo Bernadette Byrne and Victor Victoria offer up a sassy, sexy, gender queer performance. Hilarious and original songs delivered with panache. Charismatically filthy cabaret. Komedia Studio, 16th May at 9pm.
COMEDY
An Evening with Patti Du Pont – Boom Jennies performer Anna Emmerson takes the stage solo as the eponymous character’s ne’er do-well daughter. A break-neck retrospective of the (fictional) star’s life. I adored an early preview of this in London. Raucously funny jokes delivered one after the other.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, 17th and 18th May at 7pm.
Birthday Girls – Lady sketch trio Birthday Girls present their new show for 2014. These three have a long history of making comedy together Their Edinburgh show in 2013 was excellent, an hour of lovely sketches with some great intricately woven call-backs and plot points. Bold performances all round. Can’t wait to see their new show.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, 24th and 25th May at 7pm.
The Beta Males – Four-man sketch outfit present a fresh batch of skits and scenes for your entertainment. A regular presence at the Edinburgh festival, their 2013 show, Superopolis, was a slick, smart homage to superheroes. London previews already promise more of the same high calibre funnies for this years fringe festivals.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, on 23rd May at 7pm and 24th and 25th May at 1pm.
Colin Hoult – If you like your comedy a bit off-beat and strange, give character comedian Colin Hoult a try. Committed and distinct characters with a weird edge. Ultimately very playful comedy and one to watch. Hoult has two shows in Brighton so there’s double the chance to catch this talented fellow.
The Burrow at The Warren 14th, 15th and 23rd May at 8pm and 25th May at 5pm.
If you can make it down for a weekend, a day trip or even an evening, I encourage you to check out some hot new performance talent. There are also concerts and other events running throughout the month as well as art exhibits. Further details on these and for more information on my fringe favourites can be found on the Brighton Fringe website.
We’d love to hear your recommendations for this year’s Brighton Fringe – just leave a comment below!
