The Brighton Fringe Festival is opening its doors again to present the largest arts festival in England, and I had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Rebecca Askew, the mind behind the show ‘Women in Jazz’, at The Brunswick, Hove on June 2nd from 19:30-22:00. 

The show revolves around visible and audible portrays of female jazz composers of the twentieth century, featuring a collection of songs from the finest names and stories about life as a woman in a male-driven music industry. 

As Askew, herself said: “It is going to be a gig with visuals and stories, and very great music.”

Putting together a show is never an easy path to take. After spending 20 and more years in the industry singing jazz with her band Askew decided to turn her energy in the last few years on theatre shows that combined a mix of words and music alongside hoping to bring to the stage her experience. 

Before the pandemic happened she had the chance to meet the pianist Victoria Wilson (who plays in the show) who introduced Askew to jazz pianist Marian Mcpartland. 

On how this meeting inspired her Askew said: “ I don’t know if you know but there is this very famous photo of all these jazz musicians taken in 1957 called ‘Great day in Harlem’ and it’s a fantastic picture by Art Kane and there are only 3 women out of this all array of men and one of them is Marian Mcpartland alongside Mary Lou Williams.”

‘That’s where it all came from, I started doing some research and reading some books and the other thing, she was also a journalist, and she wrote lots of articles about jazz alongside being a presenter and doing lots of programmes for NPR, like the one called Radio Jazz where every week she would interview someone new.”

“It is all online, it is such a great resource. It is brilliant. Hearing some of those stories about those women’s lives was such a no-brainer, they all worked so hard and were well known in their day, but then they got lost in the midsts of time.” 

Women always had to work harder to leave a statement in the industry, hoping for their impact to last through time. 

When asked what kind of impact she would like to leave on the audience coming to see her show Aksew excitedly said: “I want them to go home and do some research for the sounds, to go home and google the women I am talking about, to find out which of their music they like.”

“I would like people to feel inspired and also slightly cheated by historians, they should not trust what they are told. The women were in the minority sure, but they were there.” 

Jazz is a genre that is also being rediscovered and appreciated by younger generations, that sometimes regret not experiencing music as it was back in the day, by going to the record shop after saving up money and running home to listen, without knowing whether it would be a hit or miss.

The world of music has always been male-driven and having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, Askew regarding specific things that happened in her career

sometimes  thought: “God, that would never happen to a man.”  

 “It is something you would find in any sort of freelance occupations you are trying to pursue, but at the end of the day, you just want to work and nothing more.” 

“We live in a patriarchy where they are in control and most of them don’t even realize it.” 

So to say, chatting to Rebecca Askew was inspiring and illuminating in so many ways.

If you want to support the history of female composers in jazz and help them not to be left in the footnotes of a story full of incredible performers, I suggest you show up and enjoy this amazing night filled with the notes of the best female jazz performers.

Words by Federica Purcaro

Brighton Fringe is back and better than ever. Despite the turbulence of the pandemic, it’s impact on the arts and the uncertainty surrounding the future of the sector, Brighton’s famous arts festival is back in full swing with over 700 events taking place in the city across May and June 2022.

I had the privilege of chatting with Rachel Kimber, co-founder of female-led Not Your Muse Theatre. Alongside Zo Biba-Leonard and Elly Tipping, Kimber leads and supports young women in a variety of roles and stages in their career in the arts industry. This year, Not Your Muse Theatre are bringing their new production ‘Happenings’ to Brighton Fringe, a ‘pitch black comedy’ which explores mental health and vulnerability.

Kimber speaks candidly about the origin of the show and why it’s so important to see individuals recognised for their work: “We found that we’ve done so much stuff over the years that you just don’t get credited for theatre-wise. Generally, and it’s not a sexist statement because in our experience it’s true, it’s generally men that are doing that thing. So you know, you’re helping out with rewrites of plays, you’re troubleshooting safeguarding issues, you’re doing everything and you don’t get credited for it.

“And then Zo and Elly were involved in ‘Happenings’ , which is the new play by John Berry that we’re bringing to Brighton Fringe, and they went to see it in London at The Red Lion just as everything was coming out of COVID and the Coronavirus restrictions.

“I pitched up because the show hadn’t had enough promo and then we thought, well, we could do this better and we were offered it so we thought maybe this is the time, maybe this is our time. And we have so many other ideas of things we wanted to do with new female writers and mentoring people like graduates, uber talented people who people don’t always take seriously because of their age. It’s kind of snowballed! It went from within about two weeks of us saying, oh, yeah, yeah, we’re gonna do this, and then suddenly it was happening.”

The Brighton Fringe plays host to hundres of shows and productions, however few promise as much grit and dialogue surrounding the ongoing mental health crisis in the UK as Happenings does. The plot dives into the modern world we live in, where people measure value through ‘likes’ and ‘clicks’ on social media, and how it affects the characters, The play looks deep into the psyche of the three main characters who feel distinctly short change by life.

Kimber said: ‘‘It is about the unfilled aspirations and monotonous existence of three 30-somethings. It’s a pitch black comedy, which looks at issues of mental health – each character has an issue with mental health, whether it’s obvious or not to start with, because that’s what it’s like in life, isn’t it? Everyone’s mental health has peaks and troughs and it sort of explores that and the dynamic between the three people.

“You know, one of the characters is a neurodiverse character, which we feel, you know, is not necessarily represented in writing. It’s just about the dynamic of how they get on and how they get through their existence. And also, particularly for Jane, our character, Jane, she’s at this point in her life where she feels nothing’s happened to her. And she sees everyone on social media, because that’s how it’s pitched on social media: ‘Oh, everyone’s having a better time. Everyone looks better than you. Everyone’s got a better this and better that, everyone’s got someone’.’

Social media, whilst it allows us to stay connected to friends, family, and the world around us, has a dark side. The unfortunate effects of social media play a huge role in today’s society and on the mental health of so many, making Not Your Muse’s ‘Happenings’ an incredibly relatable reaction to the world we live in. I asked Kimber how she would like audiences to feel after leaving the show.

She said: ‘We found that a lot of the feedback we get is that it starts a conversation that people find they can talk about things to do with those particular mental health elements of it. Maybe because you’ve seen the play, you can kind of relate to it and then it makes the topic more approachable. There was feedback that one woman bought her (obviously it’s not necessarily for every teenager to younger teenager to watch) 14-year-old daughter and she said that on their journey home her daughter actually revealed to her that she was having some quite serious issues going on but she probably wouldn’t have done that – it was on the back of the play.

“And it touches people in different ways. Obviously we want you to be entertained, you’re entertained when you’re there, it’s a pitch black comedy, there’s comedy in there as there is in all the darkest parts of your life. But it’s for people to start to make people think and to start conversations.’

You can see ‘Happenings’ at the Brighton Fringe festival from the 10th-19th May 2022 at The Walrus in Ship Street, Brighton. For further details, visit the Brighton Fringe website to purchase tickets and browse the other events on offer this year.

Words by Jenny Bathurst

When starting her comedy career 6 years ago in New-York city, Henson would stand on the streets for hours advertising her shows trying to get audience members. She now lives in London and has regular gigs and continues to learn about the industry, saying that “maybe in ten years I’ll know everything there is to know”. Henson has changed and been through a lot since she started comedy, including two big moves due to coronavirus which she openly says was a challenge to her career. Although she would partake in zoom gigs she says, “there was no joy in them for me”. I was interested in what other challenges she has been faced with, especially as being part of the 11% of stand-up comedians who are women.

Henson explained that although there are differences in the way female stand-up comedians are portrayed and treated, there are “2 sides to each coin”, stating that there are positives and negatives, and it is about how you mould them to your benefit. She explained that some female comedians may use that for their interest to move up in their career as “we can utilize the fact that we’re women to get ahead in this industry”. Although females only make up a small percentage of stand-up comedians, Henson says “being a woman has never really held me back”, however, acknowledges that this may not be the case for all. Henson is clear in the fact that she thinks all comedians should just be seen for their humor rather than any exterior factors and says that the conversation of the challenges female stand-up comedians can face “is always going to be important as long as it’s happening, but at what point is it about healing and moving forward”.

Henson said, “It’s hard to be somewhat struggling sometimes to see people that I know that are so talented struggling and know that it’s not always just because I am a woman “. She explained that since moving to London, she has seen the class systems play a big role in the success and failure of comedians, being largely based on if you have a manager and who you know, it “isn’t necessarily a merit-based system”. Although Henson explains that it’s hard to “play a game that’s already been decided who wins”, her love and determination for comedy is inspiring and encouraging. “My goal as a comedian and a person is to try to unify the world more, it’s very divided… I hope to do that through my comedy”. In stand-up comedy, she says that “funny doesn’t always equal you’re going to be successful”, as she has seen incredibly talented comedians struggle in the field. 

Although Henson says, “the industry of entertainment has been set up in a way where people do tend to step on each other to get somewhere”. She openly prioritizes happiness and says ” I don’t know if where they get they end up being happy”. Henson’s attitude to grow as a comedian without hindering anyone else’s process is motivating and speaks for her open and attentive character, as well as inspiring less accomplished comedians as she “appreciates anybody trying to follow their dreams”.

Henson highlighted the differences between stand-up comedy in New-York compared to London, whereas in New-York “everyone is starting from the bottom”. She explains that she has seen a lot of people getting advantages and head starts because of their money. However, they have not been open with that fact. “If these people don’t want their rich parents… I’ll take them”. She jokes about the irony of people not accepting where they have got their success from. The witty and raw comedian expresses that there are many other factors that play a role into a comedian’s success other than their talent, saying ” the worst part of comedy is the part where you’re not on stage”. Despite the uncertainty and “unfairness” of her field, Henson remains loyal and motivated. “It would be nice to have a little bit more security, but that’s comedy”.

“I’m not going to have an honest conversation with most of the people I’m gigging with”, Henson says as she explains the reasons and motivations behind some of the actions taken in stand-up comedy. But, she says “at the end of the day we’ve all been through shit” and expresses that the bottom line of her profession is to make people laugh and have a good time while “hopes to bridge more gaps that she divides… using my personal experience to help others with their personal experience”. Henson’s determination and consistency is contagious while she explains that in an ideal world stand-up comedy will only come down to comedians’ talent, yet you can still make your way and adapt to the reality, which she has been doing for the past six years. “I hope to create something one day where I can make positive change”.

Words by Hannah Old

Starting from the beginning, Hannah Fairweather kept a diary in her teens in which her past and current life experiences, as well as current news, fuels her stand up shows. This is especially the case for the set she will perform at Brighton Fringe this year, ‘Just a Normal Girl Who Enjoys Revenge’ (A nod to the sitcom The Office US). The show will touch on growing up internationally and how her upbringing has influenced her identity today. She said, “comedy wasn’t personal in the beginning. Jokes used to be about other people, but in the beginning when I would only have a 5-minute time frame to tell all my jokes, you have to let people know who you are very quickly”. 

“Comedy was a ‘pipe dream’ when I was younger. I never went out to pursue it”. Fairweather started carrying out temporary jobs whilst partaking in small gigs and open mic nights where sets would only be 5 to 10 minutes long then “momentum builds very quickly, and you gain contacts along the way”. This resulted in landing a writing role on BBC Two’s ‘Mock the Week’. From previously gigging with one of the MTW comedians, Eshaan Akbar, Eshaan reached out to Fairweather and offered her a temporary writing role for his segments within the show. This gave Fairweather the bug to carry on writing for big shows, she said, “it’s more satisfying writing jokes than performing them, you can write in someone else’s voice”.

As a new and rising face in comedy which is becoming more representative, she said, “comedy isn’t a competition. Comedy is subjective and not everyone will think you’re funny. There’s loads of acts but also loads of audiences”. 

Fairweather was never always driven to do comedy. She went from professional golf to accounting and now comfortably aiming high for her career in comedy. “It was my golf instructor who told me to take a step back and told me to basically do more of the things I should be doing for a girl my age. I’ve kind of taken that and carried it through to writing now. Some days I will sit down and will need to take a step back because I can’t think of any jokes at all and other days it’ll be a lot easier.”

When asked to define what comedy means to her, she said, “comedy is a surprise” and also “comedy ruins jokes.” “I do sit and analyse other people’s jokes and think about how I would deliver them. Not because I am criticising their work, it’s just how I watch other stand ups”.

Self-affirmed, honest and rather funny, Fairweather will be performing her show ‘Just a Girl Who Enjoys Revenge’ at the Caroline of Brunswick pub on Saturday May 21st and Sunday May 22nd at 2pm. 

Words by Shannon Williams

Fox Fisher (they/he) has been an outspoken trans activist for the last few years, with an extensive list of achievements to their name ranging from creating a Trans Acting course; exploring the meaning of the term non-binary and the encompassing issues on TV with Piers Morgan; found My Genderation, a film project which helped create over one hundred short films; and screen-printing live at the Tate Modern as well as the V&A Museum. At present, Fox is focusing on a feature documentary and a historical fictional series titled Inverness Or Bust, which focuses on a group of trans people who visit a sympathetic doctor in the 1970’s. 

Upon sitting down with Fox, the topic of art and activism was explored. When asked about the challenges of being an artist, Fox said, ‘I think the biggest challenge, as someone from the LGBTQIA+ community, is whether to make my art visibly ‘trans’ or LGBTQIA+ related’. Fox has explored various other artistic subjects from animals to sacred geometry and gold, but at times a sense of guilt can enshroud the exploration of themes that do not focus entirely on showing trans and queer positivity. They said that the pressure to focus on creating LGBTQIA+ themed art can feel like it ‘pigeon holes and stifles creativity.’

Fox went on to say, ‘I feel like my trans and queer themed art is often fairly basic, like hand-drawing ‘trans rights are human rights’ and screen printing that onto book pages from J.K. Rowling books’. Fox went on to point out their collection of hardback Harry Potter books which had been donated by trans Harry Potter fans who had drifted away from the series after J.K. Rowling’s controversies surrounding transphobia. Fox had reworked the book pages into illustrative work and phrases promoting trans pride and acceptance. 

The world of book publishing has not always been a source for queer representation. Fox has co-created the children’s book ‘Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl?’, the ‘Trans Survival Workbook’ as well as created the ‘Trans Pride Colouring Book’. On the topic of representation in what is being published on the shelves, Fox remarked on how there were not many trans or diverse books when he first started said five or so years ago. He said, ‘All the books I have created are ones I wish had existed when I was growing up, which may have helped me come out sooner’.  When asked on whether they thought there was more room for change, Fox commented on the ‘explosion in trans and diverse books in recent years’ with particular accreditation to JKP Publishing. They went on to say, ‘There’s still scope for so many more trans positive books, for all ages.’

Fox commented on their journey in the arts scene as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. They said, ‘Like many other trans and queer people, life hasn’t been a linear journey. This means that there might be gaps in formal education, which can be frowned upon and seen as ‘outsider art’’. With numerous awards and accreditations under their belt, Fox has been a pivotal figure in making strides in queer and trans acceptance. 

Words by Rebecca Cremona

‘Heard of the pay gap? Well, this show is about the pleasure gap!’

From the Nexflix series ‘Principles of Pleasure’, to Family Sex-Education Show being cancelled the conversation of what we should or shouldn’t be thought in Sex-Education has never been more talked about. Why isn’t pleasure in the curriculum..?  Well, this conversation is coming to Brighton in the form of her new interactive comedy Sex-Ed Revisited this May! 

‘Sex-Ed Revisited’ is an empowering one-woman show written and performed by Holly Delefortrie. This show blends improvisational storytelling and comedy gig theatre to explore the missing gaps in female-focused sex education and our relationships with pleasure.

This uplifting female-driven show focuses on the experiences of all those 80s–00s kids who still have unanswered questions about sex and their bodies! Gone are the days of attempting to put condoms on cucumbers whilst wearing kaleidoscopic beer goggles. ‘Sex-Ed Revisited’ combines the use of clowning, confessional storytelling, and live interactive games to tell stories about relatable taboos about sex and what we wish we had learnt during Sex-Ed. 

The Electric Arcade, Beneath Brighton Zip, Lower Promenade, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1TB

Dates and Times: Friday 20^th May, Saturday 21^st May, Sunday 22^nd May, 9.30 pm

Ticket prices: £10 (standard), £9 (NHS Discount), £8.50 (Under 26’s), £8 (Student Discount)

FRINGE CITY ON NEW ROAD

SATURDAY 7 , 14, 21, 28 MAY, FRIDAY 3 & SATURDAY 4 JUNE 1PM-8PM

Get curious about England’s largest arts festival, and explore our free, outdoor event on New Road. Expect an extravaganza of theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus, music, and dance on our outdoor stage from Brighton Fringe 2022 participants and some very special guests.

Settle into the experience and enjoy a cold pint from our pop-up bar or street food from our rotating local traders.

Find out more about what’s on at our pop-up box office and get curious about Brighton Fringe 2022.

Fringe City is totally free to attend and everyone is welcome.

FRINGE FAMILY PICNIC IN ROYAL PAVILION GARDENS

SATURDAY 7 MAY & SATURDAY 4 JUNE 12PM-4PM

Make sure your little ones  have a #CuriouslyFringe experience with our totally free outdoor festival for children (and their grown-ups!)

Pack your hampers and get the clan together, it’s time to set up camp! Join us for free children’s entertainment including interactive accessible storytime from Living Paintings, family-friendly performances, puppetry and games. 

Fringe Family Picnic is totally free to attend and everyone is welcome.

In PurSUEt is an award-winning one-woman show that tells the true story of a woman with a drinking problem who favours the stalking of Sue Perkins over dealing with her demons.

Following its sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the “queer cult sensation” In PurSUEt tells the story of a nameless ‘Woman’ sat in a therapist’s office. She’s been sent there to deal with her drink problem. But she doesn’t need help. She just needs Sue Perkins. They are meant for each other. If only Sue could see that too. But how can she? She’s too busy being a celebrity. So “Woman” sets out in pursuit of her love. From following Sue’s every move online – to breaking in backstage at the BBC, there isn’t anything she won’t do. But can she keep it all together and win her heart’s desire, whilst battling her out of control drinking? 

Writer and actor Eleanor Higgins trained at the Royal Academy and at Circle In The Square Theatre School; New York. She battled substance misuse in her twenties whilst noticing the parallels between addiction and fantasy. Now in sobriety, and with a diploma in advanced psychology under her belt, she shares this intriguing story with the world. “I believe addiction and obsession are intrinsically linked – and that isn’t being spoken about enough”

Dates: 21st–22nd May 17:00pm, 24th May 18:00pm, 28-29th May 17:00pm.

Rialto Theatre, Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 3PE

A new play by Brian Mitchell & Joseph Nixon

When they’re in a hole, some people start digging. 1998. In an overlooked pub in a left-behind town, an unlikely hero and his would-be agent plot to put themselves on the map via an insane World Record attempt – the longest time buried alive. That’s five months in an oversized coffin, under a tiny beer garden in the middle of Mansfield.

A true and possibly hilarious tale of courage, endurance, hope, despair, love, lies and media manipulation by Argus Angel winners Brian Mitchell (The Ministry of Biscuits) and Joseph Nixon (co-writer of West-End sell-out smash The Shark is Broken). Previous collaborations include Edinburgh hits Those Magnificent Men and the multi-award-winning Big Daddy Vs. Giant Haystacks.

Starring Duncan Henderson (The Shark is Broken and The Polished Scar – winner of 2018 FringeReview Outstanding Theatre Award), Emma Wingrove (Sweethearts & The Hooligan) and Murray Simon (The Ministry of Biscuits, Lord God).

Rialto Theatre 11 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 3FE 01273 725230  www.rialtotheatre.co.uk

24th-28th May, 8pm   £10/£8

What do you get when you cross a dead iguana, an employee with a very rare medical condition and the HR department in a high-end toilet factory? It’s probably a question you’ve asked many times before.

Arthur is an over-promoted HR Manager, trying to find the path of least resistance in a world that has changed dramatically around him. Paula is the long-suffering HR advisor who keeps the ship afloat and herself sane by poking fun at her boss. And Jackie is the ambitious, and highly-strung new girl who is struggling to find her place in her family and the world.

Inspired by a true event, Sarah Archer’s comedy drama is about what can go wrong when we stop ourselves from telling people how we really feel, when we make assumptions rather than having honest conversations….

The Latest Music Bar, 14 – 17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF – 6, 10, 19 & 20 May