To celebrate his 150th birthday, Alexia Lazou, a local Beardsley enthusiast, will present an illustrated talk exploring the buildings and places associated with the artist’s early life, including his birthplace in Buckingham Road, the Annunciation church and Brighton Grammar School.
Through his connections with Oscar Wilde and the Decadent movement of the 1890s, Beardsley was catapulted into the spotlight and became notorious for his provocative black and white illustrations. His art not only shocked and delighted his late Victorian audiences, but saw a revival in the 1960s and ‘70s as his decadent themes appealed to the psychedelic youth, and today his imagery is increasingly being examined from a queer perspective.
This ‘armchair’ version of Alexia’s popular walking tour will also give you an opportunity to find out about other events taking place during August and September to celebrate the anniversary of this unique artist.
Saturday 23 July at 7pm, West Hill Hall, Compton Ave
Who doesn’t want a night of drama, healing and dark humour? No one, right. Described as a “a quirky, likeable trip through the inner life of an urban young woman”, ‘The Formidable Lizzie Boone’, Manchester based Selina Helliwell’s new play, is centred around a therapist’s office, the show explores the intricacies of humanity through a woman who loves vodka – with lemonade? – and a cat called Lionel.
Lizzie catapults us through her life; from the torment of school bullies to darker experiences and chaotic spirals; the pieces of her life that jammed together, eventually pushing her over the edge and into her recent breakdown.
A burlesque dance scene also features, showing off the sensual and theatrical side of burlesque and highlighting ‘the art of tease’ to be a way of finding your own spark and celebrating your womanhood.
The Rotunda Theatre, Squeak, Regency Square
Thursday 7.45pm May 19; Friday 6.15pm May 20; Saturday 3.15pm May 21
In this foundation course you will learn the basic steps in Cha Cha Cha, Waltz, Rumba, Social Foxtrot, Ballroom Tango & Jive. After the 6 weeks course you will be our new Beginners class and you can come on a pay as go (dance) basis. * Start: Friday 20 May 2022 (NO class 1 July Fri) * Time: 7.45pm – 8.45pm * Cost: £54.00p.p. * Venue: West Hill Hall Compton Avenue Brighton BN1 3PS * * Advance booking only! * You don’t need to bring a partner! * How to book: Please send an email to: brighton_carola@hotmail.com to book the course and we will confirm your booking and will send you more information about the course closer to the time. * For more information: Email brighton_carola@hotmail.com or phone Carola on 07786032224 * Carola Degener-Pereira ADTV, RSA, UKA qualified Dance Teacher & Fitness Instructor Tel: 01273 772462 Mobile: 07786032224 * Brighton Dancing FB Group
“So last night I went to a late night burlesque featuring a dancing nipple-tassled woman in a shark outfit”. Isn’t that exactly the sort of sentence you want?
I love the late night burlesque show at The Rialto. If there’s anything that the spirit of the Fringe, this is it. Held together by host Jack Kristiansen and featuring performers with resplendent names like Dollie Doré, Rosa Frenzy and King Crimson, it’s light and frothy, funny and knowing, entertaining to the end.
They all love what they’re doing and they’re blimmin good at it – whether it’s tap dancing (and that really was very good), invoking the spirit of Charlie Chaplin, reviving the romance of Paris or – my favourite – wrestling with a very dangerous looking shark.
Of course you know where the acts are going to end, but that’s OK. Who doesn’t like a late night tussle with a tassle?
The Whistler’s favourite place, we love The Rialto. Check the link below to see what’s going on (and when you go there, if you see a nice bloke wearing a pink fedora, maybe buy him a drink)
John Callaghan is an eccentric electronic musician currently based in London. For decades he has been releasing music that has been captivating his audience and pushing the boundaries of what we consider music. He has been performing at Brighton Fringe for about 10 years and has continued to release unique and sincere electronic music, even during the pandemic. I wanted to try and find the elements of his work that truly motivated him and how the coronavirus pandemic had affected his output. I spoke with John over Zoom to discuss his work as a musician and how he defined himself in an incredibly competitive market:
When did you first get a taste for eccentric electronic music?
“When I was, I would say early teens, maybe 11 or 12, I’d be listening to the radio and […] things like Human League, Kraftwerk, Flock of Seagulls, Gary Newman, Duran Duran, all of that was happening at that time, and I’d listened to the music on the radio and think that’s pretty good. It’d start off and I’d love the strange electronic sound, but the thing that always gave me pause was the vocals, and the lyrics, and the way the music developed wasn’t to my taste (now I should clarify I think they’re all great, all good stuff, but they’re the cream of the crop). I thought I could do that slightly better. If I was doing this track, I’d change it in this way or If I were developing this piece I’d go off In this direction.”
How long did it take you to publish your first track (or to publish one you felt was worthy of publication?)
“Well not long at all because I thought they all were. In retrospect, my juvenilia can be seen as a little straightforward, but in my defence it was always imaginative. One of the advantages of using cassette tapes is that you can create tape loops very easily. The easiest effect you can do if you want to do something weird is if you turn the tape over, of course it starts playing everything backwards. I would do these odd little cassette tape noodlings, bring them into school and play them to friends of mine. As I say this is when I was between 13 and 16, I think.”
So, at that age did you have a sense that that is what you wanted to do?
“I think if I’d had more of a sense my life would have had a very different course. I always knew I enjoyed music. Looking back, I don’t know if it was because I thought it was a pipedream to pursue music or more likely I felt that avenues in musical development were closed off to me because I wasn’t very good at the piano, and that’s down to lack of discipline. As a youngster I learned the piano, but I didn’t pursue it with enough commitment to get exam qualifications. It didn’t seem possible that I would be able to go to a music school. I did write to the BBC radiophonic workshop and ask, ‘how do I go about this?’
“I would also say 2 things. As a child you don’t see the use these things are going to have, which isn’t necessarily a regret of mine, my life would’ve taken a very different turn. I would also say it’s never too late. I’ve never blamed anyone else for my lack of ability on the piano. One thing I was good at was music production, without false modesty.
“Probably the big turning point came after I was at university and sent a demo tape off to Too Pure Records and they got in touch saying ‘this is interesting would you like to come in and talk to use,’ and I remember that was the first time where I was reassured that the positive impression I had of my own music wasn’t simply bias because it was mine. There was something objectively good about it. Other people would listen to it and some people would find it intriguing and it did have worth. It didn’t go anywhere with Too Pure. After I left university, a friend recommended I contact warp records, and I did, and I got a standard rejection letter from them. Six months later they got in touch saying, ‘actually we’ve listened to it properly now, would you like to come in and develop the stuff?’ What was interesting is after university I’d spent 2 years as a postman. I’d got that rejection letter from Warp and felt it was the final straw. I thought ‘I’m not doing anything here, I am going to go to London and try to build a new life for myself In London, doing something else, fully expecting my tail to be between my legs. As soon as I’d made that commitment, then I got the message from Warp. I’ve heard that interpreted as sending signals out into the universe. I’m not a very spiritual person though. I’m prepared to entertain the fact that it was a coincidence, but it was a nice one.”
How did Covid impact your production?
“Probably the big change was that I turned to doing shows online, so I prepared half an hour of new video that I then premiered online in lieu of doing the show live. So initially, the link was only available on the Brighton Fringe website and people could pay a pound to the Brighton Fringe and then watch my show. One of my (online) shows has only had 33 views, but again if you get a couple of hundred views, which is more than my show would’ve got, but in terms of the internet its not a great deal at all. One thing I’ve missed is making videos which my friends, the John Callaghan repertory company, the people who I’d have a video idea and say ‘right, let’s get this organized’ and I’d get all my friends together and say ‘right, you’re a Victorian gentleman. You’re this, you’re that, you need to stand here in front of this green screen and you need to do this,’ and I always enjoyed coordinating those videos coming up with new ideas for them, and it was a lot easier when I had a crowd of people and was motivated because it was so much fun.”
“I did a mixed bill at the Spiegeltent a few years ago […], I was at the door handing out fliers and I handed one to a woman and said ‘would you like to come and see my show?’ and she said ‘noooo that was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.’ The act who was on after me was dressed as Nosferatu covering Britney spears songs, and I was the weirdest thing she’d ever seen.
“At the Spiegeltent they’re very kind to me and provide a good venue, a guaranteed booking, and a baseline level of promotion.”
John left me with an Arthur Fried quote that surmised his approach to music production and performing: ‘A lot of people try and be different, but just try and be good. Because being good is different enough.’
John is a perfect example of an artist who thrives on audience interaction and having a physical presence on stage. His work expands beyond primarily audio and visual effects into a seamless blend of the two. Fringe has acted as a steady and consistent source of engagement year on year, whilst also acting as a form of motivation to finish long term projects. He is also the perfect example of why you should not give up on your ambitions after receiving a setback. Through persistence and hard work, John has found his niche within electronic performances. Together with his supporting crew behind the scenes and the renewal of larger scale social gathering and artistic performances, it seems that he will be providing the world with plenty more engrossing performances for many years to come. Be sure to tune into his show at Brighton Fringe 2022!
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.
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.
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”.
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
News and views from West Hill and Seven Dials in Brighton
