Tag: comedy

Riotous Cult Comedy Bullshot Crummond Comes to Bath in Support of Menโ€™s Mental Health Charity

The Rondo Theatre in Bath will be bursting with high-energy chaos this June as The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond, a gloriously silly parody of 1930s adventure stories, all in aid of Man Downโ€ฆ..

Running from Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th June 2026, this fast-paced comedy follows the dashing (and deeply ridiculous) hero Bullshot Crummond as he races to thwart the evil Otto Van Brunno and his beautiful but deadly accomplice Lenya, who have kidnapped a Professor for their own nefarious ends. What follows is a whirlwind of outrageous antics, quick-fire costume changes and theatrical mayhem.

A loving send-up of stiff-upper-lip heroics, the production leans into the exaggerated tropes of a bygone era, think Indiana Jones meets The 39 Steps with a dash of Blackadder. Audiences can expect car chases, sword fights, swooning heroines, hapless henchmen and deliciously over-the-top villains, all delivered at breakneck speed and firmly tongue-in-cheek.

Bullshot Crummond began life as a stage comedy in the 1970s before being adapted into the 1983 cult film Bullshot. A loving parody of early pulp-fiction heroes, it has built a loyal following for its gleeful satire of classic British adventure stories.

But beneath the farce, the choice of charity brings a more thoughtful edge. By pairing this parody of hyper-masculine heroics with support for Man Down, a charity dedicated to improving menโ€™s mental health through peer support and community, the production gently pokes fun at outdated ideas of masculinity while supporting vital, real-world conversations.

โ€œWe wanted to do something that was pure fun, a real escape, this is what the world needs right nowโ€ says director Charlotte Howard. โ€œBullshot Crummond is completely ridiculous, and thatโ€™s exactly the point. But by linking it with Man Down, weโ€™re also acknowledging that some of those old ideas about what it means to โ€˜be a manโ€™ still linger. If we can make people laugh and support a brilliant cause at the same time, we hope that feels like a good balance.โ€

Audiences are actively encouraged to join in the spirit of the show, with dressing up very much part of the experience. Whether itโ€™s 1930s glamour, daring adventurers or dastardly villains, the more flamboyant the better.

Our local electronica hero Moray McDonald, aka, Cephid is on sound design for this, The Rondo Theatre Companyโ€™s annual charity production, known for its lively, inventive shows and strong local support.

Bullshot Crummond runs from 17th June to Saturday 20th June 2026. Tickets: ยฃ13/ ยฃ15 (booking fees apply.)

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M3G, De-Anchored

At the end of last year Chippenham singer-songwriter M3G released the single Rooks. I felt it set her bar at a whole new higher level.โ€ฆ

Ready for RowdeFest?

Not long now, for Rowdefest! Which, as the name suggests, is in Rowde, near Devizes, on Saturday 30th May, and is a free, community spiritedโ€ฆ

โ€œA Midsummer Nightโ€™s Dreamโ€ at the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, Bath, 29th April- 2nd May – a preview

by Mick Brian

images by Jim McCauley

โ€œLord, what fools these mortals beโ€, says the mischievous sprite, Puck, to his master the fairy king Oberon in William Shakespeareโ€™s โ€œA Midsummer Nightโ€™s Dreamโ€. Whilst in the text, he is addressing the four Athenian lovers and their irrational behaviour and criss-crossed love pairings โ€“ albeit created by himself an Oberon with fairy magic, this quote may also wonderfully encapsulate the fun-filled performance of Shakespeareโ€™s comedy by Bath Drama at the Rondo Theatre next week.

Directorship by James Dennis, assisted by Lauren Davis, has playfully adapted the court of Athens and its surroundings to be a factory warehouse in England in the 1980s, with a wonderful โ€˜80s soundtrack to accompany and underline the action, with the court being the managing directors of the Athenian and Amazonian factories as they complete their merger.

The Mechanicals are portrayed as factory workers, foreman and all, while the lovers are the various middle class youngsters, intent onloving and hating each other in turn.

Meanwhile the fairies and woodland sprites are the homeless and destitute in the grim streets of the industrial park where the factory sits.

Soundtracks are often overlooked in reviews so I will begin with outlining the quite excellent and at times amusing soundtrack James has pulled together. This is no simple mish mash of โ€˜80s hits though โ€“ there is poignancy and comedy in the selections too, so keep an ear out for the incidental musical teases throughout the show. From Ultravox, Eurythmics and Foreigner, to Madness and Black Lace the offerings will bring a poignant smile to children of the 80s and maybe those of earlier decades (*cough*).

James has a further twist in character selection, gender swapping Lysander and Helena embracing the โ€˜80s freedoms of open same sex relationships setting aside historical stigma, a bold yet historically pertinent decision.

But Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show, but wonder on, till truth be plain to seeโ€ฆ whilst there is much sleeping to be found in this play (the various lovers spend an inordinate amount of time kipping under WSโ€™ penmanship of course) there is nothing โ€œwokeโ€ about the play (at which let no man wonder) if that is something that concerns the less open minded amongst usโ€ฆ it’s is the same old wonderful silliness that Shakespeare wrote four hundred years ago, and Bath Drama deliver that perfect silliness in spades.

The Mechanicals are just the sweetest bunch of adults-going-on-twelve-years-olds you could ever want to meetโ€ฆ childish in outlook, maximising their fun from their dreary factory work โ€“ and where Imogen Notshaw as Bottom encapsulates the weaverโ€™s excitement, confidence and self-centredness wonderfully. Ian Diddams plays the exasperated but father like Quince, Graham Cain the nervous and concerned yet LOUD Snug the Joiner (along with Mustardseed), Lucy Perry the excitable Snout and Jack Sandbach the timid and unsure Flute and the stunningly beautiful Thisby!

Back in the Court and the woodland a.k.a. the grim outside, Andy Cook plays the pompous Egeus and Cobweb, Sophie Turner the strong-willed Hermia, Jem Shea the wayward lover Demetrius, Amber Gibson the trouble making Puck plus company secretary Philostrate.

Gender flips as mentioned above sees Diluki Oโ€™Beirne play Theseus and Oberon, Toby Skelton as Hippolyta and Titania with Lauren Arena-McCann as Lysander, and Gully Trim a delightfully demure Helena. And here, we hope, they have a play fitted.

This is Shakespeare as wrote โ€“ with extra gags, daftness, music and dancing, walls, dogs, asses and lots and lots of fairy magic to boot. Bath Drama have embraced Shakespeareโ€™s comedy and have delivered it in style, with great comedy, a few poignant moments and a lot more foolishness on top.

The set is a simple one – as befits Shakespearean productions the stage is little more than a black box with brick wall facades and some on stage wings but is well presented ( less that appears to be dam ing with faint praise!) by Denis Phelan. Tech is as ever superbly delivered by Alex Latham and the entire show seamlessly tied together by the Stage Mangement Team of Connor Palmer and Ellen Read with Scarlett Hayler-King fitting everybody out beautifully as costumer. Laurie Parnell as musical maestro created the musical flow of the show.

You can catch this wonderful production at the Rondo Theatre, Larkhall, bath from April 29th to May 2nd, evenings at 7.30pm and tickets are available at https://rondotheatre.co.uk/a-midsummer-nights-dream

BecFest2 โ€“ Stonehenge Campsite, April 25th 2026

by Ian Diddams
images by Sarah Bec

Have you got an empty weekend coming? Fancy a last minute, first field festival of the year? Donโ€™t want to travel far? Then fill your boots with BecFest2, this Saturday, with camping available for those that want to over imbibe or just get into the festival groove around a late-night campfire.

The brainchild of Sarah Bec and following the huge success of her first foray into low key affordable festivals last year, BecFest2 promises all the festival fun to kick the festival season off in style, with great independent bands, great food, great drink, great merch and a chilled vibe without having to deal with tens of thousands of others. Think of it more as a family gathering, of like-minded souls, rather than a field of strangers. And the weather is looking FABULOUS BABY!!!

The line-up features fully independent musicians โ€“ no covers bands here folks โ€“ and the day headlines with the phenomenal Revelation Roots, the energetic reggae, ska and dub band from the South-West, more than ably aided and abetted by

  • James Harriman, a Bristolian performing a Brit-Pop, folk-rock inspired sound
  • Plot 32, a party ska band from Leeds
  • Tabitha Wild, a mischievous singer-song writer with a sparkle in her eyes and a ukulele in her hands,
  • Mexican Dave, all the way from Swindon with his whacky approach to music, fun and drinking games
  • F.M.I. Clatters, who likes Cornish pasties amongst other hilarious musical offerings
  • Andras Droppa, delivering a hard rock blues style set
  • Dub Catalyst, with a reggae/dub/hip hop feel also from then South-West
  • with Ed Liner as compere and DJ throughout the festival.

The music stage is in a barn, but the weather is looking fine anyway, and camping is available from Friday 2th April through to Sunday 26th. For post music festivities thereโ€™s a campfire for a jam session and chat with new found friends including undoubtedly many of the musicians – no “green room” away from the fans here at BecFest2!

Food is provided by the fantastic festival feeders Events Horizon with breakfast and all-day menus with snacks and spuds, chips, burgers, nachos, curry, pies and toasted sandwiches, with carnivore, vegetarian and vegan options amongst those.


Tickets are priced from ยฃ40 for Saturday, through to ยฃ70 with Saturday camping and Friday camping an additional ยฃ22, which in effect is for the campsite itself. And the best bit โ€“ kids go free, with just a small fee for camping, and pre-schoolers not even that! Thereโ€™s even bell tent glamping options fo0r extra โ€“ truly a festival catering for everybody.

So, grab a ticket, and your tent or live-in vehicle – or glamp! – and get down to Stonehenge campsite for a wonderful weekend of music, meals and madnessย ๐Ÿ˜Š

Tickets and further information fromย https://wegottickets.com/f/13935, and thereโ€™s a Facebook groupย https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ApfzDaXrW/ for chat and further information.

All Together Ooky; Addams Family Musical with Devizes Musical Theatre

Whether you’ve a bizarre inclination to meet the Addams Family in the flesh and figure this might be your closest opportunity, you couldn’t think of anything worse, or you’ve absolutely no opinion on the matter whatsoever, Devizes Musical Theatre’s Addams Family Musical is a must-see!

Invited to the dress rehearsal yesterday, The Addams Family Musical opens tonight, Wednesday 1st, and runs to Saturday 4th April, at Dauntseyโ€™s School, and I can confirm it’s creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and absolutely brilliant. I left delighted and more charmed than spooked.ย 

The Addams Family began as a panel in the New Yorker by Charles Addams, a cartoonist alleged to be nearly as weird as the characters he created, but it was the gothic sitcom of the sixties which most will fondly recall, and Barry Sonnenfeldโ€™s nineties movie adaptations brought them into contemporary culture.

The popularity of a recent television spinoff about the family’s daughter Wednesday fares well with the timeliness of this production, especially being the story of this musical centres around Wednesday coming of age too. Within the beloved setting of the Addams Family franchise, it follows a classic musical plot of forbidden love with a happy ending.

It tells of losing inhibitions and that love is calmly discussing your differences. But, no more spoilers from me! Rest assured you’re in capable hands, because the casting on this is impeccable, and its appearance is the best weโ€™ve seen so far from Devizes Musical Theatre; itโ€™s a ghoulish visual feast.

I couldnโ€™t pick a favourite part, they were all exceptional. Gary Robson makes a convincing Gomez, the father, but Dolly May was born for the part of his wife Morticia, it would seem, and the chemistry between them was magnetic. Likewise for Wednesday, played so utterly wonderfully by Grace Sheridan, and the object of her desires, Lucas, in which Oscar Thorley played with superb ease; if Oscar is his name, well, he should win one!

In contrast to the family traits, Lucasโ€™ parents Lucy Burgess and Simon Hoy presented them with professional quality, particularly when their influences are altered by the course of the narrative. Then you have the steadfast extra family members, pouring the comedy into it, such as the Grandma, Debby Wilkinson, whose haunting cackle alone would be plentiful for comic effect, without the need for her grinning smirks and ambling around the stage.

Cameron Williams plays Frankensteinโ€™s Prometheus butler Lurch, who is still amazing, despite having nothing but a growl, because thereโ€™s a twist, at the end, and Iโ€™ll say no more. The troubled son Pugsley, played with magic by Georgia Saunders is key to a plot twist, and is so convincing in the relationship with his sister, she may as well be a sibling to Grace.ย 

Attending a dress rehearsal has slight differences to the actual show, one thing you wouldnโ€™t see at the show was when, at the interval, Ben Griffiths-Mills, who plays the disturbingly innocent Uncle Fester, came to address the director Lyn Taylor, who happened to be sitting beside me. The Addams Family is more music and fun than spooky, the most shocking part of my evening was not in the show, rather when Ben spoke in his normal voice to Lyn, as I was so utterly convinced by his sublime performance as Fester, I expected him to speak with the quirky high-pitched accent of Fester! And this sums the experience up, so credible it is, I had to remind myself these were actors in character; in that, Thing wasn’t wandering around the school at night, and if forced to pick a favourite, Uncle Ben Fester would probably be it!

Such is the attention to detail, I reveal thereโ€™s not just a random collective of excellent dancers too, but theyโ€™re separate characters of the ghostly ancestors the Addams have venerated, and each dances around their crypts according to their back stories and fate; the program identifies them, and the cast highlight the show.

Iโ€™ve mentioned the dubious double-meaning of the word โ€˜amateurโ€™ used in the term โ€˜amateur dramaticsโ€™ before, being a noun for โ€˜unprofessionalโ€™ doesnโ€™t necessarily mean the subject it refers to is โ€˜rubbish,โ€™ as second definitions suggest. I did so in a review of a Devizes Musical Theatre production, because, while everyone volunteers, the standard, attention to detail, and production values are so high you could assume youโ€™re at the West End. This notion has never been more relevant than with their latest production, The Addams Family Musical; if youโ€™re going, youโ€™re in for a treatโ€ฆand definitely not a trick.

When people come to see ’em, They really are a scream, The Addams Family may not have the same box office clout as Devizes Musical Theatre producing a Disney fairy-tale; thereโ€™s a few tickets left for a performance which usually sells out. Do not be distracted by the quirky choice of production, as this was DMT at their very best.

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Agricultural Appropriation with Monkey Bizzle

There’s no sophomore slump for Monkey Bizzle; prolific in their art, these rural chav-choppers return with a second album, Agricultural Appropriation, only five years and a kazillion bongs after their debut, Idiot Music, and it be gurt lush, shaggerโ€ฆ.

Not on the guesstimate I’ve passed a thousand plays of Oi Mate, their tune from Idiot Music about the ultimate scrounger, and figured these guys know a blagger when they see one, rather on the grounds I laughed out loud more times at the opening tune than I’ve laughed at any comedy song, ever, possibly combined, I brought this album rather than requested a review copy; it’s going in my personal collection, even if you can’t skin up on an mp3.

Legend has it Malmesbury’s Corky coined the term agricultural hip hop. Brilliant though he is at penning and acoustically delivering an original, his showstoppers are usually parodies of hip hop classics; think gangster’s paradise and change to Ginsters, for example. Questioning if we’re in the same ballpark here, because Monkey Bizzle are 100% original and, save the odd spoken sample or dodgy scratch, they’re backed by a bone fide band. It’s more than rap with a capital C. Not much more but definitely more.

Monkey Bizzle, ready for court!

So, if the term is founded, we could debate the boundaries of agricultural hip hop till the cows come home, literally; ie, if you’re producing hip hop and live rurally, does it automatically class your output as agricultural hip hop? The opening title track therefore either ponders if they’re guilty of โ€œagricultural appropriationโ€ being, while dwelling rurally, they’re not farmers, as is the common misinterpreted stereotype in urban areas where hip hop trends, or, more likely, it’s just a self-deprecating exercise with hilarious consequences, as it is with many of the their songs.

In 1985 Derek Showard, or GrandMixer DXT said โ€œthe Bronx is the home of hip hop,โ€ not Bridgwater, but we’ve come this far from NY hommies, and a melting pot of west country banter, folk and scrumpy, is fine, if slightly polluted. Monkey Bizzle dived in, and the result is as funny as it is accomplished. For while they’re more Grandmaster Smelly Mel than Melle, and more whole mouth than tongue-in-cheek, still they manage to rock a rhyme that’s right on time, and that’s not just tricky, it’s tr-tr-tr-tricky, trrrrrrrrrrricky, apparently. One certainty, Monkey Bizzle keeps it realz on a geographical level close to us, and with West Country banter as twisted as it generally is, this is as raw as it could be. This album is  dope in more ways than one, and exceptionally well produced.

It’s backed sometimes by a ska offbeat, others the wailing guitar riffs of much of Caucasian hip hop-rock crossover, and boom bap, though they’d probably titter if you plural it to โ€œbaps.โ€ It’s as if Viz creator Chris Donald joined A Tribe Called Quest at Glastonbury, as the absolute filth knows no bounds, but is waxed lyrical with definite perfection. They couldn’t even hold back for the customary ballad; needless to say any song with lines like โ€œyou’ve got nits in your bits but I don’t give a shit,โ€ and โ€œI’m never gonna stop licking around your welly-topโ€ is not the song I would advise you to play in a romantic setting. But, laugh, you will. 

There’s separate odes to getting high and the fateful just popping out for a pint after work scenario. There’s one tune about a guy called Bubbles, who makes The Shaman’s Ebenezer Goode look like Cliff Richard, another appears to be a homage to shopping at Lidl, with the genius rhyming of โ€œLidlโ€ with โ€œmiddle,โ€ and one about a technophobe trying to operate the camera on their phone, questioning the worth of it all.

The disambiguation of the ironic slang โ€œillโ€ in hip hop as a positive is switched far too literally. There’s an overload of bravado as the genre requires and quips aplenty dissing their rivals, The Skimmity Hitchers, where any turf war doesn’t get dirtier than accusations of shagging badgers.ย 

But if there’s any likeliness of west country rural hip hop as a contender, convincing and earning respect from city hip hop aficionados, rather than ever remaining just a comical displacement, it’s the final tune, The Cypher. Without topic it’s a nine-minute freestyle collaboration with a host of rappers, none stating their rural or urban environment; Dr. Syntax, Cecil McFarrell Aka Mr Vocab, Chiman 101, Ez Dickens, Samantics, Finn Kinnara, Tatty MC & Fake Dave, all of whom I must research, and our favourite Bristol boom bappers The Scribes. Perhaps this flips the agricultural appropriation concept on its head, asking provided they had fun entertaining, which I couldn’t imagine them not,  if it matters at all and if anyone gives two fucks where a rapper resides, town or country.

Of course, there will always be a renounced Welsh rapping clan, UK comedy hip hop acts will always be likened to, but who’s zooming who in a world where comedy has been evident in hip hop since its inception? Think the Treacherous Three’s Santa Rap in Beat Street, along with a young Doug E. Fresh, and the plethora of carefree lyrics from De La Soul to English reggae’s legendary fast-styler Smiley Culture.

The jury is out, perhaps Agricultural Appropriation has a hidden philosophy, perhaps it lays down the possibility rural hip hop can be accepted by city folk, perhaps it’s even the album to break those boundaries, but definitely and more simply, it’s a hilarious riot, a mixture of off-colour deadpan and comedy rap, and a damn entertaining listen; I pissed me pants giggling while in backspin and sprayed the crowd like Charlie Dimmockโ€™s garden sprinkler, mate.

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Doctor Faustus Sells His Soulโ€ฆ. in Devizes!

Featured Image:@jenimeadephotography

Just another rainy Saturday afternoon in Devizes, whereby I watched a profound fellow dramatically sacrifice himself to the devil, then popped to Morrisons for a Toblerone! The supermarket felt insignificant and plastic after the epic conclusion of Doctor Faustus at the Wharf Theatre, which opens on Monday 26th and runs until Saturday 31st Januaryโ€ฆ..

Treated to the final dress rehearsal, as our regular theatrical scribe Ian Diddams is stuffing a bucketload of Rice Krispies in this one, of which one couldnโ€™t fail to notice! Marvellous as it is to pay Devizesโ€™ one and only cosy theatre a visit, it leaves me in the dilemma that Iโ€™ve not the extensive theatre knowledge which Ian has, therefore, you have to make do with me simply saying what I like, or donโ€™t.

Image @jenimeadephotography

In this case itโ€™s the former. My mind is, with its lack of education for classic theatre, still contemplating exactly how fantastic director Liz Seabourne and her team has presented this astounding play, and the more it boggles the greater the levels of fantastic I unearth, converting me to thespian; hand me some white tights! Even though the character Dr Faustus is damned, this is another damn fine production from our wonderful theatre, rich in lighting effects, amazing costumes and makeup, and a sublime original soundtrack from our master of electronica, Moray McDonald.

Image @jenimeadephotography

Born Catholic, English sixteenth century playwright Christopher โ€œKitโ€ Marlowe, of whom scholars suggest greatly influenced Shakespeare, was reputed to be an atheist and thereโ€™s a lot in the content of Dr Faustus which implies this. Whilst it doesnโ€™t criticise religion outright in the modern sense, it certainly lampoons it, with the Pope getting a kick up the backside, for example.

Dr John Faustus condemns the academics of the science and philosophy of his era and justifies turning his hand to the dark arts, but religion he cannot escape from. Played with certain perfection by Pete Wallis, Faustus is tricky to relate to, a Renaissance egotistical Germanic tyrant, characteristics usually reserved for an antagonist; I wondered if Trump might identify with him better than I. Yet, there’s something humble about his yearning, in his curious nature for the unorthodox, to fulfil a quest of celebrity status, like a sixteenth century Vanilla Ice. Still, I couldnโ€™t help feeling the ponce made his bedโ€ฆ.  

Image @jenimeadephotography

Bit dodgy, he summons a human-despising conceited demon, Mephistopheles, played with absolute magnificence by Charlotte Howard. Mephistopheles acts as a kind of Cruella de Vil agent to the devil, who encourages Faustus to sign a contract with his blood; his soul for unlimited magic, which he treks the known world with, entertaining Kings and Emperors like Paul Daniels discovered voodoo. Though Mephistopheles is no Debbie McGee. Without too many spoilers, it doesn’t end well for Faustus, who learns thereโ€™s only one way out, once his twenty-four year contract with the devil expires, and itโ€™s not a gold watch.ย 

Image @jenimeadephotography

If this Elizabethan forbidden thrill-seeker, overloaded with as many theatrical tricks as devils and demons, sounds seriously dark and gothic, it certainly is, but not without hilariously timeless comedy, brilliantly diluting the tragedy. Thereโ€™s occasions when itโ€™s virtually pantomime, when the devil, played with radiant vaudeville evilness by Oli Beech, a far cry from the panto dameโ€™s sidekick at Christmas, personifies the seven deadly sins as a circus cabaret to tempt the Doc, and upon the thievery of one of Faustusโ€™ spell books by two commoners, played side-splittingly like stereotypical moonrakers by Jessica Phillips and Ian Diddams. It is these elements which brings the archaic seriousness down a peg and makes this play equally suitable for those, like me, not so clued up on classic plays.

Image: Mij Hazel

As the many earthbound or spiritual side-characters come and go with pace, the thirteen strong performers cover various parts, and those unmentioned so far, Chris Smith, Alison Andre, Emma Comfort, Cathay Chappell, Julie Baker, Paul Snook, Sam Burrows and Amy Chappelle also require the highest of praise; there is so much work put into this, the mind, as I stated earlier, is still boggling. It entertained me, and I strongly suspect it will be some significant time before my mind stops boggling about it, way past the lifespan of the Toblerone!    

Bag yourself some tickets for this HERE, unless you’re a demon!

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Serenโ€™s New Single; Worm

Thereโ€™s a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westburyโ€™s singer-songwriter Serenโ€™s debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she usesโ€ฆ

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Local Author’s Book Reveals Why Devizine Isn’t Funny Anymore

Devizine can reveal how a new book by a local author might possibly be the reason why Devizine isn’t as funny as it used to beโ€ฆ.

Devizine, it used to be funny, but sadly it seems it’s not so much anymore. Who took the banana skin from under its flip-flop? Who failed to give it a raspberry on the bouncy belly? Editor and creator of Devizine, Darren Worrow might have discovered why.

He said, โ€œIt’s a disgrace. This so-called author Darren Worrow has channelled all his pathetic attempts at humour into his new book Murder at the Scribbling Horse, and hardly bothered sharing anything the slightest bit amusing here on Devizine, as he once did; typical liberties from a loony leftie! And now he expects me to blow my own trumpet and sing his praises; what a pretentious twat! Shamelessly plugging his own book on his own website is surely proof.โ€

โ€œSet in the fictional Wiltshire market town of Slapam-on-the-Fye, which is nothing like any real Wiltshire market town you might know of, it claims to be a murder-mystery, but the only true thing it murders is English literature.โ€

โ€œNeither is there any subtlety in it either, like there is with Devizine,โ€ Worrow waffled on sorrowfully wallowing. โ€œWorrow takes no prisoners, has gone all out and created an absolute work of filth; an offensive joke book with a sham narrative, just so he can say disgusting things about various celebrities, politicians and anyone else he doesnโ€™t like, despite the good honest work they’re doing to keep Britain free from logic and empathy.โ€

โ€œWith the mouth of a sailor, it downright disregards any level of intelligence locals might possess, and paints them all as so utterly idiotic the narration of the story has to be conveyed through the point of view of the pub dog; I donโ€™t think thatโ€™s funny at all. The dog is a depressing nihilist, who uses the opportunity to put the human world to rights, rather than getting on with telling the story, thatโ€™s why it stacks up over 500 pages. 500 plus pages of meandering woke filth, I might add.โ€

โ€œUsing a facade of a murder mystery, in which the frontman to a tribute act is murdered in the pub whilst they organise a fundraising music festival, as the plot thickens like moulded yogurt around his genitalia, it goes as far as disgracefully making a mockery out of petty local politics too. It’s the biggest crime against pop since David Bowie and Mick Jaggerโ€™s cover of Dancing in the Street. I’d rather lick that yogurt off than buy this book, but that’s probably what this sick perverted tyrant wants us to do.โ€

โ€œYou’re not going to enjoy reading it, as tea can scold you if dropped in your lap through laughing too much. Therefore I call upon Steer Karma and the government to ban this book for health and safety reasons.โ€

โ€œThis thing wouldnโ€™t have been published under Farage, you know? And thousands of flagpoles will now have to be erected to counteract the unpatriotic damage done, at the taxpayer’s expense too.โ€

The author of the book, Darren Worrow, rebukes comments made by the Devizine editor, Darren Worrow. โ€œThat guy is as thick as a Boxing Day turd and pissing into the wind,โ€ he said. โ€œOther than the fact I have released a new book, the rest is slanderous lies and Devizine will be hearing from my lawyers. Murder at the Scribbling Horse is a fascinating psychological study and critique of the modern world, questioning our nonacceptance of aging and the social and political issues it raises; with added knob jokes.โ€

The author became irate, claiming, โ€œfor eight long years I’ve been tirelessly promoting everyone else for peanuts. I’ve not even had the opportunity of taking a bath since, and I look like a Yeti past its sell by date. It’s about time I thought about myself for a change, and everyone can bloody well return the favour by buying my book!โ€

Eighties post-punk sensations Johnny Bunion and the Verrucasโ€™ most successful album, The Legend of Castle Grey Scholl, 1981.

Whatever happened to Johnny Bunion? His legend burnt out long before his candle ever did.

But the more pressing question must be, was it connected to the murder at the Scribbling Horse public house in the narrow-minded Wiltshire market town of Slapam-on-the-Fye, some forty plus years later? And if so, how?

To answer this you’ll need to research, and my book, Murder at the Scribbling Horse will be the only way to do that.

If there’s ever any proceeds from the book, they will go to a much needed new Lynx Africa deodorant set, and a Brazilian back, sack and crack wax for the obnoxious author; the twat needs it, he looks like Posie from the Flumpsโ€™ rustic vajazzle.

Seriously though, being funny is the only thing I’m serious about. If you laughed at any part of this internal press release you’re a bit weird, and the ideal target audience for my book! You’re going to laugh a kazillion times (thatโ€™s a zillion zillions) more with a copy Murder at the Scribbling Horse in your grubby mitts. And even if youโ€™ve no sense of humour, you know a good Christmas present idea when you see one!

You can buy the paperback online here. And the e-book here. It’s out for global distribution but buying direct from Lulu cuts out the middle man and gives the best royalties to the authors.ย 

Not for sale to children or the over sensitive, though; as if I needed to say!

Murder at the Scribbling Horse is available at Devizes Books for a reduced price of ยฃ20, and next Saturday 22nd November, I’ll be in the shop praying to the Norse god of biscuits someone might stop by and purchase a signed copy at the super reduced price of ยฃ20!

If you cannot make it, you can message me and I’ll personally deliver you a copy if you live locally. I still need to work out posting & packaging costs, so message me if it needs posting and Iโ€™ll let you know about that asap. Happy reading…well, I say that but do I really mean it, I mean, really?!

Trending…..

Don’t Click on Illegal Rave Rage-Bait!

The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! What the actual F are they trying to prove with their negative coverage of an illegal rave, when tax-dodging billionaires ripped a financial hole into the country, politicalย extremists march causingโ€ฆ

Darren Worrow's avatar by Darren Worrow

Devizes Music Academy returns with uplifting production of Sister Act!ย 

Devizes Music Academy is set to bring joy, energy and a whole lot of sparkle to the stage with its latest musical theatre production,ย Sister Actย later this week…..ย  Following the outstanding success of previous productionsย SIXย andย Everybodyโ€™s Talking About Jamie, the Academy continues its run of ambitious, high-quality youth theatre with this feel-good favourite, based on the much-lovedโ€ฆ

Darren Worrow's avatar by Darren Worrow

Three Crowns, One New Stage, and a Fake Family

Easter 2026: I could speculate The Three Crowns was still the place to be in Devizes, but thought it best to check! I’m not the gathering-shit-from-Facebook type journalist, pal, I’m the milkman who needs an unwinding cider or six on a Saturday. I took matters into my own hands; things I must endure for theโ€ฆ

Darren Worrow's avatar by Darren Worrow

โ€œA Bunch of Amateursโ€ at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, October 13th-18th 2025.

by Ian Diddams
images by Chris Watkins Media and Ian Diddams


Whilst probably best known for his editorship of โ€œPrivate Eyeโ€ magazine and thirty-five years as a team captain on the BBCโ€™s wonderfully satirical โ€œHave I Got News For Youโ€, Ian Hislop has also over time turned his focus to screen and playwriting. Amongst the five plays he has co-written probably the widest known is the one that has also been made into a film which starred Burt Reynolds, โ€œA Bunch of Amateursโ€. This week the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, performs the stage play albeit without Burt Reynolds!

The general plot of the play is a simple one โ€“ ageing, fading, Hollywood ex-A lister signs up to star in Shakespeareโ€™s โ€œKing Learโ€ at โ€œStratfordโ€ to find that in fact it isnโ€™t the Royal Shakespeare Company he will be performing at, but a village hall one hundred and seventy miles away at โ€œStratford in Pigshitโ€, where the local amateur dramatic society are trying one last dig at surviving by attracting a celebrity to perform with them to boost ticket sales.

The play’s style and plot follows in the grandest traditions of British comedies of creating a nonsensical scenario and running with it as if it was thoroughly possible, with the usual hilarious misunderstandings, fallings-out and fallings-in along the way before a glorious finale where everything pans out perfectly and everyone is happy ever after.

Directed by Lyn Taylor, there is a delicious irony โ€“ or indeed really homage โ€“ in a play about an amateur company being put on by an amateur companyโ€ฆ and here we can look at that label โ€œamateurโ€. As an adjective to the noun โ€œdramaticsโ€ the combined term often has a negative inference amongst many, but the reality is such consideration is to malign high standard productions and consummately skilled performances. To quote from a google search on the etymology of โ€œamateurโ€

โ€˜The word “amateur”ย comes from the French โ€œamateurโ€, which in turn comes from the Latin โ€œamฤtorโ€, meaning “lover”.ย It originally described a person who loves and practices an activity for the passion of it, rather than for money.โ€™

And there is the nub of it all โ€“ in this play, โ€œKing Learโ€ is being performed by a group of people that are doing so through love for the art form, and of course Lynโ€™s direction and perfect casting has brought together a group of amateurs performing this play for love of the art form. And talking of cast โ€ฆ

Gary Robson plays the allegedly professional Jefferson Steel, contracted to play King Lear himself, encapsulating the arrogance and insouciance of the Hollywood star in self denial to his waning star. He embraces the personality shift of his characterโ€™s journey from self centred egoist to life embracing acceptor bringing a palpable warmth to Steelโ€™s persona. Steelโ€™s daughter, Jessica, is delightfully and impishly played by Megan Hughes who herself moves her characterโ€™s unforgiving, surly teenager to loving offspring while taking the opportunities presented her with aplomb, as we can see mirrored in her deserved inclusion in the cast.

The inevitable ultimate love interest is superbly provided by Ange Davis as Dorothy Nettle, director of “King Lear”. Ange really drives the show along as the pivotal character for decisions and actions within the plot and she delivers this smoothly and thoroughly believably, with warmth and understanding when portraying Dorothyโ€™s insecurities allied to the protagonistโ€™s passion. Dorothyโ€™s total opposite within the company is Nigel Dewbury, excellently represented by Matt Bragg as the loathsome, self promoting and supercilious solicitor with pretensions. Its kudos to Matt that he has created a perfectly toe curling portrayal of Nigel, as well as sporting an extremely fine collection of bow ties during the show!

Two more depictions of lovers of their art, both full of over the top keenness and desire to become closely associated with Steele are from Steve Brookes as handyman and low key jobsworth Denis Dobbins, and Claire Abraham as local B&B owner Mary Plunkett. Steveโ€™s comic timing for Dennisโ€™ daft ideas is sublime, and his mobility scooter driving skills are thoroughly fine tuned to boot! Claire is simply brilliant with her initially gushing and fawning spinster acting, turning to surly and spurned grump!

But all productions need finances and so enter stage left Louisa Davison as the slightly slimy, cocksure marketing type Lauren Ball whose husbandโ€™s brewery is bankrolling Steelโ€™s visit, with appropriately named bottled beers including โ€œKing Beerโ€! Louisa encapsulates Laurenโ€™s executive-going-nowhere-slowly persona with ease and aplomb.

The whole show is kept smoothly on the rails by Stage Manager Jess Sneider who also arranged the genuine beer bottle labels mentioned above, with tech delivered perfectly as ever by โ€œThe Tech Teamโ€ on the simple but highly effective set built by John Winterton and his team and all wrapped up with music by Sam Warner.

โ€œA Bunch of Amateursโ€ is a simple to follow, laugh out loud, gentle and inoffensive comedy that will appeal to everybody โ€“ it’s easily worth the two hours plus interval of your life to sit back and enjoy the silliness in the lovely Wharf Theatre, Devizes.


โ€œA Bunch of Amateursโ€ runs from October 13th to 18th at 7.30pm each evening, and tickets are available from https://www.wharftheatre.co.uk/show/a-bunch-of-amateurs/

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festivalโ€“ Mark Watson โ€“ Corn Exchange – Friday 13th June 2025

Welsh Favourite Comes to Devizes

Andy Fawthrop

The Devizes Arts Festival came up with another of its heavy hitters last night with a packed house at The Corn Exchange, all ready to welcome comedian Mark Watson to the town.

Mark Watson is an English comedian, novelist and producer.ย  Born in Bristol of a Welsh mother and English father, he has adopted a somewhat Welsh lilt in his delivery.ย  Heโ€™s won a number of comedy awards and is well known from his frequent appearances on TV, as well as being a Radio 4 regular.

Introducing himself, Mark climbed on stage to do an introductory 10-15 minutes before bringing on his support act for the night โ€“ Vicky Slater.  Projecting a slightly larger-than-life persona, Vicky delivered her material well, but Iโ€™m not sure that quite all of it landed.  Her tales of coming out as gay were delightful and amusing, rather than particularly hilarious.  She at least avoided the current lazy habit some up-and-coming comedians have of trying to pick on audience members in order to prompt some witty improv, and instead stuck to her own original material.  Respect for that. She was slightly rambling and incoherent in places, but she gradually won the audience over.

After a slightly short first half and an early interval, the main man was back to deliver his set.  Mark kicked off with comparing how difficult it was being a stand-up comedian versus, say, being a brain surgeon or, prompted by an audience member, a menopause therapist.  His key criteria for the comparisons were, aside from the training and basic aptitude, the amount of sheer stress and anxiety that such an activity could induce.

This was all by way of introduction to his first main theme โ€“ stressful situations in ordinary life.  But this was no feeble Michael Macintyre โ€œobservational comedyโ€, laughing at โ€œisnโ€™t it funny whenโ€ฆ?โ€ type comments.  This was full of little anecdotes of his own personal experience that everyone could easily relate to โ€“ flying with a small airline, getting into a car thinking it was an Uber (when it wasnโ€™t), asking for help in Tesco (from someone who wasnโ€™t even an employee), dealing with a homeless man (who began to take advantage), interacting with chat-bots online (who seemed very concerned for his continued welfare after once buying some towels a few years previously), and coping with his son whose only apparent language capability seemed to be through frequent WhatsApp messages.  The situations were carefully crafted and set up before the always droll and almost exasperated punchlines.

His second โ€œthemeโ€ (if I can call it that) was around the โ€œcorporateโ€ gigs heโ€™s sometimes had to do, particularly the waste-processing and meat-processing industries.  The latterโ€™s โ€œMeat Management Awardsโ€ provided a rich vein that he mined repeatedly for jokes about sausages and how heโ€™d become โ€œan advocate for natural casingsโ€.

Against his own better judgement, heโ€™d been persuaded to use ChatGPT to create a self-description, and it had come up with โ€œa breathless delivery by a neurotic personalityโ€, and even he had to admit that it wasnโ€™t too far from the truth.  And Iโ€™d agree.  Watson came across as genuinely curious about the world, bemused by modern technology, amazed by other people, and surprised by how much of modern life created stressful situations for him.  And out of this melting pot there came a genuinely funny man.  He was self-deprecating, very natural and โ€“ no doubt about it โ€“ absolutely hilarious.

Absolute top marks to Mr Watson and to the Devizes Arts Festival for booking him.ย  Top notch. Findย  out more at www.markwatsonthecomedian.com/ย ย 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until the night of Sunday 15th June at various venues around the town.  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at  www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk  

New Single: Phil Cooper Still Holding His Breath

If Phil Cooperโ€™s 2018 โ€œThoughts and Observations,โ€ was one of the first albums we ever reviewed here on Devizine, itโ€™s been a while since Iโ€™ve been able to say โ€œa new single from Phil Cooper,โ€ but here we are, and itโ€™s a great place to beโ€ฆ..

As the name suggested โ€œThoughts and Observations,โ€ as Philโ€™s songwriting template, in general, is relatable personal reflection which often provides pointers for his audience, it was brimful of such, and while the new single Still Holding My Breath does likewise, it offers a matured side to Philโ€™s convictions. Plus, it rides that cool acoustic value we know and love him for, remarkably well.

Thereโ€™s a definite and poignant message of perseverance here, opening with the line โ€œlook out world, Iโ€™m here to stay,โ€ and a measure of success whereby the creative mind must continue nonetheless. As is Luke 6:38, the songโ€™s indispensable line, โ€œI still believe the more you put in the more you will get in return,โ€ rewards any labour of love for the hard worker with the notion to keep at it.

Phil is one such hard worker who I see setting himself high goals, and in embarking on many projects, some formulated, others more experimental, has had varied success with them. Perhaps none more than his grouping with Jamie R Hawkins and Tamsin Quin as The Lost Trades. If this modern folk harmony trio has achieved more than the sum of all their parts as individuals, it is with hard work they’ve achieved so and with an โ€œa little help from my friends,โ€ sentiment evident in the depths of this song, and more visually with the excellent accompanying video made by Jamie. The song is, besides the labour applied to The Lost Trades, something wholeheartedly solitary, an introverted savoury sentiment.ย It’s nice to see them take a short break from the trio in order to align themselves once again with their separate identities, as they were before the dawn of The Lost Trades all remarkable within their own rights.

I believe the hard work has paid off for Phil, relatively, making me wonder what his expectations or goals are, what he dreams to achieve, being Still Holding My Breath suggests quintessentially he still has โ€œbarriersโ€ to overcome, but a single this good is surely proof of his worth; it is a valuable song. And in that, this is more an outward facing concept, delivering a message to us.

To the artist personally, do take a deep breath, itโ€™s an outstanding song, Phil; inspiringly evolved from everything which has gone before it. To everyone else, decide for yourself by taking a listen!

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Harmony Asia Can Do This

Itโ€™s a question Iโ€™ve asked Chippenham singer-songwriter Harmony Asia on each rare occasion I catch her for a chat; if sheโ€™s planning to capture aโ€ฆ

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Autumn-Winter Comedy in Devizes

Comedy in Devizes is a rare thing, unless you count visitors turning right at the Shaneโ€™s Castle junction, reading opinions on the Devizes Issues (but better) Facebook group, and the total legend who once climbed on top of the Roses faรงade to drive the lawnmower mounted up there. But we do have three upcoming comedy gigs to look forward to this autumn-winter; chickens, crossing roads….

Firstly, thereโ€™s two at the Exchange fundraising for the Mayorโ€™s Appeal. One is on Thursday the 3rd October. The โ€˜Ginger Viking’ Chris Brooker is compรจre and it features Pierre Hollins, Neil McFarlane and promises guests.ย 

Expect a mixture of brilliant stand up and ditties. Pierre can move from the glaringly obvious to the sublime with frightening ease and describes himself as โ€˜โ€™far-fetched and slightly dangerous.โ€ A comedian and guitar noodler who has supported Lenny Henry and Rory Bremner, and toured with The Flying Pickets, Willie Rushton & Barry Cryer.

Neil McFarlane is a regular act at the highly-regarded Stand Comedy Clubs in Glasgow & Edinburgh. He now performs in locations across the length and breadth of the British Isles, attracting widespread concern. Allow him gently to divert you from the horrific truth of your own existential plight and occasionally use the word โ€˜seepageโ€™.

Hopefully this will keep us giggling until Thursday 12th December, when the second instalment arrives, again with all proceeds going to the Mayorโ€™s Appeal.

Mirth Control’s Geoff Whiting is compรจre this time around, with Alan Francis, Samantha Day and guests. The List described Alan as โ€œbrazen, dark and clever!โ€ Winner of Channel 4โ€™s ‘So you Think Youโ€™re Funny’ at the Edinburgh Festival, Alan is regular on the UK and International Comedy Circuit, appearing on TV’s Mid Morning Matters, Psychoville, with Alan Partridge, Knowing Me Knowing Yule, Alistair McGowanโ€™s Big Impression, Ancona and Co., Alas Smith and Jones, The BBC Stand-Up Show, the Alan Davies Show, Alexei Sayleโ€™s Stuff and Between the Lines.

Samantha explores everything from sex and money, to pronouns and social media โ€” come and find out if you were smart enough to be born at the right time. Comedy Store King Gong Winner and SCF New Comedian of the Year (2022).

Tickets are ยฃ12.00 adv / ยฃ15.00 on the door. Tickets available at Devizes Books, Vinyl Realm and The British Lion, in Marlborough at Sound Knowledge and online HERE.

Between these two, if the comedy moments do wear off, Devizes Arts Festival has a special autumn night of laughs at the Corn Exchange on Friday 8th November. Headline act Hal Cruttenden is one of the top touring stand-up comedians working in the UK. He has made several appearances on โ€˜Live at the Apolloโ€™, โ€˜Have I got news for you,โ€™ โ€˜The Royal Variety Performanceโ€™, โ€˜Would I Lie To Youโ€™ , โ€˜The One Showโ€™ โ€˜The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Sliceโ€™ and โ€˜The Apprentice: Youโ€™re Fired.โ€™ Hal as completed six nationwide toursโ€ฆ.   He is also a highly accomplished writer and actor.

Alieen McQueen, Steve Williams and Geoff Whiting, compรจre for the December gig also makes an appearance here. Tickets for this one can be found HERE, and are ยฃ12.

You could, potentially, do all these and youโ€™d be loaded with gags to ruin trying to tell your mate at work, or I could tell you my camel joke for free, if you like, but if youโ€™ve heard it onceโ€ฆ..

what else is happening, dude?

Chandra Likely To Go Boom!

Buzzwords, like โ€œturbo,โ€ or โ€œsonicโ€ are cliche, overused trends which gain popularity because they sound impressive, even if they are empty of meaning. I avoidโ€ฆ

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Marlborough, I’ve Seen Your Pants

โ€œWe can’t stop here. This is Tory country,โ€ I chuckled while fiercely yanking the handbrake, as if Dr Gonzo was in the car. We can say that now, (wink!)

One can be infamous on Marlborough’s Facebook group by not applying sufficient handbrake on the High Street, as if K.I.T.T had a blonde moment. But I’m not here for that. I want to see their Pantsโ€ฆ.

Memories flood my neurons as I saunter to the Parade; shirking in Waitrose for a measly ยฃ2.20 per hour, hoping to get off with a goth girl outside the Dragon on New Years Eve, waiting for an older mate to return with a bottle, hiding down the alley where Victoria Wine once stood. The majority of shop facades have changed, the rest remains the same, even the most uninspiring nugget of hip hop graffiti the world over, on the wall of the alley. It’s offended the cliquey since the eighties, I checkedโ€ฆyep, fading but still there.

Same deal down the Parade, much the same, save The Crown is now โ€œDan’s,โ€ and they’ve a posh looking cinema. Years I spent in Marlborough, no flicks, moved to Devizes where they had one, it shuts down and one opens in Marlborough. Maybe I jinxed it.

Many of those fond memories are located in the Lamb, once Vyv and Jackie’s flagship Waddies. One from the mid-nineties when we gathered to see โ€œMoose’s new band,โ€ which we had high hopes for, knowing the giant goth Moose Harris was in New Model Army and The Damned. Surprised but drunkenly amused upon them delivering a set of pop covers in a heavy metal fashion, whereby the theme to Bob the Builder was their showstopper!

Pants was supposed to be a one-off joke, a Marlborough Spinal Tap, but that knob jockey Jim Davidson is still touring, why not perpetually repeat their nonsensical gag? It never seems to wear thin, if it ever had any depth!

Undoubtedly the funniest interview we’ve done was with Pants, when they played the landlord’s retirement, but morso I ran it because I knew it’d be as funny as fuck, and it was..

Significant because Pants is a Lamb exclusive, a Marlborough thing. No one else would dare book them, and equally it’s likely they wouldn’t be arsed to play there! Would the new management be as inviting to this bizarre and self-deprecating ritual? Would they continue their legendary live music rep in Marlborough?

Glad to report they’ve improved on it. Less sporadic, live music is now weekly, the back of the yard has a summer ankle stage, and there’s a communal and hospitable atmosphere. Such is this community feel, the sound man for Pants, Lee Mathews has his own band supporting, The Vooz, and local legendary drummer Dan Tozer is drumming for both.

The Vooz kicks the proceedings into gear. It’s high-energy contemporary punker pop covers neatly delivered with enough gusto for four bands in one, and sprinkled with some originals, such as one about getting wasted outside Swindon’s Brunel Rooms, indicating there’s a historic penchant for the lively and swearing for swearing sake hairdressing frontman. Lee is a force of nature, providing only vocals he bounds around the stage, banters on a local level, posing for selfies with nipples on show, and generally raises a roof even if there isn’t one; a legend in his own shirt.

Yeah, archetypal are the singalong covers, Arctic Monkeys, Green Day, and a Lemonheads version of Mrs Robinson, but it’s entertainingly tongue-in-cheek and proficient; apt for what’s to come, especially the comical Kylie cover!

With anticipation brewing, Pants took their time to set up, reminding me somewhat of the Dolly Parton quote โ€˜it takes a lot of money to look this cheap,โ€™ it takes Pants a lot of prep to sound this shit! I mean, they opened in the black warlock cloaks of a heavy gothic band, only to throw them off and cover Abba’s Mamma Mia with black wig, starry spandex bodysuit and black tape crosses over nipples. And I travelledโ€ฆfor this!

Yeah, I travelled because we share this desire for undervalued self-deprecating and ironically overstated disparagement and weirdly define it as humour. Pants are deliberately shit, that’s the joke, beneath it they’re proficient musicians but that’s the last thing they’ll confess to being. Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band did this, Spinal Tap, Barron Knights, but rarely do we see it today. Things are more lateral, pragmatic now, you’re either a great band, or a shit band pretending to be great, not the opposite.

As darkness fell over Marlborough, the town gathered to catch a glimpse of something as traditional as the Mop Fair. Pants covered every pop classic you wouldn’t want them too, Don’t You Want Me, Turning Japanese, and from Girls Aloud’s Love Machine to Sparks This Town Ain’t Big Enough of Both of Us. Tiger Feet at the finale I’ll give them, but they rolled out medleys of Kung Fu Fighting with You Sexy Thing, they used an out of time hooter for Tainted Love like it was a bloody seventies quiz show with Bob Monkhouse, they did Hey Mickey and the Theme from the Sweeny, for crying out loud, what is wrong with them?!

They tried so hard to make this gig as shit as they possibly could, but even failed to do that. The crowd lapped it up, it was highly entertaining, hilariously tongue-in-cheek, but like a kebab, you need a few pints inside you to fully appreciate the silliness of a Pants show, and being I was drivingโ€ฆStill, I managed more than my quota of laughs.

The Lamb rocks, the Vooz are fantastic and Pants are no Y-fronts, proper comfortable silk boxers. I’m glad I’ve seen them again after thirty plus years, and look forward to 2054 when they’ll hopefully progress from the seventies!

Meanwhile, next Saturday is another Famous Hangover Session at the pub, with a number of bands playing, worth the trip… or try a tea room with Danny K, whatever floats your boat!

Few Remaining Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest at West Lavington Manor House and Garden

Tickets are limited and selling fast for a staged reading of Oscar Wildeโ€™s most renowned comedy masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, performed in the glorious setting of West Lavington Manor House and garden, on Sunday 8th September 2024โ€ฆ.

Itโ€™s undoubtedly Wildeโ€™s magnum opus, a timeless hilarity of dissimulation getting out of control, which I cite as the influence of many classic comedy series, particularly Fawtly Towers and Rising Damp.ย ย 

Itโ€™s a promenade performance, moving from space to space, which means seating will be limited. The โ€˜stageโ€™ consists of the Hall and garden of West Lavington Manor. The show promises to go on whatever the weather, so be prepared.

The Old Bag Theatre Company have assembled a superb, and unconventional cast to bring Wildeโ€™s play to surprising life in a setting he would have adored.

All profits from the performance will be donated to The Nestling Trust,ย  a UK Charity established in 2013, with the support of people from a small community in Wiltshire, to give protection, and hope of a future, for destitute and abused children of Nepal, also to help provide basic healthcare and health education for people living in remote areas of the country without any medical facility.ย 

Performances take place on Sunday 8th September at 2pm and 6pm. The grounds will be open from Midday for browsing and picnics, camp chairs are allowed but not in the house. There will be a bar available. But remember, if you take muffins, eat them calmly!

Tickets are ยฃ20 (includes a glass of bubbly) available from HERE.

Enquiries to: oldbagtheatrecompany@gmail.com

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Lucy Porter + Support @ Corn Exchangeย  6th June 2024

Funny You Should Say That

Andy Fawthrop

And finally it was time to see the girl weโ€™ve all been seeing on the poster for the past few months!ย 

Last night Devizes Arts Festival presented its comedy big-hitter, the radio and TV star Lucy Porter.ย  And D-Town responded with another packed audience.

Lucy Porter is a stand-up comedian, and a regular face and voice on TV and radio panel shows. She loves a good quiz show, appearing on a Pointless Celebrity Special with Ed Byrne and being victorious on Celebrity Mastermind. Sheโ€™s also appeared in QI, Live at the Apollo, Room 101 and heard on BBC Radio 4โ€™s News Quiz.

She handled the start of the first half last night by telling us (perhaps unwisely) that sheโ€™d never been to D-Town before, and therefore felt justified in playing back to us some of the research sheโ€™d managed to dig up.  This was fairly gentle, if predictable, shtick โ€“ poking fun at our โ€œposhโ€ neighbours in Marlborough, relating the Moonrakers story, and throwing in various remarks about the K&A canal, the Caen Hill Flight and something she referred to as the โ€œcanoe marathonโ€.  It was amusing, but not really hitting the target.  Once she put her notes down and started to extemporise a little more, the audience thawed considerably, and the evening began to improve.  Her key task here was to warm the audience up for her chosen support act, and to flag the themes sheโ€™d be covering in the second half.

So it was time to welcome Sharon Wanjohi to the stage.  Sheโ€™s an up and coming stand-up comedian with a varied act ranging from shock to absurd comedy, and has already appeared at a number of festivals and on TV.  Sheโ€™s clearly still learning her craft, but last night she managed to win over an audience that was slightly nervous of someone they werenโ€™t expecting.

Her self-deprecating style, covering themes of personal awakening, both spiritual and sexual, gradually began to hit home.  Asking if there were any black people in the audience, indeed whether being black was even legal in D-Town, began to bring the laughs.  And her interaction with a certain audience member about being lesbian was truly hilarious.  Her set was slightly rambling and disconnected, funny but not hilarious.  But there was no doubting the great reception she received in response to her warm, and sometimes personal, story-telling, and her relaxed easy-going style.  Iโ€™d definitely file her under the โ€œone to watchโ€ category.

And then, finally, after a very long interval, we finally had the star of the show.  Wearing a changed top (โ€œsparkly on top, comfy belowโ€ as she put it), we were treated to a master-class in gentle, apparently rambling associative comedy.  Picking up on the obvious demographic of the audience, she homed in on one audience member who was clearly younger than the rest, and making great show of โ€œexplainingโ€ some of the gags and references (just in case no-one got the point).  She also picked up with Sharon Wanjohiโ€™s interlocutor from the first half, a tactic that worked extremely well.

She hit some obvious targets for a Radio 4 audience โ€“ the menopause, the male mid-life crisis, the desire to retire, increasing health issues.  But she played these well, riffing on her hypochondriac relationship with her GP Margaret (the cancerous spot thast turned out to be Nutella), about doing R2 singalongs with the guys painting her house, and on her thoughts about the โ€œdevelopmentโ€ of Paul Hollywood.  There was a wonderful pastiche of The Sound Of Music and, right at the end, a great punchline about paint involving the chorus of โ€œRelaxโ€.  There were plenty of anecdotes relating to her own general laziness, her long-standing drinking pals, and her tendency to be impulsive.  Her story of just โ€œwinging itโ€ on a mistaken appearance with Melvyn Bragg was superb.

It was, for the most part, very clean and straight-forward stuff.  There was nothing that could be considered โ€œedgyโ€, there was nothing political, and there was (amazingly) no swearing.  As such, it probably kept most of the audience in their comfort zone for most of the time, but it was no less hilarious for all of that.

Overall, it was a good nightโ€™s entertainment, although I expect thereโ€™ll be a LOT of people waking up on Friday morning realising that they now knew what a Gold Star Lesbian is.  Go figure!

Thereโ€™s more information on Lucy at www.lucyporter.co.uk/

Another great night at the Arts Festival, and thanks (yet again) to DAF for bringing such top-notch entertainment to our little town. 

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Dr. Phil Hammond @ Corn Exchangeย  3rd June 2024

by Andy Fawthrop

The Doctor Will See You Now!

Devizes Arts Festival has already got off to a storming start over this last weekend, with performances on Friday from Jolly Roger, Saturday from Lady Nade, and on Sunday from Adam Alexander and Eddy Allen. Some of these weโ€™ve already reviewed here.

So now itโ€™s rolled round to Monday, and itโ€™s time to head out into the first mid-week dates, with a whole variety of stuff to choose from.ย  Last night, and first up of the spoken word big hitters, it was the turn of Dr. Phil Hammond at The Corn Exchange.

I wasnโ€™t sure if was a comment on the current difficulty of getting a GP appointment, but Dr. Philโ€™s waiting room was pretty full, with people eagerly awaiting a consultation with the famous doctor.

Phil is an NHS doctor, journalist, broadcaster, speaker, campaigner and comedian. He currently works at the Bath RUH in a specialist NHS team for young people with long Covid.  Born in the NHS (a slogan emblazoned on his t-shirt, and frequently referenced throughput the set), and brought up in Australia (the Ozzie twang was unmistakeable), he worked in general practice for over twenty years, and has also worked in sexual health. A familiar voice on BBC Radio 4, he has also presented five series of โ€œTrust Me, Iโ€™m a Doctorโ€ on BBC2, encouraging patients to be more involved, assertive and questioning. And finally (a major feather in his cap in my book) heโ€™s also Private Eyeโ€™s medical correspondent, where he broke the story of the Bristol heart scandal in 1992.

Philโ€™s โ€œsurgeryโ€ consisted of two sets – โ€œHow To Fix The NHSโ€โ€™ and โ€œThe Ins And Outs Of Pleasureโ€. 

The first half consisted of both commentary on the NHS, and Dr. Philโ€™s ideas on how it might be improved.ย  Using both his own and patient-generated ideas, the best of which was โ€œforce all MPs and Health Service professionals receive all their treatment in the worst-performing hospitalsโ€, and plenty of enthusiastic audience participation, he addressed current issues in a positive light.ย  His key messages were โ€œprevention rather than cureโ€ (more investment needed upstream) and our individual responsibility for personal health.ย  His model, and mnemonic for the night was (of all things) CLANGERS, which provides daily prompts on healthy behaviour.ย  I might be making it sound a little dry, but it was very far from it.ย  He often had the audience in stitches (is this allowed? โ€“ Ed. Ed’s note; any passing tumbleweeds are your own responsibility, Andy!), with his โ€œhierarchy of cricketing euphemismsโ€ for death (โ€œtaken the short walk to the pavilionโ€), and a gob-smacking tale of โ€œeuthanasia by cling-filmโ€.ย 

The delivery was fast, yet calm, with a take-no-prisoners attitude.  He was self-deprecating, often admitting to his own mistakes (predicting that Covid would cause less deaths than people falling down the stairs) and failures (pronouncing a patient to be dead, who subsequently turned out to be very much alive).  There were plenty of anecdotes from his times as a trainee and a junior whilst at Medical School, quite enough to shock the bejesus out of the audience.

If anything, the second half was even better.  Having posted a trigger warning that it would be quite a bit more graphic and near the bone, it did not disappoint.  โ€œThe Ins and Outs of Pleasureโ€ did what it said on the tin, and addressed issues of sex, orgasms, masturbation and self-pleasuring.  The language was fruity and devoid of euphemism, and soon had the audience squirming with embarrassed nervous laughter.  Being a consummate professional performer, the doctor correctly โ€œread the roomโ€ and sensing that he was perhaps pushing a Monday night audience in D-Town a little too far, very subtly applied the brakes to some of the tougher stuff.  Side-stepping his material via some more personal history, we were soon transitioned into the slightly safer territory of โ€œconsensual cannibalismโ€, the value of having a dog for good mental self-pleasuring, and the joy of โ€œfuck-it Fridaysโ€.  But there was still plenty of time on the side for useful medical advice on the use of cock-rings (get the ones with handles), and things not to put into human orifices.

The general prescription issued last night was for taking control of, and responsibility for, your own mental and physical health.  And my personal takeaway arrived almost at the end of the setโ€“ โ€œlaughter is the best medicine – unless you have syphilis, in which case penicillin is a better betโ€.  Priceless.

A cracking nightโ€™s entertainment โ€“ informative, interesting, and absolutely hilarious.  Another great choice by DAF to bring such performing talent to our town.

If youโ€™d like more info, you can find it at www.drphilhammond.com

The Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 16th June at various venues around the town.ย 

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย 

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Rowdefest 26 Lineup Reveal!

Drizzly Sundayโ€ฆagain. Iโ€™ve just finished designing the poster, so allow me to reveal the lineup for Rowdefest this coming May, might cheer us upโ€ฆ

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Professor Elemental in Session with Madam Misfit and the Real Cheesemakers at The Barge on Honeystreet; 2nd August

Itโ€™s going to be all strawberries and cheese baps in pith helmets swinging in trouserland bedlam, with chap-hop shenanigans galore at the Barge on Honeystreet when Brightonโ€™s whimsical rapper Professor Elemental arrives at the legendary mooring, campsite, and crop circle centre of the world, on Friday 2nd August; expect unpretentious hip hop, expect silly costumes, expect nonsensical rhymesโ€ฆ.

Ah, we love that bobby-dazzler, whoโ€™s colourful suits alone are worth the ticket price. But alongside his crazy capers arrives a new one on me, the chic Madam Misfit, who could only be described as the dame of UK comedy hip hop, a mesh of retrospective gamer, burlesque beauty and jazz queen of any hullabaloo. If chap hop is a thing, so too must there be, erm, flap hop, is it, maybe, I dunno?!  

The pair are joined by Calneโ€™s heavy comical heathens, The Real Cheesemakers. Obsessed with Swindonโ€™s magic roundabout, tortoises and skulls of doom, theyโ€™re a man down so will be scattering acoustic vibes into their loud and proud chants. Look, the comic poster is inciting enough to make Jack Kirby quiver; need I waffle on, darlings?ย 

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Devizes Issues Wants You!

Dubiously biased and ruled with an iron fist, the mighty admin of the once popular Devizes Facebook group, Devizes Issues, is using the iconic Greatโ€ฆ

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Frome Festival Presents a Bumper Programme for All

From the 5th to the 14th July 2024, Frome Festival plans to up the game of this wonderful and lively town with a bumper programme for allโ€ฆ..ย 

In over sixty-one venues across Frome and surrounding villages, Frome Festival is gearing up for its biggest ever programme, with 250 events taking place over 10 days. This yearโ€™s theme celebrates 60 years of Roald Dahlโ€™s โ€˜Charlie & the Chocolate Factoryโ€™, featuring artwork by illustrator Sholto Walker depicting Willy Wonka striding down the streets of Frome. To celebrate this theme, five Golden Tickets will be hidden at various Festival events with winners receiving a scrumdiddlyumptious spending spree at Fromeโ€™s local chocolatier and cafรฉ, Choc et al.

The community arts festival has been a popular fixture in the town since 2001 and aims to offer something for everyone, young and old, including different types of music, theatre, comedy, spoken word, art, dance, film, workshops, childrenโ€™s events, and food or drink experiences. Expect a dash of Fromeโ€™s signature quirkiness!

Children can enjoy bouldering workshops, comic art masterclasses, science exploration of pondlife, theatre productions, a Willy Wonka Rave, outdoor shows and so much more.

And Frome Festival is teaming up with the popular Frome Independent Market on Sunday 7th July, taking over their entertainment stages with music, street theatre, and dance.

Sir Willard White

Headliners for 2024 include internationally acclaimed bass-baritone, Sir Willard White, Jenny Eclair, Richard Herring, Paul Mason, Old Time Sailors, Swinging at the Cotton Club, Alberta Cross, Raghu Dixit, Peatbog Faeries. Alongside one of Fromeโ€™s favourite free events, the Festival Food Feast, returning for a celebration of amazing international street food, live music and entertainment. Sponsored by local Frome company Lilleyโ€™s Cider.

Other highlights include hilarious stand-up comic Jenny Eclair at the Merlin Theatre, the first woman to win the coveted Perrier Award at Edinburgh Festival in 1995 and hasnโ€™t stopped banging on about it since. Indiaโ€™s biggest cultural & musical export, Raghu Dixit is returning to the Cheese & Grain for the Frome Festival after his triumphant debut last year. 

Jenny Eclair

The spectacular Swinging at the Cotton Club is a visual and musical feast paying homage to legends such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie with breathtaking dance routines. In the atmospheric setting of Holy Trinity Church, renowned organ virtuoso David Bednall will provide an improvised soundtrack to the classic 1922 horror movie, Nosferatu.

Thereโ€™s raucous Old Time Sailors, former economics editor of Newsnight and Channel 4 and a regular Guardian contributor, Paul Mason presenting this yearโ€™s Bob Morris Lecture, a keynote speech that is an annual highlight of the Festival programme. Legendary stand-up comic Richard Herring presents his brand-new tour show where he talks bollocks about his recent experience with testicular cancer, at the Cheese & Grain, and Scottish trailblazers Peatbog Faeries also appear at the big Cheese, with a glorious mixture of traditional sounds and dance-floor grooves creating a hypnotic sound that no-one can resist dancing to.

Tickets go on sale from Sunday 19th May at 10am through www.fromefestival.co.ukย 

BROCHURES detailing all events are available to pick up from the Cheese & Grain, local libraries, information points and many other locations across Frome and the surrounding area. An online version of the brochure is available here.

Trending….

Lady Nade; Sober!

Dry January, anyone? Well, Lady Nade just plunged into an outdoor 4ยฐC eucalyptus sauna for a social media reel. But whilst I’d require a stiffโ€ฆ

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Rooks; New Single From M3G

Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward โ€œEโ€) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunesโ€ฆ

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 11th – 17th October 2023

Here I am again, like Huey Lewisโ€ฆ..with the news. No national headlines though, no, thatโ€™s all too depressing, just the lowdown on things to do this coming week across our gurt lush county of agricultural rolling downs, neolithic monuments, and a seemingly endless succession of Greggs bakeriesโ€ฆ..

Okay my little sausage and bean melts, please be aware this is not comprehensive and new events can and might yet still be added to our blossoming, occasionally updating EVENT CALENDAR; they might not be added here, so do check in as regular your digestive system after a vindaloo throughout the week, or you might miss something really up your street. You can also find links to everything mentioned there, and plan ahead.

One other really important thing before we get going, the thing everyone seems to brazenly browse past pretending it didnโ€™t apply to them, we need donations to fund this, so, if you can, please donate a little something to keep us going; awl, thank you. If you love it, donโ€™t lose it, like Bez on a nineties dance floor. For info on how, see HERE.  

Final days to pay a visit to Wiltshire Museum, Devizes, for the Anna Dillon exhibition; reviewed HERE, this ends on October 15th.

Oh, and this above, and this below, clowns, in Chippenham, a must-see!

Wednesday 11th

Regular Acoustic Jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

Calne Music & Arts Festival continues. The Avebury Vocal Ensemble, and a Calne Wordfest Writersโ€™ Group at Marden House during the afternoon, and standup comedy with Graham Coulam introducing Paul Ricketts and Steve Gribbin in the evening.

Thereโ€™s a lunchtime recital at Pound Arts, Corsham with pianist Simeon Walker.

Opening at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon and running until the 15th, Salos Presents Elf, The Musicalโ€ฆtoo early? Too late! 

Thursday 12th

Calne Music & Arts Festival has The Primary School Choirs in concert at Kingsbury Green Academy Hall, and Calne Speech and Drama School present โ€˜Sea, the Fool, the Devil and the Catsโ€™ by Ted Hughes at Marden House, followed by some jazz with The Nick Sorensen Trio.

Sean Collinsโ€™ Smokin Funny arrives at Swindon Arts Centre, Andy Oliveri & Kizzie at The Tuppenny, Swindon.

Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeriโ€™s The Long Ride Home Tour comes to Chapel Arts, Bath.

Friday 13th

Join Devizes OpenDoorsโ€™s Big Sleep Out and help raise funds to support homeless and vulnerable adults in our community. You can sleep out at St Jamesโ€™ Church in Devizes, organise your own sleep out at work, at school, even in the garden at home, or pay to stay in bed by making a donation. Find out more and register at devizesopendoors.org.uk

Thud and Adam Woodhouse at the Southgate, Devizes, Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia with Band @ Long Street Blues Club.

Calne Music & Arts Festival has Ukrainian Jazz Harpist Alina Bzhezhinska in Concert at Marden House, followed by The Lost Trades.

Wilts & Berks Canal Trust Quiz Night at The Neeld, Chippenham.

My Octopus Mind plays the Pump in Trowbridge, with The Message in support.

Jazz at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, with Dario Napoli Hot Club. Start the Sirens & Ophella Waiting at The Three Horseshoes. 

An Evening Of Mediumship With Nikki Kitt at Swindon Arts Centre, Soulweaver Reigniting The Fire at Underground, formerly Level III, Bedrock at The Queens Tap, Evanescence of Fire at The Vic.

Rusty Shackle, Ninotchka and Concrete Prairie play Komedia, in Bath, Damien Oโ€™Kane & the Ron Block Band are at Chapel Arts. 

Saturday 14th

Marlborough Mop Fair. The Magnitones play St Michael’s in Aldbourne. 

Itโ€™s the Lions Arts Coaching Day in Devizes, and a first, I believe, for Danny & The Randoms who play at The Three Crowns, and The Unpredictables, Finely Truslerโ€™s new ensemble play the Moonrakers.ย The Jack Grace Band is at the Southgate.

Pig Race night at Erlestoke Golf Club! Bring your own ketchup!

Dub roots reggae at The Barge on HoneyStreet with Jah Lion Movement.

Be Like Will play Stallards in Trowbridge.

Editor’s Pick of the Week is Amelia Coburn is at the Pump in Trowbridge, with Ruby Darbyshire and MEG in support.

Thereโ€™s seven acts playing Hullavington Live at The Village Hall, and itโ€™s free entry.

At Calne Music & Arts Festival, โ€œFlowers in art from Botticelli to Hockney,โ€ a talk by Gail Brown followed by โ€˜Meet the Artistsโ€™ with Cathy and Nick Pearce and โ€˜HMS Pinaforeโ€™ โ€“ presented by Opera Anywhere. 

Taylor Swift tribute Katy Ellis at The Pewsham, Chippenham.

Back to the eighties party night at Spencerโ€™s Club, Melksham.

Iโ€™ve Every Whitney at Kingsdown Golf Club, Corsham.

Brodsky Quartet 50th Anniversary of the Shostakovich Cycle at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Dreamwave at The Three Horseshoes.

Happy Dogs at HMV Bath at 3pm.

Carl Hutchinson โ€“ Watch Till The End at Swindon Arts Centre, David Flynn Memorial night at The Vic, Swindon, Concrete Prairie at Rodbourne Cheney Social Club, The BeatRoutes at The Castle, Rockabilly Rumble at The Queens Tap, Homer at the Rolleston, Dimensions at North Swindon Club, Vicky Jackson is PINK at Underground, and Swindon Ska Fest at The Moonrakers.

Sunday 15th

All About The Music Record Fair at Devizes Conservative Club from 10am-4pm.

PSG Choirs are at Marlborough Town Hall for an Autumn Concert. Starts at 6pm, tickets are ยฃ8.

Gothic Acoustic Matinee with Deadlight Dance at the Blue Boar, Aldbourne.

Calne Music & Arts Festival has Evensong at St. Maryโ€™s Parish Church, and a Photographic Talk โ€“ โ€˜Arcticaโ€™ with Pam and Eddy Lane at Marden House.

Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon have Groove Baby Grooving With Pirates!

Below the Salt at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

Waterlines at Underground, Swindon, an Elvis tribute at The Castle, and Damn at the North Swindon Club, and SGO at The Tuppenny.

Monday 16th

Sounds of the 60s Live with Tony Blackburn at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Tuesday 17th

Do You Believe In Ghosts at The Wyvern Theatre, while the Eric Mylod Okafo Quartet take the Jazz Knights at The Royal Oak, Swindon.

Thatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got for you so far, but remember to keep an eye on our event calendar for updates. Iโ€™m delighted to rap stats with you, and announce this week Devizine has hit level on the record-breaking annual hits from last year, and thereโ€™s still two and half months to go. Devizine is going out to over 100,000 local folk and listing your event will remain free, all you have to do to insure it is here is to tell us about it!

Have a great week!

Trending….

Burning the Midday Oil at The Muck

Highest season of goodwill praises must go to Chrissy Chapman today, who raised over ยฃ500 (at the last count) for His Grace Childrenโ€™s Centreโ€ฆ

For Now, Anyway; Gus White’s Debut Album

Featured Image: Barbora Mrazkova My apologies, for Marlboroughโ€™s singer-songwriter Gus Whiteโ€™s debut album For Now, Anyway has been sitting on the backburner, and itโ€™sโ€ฆ

Butane Skies Not Releasing a Christmas Song!

No, I didnโ€™t imagine for a second they would, but upcoming Take the Stage winners, alt-rock emo four-piece, Butane Skies have released their secondโ€ฆ

Calne Music & Arts Festival Stand-Up Comedy Night

Giggle, Chortle, Guffaw, Hehe, Ha! Laugh! Whatever your style… if you fancy a mid-week festival smile – pop along to the Calne Music & Arts Festival Stand-Up Comedy Night!! Wed 11th October, Marden House, Calne @ 7.30pm.…

Graham Coulam, stand-up comedian and host of the Hungerford Comedy Club, will compere and introduce two well known acts from the comedy circuit: award-winning Paul Ricketts and Steve Gribbin, a guitar playing satirist famous for his comedy songs. Laughter is guaranteed!!

ยฃ10 Entry, ยฃ8 Festival Friends and ยฃ1 Under 18s.

To book your tickets, visit www.cmaf.org.uk or visit our ‘in person’ Box Office at the Calne Council Offices, Bank House, The Strand, Calne, open Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm.

And there’s lots more events at the Calne Music & Arts Festival up for grabs, including the Lost Trades. We’ve listed them all on our event calendar, and see their website for booking.

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One Of Us; New Single From Lady Nade

Featured Image by Giulia Spadafora Ooo, a handclap uncomplicated chorus is the hook in Lady Ladeโ€™s latest offering of soulful pop. Itโ€™s timelessly cool andโ€ฆ

Large Unlicensed Music Event Alert!

On the first day of advent, a time of peace and joy to the world et al, Devizes Police report on a โ€œlarge unlicenced musicโ€ฆ

Winter Festival/Christmas/Whatever!

This is why I love you, my readers, see?! At the beginning of the week I put out an article highlighting DOCAโ€™s Winter Festival, andโ€ฆ

Devizes Winter Festival This Friday and More!

Whoโ€™s ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lanternโ€ฆ

Snow White Delight: Panto at The Wharf

Treated to a sneaky dress rehearsal of this year’s pantomime at Devizesโ€™ one and only Wharf Theatre last night, if forced to sum it upโ€ฆ

Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time

SYNDICATED INTERVIEW

By Jason Barlow Images: Roslyn Gaunt

Is there no end to the manโ€™s talents? A staple of revered panel show Mock the Week, Ed Byrne has also sledded down the side of a volcano for Dara and Edโ€™s Great Big Adventure, upstaged Martin Sheen and Robert Downey Jr on The Graham Norton Show, and demonstrated his driving skills on Top Gear and The Worldโ€™s Most Dangerous Road. He’s also proven himself to be quiz show dynamite on the likes of The Chase: Celebrity Special, The Hit List, Pointless Celebrities and All-Star Family Fortunes. Never agree to attend a pub quiz with Ed Byrne. You will lose.

But for all his dalliances with the world of television light entertainment, Ed remains at heart one of the worldโ€™s truly great stand-up comedians. He has honed his craft for a remarkable 30 years now, garnering a hatful of awards and a constant, borderline bewildering stream of five-star reviews along the way. Whisper it, but itโ€™s tempting in 2023 to take story-telling skills and a wit as sublime as Edโ€™s for granted. However, while he prepares to take his 14th show, Tragedy Plus Time, to the Edinburgh Fringe and onwards for a comprehensive UK tour, audiences need to ready themselves because Ed Byrne is heading into highly emotional new territory.

โ€œItโ€™s something of a departure, and Iโ€™m slightly worried about that,โ€ he concedes. โ€œIโ€™ve never really had the desire to write a show that had an overly serious element to it. I got a lot of five-star reviews on the last show [2019โ€™s If Iโ€™m Honest], but some four-star ones that opined, โ€˜well itโ€™s funny, but thatโ€™s all it isโ€ฆโ€™ As if thatโ€™s not enough these days. Frankly, just being funny is a furrow Iโ€™ve been happy to occupy. But this new show features some heart-wrenching, soul-bearing stuff.โ€

That much is indisputable. For Tragedy Plus Time, Ed bravely ventures into the world of grief and loss, a decision prompted by the passing of his younger brother Paul, aged just 44, in February 2022. Comedy that takes death as its cue is not unprecedented, but itโ€™s a path that takes considerable creative courage to explore.  

โ€œI was in two minds about whether to do a show of this nature,โ€ Ed explains. โ€œThen I decided this was the subject I was going to tackle but I wasnโ€™t quite sure how to go about it. But once I started down that road, that was itโ€ฆ Then my main worry was, how funny is it going to be and is it going to work?โ€

These were legitimate concerns. Of course, thereโ€™s funny and thereโ€™s funny. In Tragedy Plus Time, Ed consistently delivers the latter while expertly locating the poignancy that sits at the intersection of sadness and loss. This isnโ€™t gallows humour; this is something else altogether.

โ€œThe first time I performed it,โ€ he continues, โ€œit lasted more than an hour. That surprised me, but it was too long, so I had to decide whether to cut funny jokes or material thatโ€™s meaningful. That kind of decision was new to me, and whatโ€™s really annoying is that the one person I would have asked for advice on that is the guy the showโ€™s about. Itโ€™s like when you get dumped by someone and youโ€™re heartbroken. The one person youโ€™d usually want to talk to about it is the very person who dumped you.

Says Ed, โ€œIโ€™ve spoken to people who worked with Paul, who was a comedy director, and theyโ€™ve said that his thing was, โ€˜you can be as emotional as you like and as serious as you like, but there has to be a jokeโ€™. So the idea of saying something purely for the emotional gut punch was off the table.โ€

Nor is Tragedy Plus Time unrelenting by any means. The genius of it is that it takes the most difficult of subject matter and encourages the audience to laugh in its face in a way they would otherwise simply never do. Ed has also deliberately eschewed a linear narrative structure in favour of an approach that mirrors the unpredictable nature of grief itself.

โ€œObviously I donโ€™t want the whole thing to be an onslaught,โ€ he says. โ€œThatโ€™s partly because of the digressions, and thatโ€™s why theyโ€™re there. But they also illustrate how grief works in that you can still have a good time, you can still be happy, you can still have a laugh about other things and be frivolous. But grief is always there waiting for you when youโ€™re done with being silly.

Image: Roslyn Gaunt

โ€œThe show does elicit a very pure emotional response in the audience. Thereโ€™s something about the fact that when somebody dies, everyone else carries on like nothingโ€™s happened. Because nothing has happened to them. So thereโ€™s an anger in grief, tooโ€ฆ how can everyone else carry on as though nothing has happened?โ€

Ed candidly admits that mining his familyโ€™s bereavement for comedic effect would challenge his performing skills โ€“ and emotional bandwidth โ€“ in a unique way. Is this a nightly catharsis for the Irish comedian? To an extent, yes.  

โ€œDeath is universal. We will all lose someone. So the best thing to do is laugh at it,โ€ he says. โ€œAlthough I was aware, when I was first writing and performing this new show, that there was a danger I might, you know, lose it onstage. I did a work-in-progress at the Museum of Comedy and there was an audible crack in my voice. On the third performance I did actually cry on stage, and Iโ€™m sure for anyone who was there [assumes a very theatrical voice] โ€˜it was a very powerful experienceโ€™. But I donโ€™t want it to be the sort of thing where I rip my heart out and stamp on it for the audienceโ€™s delectation. Iโ€™ve been able to throttle back my emotions and keep them in check.โ€  

What of the origins of the concept that comedy is Tragedy Plus Time? Itโ€™s widely credited to American writer, humourist and quote machine Mark Twain, as many of these things are. Having researched it, Ed says thereโ€™s no conclusive proof that he coined it. Twainโ€™s contribution to the arts might have benefitted from an audio/visual dimension, if such a thing had existed in the 1880s, but itโ€™s something Ed has avoided. Until now.

โ€œThere are WhatsApp messages from Paul that I wanted to share and I could have just read them out. But that wouldnโ€™t have the same resonance, and you have to see them to fully appreciate the context. Then thereโ€™s a video of a weird guy who produces celebrity obituariesโ€ฆto be honest, Iโ€™m still tinkering with the audio/visual aspect, so there may well be more of that in the show. Itโ€™s a supplementary element, though, itโ€™s not integral. I donโ€™t want anyone to worry unduly about the introduction of technology to the proceedings.โ€

Tragedy Plus Time isnโ€™t Ed Byrne deconstructing comedy or going meta. Thatโ€™s not what he does. Nonetheless, this is a satisfyingly left-field move from one of the undeniable masters of comedy. It is as moving as it is funny, and vice versa.

โ€œIs it OK to talk about this stuff? Iโ€™d say this. Every night hundreds of people who didnโ€™t know who Paul Byrne was will leave the theatre knowing who Paul Byrne was. Iโ€™m happy with that, and I think I give a good account of him on stage. I wouldnโ€™t say heโ€™s up there with me every night, but heโ€™s there every time I think about the show, and Iโ€™ve got to make sure I do right by him. I briefly entertained a notion of writing a one-man play, with me sitting and talking to him towards the end of his life. But you know, Iโ€™m a stand-up comic. Itโ€™s what I do. I said to the audience in one of the early previews, โ€˜yes, it is sad. But donโ€™t worry because the show is funny. Because believe it or not, Iโ€™m actually quite good at this.โ€™โ€

Ed Byrne is touring nationwide. For more information, please visit http://edbyrne.com/

Ed Byrne is at The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon on 27th September and The Cheese & Grain in Frome on the 28th September.

Trending…..

Chatting With Burn The Midnight Oil

Itโ€™s nice to hear when our features attract attention. Salisburyโ€™s Radio Odstock ย picked up on our interview with Devizes band Burn the Midnight Oil andโ€ฆ

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Onarole Theatreโ€™s Jesus My Boy @ Merchant Suite, Devizes, 6th June 2023

Onarole On A Roll

Andy Fawthrop

The Devizes Arts Festival is now in full swing. ย On Day 5 it was time for the first theatre offering ofย this yearโ€™s programme. ย Onarole (geddit?) Theatre were in the Corny Bin in the shape of Jonathanย Darby to present a four-scene one-hander entitled โ€œJesus My Boyโ€. ย It was written by John Dowie,ย directed by Chris Jaeger, and was originally performed by Tom Conti.

Here we had a different take, a very different take, on the traditional bible stories probably familiar to all those there present.  It was very much a sideways look from the point-of-view of Jesusโ€™ father Joseph, played as a slightly inept carpenter, a good Jew, an ordinary man simply looking to keep his head down and himself out of trouble.  He recounted, with down-to-earth good humour and some laugh-out-loud assertions, the beginning of his slightly hen-pecked relationship with a very determined and single-minded Mary, progressing through a harrowing but amusing child-birth scene, right through to the crucifixion and its aftermath.

Much of the humour stemmed from Josephโ€™s insistence on debunking the many myths, orย apocryphal stories, taken for granted and repeated in the Bible. ย There was never going to be anyย room at the inn (it was the only one in town) and he simply forgot to book. ย The Torah is not, in fact,ย a long a complex document โ€“ it can be taught in one sentence whilst standing on one leg. ย Andย stoning adulterers and blasphemers is not as straightforward as you might have thought.

But away from the amusing anecdotes (Jesus is better at carpentry than his father, Mary packed way too much stuff before setting off for Bethlehem, and the almost Pythonesque squabbling between the different Judean sects), there was much that was harrowing to listen to, not least the detailed description of the prolonged, vindictive  and agonising death brought about by crucifixion.

Jonathan Darbyโ€™s performance, to my eyes and ears at least, was pitch-perfect.  His rapid movement between comedy and tragedy, humour and pathos, was a thing to behold.  The audience sat enraptured, and the hour-long performance seemed to simply whizz by.  It was moving, beautiful, religious, political and very human all at the same time.

Yet again, hats off to the Arts Festival for bringing this really excellent performance to the town.  

The Devizes Arts Festival continues at various venues around town until Saturday 17th June.  

Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online atย www.devizesartsfestival.org.ukย ย 

National Treasure: Henry Normal Brings New Tour to Devizes

Featured Photo: Richard Davies

Writer, poet, TV & Film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival, Henry Normal brings his new tour, Collected Poems and Other Landfill, to The Assembly Rooms in Devizes on Friday 3rd November.….

In June 2017 he was honoured with a special BAFTA for services to Television, credits roll like the ultimate rรฉsumรฉ. He co-wrote and script edited the multi-award-winning Mrs Merton show and the spin off series Mrs Merton and Malcolm. He also co-created and co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family. With Steve Coogan he co-wrote the BAFTA winning Paul and Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan’s Run, Tony Ferrino, Doctor Terrible and all three of Steve’s live tours and the film The Parole Officer.

Setting up Baby Cow Productions Ltd in 1990, Henry executive produced all and script edited many of the shows of its 17-and-a-half-year output during his tenure as MD. Highlights of the Baby Cow output during his time include the Oscar nominated film Philomena, I believe in Miracles, Gavin and Stacey, Moone Boy, Uncle, Marion and Geof, Nighty Night, The Mighty Boosh, Red Dwarf, Hunderby, Camping and Alan Partridge.

Since retiring in April 2016, Henry has written and performed eight BBC Radio 4 shows combining comedy, poetry, and stories about family. His tenth show A Normal Home will be recorded on the 18th November 2022 for transmission on the 20th December.

In April 2018, Two Roads publishers released his book of memoirs ‘A Normal Family’ which was written with his wife Angela Pell, drawing on his family experience. It immediately became a best seller on Amazon and has already been reprinted.

Henry performs poetry at Literature Festivals around the UK and has eleven poetry books available from Flapjack Press including the latest entitled Collected Poems Vol.2.

He was recently given an honorary doctorate of letters by Nottingham Trent University, another by Nottingham University and has a beer and a bus named after him in Nottingham!

Support for Henry Normalโ€™s show comes from very special guest British actor, comedian, musician, novelist, and playwright Nigel Planer, perhaps best known for his role as Neil in the BBC comedy The Young Ones and Ralph Filthy in Filthy Rich & Catflap. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including original casts of Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Doors at 7.30pm, on Friday 3rd November. Tickets (ยฃ17.50 + booking fee) are available now HERE.

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Devizes Chamber Choir Christmas Concert

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Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 29th March – 4th April 2023

Here we go, headlong into April with lots to do.….

Said it before, Iโ€™ll say it again, more stuff will be added, this is published on Mondays so youโ€™ve time to grab any tickets for ticketed events, but live music in pubs and things like this will no doubt come to our attention through the week, so please keep in the loop with our event calendar as itโ€™d be impossible if not very cluttered to post individual events onto our social media pages.

The one link you need is here, our event calendar, or two perhaps, March and April, for planning ahead, more info and ticket links.

Opening night tonight at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, for Shakespeareโ€™s lots play, Measure for Measure, and this continues until Saturday 1st April.  

Wednesday 29th is the opening night of Devizes Musical Theatre production of Doly Partonโ€™s 9 to 5, also running until Saturday at Dauntseyโ€™s in West Lavington. Regular acoustic jam at the Southgate, Devizes.

The Sing Spaceโ€™s Musical Theatre Choir has a Greatest Showman & Prosecco Masterclass at St Maryโ€™s Church in Marlborough and welcomes new members. Details are here.

Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman play Chapel Arts in Bath, while Annie Gardiner supports Sci-Fi, post-jazz rhythmists Run Logan Run at The Bell on Walcot Street, and the Rondo Theatre have Whimsi-Co Theatreโ€™s Escape to Wonderland, running until 30th March.

Award-winning garden designer and Gardenersโ€™ World presenter, Adam Frost is at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon.

Thursday 30th sees Funke & The Two-Tone Baby at the Pump in Trowbridge.

In Swindon, Lile Rode & Rob Beckinsale play The Tuppenny, Preacher Stone & The Sons of Liberty at The Vic, The ELO Experience at the Wyvern Theatre, and Mike Bubbins at Swindon Arts Centre.

Friday 31st thereโ€™s live music at the Pelican in Devizes, with The Thieving Magpies, so watch your pint! And oh, I love the name, darling, Camilla Parkyaballs brings their live show to The Exchange for a Devizes LGBTQ+ night.

Six Oโ€™clock Circus play The Pheasant in Chippenham, while itโ€™s heat 4 of Take the Stage 2023 at the Neeld.

Sour Apple play The Castle & Ball in Marlborough.

Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon, while Ashley Wass plays Wiltshire Music Centre.

Jayde Adams: Men, I Can Save You already sold out at Pound Arts, Corsham.

Hannah James & Toby Kuhn at Chapel Arts, Bath, with global folk collective Mishra Featuring Deepa Nair Rasiya at Rondo Theatre.

Nikki Kitt at Swindon Arts Centre, a Total 90s night at the Wyvern Theatre.

Tribute, Absolute Britney at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

All Fools Day, Saturday 1st April, sees Devizes Farmer’s Market from 9:30-3pm, Devizes Lions Sports Coaching Weekend, where children in school year groups 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are invited to try one of up to 16 different sports that they might not otherwise can experience and with tuition provided by qualified coaches.

Open Day at The Wharf Theatre in Devizes is free from 10am to 2pm. Corinthian Casuals play The Southgate, Roughcut Rebels at the Three Crowns.

Ravers young and old, head to The Barge on HoneyStreet where the Midlife Krisis crew are in effect. This guarantees to go off, if I break out a whistle and some white gloves I could rekindle my youth, embarrassingly or else just sulk in self-pity in the chill-out room! Nevertheless, I think itโ€™s high time we made Midlife raves our Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week; anyone got any Veras?

Six Oโ€™clock Circus play the Wheatsheaf, Calne, The ELO Encounter at The Neeld, Chippenham, GM Liveโ€™s A Tribute to George Michael at Melksham Assembly Hall.

Sour Apple are at The Rose & Crown, Warminster.

Sansara Vox Machina at Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon, while thereโ€™s an all-out triple bill at The Three Horseshoes with Hell Death Fury, Kings Alias, and Felis Margarita.

Long For the Coast at Chapel Arts in Bath.

Aniimalia play The Vic, Swindon, with Seek Harbour in support, comedian, and actress Jayde Adams at Swindon Arts Centre, while a retelling of the classic film Die Hard from Fringe First-winner, London poetry slam champion, BBC Audio Drama Best Scripted Comedy Drama award-winner Richard Marsh presents Yippee Ki Yay at the The Wyvern Theatre.

Sunday 2nd sees Devizes Half Marathon, with an 8:30am start, and Devizes Strongest 2023 at Devizes Town Football Club, usually only a couple of quid to spectate, I usually donโ€™t like to lift a finger on a Sunday!

The fantastic James Hollingsworth plays The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon.

One for the little ones, Sing-A-Long-A Encanto at The Wyvern Theatre, and Easter panto, Rapunzel, while Sheila Harrod presents 7 Guys and a Piano at Swindon Arts Centre.

Monday 3rd and thereโ€™s more fun kidโ€™s stuff Iโ€™d secretly like to do myself, with a Lego Animation Workshop at Trowbridge Town Hall.

Open Mic at The Lamb in Marlborough at 8:30pm.

Look out online for the wonderful Strange Folk are at Visual Radio Arts, and is estimated to be out on this day.

Tuesday 4th is bounce day, as you’ll find Devizes Bouncy Castle Kingdom, Inflatable Park on the Green, and this continues through to Thursday.

Also sees the Ukrainian National Operaโ€™s Carmen at The Wyvern Theatre, and Eshaan Akbarโ€™s The Pretender at Swindon Arts Centre.

Thatโ€™s all I have for now, but like I say, more will come in so keep checking our event calendar, and if thereโ€™s something weโ€™ve missed do tell us and I might, for chocolate cake, add it!

Have a great week, things to look forward to in April? Yeah, I can do that too: Vic Fest at the Vic I Swindon comes next week, Jon Amorโ€™s monthly residency is on Sunday 9th this month at The Southgate, Devizes, and The James Oliver Band plays The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon same day, Eddie Martin is in Bromham on Thursday 13th, Swindon Jazz & Soul Festival is coming, White Horse Opera, and Nothing Rhymes With Orange make a hometown call on 22nd April, and lots more, and Iโ€™m getting over-excited, so check the calendar, donโ€™t make me tell you again!!

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DOCAโ€™s Young Urban Digitals

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Jol Roseโ€™s Ragged Stories

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Vince Bell in the 21st Century!

Unlike Buck Rogers, who made it to the 25th century six hundred years early, Devizesโ€™ most modest acoustic virtuoso arrives at the 21st just shortโ€ฆ

Weekly Roundup of Events in Wiltshire: 15th- 21st March 2023

Windy but warm, no, not me, the weather, I mind my manners, I thank you! Hereโ€™s whatโ€™s going down this coming week across our green and (mostly) pleasant landโ€ฆ…

You should know the score by now, adding links here, ainโ€™t nobody got time fer dat! You can find all that, details, links for tickets and stuff over on our main event calendar, and you can use it to plan ahead, good huh?

Wednesday 15th Memory Cinema, wonderful idea, dementia friendly film screenings, at Swindon Arts Centre, this one is Dad’s Army.

New Yorkโ€™s musician and writer Franz Nicolay, member of cabaret-punk orchestra World/Inferno Friendship Society, the Hold Steady, Balkan-jazz quartet Guignol, and co-founder of Anti-Social Music, comes to the Pump, Trowbridge with Aimless Arrows in support.

Acoustic jam at The Southgate, Devizes.

Original music at The Bell, Bath with world-folk into jazz artist Solana.

Thursday 16th is comedy night at Trowbridgeโ€™s Civic.

Dirty Sound Magnet at The Vic, Swindon, while the The Rosellys play The Tupenny.

Will Page plays Chapel Arts in Bath.

Friday 17th find Sour Apple at the Condado Lounge in Devizes, and The Truzzy Boys play The Bridge Inn, Horton.

Damn! at The Bear in Marlborough, with Al Jenkins at The Green Dragon.

Melksham Assembly Hall prepares for Giants of Rock.

Sound Affects play for St Patrickโ€™s Day at The Talbot in Calne.

Junkyard Dogs at Old Road Tavern, Chippenham.

Upcoming local punk-based Foxymoron are at the Pump, Trowbridge; you need to see these guys rock, and theyโ€™re with The Easy Peelers and Lonely Daughter. Be Like Will play the West Wilts Conservative Club in Trowbridge.

Hacksaw & Hot Pink Sewage & Altermoderns at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon, while Karport Collective are at The Boathouse, and Ineza Womenโ€™s Words, Sisters Stories is whatโ€™s in store at Wiltshire Music Centre.

House Above the Sun at Chapel Arts, Bath, and our Full Tone Orchestra are at Bath Abbey Churchyard with Karl Jenkins Adiemus.

The Unravelling Wilburys at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Come What May is the play at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon. The Pre-Fab Four Beatles tribute at the Vic.

Saturday 18th is the opportunity for families to see what the fabulous Calne River Warriors get up to, and join in raft making and a woodland hunt, see poster below. In the evening, Six O’clock Circus take over The Rec Club in Calne.

The Hoodoos are at The Southgate, Devizes, with Rev at The Three Crowns, Ben Borrill at The Moonrakers, and Southern Ruin at The Dolphin. Smackdown at The Corn Exchange with CSF Superstar Wrestling, and DJ Flash is in the mix at the Exchange.

Pink Floyd night at The Barge on Honey-Street.

Songwriterโ€™s Circle at the Pump in Trowbridge provides us with Editorโ€™s Pick of the Week; with Annie Dresser, Lucy Grubb, Dan Wilde, and Luke James Williams.

Find Custyard Pye at Stallards, also in Trowbridge.

Orange Skies Theatre offer some riotous, narrative cabaret with Wild Onion at Swindon Arts Centre, while the musical theatre concert tour of Beyond The Barricade is at the Wyvern Theatre.

The awesome Barrelhouse play the Queens Tap in Swindon, Chop Suey bring nu-metal vibes to the Vic.

Some Indian classical music with Pooja Angraโ€™s new project Creative Unity, with vocalist Karan Rana, sitar player Baluji Shrivastav OBE, and tabla player Mitel Purohit, at Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon. Ragged Union play The Three Horseshoes.

Jenny Colquitt plays Chapel Arts in Bath.

Blur tribute Blurd at The Tree House in Frome, with Hayseed Dixie at The Cheese & Grain, and Be Like Will at the Artisan Pub & Kitchen on Christchurch Street.

Sunday 19th sees Trowbridge Symphony Orchestra play Wiltshire Music Centre, in Bradford-on-Avon, and find Bob Bowles at The Three Horseshoes.

The FOS Brothers play The Bell in Bath.

Arch Garrison at The Vic, Swindon.

And a record fair at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.

Monday 20th and Sue Harding & Gabriel Morenoโ€™s Troubadour Bandits play The Bell in Bath.

Tuesday 21st and the regular spoken-word open-mic Poetika is on at The Winchester Gate, Salisbury, every third Tuesday of the month. This session with guest poet, Claire H has a Through The Looking Glass theme.

Thatโ€™s all folks, but remember do check ahead for those ticketed events, keep on scrollinโ€™ our event calendar and watch out for updates. Have a fantastic weekend. Tell us if we missed anything, it’s free to list here, but you must send me some details, I’m not mystic Meg.

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REVIEW โ€“ Comedy Night @ The Piggy Bank, Calne – Tuesday 31st January 2023

Whatโ€™s Funny About Tuesday Night?

Andy Fawthrop

You know how weโ€™ve previously moaned on and on (and on) on these pages before about the lack of comedy in D-Town?  Well โ€“ guess what?  No โ€“ thereโ€™s still a yawning gap where the comedy should be in our lovely town.  But we continue to live in hope.

So, instead, desperate for a few laughs on a dark Tuesday night, I made my way to the slightly less lovely town of Calne.  And more specifically to The Piggy Bank micro-pub in the centre of town for their first ever Comedy Night, presented by Stroud-based Crazy Bird Comedy Club.

The place was absolutely packed, being a sell-out well before the night, and people were in place long before the show started in an effort to get a good seat.  It didnโ€™t really matter, as the place is quite small, so every seat in the house was a good one โ€“ and that included Yours Truly, doing a shift behind the bar to help the guys out.  And a busy old night it was.

Our MC for the evening was the affable Jon Pearson (described as the best MC in the Midlands, whatever that means), who proved to be a great foil for a lively audience that was definitely up for it.  Although itโ€™s become almost standard practice these days for comedians to gently take the piss out of the town theyโ€™re currently playing in, it was more than entertaining to witness Calne being put to the verbal sword for a change.

First up was Joe Wells, a hunk of a man, who was an immediate hit with the audience.  His routine was basically, with many digressions and plenty of raucous audience interaction, a riff on his own autism (or โ€œneuro-divergenceโ€), wherein he took the interesting line of sympathising deeply, in a maximally patronising way, with those who are, sadly, non-autistic.  Great stuff.

After a decent interval, and some more audience-rapping from our MC, it was the turn of the diminutive Julia Stenton, describing herself as a โ€œbad case of adult acneโ€.  Some nice observational sketches followed, with material that was both hilarious and near the bone (but without ever resorting to the poor comedianโ€™s escape-clause of sheer crudity).  Another class act.

And finally, onto our headliner Nick Page.  Here was a big guy who was comfortable on the microphone, relaxed and unhurried, knowing how to play the audience, riding the laughs and timing his pay-offs perfectly.  His material on the benefits (or otherwise) of having children was exquisitely judged.  Bang-on comedy in my book.

And then we were done.  Four acts and, to my comic tastes at least, four absolute winners.  You canโ€™t say fairer than that.  So, ten out of ten, and well done to owners Malcolm and Karen Shipp for having the vision, the energy, and the determination to put this show on.  And proving, yet again, that thereโ€™s definitely a taste for live comedy.  Letโ€™s face it โ€“ there canโ€™t be very much to laugh about in Calne, so they really, really needed this.  But the gauntlet has now been thrown down to anyone in D-Town who fancies getting some regular comedy nights going again.  Please?  Someone?

The next Crazy Bird Comedy is at The Piggy Bank later this month, Tuesday 28th March, featuring MC Harvey Hawkins, and comedians Jethro Bradley, Samantha Day and headliner Andrew Bird.ย  Tickets are already flying out of the door, but if youโ€™re quick thereโ€™s still time to bag yourself a great night out with a great atmosphere and some great craft beer.

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REVIEW: Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s Comedy Night @ Corn Exchange, Devizes โ€“ Friday 4th November 2022

An Early Night of Fireworks

Andy Fawthrop

Just when youโ€™re least expecting it, a crackling night of comedy suddenly looms out of the Autumn mist.ย  Here we were on a Friday night for a 400-seat sell-out of the Corn Exchange for Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s Comedy Night.…..

And a smashing little box of crackers it was.  First up on stage, and binding the whole evening together, was compere West Country native and Bristol comic James Redmond.  Heโ€™s previously been seen on BBC TVโ€™s West Country Sitcom, and The Outlaws.  Jamesโ€™ style was laconic, laid-back and relaxed, poking gentle fun at a few of the locals up at the front.  Whilst some comperes can slightly overstay their welcome, serving only to delay the entry of the โ€realโ€ comedians, there was no danger of that here.  A few sparklers and then he was gone.

First up was Aideen McQueen, a late substitute, but no less good for that.  She proved her worth from the get-go with some hilarious material, and lived up to her reputation as one of the brightest sparks in the new generation of Irish comics.  She was cheeky, yet self-deprecating, and very funny with it, also choosing to delve into the front rows for some of her off-the-cuff impromptu material.  A real whizz-bang.

After the first interval, and some more of James Redmond, we were introduced to Stella Graham, a naturally funny stand-up comedian, writer and actor.  We learned that she was a half Sri Lankan gal from Coventry.  Plenty of riffing on lazy race stereotypes and another great set.  A Catherine Wheel of delights.

And finally, following a second chance to grab a drink at the crowded bars, was headliner of the night, the acclaimed comedian and professional hoaxer, Simon Brodkin.  Heโ€™s best known for handing Theresa May a P45 at the Conservative Party Conference and for showering Sepp Blatter with dollar bills at a FIFA press conference.   His longer set made no reference at all to these previous victories, and instead he delivered a full-powered main-stream stand-up set.  More delving into the audience, more riffing on D-Townโ€™s somewhat back-water, country-bumpkin West Country reputation.  But it was very well handled, very funny, and without malice.  A spectacular rocket display.

All four comedians were spot-on with their material, read the audience well, and made lots of new friends in the room.  And it was refreshing to hear so much wonderful material delivered without descending into mere crudity and profanity.  Of course there was some swearing, and some near-the-knuckle topics, but it was well blended in and genuinely hilarious.  An excellent show.

The audience obviously loved it, and the evening served to clearly demonstrate (yet again) that thereโ€™s a real appetite for some comedy gigs in D-Town.  Interestingly, the best gigs (from a perspective of ticket sales) during the main Devizes Arts Festival recently were the comedy gigs (remember Scummy Mummies and Alfie Moore?)  Perhaps itโ€™s time to get the old regular Comedy Club going again?

In sum – plenty of bangers, some sparklers and a real bonfire of the vanities.  And all this was delivered for a mere tenner โ€“ an absolute bargain in my book!  Great night out.

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Devizes Arts Festival Annouce November Comedy Night with Simon Brodkin

Devizes Arts Festival pokes its head out of its nest this autumn, with a one night only comedy gig on Friday 4th November at the Corn Exchange, headlining Simon Brodkin, the genius who handed Theresa May a P45 at the Conservative Party Conference.

Hilarious at the time, but after three years of Boris Johnson, which felt like thirty, and some new spanner in number ten, I forget her name now, maybe better the devil you know. The stunt put Simon Bodkin on the mainstream comedy map, and heck, I think we all deserve a good laugh right now.

London doctor-turned-comic, and professional hoaxer, Simon Brodkin also showered Sepp Blatter with dollar bills at a FIFA press conference, and is famed for creating quirky characters, such as the annoying chav, Lee Nelson.

Supporting Simon is Stella Graham, a naturally funny stand-up comedian, writer & actor. Shameless, charmingly aggressive and unladylike, sheโ€™s the funniest half Sri Lankan gal from Coventry.

Stuart Goldsmith is an absolute top level comedian who has performed all over the world. Heโ€™s the regular studio warm-up comic for the Graham Norton Show (BBC), which is apparently even more fun than it sounds!

Compere for the evening is Bristolโ€™s finest, James Redmond, who you might have seen on BBC TVโ€™s West Country Sitcom, The Outlaws. James is a dry, slick and subtle stand up who delivers unexpected twists with a distinct West Country tinge to his routine.

“Well good” tickets are just a tenner, live from their website from 3rd October.

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“ Alfie Mooreโ€™s Fair Cop Unleashed @ Corn Exchange 24th June 2022

Criminal Humour

Andy Fawthrop

The Devizes Arts Festival left it late in their programme to unleash one of its comedy big guns Friday night, but it was well worth the wait. And a huge audience packed out the Corn Exchange to witness some great comedy in action…..

Alfie Moore is a comparatively recent talent to come on to the comedy circuit, but heโ€™s already cornered the market in combining real-life police experience with a natural comedic ability. Recently retired as a police sergeant, with over twenty yearsโ€™ front-line service with our finest, he has a wealth of real-life insights and comedy moments to share.

Looking every bit the slightly overweight, world-weary copper whoโ€™s heard every excuse in the book, Alfie has developed a wry, observational comedic style, which lends itself to witty, and sometimes gritty, anecdotes based on everyday modern policing. He also proved himself to be an adept socio-political commentator and weaved this all together with his take on the comedy gold of real life, the stuff that you just canโ€™t make up.

He led us through his back-story, including his dyslexia, lack of formal education and his low self-esteem. Born and raised on a council estate in Sheffield, he was an apprentice in the steelworks before managing to join the Police, possibly through a mix-up in the paperwork. He was later inspired to take up stand-up comedy in 2007 after his first taste of live comedy at a local comedy club. He quickly became well and truly hooked, and was soon performing regularly up and down the country. (Since then he has written and performed his own one-man show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival six times now. His BBC Radio 4 comedy series โ€˜Itโ€™s A Fair Copโ€™ debuted in July 2014 and, following exceptional feedback from listeners and media reviews, further series have since been commissioned.) Last night he was touring his latest show โ€˜Fair Cop Unleashedโ€™.

The first half consisted mostly of a general stand-up routine, getting himself into the murky world of gender politics, treading a very fine line between the acceptable and the very non-PC, beautifully rescued at the end by a great gag about having to know someoneโ€™s gender in order to know how much to pay them. There was some great stuff about police nick-names, the CPS (โ€œCouldnโ€™t Prosecute Satanโ€), and the ongoing struggle with paperwork in his Grimsby posting.

But it was the second half before he finally laid out his โ€œreal lifeโ€ incident with a mysterious and inebriated clown walking in to his police station, asking for help to find four lions lost from the circus. What followed was the tale of his hilarious attempts to make sense of it all, to work with others (armed police that he referred to as โ€œthe Milk Tray menโ€) to re-capture the four dangerous wild beasts roaming the town (he was advised โ€œtry not to look like preyโ€), whilst overcoming his genuine fear that he might actually die.

His style throughout was engaging, confidential and dead-pan. The whole thing was genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud hilarious, with the gags and asides coming thick and fast. Long and loud applause was his just reward.

The Devizes Arts Festival finished Saturday 25th June with Absolute โ€“ Last Night Celtic Party at The Corn Exchange. Devizine congratulates The Devizes Arts Festival and thanks them for putting on such an excellent programme of events, looking forward to another great summer in 2023.

Editor’s Note: I’d also like to thank Andy for his extensive coverage of the Arts Festival over the last fortnight, covering almost every event can be exhausting, but it goes a long way to show how jam-packed the Arts Festival is and the dedication from the team to provide Devizes with some quality and diverse performances.

REVIEW โ€“ Devizes Arts Festival โ€“The Scummy Mummies @ Corn Exchange 16th June 2022

Scum In The Corn Exchange

Andy Fawthrop

Well weโ€™ve had plenty of music, chats and walks so far in the Devizes Arts Festival, so it was about time that a comedy monster raised its ugly head in our lovely town.ย  And, as they say, if youโ€™re going to do comedy, best get out there and do it big.ย  And it doesnโ€™t come much bigger, better and more well-known than the Scummy Mummies…..

For those who donโ€™t know – Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn originally joined forces to become The Scummy Mummies back in 2013.  Since then they have gone on to produce an award-winning podcast, a popular book, and their own range of merchandise.  They have an ever-growing social media presence, with more than 160,000 followers on Instagram.  There are now over 200 episodes of The Scummy Mummies Podcast, and they have been downloaded more than 5 million times in 150 countries.  The show has featured in โ€œBest Podcastโ€ lists in The Guardian, the Sunday Times, and The Telegraph.  

So taking the next logical step to create The Scummy Mummies as a live comedy show, packed with sketches, songs, and top quality boob jokes, came almost as an inevitability.  In 2019 they made their Edinburgh Festival debut, selling out the entire 25-night run and earning a five-star review.

And last night, the show rolled into D-Town and, not to be outdone by some mere provincial town in Scotland, was a sell-out.  400 or so folks packed into the Corn Exchange.  Iโ€™m guessing that there were a lot of dads across town looking after their children, cowering in the darkness, and wondering about how exactly to load the dish-washer, since about 95% of the audience were of the female persuasion.  This was like the biggest prosecco-fuelled hen-party on earth.  The air was thick with the aroma from competing waves of oestrogen and HRT patches, and it was almost over-whelming to we few cowering, intimidated males who had dared to put in an appearance.  Make no mistake – this was a BIG girlsโ€™ night out, the WAGs moving en masse, and woe betide anyone who got in their way.

And of course, it was everything the crowd had been expecting โ€“ potty-mouthed sketches, observations and songs on all the obvious themes and targets โ€“ the failings of men, sex, childbirth, domesticity, parenthood, body issues, you name it.  Every target was greeted with loud hoots and cheers of recognition and sisterhood solidarity.  Subtle and sophisticated it was not โ€“ but it was absolutely, side-splittingly, laugh-out-loud, bloody hilarious.  Ellie and Helen were absolutely superb at picking their targets and (male) victims from the audience, riffing and improvising on familiar themes of failed expectations, canโ€™t-be-arsed attitudes, and rapidly-waning interests in other things in life than wine and sex.  I almost felt sorry for poor Phil and Dave sitting up at the front.  But not very sorry, to be honest.  It was excruciating at times, yet never nasty or vicious, just deeply funny.

Musical mash-ups featuring ABBA, Cher, Love Island, RuPaul, and the Nineties were great set pieces, together with sketches about baby-books, hair waxing, the horny-versus-hungry dilemma, and the โ€œbeautyโ€ industry.  But the best bits in my view were the observational stand-up sessions, and the games (โ€œI have neverโ€ฆโ€ and the โ€œconfessionโ€ cards), which were generated by the D-Town audience itself, and led to the best impromptu comedy from both women.  And finally the โ€œscum-ometerโ€ revealed the โ€œscummiest mummy in Devizesโ€, and then we were done.  Huge, huge cheers and applause was the justified response.

I think (I hope) itโ€™s probably safe for the chaps to come out now, but be afraid โ€“ very afraid!

What an absolutely fabulous night out โ€“ great entertainment, and two hours of belly-laughs.  Well done DAF for throwing this absolute gem into the mix.

The Devizes Arts Festival continues every day until 25th June at various venues across town.  Tickets can be booked at Devizes Books or online at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk 

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Come and find out more about the new Integrated Care Centre coming to Trowbridge

Local people can find out more about a brand new state of the art Integrated Care Centre opening in the town in early 2026 at an evening information event on Thursday 11 September from 6.30- 8.30pm at the Holy Trinity Church in Trowbridge….. The event will be a great opportunity for local people to findโ€ฆ

Talk in Code Down The Gate!

What, again?! Another article about Talk in Code?! Haven’t they had enough Devizine-styled publicity?! Are their heads swelling?!ย  Didn’t that crazy toothless editor catch them at The Vic in Swindon just last week? And now The Southgate in Devizes? Isnโ€™t that his second home anyway?! Hold back your keyboard warrior typing fingers from those viciousโ€ฆ

Still Alice at The Wharf Theatre Raises Dementia Awareness

Valedictorian graduate of Bates College in Maine, and with a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard, neuroscientist Lisa Genova self-published her debut novel, Still Alice in 2007. Acquired for publishing two years later, Still Alice made The New York Times Best Seller list, was adapted for the stage by Christine Mary Dunford of Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatreโ€ฆ

How Much is Too Much? Vandals Deface Alton Barnes White Horse

It had to happen eventually, but how much is too much? It seems, at over 200 years old, the second biggest and one of Wiltshireโ€™s most iconic white horses, The Alton Barnes White Horse has been defaced with the St. George’s Crossโ€ฆ. As the clouds cleared this morning, All Cannings parish clerk noticedย  something differentโ€ฆ

Recommendations for when Swindon gets Shuffling

Swindon’s annual colossal fundraising event The Shuffle is a testament to local live music, which raises funds for Prospect Hospice. If you’re ever going to spend a weekend in Swindon, believe me, the 11th-14th September is the oneโ€ฆ.. An entirely free stroller festival centred in Old Town; saunter the eight venues at your leisure andโ€ฆ

The Next Season at Devizesโ€™ Long Street Blues Club

The lawn is still frazzled but the apples and leaves are falling; the weather might not know what season itโ€™s supposed to be running, but all is not lost as we look at what Devizes blues appreciation society, Long Street Blues Club has to entertain us throughout the next season, or threeโ€ฆ. Their season doesnโ€™tโ€ฆ

Black Rat Monday at The British Lion; Not Just For Lions and Rats!

There was a geographical population imbalance this bank holiday Monday in Devizes which risked the entire town conically sloping into the back of Morrisons; no one seemed the slightest concerned! It’s Black Rat Monday at The British Lion, the stuff of Dorothy House fundraising burgers, potent beverages and contemporary folkloreโ€ฆ. Recorded here for prosperity, asโ€ฆ

Tidy: Talk in Code at The Vic with Riviera Arcade and Flora Flora

It was only ever supposed to be a single launch gig but it could’ve been for a gold-crested gatefold triple LP, because Talk in Code were larging it last night at their hometown premier venue, Swindon’s Victoria. The crowd was ecstatic and the atmosphere was highly flammableโ€ฆ..strike a light! If witnessing a great band onโ€ฆ

Revealing the Line-Up For The Wiltshire Music Awards 2025

As a result of probably the most productive meeting yet, yesterday, about The Wiltshire Music Awards, we can now reveal the most amazing line-up of local music acts who will be performing between the announcements at our grand ceremony on Saturday 25th October at Devizes Corn Exchange, and a few other points we should mentionโ€ฆ

Black Rat Monday and More! Live Music This Bank Holiday Weekend in Wiltshire

Never forget, thereโ€™s lots of other events on our calendar, for families and everyone of all ages. But this weekend is a bank holiday, and those local live music hunters will be out on the prowl, so hereโ€™s what weโ€™ve found for themโ€ฆ. Thursday 21st August, Just Parsons plays the Foyer Sessions at Chippenhamโ€™s Neeldโ€ฆ

Corn Exchange in Punderland

Machine-pun comedian, Gary Delaney held a full-to-bursting Corn Exchange in Devizes captive, and in continous fits of laughter last night.….

If my first introduction to a full stand-up comedy routine was Eddie Murphy’s Delirious video, long before I should’ve been allowed to watch it according to BBFC classifications, it’s at least evidence I’m no stranger to outrageous content. But just like the second video I watched, Billy Connolly at The Albert Hallย  they bought about the storyteller style of earlier comedians like Richard Pryor to Thatcher’s children. Since, perpetual narrative linking the gags has become something of a standard model.

Star of Live at the Apollo and various other TV appearances, Gary Delaney doesn’t play the archetypal trend, he’s known for firing off one-liners in random and rapid succession. In this delivery, he’s comparable more to the great Ken Dodd, or Tommy Cooper, though, interestingly, last night he cited psychedelia storyteller, Bill Hicks as an early influence; ergo he’s altered his style dramatically, to suit middle-age, he suggested.

Slight grimace at this, Gary is akin to a walking Viz Comic, away from the confines of TV, he explores outrageous subject matter, as many other comedians do, but his titillating style is carried off as Chris Donald; cheeky and audacious schoolboy humour mannerisms.

If it’s a mid-life crisis, it sure is a funny one. Though, at times it came across cliche, while his observations can be assute, with some clever wordplay, at times it felt unbalanced against the need for mawkish, generally rude for rude’s sake, quips, simply to appear as outrageous as possible. Swearing IS big and clever, and I’m no prude, but to go where the slimey Jimmy Carr does, is not an angle I’d favour.

Twisted, yeah, I’m Chubby Checker, pal, but the sodomite and underage themes came thick, fast and verging on obsessive, and they wasn’t as well thought out as the more general play on words gags. Though it seemed welcomed by the crowd, if it felt gig-tarting for Gary to compliment us on our preference for twisted humour; I bet he says that to all his audiences!

Nit-picking I know, I didn’t laugh as much as I anticipated via his videos and Twitter feed, which is literally non-stop, but I did laugh, lots, after a tiring day and just the one pint. Maybe greater liquidity intoxication would’ve assisted my funny bone; yeah, probably just me playing hard to get. I may’ve been close to ‘the Bin,’ doesn’t make me a comedy slapper.

Support act came from Brummie deaf comedian, Steve Day, who brilliantly exploited his disability for humorous effect. There was cruelty in his un-PC style, verging on punk, of eighties Footlights alternatives. It was one flatliner to insult Boris Johnson in a Tory top-heavy town hall-full willing to fork out a purple one on a Thursday night, but I welcomed and applauded it!

Note to Steve; conservatives have minimal understanding or ability to laugh at themselves, or their great leader no matter how scum he blatantly is.

All in all it was great to see Devizes’ Corn Exchange host such a class act, Delaney has his heart on his sleeve, smirking and snorting at his own jokes is usually a no-no, but it works for Gary, who, unlike aforementioned Carr, doesn’t come across pretentious. He’s that lovable, cheeky chappie with a genuine love for his incredible talent, and this came across superbly to create a memorable evening.

What was a surprise was his handling of the audience, as I imagined he’d come on, fire his one-liners and bugger off. Rather he explained his reasoning, gave us some diary-observations, bantered about neighbouring towns, and he always follows his one-liner with a footnote, a kind of second laugh. They’re usually a furtherance of the gag, if he’s confident the crowd will like it, or hilariously excusable if they don’t; the latter was rarely needed. Gary Delaney is one naturally funny guy and you’d not be left disappointed if you see him live. Unless you’re a vegan with no sense of humour.

Mark Thomas Tour in Swindon & Bath

One has to wonder how on earth anyone could come up with political satire in this day and age, when the whole shebang is a comedy of errors and the reality of Westminster caricatures itself; these technicalities are best left to the experts, like Mark Thomas……

Markย announces a Spring run of his latest show Hit Refresh: 50ย Things About Us. It’s coming to Bath’s Rondo Theatre on Thursday 28th & Friday 29th April (Full ยฃ17.50 Concs ยฃ12.50) and Swindon Art Centre on 18th May. Other tour dates here.

Combining his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material, Mark examines how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom.

Delighted to be back on the road once again, Mark picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary history channel.

An unstoppable force both on and off-stage, Mark has stopped arms deals, created a manifesto and brought the winning policy to parliament, walked the entire length of the Israeli wall in the West Bank, set up a comedy club in Jenin, had six series on Channel 4 alongside several television documentaries and radio series, written some books, grabbed a Guinness World Record, toured sell-out tours,  won numerous awards, nabbed himself a Medal of Honour and succeeded in changing some laws along the way.

50 Things About Us is also a podcast, and was published as a book last year by September Publishing.

*(not the adjective Mark has chosen)

For a full list of tour dates, please visit https://markthomasinfo.co.uk/tour-dates/

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A Busy Week For Lunch Box Buddy!

It was great to bump into Lunch Box Buddy in Devizes today. Last week was hectic for him; first BBC Wiltshire stopped by his standโ€ฆ

Wither; Debut Single From Butane Skies

Whilst dispersing highly flammable hydrocarbon gases into the atmosphere is not advisory,  Butane Skies is a name increasingly exploding on local circuits. The young andโ€ฆ

Chippenhamโ€™s Fringe Feb Festival is Back!

An exciting variety of arts and performance events are being offered to Chippenham residents from Friday 11th-13th February. The line-up for this yearโ€™s Fringe Feb festival includes live comedy, dance, theatre and music performances along with a host of interactive fun and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. There will be events popping up across Chippenham throughout the weekend, from on the high street to local venues and cafรฉs.

Chippenhamโ€™s Fringe Feb Festival has been set up and funded by Chippenham Borough Lands Charity to champion the arts in the town and bring exciting work to Chippenham. There is a wide selection of events to choose from with some completely free and others provided at a special subsidised ticket price.

Laura Graham-May, Arts and Education Officer for CBLC said, โ€œThis is now our third year of the festival following last yearโ€™s Covid safe online event. We’re very excited to be bringing a mixture ofโ€ฏlive arts and performance events to Chippenham people. We hope there is something for everyone to enjoy and brighten up this cold and quiet time of the yearโ€. 

For comedy fans, thereโ€™s an improvised musical from The Bean Spillers,  quick fire comedy from the brilliant Instant Wit, and there are two special Fringe Feb gigs from Chippenham Comedy Club – one for adults, and an afternoon one for kids and families.

Book tickets at the Cause Venue to see โ€˜Cult Figure: Kenneth Williamsโ€™ for an hilarious and engaging evening and then the next afternoon โ€˜The Mary Lou Revueโ€™, an all-singing, all-dancing celebration of Golden Age entertainment featuring the songs of Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee & others.

Chippenham performer Florence Espeut-Nickless brings her hard hitting monologue, โ€˜Destinyโ€™ back to her home town for one night only at The Neeld Community & Arts Centre. For a 14+ audience, follow the story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Wiltshire Council estate after a big night out takes a turn for the worst.

โ€˜Mama Gโ€™s Storytimeโ€™ at the Yelde Hall, is a show that will make the whole family laugh, love and think. Combining panto and the art of storytelling, this all singing, partial-dancing extravaganza is filled with stories about being who you want and loving who you are!

Boogie along and clean up the streets of Chippenham with the โ€˜Disco Litter Queensโ€™ and help โ€˜The Dance We Madeโ€™ dancers create some new moves and watch a performance come together on the high street and then on YouTube. Expect the unexpected watching โ€˜A real fictionโ€™, a hyperactive mix of dance, theatre, meme and pop culture and โ€˜Chippenham youโ€™re under a vestโ€™ with the โ€˜Fashion Policeโ€™ who will be rolling out the red carpet ready for the best cat walk, hop, skip and a jump!

Travel back in time at Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre with an evening of little seen silent film of the county dating back from the 1930โ€™s to the 1980โ€™s, accompanied by evocative live traditional west country music and song. You might also like to join the Chippenham Museum team for the premiere of its latest โ€˜Museum Jukeboxโ€™ piece where you can experience their latest exhibition through the music of John Noble, local saxophonist, composer and teacher.

Chippenhamโ€™s brilliant Knatty Knitters will be back again this year bringing their knitting magic to a town centre window with some surprises to look out for and a festival in Chippenham would simply not be complete without The Chippenham Town Morris Men in attendance. They have been dancing in the town and surrounding villages since 1978 and will be back by The Buttercross on Saturday lunchtime. The fantastic Chippenham Rock Choir will follow them, providing you with entertainment and classic pop songs to enjoy. There may be more to watch โ€“ so pop along and see who might be there!

You can view the work of local artists and crafters by visiting the latest Chippenham Craft Market at King Alfred Hall and blow away the winter blues with a โ€œSweet Soul Music Singalongโ€ workshop with Chippenham Allsorts Community Choir.

There will be music to enjoy throughout the day in Grounded cafรฉ and you can put your music knowledge to the test by taking part in โ€œThe Lyric Walkโ€ around Chippenham. Hidden in the main streets of Chippenham will be 29 snatches of lyrics, from across the decade. Will you be able to find the most lyrics and win ยฃ50 worth of vouchers?!

Pop the 11th-13th February into your diary and get ready to be entertained in Chippenham. Visitย  www.chippenhamfringe.co.uk for more information and to book tickets.

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FullTone Festival 2026: A New Home

It’s been a wonderful summer’s weekend, in which I endeavoured to at least poke my nose into the fabulous FullTone Festival, despite being invited toโ€ฆ

A Right Christmas Carry-Con at The Vaults

Sunday saw Ian Diddams reading his Christmassy self-penned yarn at The Vaults, which over the past few years has become something of a decidedly anticipated yuletide tradition among Devizes socialites, not to mention raising wonga for local charities.

Directed downwards to, what is fittingly described as a vault, within the Vaults, a communal gathering amassed. With the ethos of a โ€œquiet bar,โ€ the welcoming and cosy Vaults is the perfect place for the art of conversation, and in turn, the superlative place for an event of the spoken word in town. It has hosted sporadic poetry slams, including Devizes Arts Festival ones with poet, Josephine Corcoran.

Previous readings from the amusing and talented writer Ian Diddams have mostly been parody, usually taking a recognised fictional serial, such as last yearโ€™s Sherlock Holmes, and placing it within an unsubtle comparison to Devizes, sprinkled with characters suspiciously resembling a variety of known locals. Combined with a truckload of locally-related gags, the effect is laugh-out-loud funny for its audience. This time, while still lampooning, the signage underneath his microphone resembling the florescent warning logos of the governmentโ€™s national TV pandemic announcements, but reading โ€œTaking the Piss,โ€ gave a clue this one would be somewhat different.

Ideal to prevent things from getting samey, Ian took an alternative angle; a satirical stab at national politics, this time, sardonically capturing the current mood of the country and distaste for the cabinet. This was convenient for me, I pondered during the first interval, being I was subject to one his character assassinations in last yearโ€™s online version, and didnโ€™t see how references to a toothless Cockney milkman would quite fit in with this synopsis. Ian, however saw opportunity to sprinkle the tale with a few local caricatures, and did so; I was not left out, something one should see as an honour, I guess!

Taking the viral Handforth Parish Council Zoom meetings, where the toxic Jackie Weaver became the unlikeliest of reality tv stars, as a base, Ian worked a story read through a yearโ€™s worth of minutes taken of meetings by an imaginary village, Little Twittingtonโ€™s Christmas Club. Deliberately badly disguised characters bore remarkable resemblances to MPs, the most obvious and well-placed being a Pritti Patel-a-like, taking the role of Weaver, with her conceited habit of banning and blocking anyone who disagreed with her.

Chaos ensued, gradually building from the bureaucratic nonsense and general pomposity of village or small-town politics, thus partially retaining Ianโ€™s trademark reflection on local affairs, but soaked in an undercurrent of Brexit, handling of the pandemic, perpetual scandals, mishandling and unashamedly backhanding of government.

Taking a subject out of its usual context to display how utterly preposterous it is, is possibly the hardest form of satire to perfect and convey convincingly to an audience, and Sir Ian of the Diddams knocked it out of the park. It must be noted, to mock something so meticulously is partly to recreate the style of it, so if the performance felt drawn-out, it only was so as it reflected the subject it was ridiculing; ever been exhilarated by a village parish council meeting? I rest my case.

Though this meant belly-laughs from the crowd were perhaps lesser than his previous stories, the overall impact was greater. Iโ€™ve no doubt this was both the trickiest one to pen, and in so much, the finest one to date; a stroke of genius.

As usual, the reading was separated by poetry, read by our own man in the field, Andy Fawthrop, who also manned the bar, and Devizes own poet Laurette, or laundrette at least, the absolutely brilliant Gail Foster. The multi-skilled master, Andy, gave us some particularly adroit and amusing poems with thoughtful seasonal prose, as is his style. The apex of which was a hilarious recollection of appearing in a school nativity.

Meanwhile Gail gave us a partial seasonal selection, with an amusing personification of the fairy at the top of the Christmas tree, a sombre and powerful pagan reflection of yule, and then she preceded to bring the house down by airing her dirty washing in public, the one of which if youโ€™ve not heard, and are not an unsuspecting and lesser-endowed pipe-fitter from Grimsby, Iโ€™ll leave no spoiler.

All this spoken word madness made for my most entertaining Sunday for the longest, which might not be the most fitting accolade it deserves, being I spend most Sunday afternoonโ€™s snoozing on the sofa in front of a Disney-Pixar classic not of my choosing, yet it is doubly satisfying to note a substantial contribution to local homeless charity, Devizes OpenDoors was raised. And if you missed it, I believe photographer Stephen McGrath captured it on film, which will be available to view soon, for a small contribution to OpenDoors. Send us the link, Steve, and weโ€™ll share it here, as this was something youโ€™d be sorry you missed, if you did, bookmark the occasion for a possible next yearโ€™s must-do.

A Right Christmas Carry-Con The Movie!

And here it is. Thanks to Steve McGrath for video production. All we ask is that you please donate to Devizes OpenDoors after viewing; there’s a link on the YouTube page, or donate directly HERE, thank you.

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Devizes Dilemma: FullTone or Scooter Rally?!

Contemplated headlining this โ€œClash of the Titans,โ€ but that evokes the idea of a dramatic power struggle with fierce consequences rather than proof Devizes canโ€ฆ

Goodbye to The Beanery but Hollychocs Lives On

Popular award-winning artisan chocolate business Hollychocs has announced that its Beanery Cafรฉ will close on Saturday 23rd August, marking exactly two years since its openingโ€ฆ

Park Farm; Mantonfest Came to Devizes!

The first Park Farm Festival happened Saturday, it was fabulouso, and in some way Mantonfest came to Devizes; conveniently for me as I had toโ€ฆ

REVIEW: Strakersโ€™ Devizes Comedy โ€“ Corn Exchange โ€“ Friday 17th September 2021

Youโ€™ve Got To Laugh

by Andy Fawthrop

It really feels as if the old times are back with the very welcome return of Strakersโ€™ Comedy Night at the Corn Exchange.ย  A fairly packed audience of about 200, with long early queues at the bar, settled down for something we all needed โ€“ a great night of laugh-out-loud comedy.ย  It did initially have the feel of a massed estate agentsโ€™ night out and bonding session, but once we finally got under way, all of that was forgotten.

First up was Kane Brown who wasted no time in warming to his first couple of themes โ€“ a black man in a very white town, and the obvious need to take the piss out of the sponsor of tonightโ€™s event.ย  Kane was quick-fire, calm, relaxed and made an immediate bond with his audience.ย  It could be argued that he was scoring into an empty net, such was the crowdโ€™s desire to have a good laugh after such a long lay-off, but in fact it was much better than that.ย  Kane had a very nice line in nostalgia themes โ€“ salted crisps, the choke on cars, old TV technology โ€“ and his slot seemed to slip by in no time.ย  Very assured, very funny and an obvious hit with the crowd.

Next up came Rod Woodward, veteran of the corporate comedy circuit, TV, Royal Variety show etc.ย  Rod played the โ€œIโ€™m very Welshโ€ card early, followed it with low-level machine-gunning of the Strakers (a theme was developing here) and rounded out with routines on Ryanair, and the dangers of going clothes shopping with a married partner. Another great performance, also hilarious, and a great way to end the first half.

Following the half-time scrums at the bar, and the queues for the loos, the second half offered up a couple more comics.ย  First of these was Ali Cook, another very experienced performer in terms of TV work, Edinburgh Festival and the corporate circuit. Ali combined his comedic patter with a number of sleight-of-hand magic tricks, effortlessly pulling victims (sorry โ€“ โ€œassistantsโ€) out of the crowd to help him on stage.ย  Routines involved card-tricks, apparently eating goldfish, and smashing an i-Phone to pieces.ย  Another clear hit with the crowd.

Last on stage was the wild-looking, long-haired Canadian Craig Campbell.  Here was a real force of nature from the get-go.  Having just done a none-too-easy gig for UK troops quarantined after recently returning from Afghanistan, Craig had a lot to say on the subject.  At first this really took the audience with him, but then he appeared to lose a good few people with his crude, shouty, expletive-ridden rants about not very much in particular.  He managed to pull them round with a very good story about the Dutch and the Danes, but then went off into another blizzard of shouting. A few people around me were making their excuses and leaving at this point, but other sections of the audience found him very funny. He lost me towards the end Iโ€™m afraid.  I donโ€™t mind bad language well-used, but Craig seemed to rely on the f-word almost completely to get his laughs, a thin cover for fairly sparse material.  So, something of a Marmite type of performer.

Still โ€“ to badly paraphrase a certain rock legend โ€“ three out of four ainโ€™t bad.ย  Overall a great night, lots of laughs, and a very welcome extra step to getting our lives back again.ย  Thanks to Strakers for putting the show on โ€“ great stuff!

Win 2 Tickets HERE!

Real Cheesemakers go Head-to-Head with Professor Elemental in Chippenham

So, youโ€™re planning to go out-out, the decision rests on music or a night of comedy. An unnecessary dilemma, no need for a crystal ball, tarot cards or Paul the psychic octopus, you can do both in the land of chips n ham. In fact, if you happen to own a psychic octopus, this will be right up your street.

Iโ€™ve been waffling on the subject of comical music of recent, reviewing release from Monkey Bizzle, Death of Guitar Pop, Mr B, and Scott Lavene, but hereโ€™s an evening not to be missed for your dancing shoes and funny bone alike.

Professor Elemental

Lord of whimsy himself, Brightonโ€™s steampunk chap-hop artist Professor Elemental, whoโ€™s been in a friendly feud with the very same Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer, goes head-to-head with Calneโ€™s nonsensical Real Cheesemakers, and the ref will be Chippenhamโ€™s own legend and Edinburgh Festival favourite Wil Hodgson in a night not to be missed or dissed.

The Real Cheesemakers

One randomly selected lyric of Professor Elemental might whet your appetite, โ€œthis oneโ€™s for the crusty festivals and shows, where a fan tries to hug me and I get a dreadlock up my nose,โ€ and honey, heโ€™s got rhymes you havenโ€™t heard yet. Expect hilarity at the Old Town Tavern on 16th October, demand trousers, horses and dinosaurs, tickets are eight quid, a brown one on the door. Facebook yo bad self, tell ’em you want in.

Win 2 free Tickets HERE

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Ann Liu Cannon’s Clever Rabbits

Ann Liu Cannon is the Marlborough success story I hadn’t heard of until yesterday; thanks to local promoter and frontman of the Vooz, Lee Mathewsโ€ฆ

Live in Pewsey, at the First Oak-Fest

Amidst another packed summer weekend’s schedule laid that lovable large village Pewseyโ€™s turn to shine; always a law unto itself, things went off; if itโ€™sโ€ฆ

Chop Chappy with Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer

Fancy a break from the serious side of life? Tired of bolshy reactionary keyboard warriors blotting facts and illogically splicing political car crashes into positives? Or maybe itโ€™s just that bastard tap in the upstairs bathroom, dripping, and the only thing the bimbo at the call centre is filing is her fingernails.

You need some Chop Chappy time, a dose of which is available from Bandcamp. Some name-your-price craziness from Mr. B, The Gentleman Rhymer spawned yesterday, and chockfull of jolly, pythonesque hip hop lockdown cabin fever rejoinders, itโ€™s what the doctor would recommend; the madcap scientist type.

Lessons from Double Dee & Steinski Iโ€™ll give you, but no album is going to wax lyrical Michael Palin fashion over the Grange Hill Theme, throwdown Grandmaster Melle Melโ€™s Message over the Charleston, or bite LL Cool Jโ€™s Mama Said Knock You Out with a Wurzels-fashioned backbeat, usually.

And weโ€™re only five tracks into Chop Chappy, inspired by the tunes of his lockdown โ€œniceolationโ€ parties, every Tuesday, on his Mixcloud. Though, since its dawn, the likes of The Treacherous Three, Doug E Fresh or Ron & the DC Crew sprinkled comedy into hip hop, and today even locally weโ€™ve Goldie Looking Chain, Monkey Bizzle, Corky, and more, itโ€™s only clichรฉ if you fail to find an original angle. Mr B subtitles his angle, The Gentleman Rapper, and with mock pomposity it does what it says on the tin, granting said tin should be authentically displayed in a museum of curiosities.

Lounge style Casio keyboard Bowie, a gangsta version of Presleyโ€™s cover of Thatโ€™s Alright Mama, a Chas n Dave skanking Pistolโ€™s Pretty Vacant, are just some of the actions, but while thereโ€™s always a gentlemanly vintage edge, itโ€™s not all vintage sourced.

As well as old skool, contemporary rap acts go under Mr B’s sniping tool, one revealed to my outdated knowledge to be Cardi B, apparently. Called in E-troops, Shazam recognised it despite the fairground organ pasted atop. One, namely Flat Beat, even tested the app, admitting ‘this is tricky’ and it expanded its search to find a remotely similar track. I knew what it was, couldnโ€™t put my finger on the title. Yet others are instantly recognisable as you dally through its crafted mosaic, from Daft Punk to a sample of Bojo’s bus model making waffle.

There are few occasions, like Nearly Robin, where Mr B raps original lyrics, and that’s most definitely the funniest parts. But to face facts, nothing here is desert island discs, hip hop is throwaway, music caught in the moment, and not repeated. This said, it makes Mr B hugely prolific, sixteen releases strong on his Bandcamp page since 2008.

So, rather than expect a stairway to heaven or bohemian rhapsody, accept, for a while, you’ll be bamboozled by Mr B simply mucking about and mashing up, and then, and only then, will you see, this is about as much fun you can have with two turntables, mic, sampler, and gramophone 78s; and for that much alone, it’s highly entertaining and amusing.

WIN 2 tickets here!

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IDLES’ at Block Party

With their only UK shows of the year quickly approaching, the 1st and 2nd August will see IDLESโ€™ and music festival Block Party take over Bristolโ€ฆ..โ€ฆ

King of the One-Liners; Gary Delaney Coming to Devizes- Win Two Tickets Here!

What time did the man go to the dentist?

Tooth hurt-yโ€ฆ.

Okay, Iโ€™ll get my coat. Leave it to the professionals, one of whom announced this morning, Devizes is on his hitlist. Husband of comedy supremo Sarah Millican, and king of the one-liners, Gary Delaney delivers his hilarious tour, “Gary in Punderland,โ€ to our honoured little town on Thursday 5th May 2022, appearing at the Corn Exchange……

The double Sony Award Winner and Chortle Award nominee is a regular on Mock The Week. Gary is the only comic ever to have got two gags in the same top 10 for Daveโ€™s TV Funniest Jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe, and his current tour took in over 200 venues; weโ€™re so glad to hear heโ€™s heading our way. After selling out his Andover show, and in the absence of a Swindon show, it was decided that Devizes offered the best central location, and easiest access in Wiltshire to attract his fans. Devizions love a bit of joking about, look at the councillors we elected….ba boom!!

If youโ€™re hunting for snark, Garyโ€™s got it covered! Not one to get too bogged down in serious stuff, like political and social observations, he leaves that to other comedians. Gary Delaney is known for his machinegun rapid, quick fire one liners, which take you away from your daily lives for the evening, something Iโ€™d imagine we all could do with. He loves each and every gag, and you canโ€™t help but be carried away by his infectious charm. Heโ€™s like a cheeky schoolboy who can barely hide his glee with each and every punchline.

Courtesy of Sheer Music, weโ€™ve been holding onto this news for a while, aching to tell you, honest! So, if youโ€™re ready to dive into a rabbit hole of the best jokes in the world, star of Live at the Apollo and sell-out sensation Gary Delaney is your man.

WIN A COUPLE OF TICKETS!!

But to help you prepare, and you know, to celebrate this fantastic news, I want you to think up your best one liner, the very crรจme de la crรจme of your wit, and either send it to us using the box below, or commenting on the Facebook share of this article. Facebook users, ensure youโ€™ve liked our page, invited your friends to like it too, and shared the post; I will be checking!

Also, ensure you have commented on the official Devizine Facebook page’s post, and not those shared to other groups and pages, I cannot trace them all, hunting for your joke, no matter how bad it might be; for that’s a joke in itself!

Closing Date for this competition: 4th October 2021. You must be over 18 to enter the competition.

Meanwhile Iโ€™m going to arrange for a score of top comedy judges to decide on the best one, (which will more than likely be my daughter and I, or if we can, Gary Delaney might help!) and they will WIN TWO FREE TICKETS! Note, this event is strictly 16+, and wheelchair access and seats are available.

Otherwise, tickets are set at ยฃ20, and available from SeeTickets and TicketSource online.

โ† Back

Thank you for your response. โœจ

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Best of Luck to The Real Cheesemakers, Selected for National Musical Comedy Awards

Wishing the best of luck to Wiltshireโ€™s homegrown musical comedians, the nonsensical Real Cheesemakers, who have been selected for the 2021 national Musical Comedy Awards.

Far from matured, the crazy Calne four-piece released their โ€œGrated Hits,โ€ last year, which we fondly reviewed in February 2020. ย 

They will play at The Phoenix, Cavendish Square, London, on 25th September, competing with nine other acts vying for a place in the final at the Bloomsbury Theatre in October. Letโ€™s they hope those city dwellers appreciate our West Country humour, and get the jokes about Cheddar Gorge and the roundabouts of Swindon!

โ€œIt was serendipitous to learn that an event exists that not only encourages, but rewards the type of nonsense that we have been creating for so very long,โ€ say the Cheesemakers. โ€œWe are thrilled to have the opportunity to now showcase it to more people.โ€

The Musical Comedy Awards (MCAs) is an annual competition to support, promote and celebrate the best emerging musical comedians in the UK. Now in its eighth year, the MCAs have grown in stature to become an annual fixture in the comedy calendar.

MCAs has provided a launch pad to superstar acts like Frisky & Manish, Abandoman and Jay Foreman and created a thriving independent platform to celebrate the art-form that is musical comedy.

You cannot vote online for this, band member Greg Stoner told me itโ€™s all based on judges and audience reaction, but weโ€™re rooting for you all the same here on Devizine, guys!

Tickets available here. Meanwhile, in the land of the Bumbley Boo, or Swindon to its citizens, you might be lucky to find The Real Cheesemakers at the Swindon Shuffle, Friday 10th September at the Castle, with Richard Davies & The Dissidents headlining that venue, with Room 101, Pretty Vacant and Port in a Storm.

Andy Hamilton, Definitely Coming to Swindon!

Here we are again, dรฉjร  vu. Iโ€™m taking to knocking our previews Iโ€™ve done before, stating back in early March last year, โ€œapparently, the UK just cannot live too long without spending An Evening with Andy Hamilton and so heโ€™s back for another short run of his โ€˜up close and personalโ€™ show this summer, just to keep us happy.โ€ And went onto inform the show comes to Swindonโ€™s Wyvern Theatre on a date in May, which obviously didnโ€™t, like just about everything, didnโ€™t happen.

Iโ€™m glad to announce one of the most noted comedy writers and directors of the last few decades, Andy Hamilton has been rescheduled for Sunday 19th September, same place, letโ€™s just pretend 2020 didnโ€™t happen, shall we?

Because, sigh, and thank the stars for copy and paste, this is an evening of reminiscence and revelation, which looks back over his forty years in comedy and sixty(ish) years on the planet.

Audiences will have the opportunity to ask Andy questions on any topic as he takes a look back at his very extensive professional career in comedy. Beginning in 1976 as a contributor to Radio 4โ€™s Weekending, Andy went on to pick up a raft of awards for co-writing and co-directing such household TV classics as Drop The Dead Donkey and Outnumbered.

His TV satires turned up the heat on Westminster with Ballot Monkeys and Power Monkeys, and he and his co-writer Guy Jenkin also penned and directed the hit British comedy feature film What We Did On Our Holiday. โ€œIn the spring,โ€ I wrote last time around, โ€œtheir latest sitcom Kate & Koji, starring Brenda Blethyn and Jimmy Akingbola, will air on ITV.โ€ Of which it did, consisting of six episodes which concluded in April, and a second series is in the pipeline.

Andyโ€™s numerous TV and radio credits include Have I Got News For You, QI, Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers, The News Quiz, Iโ€™m Sorry I Havenโ€™t A Clue and Old Harryโ€™s Game. Andyโ€™s debut novel, The Star Witness, is available via Outbound, and his handwritten (yes, handwritten!) epic fairy-tale comedy novel, Longhand was published last September.

Tickets for his show, An Evening with Andy Hamilton on 19th September at Swindonโ€™s Wyvern Theatre are here.

Trending….

Clock Radio Turf Out The Maniacs

The first full album by Wiltshireโ€™s finest purveyors of psychedelic indie shenanigans, Clock Radio, was knocked out to an unsuspecting world last week. Itโ€™s called Turfinโ€™โ€ฆ

Idiot Music, is the Monkeyโ€™s Bizzle

This is isnโ€™t the favoured way to start a review, but this is idiot music for stupid people, if you think this is stupid then youโ€™re a fucking idiot, and thatโ€™s a quote, from the opening title tack, which ends on, โ€œoh, there it is, up my bum; can I eat it now?โ€

If Goldie Looking Chain is all too millennial, but hip hop, for you, should be served with massive chunks of deadpan sauce, west country tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and general silliness, Monkey Bizzleโ€™s debut album, Idiot Music might just be the thing to pick off the menu.ย ย ย 

Through the Pythonesque nature of Idiot Music though, wailing guitars, proficient drumming (from Cerys of the Boot Hill All Stars), and substantial dope beats means this is far from amateurish, and will rock the festival circuit. In fact, the Somerset five-piece sold out the album launch party at The Barge on Honeystreet a fortnight ago; I see why. This drips with Scrumpy & Western charm, like Gloucestershireโ€™s Corky, Wurzels meets the Streets, the elements of โ€œagriculturalโ€ hip hop make this apt for our local crusty scene. Yet with wider appeal, it is, simply, parental advisory fun.

Primates tend to be a running theme, a particularly danceable funky signature tune named Monkey Funk, a King Kong themed rap, another including David Attenborough samples. There are also drug references aplenty, the reggae-inspired Heavy, or Doves (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) needs no explaining, but in it, it mocks the chav culture in such a way you mayโ€™ve thought only Goldie Looking Chain could. Something itโ€™ll inevitably be compared to, but more so than the humour drafting this side of the Seven, what makes this so appealing is its nod of respect to hip hop rather than mocking it, is greater than that of Goldie Looking Chain, in a similar way thereโ€™s was with Beastie Boy satirists Morris Minor and the Majors, if you get as old skool as I!

One thingโ€™s for sure, Monkey Bizzle isnโ€™t to be taken seriously, but for the most part itโ€™s listenable to as a hip hop album rather than pure novelty too, unique rappers Skoob and James make this so, especially as the album trickles on, both CU Next Tuesday and Ha Ha Ha being particularly entertaining, Oi Mate ripples with The Streets’, Give Me My Lighter Back but under a ska riff.

Nothing here is going to become next summerโ€™s banging anthem on Radio Oneโ€™s Big Weekender, an honour theyโ€™re clearly not bothered by or striding towards. To face facts, what you get is a full album of highly entertaining flip-flop and amusing lyrics of daring themes, wrapped by gifted musicians only playing the fools. And for which, Idiot Music has got my name all over it!

Andy Hamilton Coming to Swindon’s Wyvern

Apparently the UK just cannot live too long without spending An Evening with Andy Hamilton and so heโ€™s back for another short run of his โ€˜up close and personalโ€™ show this summer, just to keep us happy. A show which comes to Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre on Wednesday 20th May.

In an evening of reminiscence and revelation, one of the most noted comedy writers and directors of the last few decades looks back over his forty years in comedy and sixty(ish) years on the planet.

andy hamilton1

Audiences will have the opportunity to ask Andy questions on any topic as he takes a look back at his very extensive professional career in comedy. Beginning in 1976 as a contributor to Radio 4โ€™s Weekending, Andy went on to pick up a raft of awards for co-writing and co-directing such household TV classics as Drop The Dead Donkey and Outnumbered. His TV satires turned up the heat on Westminster with Ballot Monkeys and Power Monkeys, and he and his co-writer Guy Jenkin also penned and directed the hit British comedy feature film What We Did On Our Holiday. In the spring, their latest sitcom Kate & Koji, starring Brenda Blethyn and Jimmy Akingbola, will air on ITV.

andyhamiltonfeat

Andyโ€™s numerous TV and radio credits include Have I Got News For You, QI, Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers, The News Quiz, Iโ€™m Sorry I Havenโ€™t A Clue and Old Harryโ€™s Game.

Andyโ€™s debut novel, The Star Witness, is available via Outbound, and his handwritten (yes, handwritten!) epic novel Longhand will be available in June.

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Three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Josie Long Coming to Bath

Three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Josie Long brings her latest show, Tender, to the Bath Komedia on 20th February. Josie is back on the road with a brand-new show about the mind-bending intensity of new motherhood, but it is also about kindness, gentleness and joy.

A cult-optimist herself, Josie wants her audiences to feel optimistic about the future, although in this current day and age, thatโ€™s a big ask. But at the very least there will be some silly voices. Societyโ€™s biggest issues that weโ€™re facing today, from climate change to Boris Johnson, cannot be ignored, but Tenderโ€™s main focus is about bringing new life into this ever-changing world.

Josie Long 5 - PLEASE CREDIT IDIL SUKAN DRAW HQ
Image by Idil Sukan Draw HQ

Having started performing comedy at just 14, Josie went on to win the BBC New Comedy Award, Chortle Best Newcomer, Best Newcomer at the 2006 Edinburgh Comedy Awards and then was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards three years running. She has since sold out West End runs, performed at the most prestigious comedy festivals in the world, written five solo tours and sold out shows in LA and New York.

On screen, Josie has been seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC2), You Have Been Watching (Channel 4) and Skins (Channel 4), for which she also wrote. She has presented on BBC 6Music, was nominated for a Radio Academy Award for her adventurous short documentaries Short Cuts on Radio 4 and earned a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award nomination for her two short feature films, Letโ€™s Go Swimming and Romance and Adventure and her recent feature film, Super November, was nominated for a BIFA Discovery Award.

Josie Long
Josie Long Image by Giles Smith

In 2011, Josie started an ongoing project called the Alternative Reality Tour; an anti-cuts, pro-youth, no-profit performance in a bid to fight for social justice and support public art, and is co-founder of the Arts Emergency Service, a charity which aims to support students from underprivileged backgrounds who wish to study arts degrees.

Josieโ€™s new podcast Speaking with Shadows is available now at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/speaking-with-shadows/episode-1/ Her previous show, Cara Josephine, is available to watch on Soho Theatre on Demand at: http://www.sohotheatreondemand.com/show/josie-long All The Planets Wonders and Josie and Jonny Are Having a Baby (With You!) are available to download via Josieโ€™s website http://www.josielong.com

kom
Click to buy Tickets

PRESS ON โ€˜TENDERโ€™
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œRiotously hilariousโ€ฆsuch a uniquely optimistic hour of comedyโ€ฆit is a dose of medicine which is so very neededโ€ THE SKINNY
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œA playful and intelligent hourโ€ ONE4REVIEW
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œBeautifully written… you leave feeling hopeful, with enough energy to keep fighting and a good dose of joy and sillinessโ€ FUNNY WOMEN
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œIncredibly funnyโ€ฆ a joy throughoutโ€ YOUNG PERSPECTIVE
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œThe mother lode of love, joy and laughsโ€ THE GUARDIAN
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… “What a delight it is to have Josie Long back… the perfect cure for a spot of November SAD” THE TELEGRAPH
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œIn Longโ€™s hands, the material is revitalisedโ€ฆ there’s something refreshing and sort of revolutionary about itโ€ THE i
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œArticulate, passionate and intense, but heart-warmingly funny, tooโ€ EVENING STANDARD
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œHer relentless cheeriness would win over even the most cynical of heartsโ€ THE ARTS DESK
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œAs infectious as alwaysโ€ฆTender is explicitly personal and positiveโ€ THE SCOTSMAN
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œIt’s a genuine joy to spend an hour with Longโ€ THE LIST
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œLongโ€™s skill as a comedian is undimmedโ€ฆ so personal and so humorous with it, tooโ€ FEST
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œThere is so much love in the room for Josie Longโ€ EDINBURGH FESTIVAL MAGAZINE
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œWe need people like Josie Long now more than everโ€ BROADWAYBABY
โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… โ€œA cleverly constructed and thoughtful showโ€ THE WEE REVIEW

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Mark Thomas comes to Swindon Arts Centre

Images used with the kind permission of Steve Ullathorne

 

Iโ€™ve been a admirer of the pragmatic Mark Thomas and his satirical cutting-edge comedy since his days guesting on The Mary Whitehouse Experience at the dawn of nineties, end of this month he’s at the Swindon Arts Centre; could you ask for a more apt date?!

I recall with fond nostalgia how he ridiculed and enraged his local McDonalds, or gambled the entire ten grand profit from the previous show on a hopeless outsider at Doncaster, thanking Michael Grade, chief executive of Channel 4 at the time, for allowing him to waste his money. The notion, he stated, was that it was an exhilarating thrill of washing someone elseโ€™s money down the toilet, and likened it to the how the Queen must feel at races.

But itโ€™s been a while since stumbling across his name. Hearing this self-dubbed โ€œlibertarian anarchistโ€ comedian is heading to the Swindon Arts Centre on Thursday 31st October as part of a work-in-progress tour, before the real thing kicks off in the New Year, I did a little YouTube catching up type research, and found a decade old stand-up show where he the tackles the fox hunting ban, Tony Blairโ€™s move to the right, and the Islamic extremism hot on the worldโ€™s lips. He takes no prisoners, dares to go where other comedians would quiver.

MARK THOMAS 2 - Please credit Steve Ullathorne

I have to ponder if the current affairs of a hare-brained conservative ruling, shifting towards nationalism and abandonment of a unification of Europe, simply to maintain billionaireโ€™s tax-free offshore accounts whist politically dividing the country through media-bias, propaganda and blatant fabrications, thus creating a hatred of alternative thinking which even lambasts the very extinction of all life on Earth simply because itโ€™s voiced by a teenage female, is enough ammunition for this cheeky-faced comedian.

The blurb suggests though, his new show, 50 Things About Us will go beyond this, โ€œMark Thomas combines his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom.โ€

โ€œHe picks through the myths, facts and figures of our national identities to ask how we have so much feeling for such a hollow land. Who do we think we are? It is a show about money, history, songs, gongs, wigs, unicorns, guns, bungs, sods of soil and rich people* in the vein of The Manifesto-meets-sweary History Channel.

*(not the adjective Mark has chosen)

MARK THOMAS 3 - Please credit Steve Ullathorne

It sounds like age and the writing of award-winning plays has only in heightened his crusade and hilarious radical sarcasm. I think we can take it as red; he isnโ€™t going to do a Morrissey on us just yet. With a full tour of this show happening next year, hereโ€™s something worthy of your attention for the 31st October, what else you going to be doing on that date, eh? Kowtowing Boris Johnson whilst stockpiling baked bean tins before your meds run out?

With an 12+ Age Restriction, tickets are ยฃ15.50. Concessions: ยฃ2.00 Off, from here.

ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.

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REVIEW โ€“ Comedy Night @ Corn Exchange, Devizes โ€“ Friday 20th September 2019

A Funny Old Night

Andy Fawthrop

A fairly packed audience gathered in the Corn Exchange on Friday night for Devizes Comedyโ€™s presentation. Not sure it was quite sold out, but there werenโ€™t too many empty seats in the place.

 
First up was Canadian born Tanyalee Davis, described in the publicity as โ€œJoan Rivers meets a pile driverโ€. She has a form of dwarfism called diastrophic dysplasia. At only 3 foot 6 inches tall, this presents a few challenges and misconceptions in her daily life, but this also provides a rich vein of material for her stand-up routine. Her material, like her, is low to the ground, quite blue and racy in places, evoking laughs both from the inherent humour, but also from the shock value. A highly entertaining opener.

comedy1

Next up was more normal sized Irishman Keith Farnan. Here was a comic very comfortable in his own skin, and very confident with his material. He delivered an absolute master-class in how to play an audience, feeding on minor and polite heckling, and casually eliciting and provoking clues and local information to mould his script. A lot of it felt extremely-well improvised, and he took great delight in holding up a mirror to the Devizes crowdโ€™s lack of diversity. He successfully took the piss out of being middle class, being Irish, his own name, being Jewish (heโ€™s not, but his wife is), homophobia, Ryannair and many other topics. Not topics that were exactly bleeding edge, but he wrung some absolute belly-laughs out of such thin gruel. For my money โ€“ the best comic of the night.

comedy2

After the interval, another two acts. First of these was Tom Lucy โ€“ young, slightly camp and with a mother he described as a MILF. He tried the same trick as Keith Farnan, trying to use the audience to provide clues and prompts to direct his material, but far less successfully. A number of times he ended up, by his own admission, up a comedy cul-de-sac, having to cut routines short because they just werenโ€™t going anywhere. Better material was on modern technology โ€“ smartphones, emojis, dating apps and dick-pics. But to my mind he never really got going, and the big laughs just werenโ€™t there.

comedy3

And finally, top of the bill, was Mike Osman. We were all asked to stand, face to the rear of the room, and put hand on heart, to allow the entrance of this Donald Trump impersonator to the strains of Hail To The Chief. A showy entrance, but to my mind, one that felt a bit flat. Once up on the stage we had the White House lectern (later revealed to contain a Kim Jong-Un lookalike) and a pair of US flags. The whole act was an extended riff on โ€œDT comes to Devizesโ€, occasionally side-stepping into a (very poor) musical number, and a range of old & new impressions (I donโ€™t think Rory Bremner or Jon Culshaw have anything to worry about). Osman had DTโ€™s looks, mannerisms and voice, and did a fairly good impression of The Orange One, but (to me at least) failed to convince. Most of the audience found him hilarious most of the time, but the material was frankly tedious and thin, and the jokes fairly old/ poor/ standard. If this is what you have to do to earn a livingโ€ฆ..

comedy4

ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Andy Fawthrop)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.

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An Interview with Ed Byrne

With my ribs near fully recovered from giggling injuries caused by the one Ed Byrne, it’s nice to note if you missed him at the rescheduled Devizes Arts Festival evening, he’s playing Trowbridge’s Civic Centre on the 26th September, March 13th at the Wyvern, Swindon and Bath’s Forum on March 19th.

Here’s an interview with the man himself, to tempt your taste budsโ€ฆ.ย 

Jason Barlow

A household name teetering on the brink of national treasure status, award-winning comedian Ed Byrne enjoys worldwide acclaim for his stand-up. With 25 years under his belt, Ed has parlayed his on-stage success into a variety of notable television appearances. A regular on Mock The Week and The Graham Norton Show, Ed has recently co-presented Dara & Edโ€™s Big Adventure and its follow-up Dara & Edโ€™s Road To Mandalay, and managed not to disgrace himself on Top Gear or whilst tackling one of The Worldโ€™s Most Dangerous Roads. As a semi-professional hill-walker himself and fully paid-up humanist, he also brought a refreshing warmth and honesty to BBC2โ€™s recent hit The Pilgrimage.

But the Irishman is still best-known and best appreciated for his stand-up performances. A quarter of a century at the comedic coal-face has equipped Ed with a highly evolved story-telling ability and a silky mastery of his craft. Yet his wit, charm and self-deprecatory observational humour is often underpinned by a consistently hilarious vitriol and sense of injustice at a world that seems to be spinning ever more rapidly out of control.

Having recently hit a new peak with shows such as the sublime Spoiler Alert and reflective Outside, Looking In, which explored the minefield that is modern parenting and a generational sense of entitlement, Edโ€™s new show If Iโ€™m Honest digs ever deeper into a fatherโ€™s sense of responsibility, what it means to be a man in 2019, and whether he possesses any qualities whatsoever worth passing on to his two sons. Occasionally accused of whimsy, If Iโ€™m Honest is a show with a seriously steely core.

Gender politics, for example, is something Ed readily engages with โ€“ deploying his customary comedic zeal. โ€˜Iโ€™ll admit that there are things where men get a raw deal,โ€™ he says. โ€˜We have higher suicide rates, and we tend not to do well in divorces, but representation in action movies is not something we have an issue with. It was Mad Max: Fury Road that kicked it all off, even though nobody complained about Ripley in Alien or Sarah Connor in Terminator 2. Of course, social media means this stuff gets broadcast far and wide in an instant, which emboldens people.

โ€˜The problem with menโ€™s rights activists is that itโ€™s not about speaking up for menโ€™s rights, itโ€™s about hating women. If youโ€™re a menโ€™s rights activist, youโ€™re not going to care about the fact that thereโ€™s an all-female Ghostbusters remake. Thatโ€™s nothing to do with menโ€™s rights or female entitlement. Thatโ€™s everything to do with being, well, a whiny baby.โ€™

Photo by Idil Sukan

As ever, Ed manages to provoke without being overly polemical, a balancing act that only someone of his huge experience can really pull off.

โ€˜I did stuff about Trump and the Pizzagate right wing conspiracy,โ€™ he says, โ€˜and a couple of the reviewers said, โ€œOh, I would have liked to have watched a whole show of thisโ€. And I think, โ€˜well you might have, but the average person who comes to see me would not like to see thatโ€™. I like to make a point or get something off my chest, or perhaps Iโ€™m talking about something thatโ€™s been on my mind, but the majority of stuff is just to get laughs.

โ€˜People who come to see me are not political activists necessarily, theyโ€™re regular folk. If you can make a point to them, in between talking about your struggles with aging, or discussing your hernia operation or whatever it is, you can toss in something that does give people pause as regards to how men should share the household chores.โ€™

He continues, โ€˜Itโ€™s not that I feel a responsibility, I think it just feels more satisfying when youโ€™re doing it, and it feels more satisfying when people hear it. When a joke makes a good point, I think people enjoy it. Itโ€™s the difference between having a steak and eating a chocolate bar.โ€™

Ed, who broke through in the mid-1990s when the New Lad became a genuine cultural phenomenon, doesnโ€™t want to submit to any unnecessary revisionism, but admits that if the times have changed, he has changed with them. He reflects a little ruefully on one of his most famous jokes. โ€˜Thereโ€™s an attitude towards Alanis Morrisette in the opening of that routine that Iโ€™m no longer comfortable with, where I call her a moaning cow and a whiny bintโ€ฆ slagging off the lyrics of the song is fine, but thereโ€™s a tone in the preamble that I wouldnโ€™t write today.โ€™

The new show also takes his natural tendency towards self-deprecation to unexpected extremes. โ€˜I do genuinely annoy myself,โ€™ Ed concedes. โ€˜But the thing of your children being a reflection of you, gives you an opportunity to build something out of the best of yourself only for you to then see flashes of the worst of yourself in them. Itโ€™s a wake-up call about your own behaviour.โ€™

When I challenge him over the degree of self-loathing he displays, he disagrees. โ€˜Self-aggrandising humour is a lot harder to pull off than self-deprecating humour,โ€™ he insists. โ€˜A lot of people get really annoyed when Ricky Gervais is self-congratulatory. I always find it very funny when he accepts awards and does so in the most big-headed way possible. I think itโ€™s a trickier type of humour to pull off, talking yourself up in that way.

โ€˜So no, I donโ€™t think Iโ€™m being massively hard on myself. The fact is when youโ€™re the bloke who is standing on the stage with the microphone, commanding an audienceโ€™s attention, youโ€™re in a very elevated position anyway.โ€™

Photo by Idil Sukan

That said, If Iโ€™m Honest brilliantly elucidates the frustration that arrives in middle age โ€“ and lives up to its title. โ€˜Iโ€™m bored looking for things, Iโ€™m bored of trying to find stuff, because I can never find it, and it is entirely my fault,โ€™ Ed says. โ€˜Nobodyโ€™s hiding my stuff from me. Although my wife did actually move my passport on one occasionโ€™.

He insists that, while the show might have mordant and occasionally morbid aspects, itโ€™s also not without its quietly triumphant moments. โ€˜I thought I was being quite upbeat talking about the small victories,โ€™ he says. โ€˜You know, finding positivity in being able to spot when a cramp was about to happen in your leg and dealing with it before it does. I was very happy with myself about that.โ€™

Age, it seems, has not withered him. Especially now that heโ€™s figured out how to head off ailments before they become a problem. โ€˜You see comics who are my age and older but are still retaining a level of โ€œcoolโ€ and drawing a young crowd. I canโ€™t deny that Iโ€™m quite envious of that. But thereโ€™s also something very satisfying about your audience growing old with you.โ€™

Ed Byrne is touring nationwide, appearing at Trowbridge’s Civic Centre on the 26th September, March 13th at the Wyvern, Swindon and Bath’s Forum on March 19th. For more information, please visit http://edbyrne.com/

ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine -Syndicated with permission from Jason Barlow.
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.

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Honest in Devizes: Ed Byrne Arrived in Devizes!

As an inexorable drunken dancer, have to steer clear of musical events on a school night at my age. I figured this wouldnโ€™t be so bad; sit in the Corn Exchange, listen to Ed Byrne telling a joke or three. I didnโ€™t weigh in the chance my ribs would be hurting in the morning and Iโ€™d still be grinning like a madman at the intricate weaving of observation comedy, yet they were, and I was, during my dark morning shift. This was, simply 250% side-splitting.

I had psychologically amassed hype in my mind, feeling like Iโ€™d been sitting in our grand hall since June waiting for this guy to show. Undoubtedly the only disappointment at this summerโ€™s Devizes Arts Festival, Margaret announcing Edโ€™s car had broken down and he wasnโ€™t going to make it, turned into a bogof for the punters. If we chuckled at the proficient two support acts in June, and we sniggered at Canadian comedian Paul Myrehaug on this occasion, thereโ€™s a clear distinction between the support comedian and a name like Ed Byrne. I have to hand it to Devizes Arts Festival for bringing such big names to our little town.

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Ed compered the show, popping on first to run a few annotations surrounding the unfortunate circumstances for his truancy in June, which although Iโ€™d anticipated, did it in such a hilarious manner it served as the perfect taster for what was to come. He introduced Paul Myrehaug with negative banter. A winner of the 2007 Yuk Yukโ€™s Great Canadian Laugh In, and second place in the Seattle International Comedy Competition in 2006, Paul is now a regular on the UK circuit and supports Ed on this โ€œIf Iโ€™m Honestโ€ tour. He delivered amusing anecdotes with natural flair, verging somewhat on crude, but executed courteously. Taunting one member of the audience, and effortlessly treating testing gags on us as part of his act, distinctively he owned the stage with magnetism.

Aptly titled, Ed Byrneโ€™s If Iโ€™m Honest never ventured into politics or current affairs, matter-of-factually threatening to bore with Brexit at one point remained but a one-liner. This was an elaborate interlacing of observational comedy and rumination, topics relating to family life and its subsequent cultures. With frank veracity that his children aggravate him a in manner others are unqualified of equalling, he concluded the inaugural with the unpretentious reason for this; their traits remind him of himself.

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Seriously shaky images from Devzine, except no substituteย 

From here he jests his self-esteem, expresses contempt for his own character, progressing into pondering precisely what qualities he has which he would like to pass on to them. At its pinnacle the routine examines his own liabilities, laying into copious cultural references from his past. This worked wonders for me, being only a year younger, I identified with his thoughts on the eighties Superman movie and like him, I wished for a Big Trac, which, thankfully looking back on it, never appeared under a Christmas Tree.

With spellbindingly funny narrative, it moves swiftly, to contemporary culture engulfing his kidโ€™s life, his abhorrence for online irritations and the interminable enticement to sabotage his career by daring himself to yell inappropriate language on Facebook or The One Show. If the great Billy Connolly mastered returning to previous points the audience mayโ€™ve forgotten about in the constant stream of bullet points, Ed Byrne nurtures this skill proficiently, and projects an non-stop laugh-out-loud show.

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What? I was laughing too much to steady a camera

Far from being the end to this yearโ€™s Devizes Arts Festival though, as their gallant effort to bring us big named stars continues into November, with a highly-anticipated one-off show from legendary R&B singer and keyboardist, Georgie Fame, I will not hold my breath for next yearโ€™s line-up until Iโ€™m done dancing to Yeah, Yeah; so Iโ€™d advise you grab tickets for that asap!

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ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.

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Just Comedy Friends; Ed to Follow

Broken Down on the M25 Wednesday, the Devizes Arts Festival comedy event, Ed Byrne and Friends unfortunately altered to just friends.

 
Then the mobile rangโ€ฆ. A call from Beano artist Kev F. On any other occasion this wouldโ€™ve been a most welcomed call, but I was rubbing my forehead on a plush street in Bath when I was supposed to be setting up a table at the Bristol Comic Expo. My debut stand at a convention, the next evolutionary stage of comic glory, rather than the usual sauntering the site, lugging a bag chockful of my smutty outpourings, chatting and hoping to flog a comic or two.

The curse was an egg-shaped black rubber ring, which I held in greasy fingers while frowning in abundance. Like an elephantโ€™s trunk suspended on an earring, this was, Iโ€™d just discovered, what supported the exhaust pipe of my VW Polo, which now dragged along the road beneath the car. Bit of a design fault, I was eventually informed, fortunately from a โ€˜mechanicโ€™ passer-by, once the ring bent out of shape, the exhaust dropped.

He eavesdropped my apologies, as I explained the situation to Kev. We talked of my destination, and because of the interest he exhibited, I gifted him a comic, hoping heโ€™d fix the car. I then ventured underneath it, an attempt to assign the ring back onto its bar, and hopefully attach the exhaust pipe; breakdown services for losers! Needless to say, the effort futile. I appeared from under the car to the sound of the mechanic giggling; the guy engrossed in my homemade publication! โ€œNo,โ€ he explained the aforementioned design fault. Humm, I see that now. โ€œThanks for the comic,โ€ he acknowledged, and whistled off on his way.

A wedge of abandoned broken bin held it, not quite long enough to make it to Bristol, but after a few pitstops I arrived, fashionably late. Tense, irritated and in no mood to greet people with plastic smiles and laughs, I spent the day hoofing and sulking. My point to this anecdote, other than Iโ€™ve not much of a review to write about Ed Byrne and Friends? When vehicles breakdown on an imperative assignment, nothing is more frustrating. Therefore, to the hundreds sitting uncomplainingly in the Devizes Corn Exchange Wednesday, perhaps itโ€™s best Ed Byrne didnโ€™t make it.

Rescheduled for September, if he had of made it, would he have been on top form, would comical genius spurt from his mouth? Yeah, heโ€™s professional, suppose. Still, Iโ€™d favour the feverishly brilliant observational comedy routine, the like weโ€™ve come to expect from Ed would be best served cold. An odds-on at the bookies heโ€™ll open with the tale of his primary attempt to make it to our backwater. Not everyone could conjure an amusing story of being stuck on the M25, I bet Ed could. Thatโ€™s why these people rule the comedy circuit. See above, Iโ€™m capable of writing a comic tale of woe, but Iโ€™d never acquire the valour to perform it before an audience; it takes guts and a chunk of lunacy.

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Chris Stokes Image: Gail Foster

The support acts then, did a grand job. Opening act Chris Stokes vastly different in style to David Hadingham, who followed. Akin to a lovechild of Mickey Flanigan and Bill Hicks, Iโ€™d argue David had the posture, the visual comedy, and through crazy expressions could, just, carry off a corny gag. But his style akin to a working-manโ€™s club, was coarse, banal but often hackneyed. References to masturbation and psychedelia pigeonholed him as outrageous, though the quality of the jokes have to match that panache.

For me, David started off brilliantly but declined somewhat, while Chris, more stiff and static to begin with, especially considering he had to break the ice after the devastating blow Ed may not appear, by joking about said devasting blow, grew in wittiness. Through local observations of his bus journey from Chippenham, to a set routine about his Black Country homeland, he improved with each laugh that passed, and importantly, hadย  incomparable originality. Thick and tough those laughs hailed through the Corn Exchange.

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David Hadingham. Image: Gail Foster

No doubt both these guys were remarkably funny, easing the blow dramatically, yet Iโ€™d argue Chris was the better of the two, as he played to the mostly, conventional audience. Well done to both for covering the absence of Ed, an unfortunate turn of events. Least, I think, we’d be set for a better performance from him in September than one after a car breakdown.

 

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You Canโ€™t See the Join; Eric & Little Ern at Devizes Arts Festival

Youngsters may ponder how we survived times of yore with just the three TV channels. Certainly, childrenโ€™s shows stopped at six, new-fangled video recorders were expensive commodities and presented their users with a horrendous relay, poor sound quality and the tedious labour of rewinding. Yet we had something which barely exists today, an eminence of shows designed to entertain a family; can you think of similar today?

Variety performances outclassed anything you might deem akin today. Simonโ€™s Cowellโ€™s amateur talent contest TV shows remained firmly in the holiday camps, professionals reigned weekend viewers which style and panache. Contemplating it, The Simpsons is perhaps the only show the entire family enjoys, as while Iโ€™ll watch Britainโ€™s Got Talent, one eye squints.

Ant and Dec are no replacement for The Two Ronnies, arguably the only duo to come close to the sovereigns of weekend family entertainment, Morecombe and Wise. If you never thought you ever see anything like their magic again, think again.

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Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens are Eric & Little Ern, a remarkably accurate tribute that has to be seen to be believed. Spotted the posters of their Devizes Arts Festivalโ€™s event on 14th June I thought โ€œyeah, right.โ€ But no still image can summarise the precision of โ€œAn Evening of Eric & Ern,โ€ you have to check these videos out.

Away from my theories, do Ian and Jonty think Morecambe & Wise are still popular today?

โ€œWe have been asked, many times, over the years what is the lasting appeal of Morecambe and Wise?โ€ says Ian Ashpitel who plays Ernie โ€œI think that itโ€™s a combination of many things; they grew up with each other and had an instinctive timing that is hard to replicate. They were friends first and foremost, closer than brothers. They grew up learning their craft together. Making mistakes together, finding what works and doesnโ€™t work as they played clubs and theatres for over 20 years before being seen on TV for the first time. They were likeable and people could relate to them, to their sense of humour and their comedy. Working class gentlemen as someone once told us. Eric was one of the finest comics Britain has ever seen and, with the perfect comedy foil at his side, it was a truly magical combination. Having played Ernie, itโ€™s made me realise just how good he was. His timing was immaculate and they had a trust in each other that flowed effortlessly through their performance.โ€

โ€œExactlyโ€ says Jonty, โ€œThey were so relaxed together on stage, so funny, that everyone felt safe in their company. They were brilliant because they appealed to everybody, all walks of life, men-women, young-old, everybody found them funny and itโ€™s very hard to do.โ€

Their catchphrases now engraved in our language, the songs and gags will never fade with time. So, in their show, itโ€™s Ian and Jontyโ€™s aim to replicate Morecambe & Wiseโ€™s live theatre shows, with the famous songs and sketches from their TV moments, as well as a few surprises and a guest singer.

 
Ian and Jonty first met at drama school in Birmingham in 1983 where they became firm friends. Even back then people would ask โ€˜are you a double act?โ€™ to which the boys would answer, in unison, โ€˜No.โ€™ Jonty is a brilliant mimic; Eric was one of many impressions he would perform from an early age. Heโ€™s a self-confessed Morecambe & Wise anorak and it was his knowledge and love which proved to be the bedrock of their story.

 

Now jobbing actors and members of The Stage Golfing Society, in 2002 Ian and Jonty would put on a review/show. They performed a five-minute sketch and were instantly told โ€˜you must do something with thisโ€™. It has to be said by now nature had taken its course with Jontyโ€™s hair and Ian had fully developed the short fat hairy legs!

 

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During the run of the initial show, which had moved from Richmond to the Edinburgh Festival, Ericโ€™s son Gary Morecambe saw the show and loved it. Support and approval from the family were massively important to Ian and Jonty and continues to be so. The show then went on a hugely successful tour, which culminated in its first West End run in the Christmas of 2013 at the Vaudeville Theatre.

 

The show was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2014. Another tour and a Christmas run at the St James Theatre London followed. Devizes has a grand chance to witness it from the comfort of their own town, one of many highlights of our Arts Festival. Tickets are ยฃ21 here.

 

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Melksham Assemble!

Iโ€™m standing on the stage of the Melksham Assembly Hallโ€ฆ. have no fear people of the Sham, Iโ€™m not about to burst in song, leave that to the professionals. On Friday, direct from Londonโ€™s West End the UKโ€™s biggest George Michael tribute, Fast Love, will take my place. Right now, a Tuesday afternoon, the hall is being used as exercise for stroke patients, an indication to the diversity of events at this Council facility, a range Deputy Facilities Manager, Bruce Burry is proud to express; thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m here.

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Bruce worries about space, the tribute act requesting four dressing rooms when theyโ€™ve only two, and a video wall which may not fit, yet the hall is grand on scale for a market town with a capacity of 450, and I cannot help but feel, unlike some prestigious venues, itโ€™s being used to itโ€™s full potential, thanks to the team behind the scenes. And while itโ€™s contemporary design may not aesthetically topple a Bath theatre, with a central location, free car parking and excellent disabled access, it is functional and practical.

 
Yet surely, itโ€™s the quality of event which maketh the night, and while I note thereโ€™s a preponderance of tribute acts, theyโ€™re all eminent, first-rate, tried and tested. Bruce informed me the Fast Love tour is taking around the original George Michael saxophone player; always a good emblem to take a former original in a tribute act.

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โ€œTim will vet them,โ€ Bruce explained, โ€œand possibly go see them. We try to get original bands too,โ€ he stated, โ€œweโ€™ve had loads here.โ€

 
โ€œYou recently had the Searchers?โ€ I rudely interrupted.

 
โ€œYes, I think they come once a year,โ€ Bruce continued, and was keen to point towards comedy too. โ€œI mean, weโ€™ve had Des Oโ€™Connor, Lee Evans, and Rich Hall, most recently.โ€ Bruce provides an anecdote on Rich Hall, wandering through the town, getting a feel for the place; inspirational for local observational comedy methinks. The current pamphlet displays Cornish favourite, Jethro on the cover, who is here Friday May 3rd.

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As well as Fast Love, in just the forthcoming months, Thereโ€™s tributes like Bon Jovi Forever on 13th April, The Ultimate Stone Roses on the 4th May and Kast Off Kinks on the 9th May. Yet I must remind myself, Iโ€™ve been here on a handful of occasions, recently for the Legend, Bob Marley tribute, which was dazzling, it flipped any qualms of tribute acts I had clean on their head.

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Bruce was keen to point out the full kitchen, โ€œwe do dinner clubs and Sunday lunches when thereโ€™s nothing on, or on really big events itโ€™s a bottle bar, taking the strain off the main bar.โ€ The hall is often converted into a cinema, a roller disco, and is home to regular events like the Melksham Rock n Roll Club, West Wilts Model Car Club, The Arts Society, Historical Association, and 55+ senior forums. The annual charity fundraising Female of the Species gig is another memorable gig I attended here, and itโ€™s one of many fundraising events held here. With all this variety and the future development of the old Football club as recreation grounds, itโ€™s simple to see how the Assembly Hall is a community hub we should envy here in Devizes.

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I remind Bruce about the Melksham Comic Con, hitting a high point when although another comic con is doubtful in the near future, he expresses a love of sci-fi and ponders the chance of such a convention. Newly appointed events apprentice, Alex excuses herself while the subject digresses to Daleks temporarily, then weโ€™re onto scanning posters of former events.

 
My tour finishes with a cup of tea in the lounge, and this aforementioned mountain of posters of previous shows which adorn a table; thereโ€™s great variety, from male strippers to big bands, and pudding clubs, Only Fools and Horses styled meal where the character lookalikes serve you, to beer festivals and significant and impressive acts of past, which shows no sign of declining.

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The Assembly Hall goes beyond the reach of its town, and deserves to attract from Trowbridge, Chippenham, Devizes and beyond. But while experienced Tim Cross is head Facilities Manager here, Bruce also coordinates The Melksham Party in Park and has been doing so for ten years, before joining the team. The event spans two days, July 19th and 20th. Saturday being the Party in the Park, a pop-orientated family festival at King George Park, which alongside Take That tribute, Take @ That, Kirsty Clinch, and Six Oโ€™clock Circus are confirmed this year. I ask of the importance of booking local acts. โ€œI try to keep it local actually,โ€ Bruce nodded, โ€œuntil about half-past ten when we have a main act.โ€

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ParkFest is the Friday evening, which started as a warm-up, but has equalled in importance now, โ€œif not taken over it,โ€ Bruce expressed. AND, with live PA tribute FunBoy 2, brilliant local ska band, Train to Skaville, and The Neville Staple Band headlining, itโ€™s easy to see how this event is the more mature option, and is tickling my taste buds!

 
While Iโ€™ve been kept busy exploring the delights Devizes has to offer, entertainment wise, itโ€™s great to hear how well our nearest neighbour does too. Only a stone-throw away, The Melksham Assembly Hall is worthy of a visit, providing great variety. Devizine will continue to add their events to our calendar and notify you of them, but you can check the website here, Facebook here.

 


And as for the Party in the Park and Parkfest, more info here.

 

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Feeling the Force of The Devizes Arts Festival

If thereโ€™s a stigma among the typical denizen surrounding the Devizes Arts Festival that itโ€™s all rather pompous and geared toward the elder generation, all walks and organ recitals, and that sounds like you, then I bid you look closer at this yearโ€™s newly announced line-up.

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Devizes Arts Festival has pulled a colossal rabbit out their hats for this Juneโ€™s festivities; really, I donโ€™t know where to begin. Yes, some of it conforms to the customary Arts Festival bookings, such as an audience with international journalist and veteran reporter John Simpson (Corn Exchange. Friday 31st May) and an organ recital by the Sub-Organist at Durham Cathedral, Francesca Massey (1st June St Johns.) Thereโ€™s even a two-hour festival walk; Historic Devizes (2nd June. Devizes Town Centre,) guided by experts from the Wiltshire County Archaeology team, and a Civil War Battlefield walk at Roundway Down on 9th June.

 
Now, donโ€™t get me wrong, while thereโ€™s no bad about any such events, and chatting with organiser Phillipa Morgan, who is keen to point out, โ€œwe had fifteen sold-out events last year,โ€ thereโ€™s many-a darn good reason to cast off this erroneous label.

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I assure, many acts are set to blow some interest in the direction of those whoโ€™d not considered the Arts Festival before. Ska, for instance, (you know me, fancy picking on this one first!) with Skamouth favourites, Coventryโ€™s (the home of Two-Tone) Barbโ€™d Wire (1st June Corn Exchange) who boast legendary and original rude boy himself, Trevor Evans, combined with local songwriter/singer Lloyd Mcgrath. This is certain to raise a few eyebrows; perfect for the 40th anniversary of Two-Tone.

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You can zip your soul boots too, for seventies pioneers in funk, The Real Thing are confirmed, (8th June. Corn Exchange.) Known for legendary hits โ€œYou to Me Are Everythingโ€ and โ€œCanโ€™t Get by Without You,โ€ Devizes is sure to feel the force!

 
Wiltshireโ€™s own Nick Harper is at The Exchange, 13th June, contemporary Congolese and Cuban music 15th June at the Corn Exchange with Grupo Lokito, and experimental prog-rock with CIRCU5 (16th June. Cellar Bar.)

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The brilliant radio, television and stage comedian Ed Byrne (12th June. Corn Exchange) was the other to immediately catch my eye. Joined by special guests, David Haddingham and Sindhu Vee, this one promises to โ€œhave you rolling in the aisles.โ€ With sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, and the West End, it reminded me of a conversation I had with some organisers last year, about how they travel to Edinburgh to source acts for the Arts Festival. This dedication has paid off, it seems, and weโ€™re set for an explosively good year.

 
I asked Phillipa if this stigma was something the committee addressed, as it certainly is a line-up of variety. โ€œClassical music is still there but weโ€™ve tried to broaden the appeal. I think we’ve just moved in that direction as a result of an awareness that the requirement is changing and we’re trying to be more inclusive.โ€

 
So, what else is up for grabs this year? Childrenโ€™s author Clive Mantle will be entertaining youngsters with illustrated readings from his time-travelling, Himalayan adventure and talking about his writing and his own travels in Nepal (1st June. Devizes Town Hall 2:30pm.) Although familiar as an actor to audiences of Holby, Vicar of Dibley and Game of Thrones, Clive Mantle is also now a successful childrenโ€™s author: his first book โ€œThe Treasure at the Top of the Worldโ€ was short-listed for the Peopleโ€™s Book Award and a second book in the series is due out in June. This is suitable for eight-year-olds and above.

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Also, for young-uns, Blue Peter Award winning author and performer, Gareth P Jones presents Aliens in Devizes! (8th June. Town Hall) Pet Defenders, a secret organisation of dogs, cats, rabbits and rodents dedicated to keeping the Earth safe from alien invasion. Suitable ages from six to nine, but sounds like fun to me!

 
The best jazz violinist in the country, Christian Garrick and John Etheridge, one of the most stunningly versatile guitarists, presents Strings on Fire (3rd June. The Exchange.) Meanwhile, two siblings that make up the exceptional violin and viola duo, String Sisters, Angharad and Lowri Thomas String Sisters are at St. Andrews Church on the 5th June. Multiple award-winning musicians, whoโ€™ve played with Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Paloma Faith, Marc Almond, Boy George and Robbie Williams.

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2nd June at The Bear Hotel Ballroom, thereโ€™s a quirky, funny and poignant award-winning solo show about Nick Drake; a celebration of music, photography, life, coincidences and the legacy of one of the most influential singers/song-writers of the last fifty years.

 
Competitive improv as youโ€™ve never seen it, The Shakespeare Smackdown (4th June. The Exchange,) is from the creators of Olivier Award-winning โ€œShowstopper! The Improvised Musical.โ€ Britainโ€™s favourite celebrity organic gardener and Gardenersโ€™ Question Time star panellist, Bob Flowerdew has An Audience with on the 5th June at Devizes Town Hall.

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From Atila singing the Nat King Cole Story (6th June. Town Hall) to the dark comic and eclectic music of Moscow Drug Club (7th June Corn Exchange) and from An Audience with grand dame of English literature, Fay Weldon (8th June. Bear Hotel) to Elspeth Beard, the first British woman to motorcycle around the world (8th June. Bear Hotel) no one can deny the quality and variety is extraordinary this year. Talks on Sci-Fi influences on evolutionary linguistics, a homage of renditions of Eric and Ernie, author Clare Mulleyโ€™s on her third book, โ€œThe Women Who Flew for Hitlerโ€, open mic poetry session with Josephine Corcoran, in fact thereโ€™s too much here to list in one article, my wordcount exploding and I fear youโ€™ll be bedazzled by it all.

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So why donโ€™t we regroup tomorrow, when weโ€™ll highlight, in particular, the free fringe events? Phillipa, in charge of the fringe events, notes surprisingly, that although โ€œthe fringe events are subsided, for some reason they donโ€™t seem to attract that many people, compared with ticketed recent events such as Rick Wakeman at ยฃ45, which sold out.โ€ I think this is down to the aforementioned stigma, and here at Devizine Iโ€™m dedicated to prove it wrong. So, same time tomorrow then?

 

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