Open Mic SPoken Word Night

FREE ENTRY

The S Werd started out as phone note ramblings. After complaining of nowhere to spout the words, and a few too many beers on a night out, a stage was booked! 

The S Werd is for spoken word, poetry, prose and limericks - all levels are welcome to come join for a spot! 

Whether heartfelt or funny, memories or made up - this is your chance to have the floor.

Hosted by Becca Jaye (or Screwps to some), The S Werd is open mic and free entry - with a usual excess of 11 acts this night has been a hit since its inception back in November ‘23. 

So come hear about dick pics, read texts from your ex, or hear why online dating is as funny as cheese on a plane… 

Free entry!

Sunday 1st September, 2024

The Ferret | Preston

7PM til 10PM

Open Mic SPoken Word Night

FREE ENTRY!

The S Werd started out as phone note ramblings. After complaining of nowhere to spout the words, and a few too many beers on a night out, a stage was booked! 

The S Werd is for spoken word, poetry, prose and limericks - all levels are welcome to come join for a spot! 

Whether heartfelt or funny, memories or made up - this is your chance to have the floor.

Hosted by Becca Jaye (or Screwps to some), The S Werd is open mic and free entry - with a usual excess of 11 acts this night has been a hit since its inception back in November ‘23. 

So come hear about dick pics, read texts from your ex, or hear why online dating is as funny as cheese on a plane… 

Tuesday 14th May, 2024

The Ferret | Preston

7PM til 10PM

Enjoy The Show Presents

John Hegley - An American in Luton

The tall and unannounced Maine man appears in a seemingly ordinary 1960's English living room. He is the high chaperone and bringer of a grandmother who has not seen her stamp-collecting son for decades; her grandchildren, never.

His reuniting job done, this curious visitor hands the children each a ten-dollar bill says his goodbyes and is gone - off up the suburban street, into the evening  and perhaps a hotel in the town centre on his horse. (A hobby horse, in fact, given him by one of the children)

Festival and radio regular John Hegley returns with a story of family, fantasy, love, loss - and the long unseen son's stamp album. A Caravaggio and a wry dry stone-waller are also thrown into the mixture. The show contains a good deal of yet-to-be-published material alongside some back catalogue favourites.

Devised for adults but not unsuitable for the odd nine-year-old. Drawings will be provided. But not biscuits.

TICKETS: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/John-Hegley-An-American-in-Luton/38077888/

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John Hegley was born in Newington Green, Islington, North London. and now lives in the neighbouring borough of Hackney. He led two John Peel sessions with his band The Popticians on Radio1 in 1983/4, hosted the Border TV poetry series, Word of Mouth in 1989 and was a Perrier Comedy Award nominee in the same year.

There have been three series of Hearing with Hegley on BBC Radio 4 - 1996-2000 and Hegley was the BBC Online poet in residence 1999. In 2010 – he worked with Company Paradiso in Warning, May Contain Nuts alongside BBC Radios Sussex and Berkshire, challenging stigmas around mental illness.

Hegley was Keats House poet in residence in 2012, and in 2019, Arts Council England funded his touring collaborative project Putting You in the Picture; working with fellow poets to take children to art galleries to delve into, and respond to art works with drawing, writing and cut-out paper characters.

- - -

★★★★ - ‘a lovely show of stories, music, poetry and silliness’ - British Theatre Guide on John’s previous show Biscuit of Destiny

'Just because he is one of the funniest men alive, do not underestimate his dedicated gentleness' - Adrian Mitchell, The New Statesman

About John and his work:

‘Awesomely mundane’
The Independent

‘Scandalously talented’
Sunday Times

‘Bleeding marvellous’
NME

Agreeable whimsy, distinctive comic perspective and ear-catching poems and songs’
Chortle

‘His words are dry and whimsical and quite often make little sense’
Luton News

- - -

Wednesday, 10th July, 2024

Doors 7PM, show starts at 8PM

The Ferret | Preston

Open Mic SPoken Word Night

FREE ENTRY

The S Werd started out as phone note ramblings. After complaining of nowhere to spout the words, and a few too many beers on a night out, a stage was booked! 

The S Werd is for spoken word, poetry, prose and limericks - all levels are welcome to come join for a spot! 

Whether heartfelt or funny, memories or made up - this is your chance to have the floor.

Hosted by Becca Jaye (or Screwps to some), The S Werd is open mic and free entry - with a usual excess of 11 acts this night has been a hit since its inception back in November ‘23. 

So come hear about dick pics, read texts from your ex, or hear why online dating is as funny as cheese on a plane… 

Free entry!

Tuesday 14th May, 2024

The Ferret | Preston

6.45PM til 10PM

Enjoy The Show Presents

Ayse Balkos: Canine Teeth (stand up spoken word)

A stand-up monologue about grief, gender and discrimination - a harrowing look at the life of a young Turkish woman.

TICKETS: www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Canine-Teeth-stand-up-spoken-word/38055824/

CANINE TEETH by Ayse Balkos

Canine Teeth is a stand up monologue combining live spoken word and soundscapes with storytelling and visual landscape created through visual projection. (Istanbul streets, Turkish culture).

It is a voyage and return – moving into the past, digging ever deeper (into oneself, into relations) – fundamentally journeying from here to discover something that’s over there, and then coming back transformed so the audience may experience the place Ayse started in a new way. This story begins inside, and moves out.

Canine Teeth was developed after Balkos released her collection of poems and songs, “Come To Tower and actively discovered a line through them that connected the works during “Making Autobiographical Theatre Workshop run by On The Run Theatre 2022. The project received an Arts Council Lottery Project Funding with presentations at the Migration Matters Festival and Dorothy Pax in Sheffield in summer of 2022.

About Ayse Balkos:

Ayse walks across the stage and talks about the Turkish culture she was growed in.

A story which has not been heard before that takes place during a day against the back drop of a Turkish society obsessed with marriage and women. Ayse’s stand up show, Canine Teeth is an insightful and ultimately harrowing look at the life of a young Turkish woman.

Rooted in Ayse’s lived experiences, the show is a journey into an alternative reality of a modern and westernized Turkish woman and the clash of family, freedom and faith.

A work about grief, gender, economic and social discrimination. A young women’s relatable experience.

- - -

Wednesday, May 8th, 2024

Doors 7PM, show starts at 8PM

The Ferret | Preston

Open Mic SPoken Word Night

FREE ENTRY

The S Werd started out as phone note ramblings. After complaining of nowhere to spout the words, and a few too many beers on a night out, a stage was booked! 

The S Werd is for spoken word, poetry, prose and limericks - all levels are welcome to come join for a spot! 

Whether heartfelt or funny, memories or made up - this is your chance to have the floor.

Hosted by Becca Jaye (or Screwps to some), The S Werd is open mic and free entry - with a usual excess of 11 acts this night has been a hit since its inception back in November ‘23. 

So come hear about dick pics, read texts from your ex, or hear why online dating is as funny as cheese on a plane… 

Free entry!

Tuesday 12th March, 2024

The Ferret | Preston

7PM til 10PM

luke wright’s jubilee

Weds, November 8th, 2023

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Crack out the bunting! It’s Luke Wright’s Silver Jubilee. Over twenty-five years, Luke Wright has built up a reputation for being one of Britain’s most popular live poets.

He has won an unprecedented four Saboteur Awards (national awards for spoken word), a Stage Award, and a Fringe First. He’s sold out shows across the world and regularly tours with John Cooper Clarke and The Libertines.

This year, thwarted in his attempts to hold a street party by the philistines on the council and unable to shift the over-ordered commemorative plates, Wright does what a poet does best, and takes a deep dive into himself.

What follows is his most confessional show to date. Wright was adopted as a baby and grew up believing that his adoption “wasn’t a big thing.” But one night he idly stumbled across his birth mother on Facebook.

This window to a world that might have been his has thrown up deep questions about privilege, familial love, and destiny.

This show is an excavation of lives lived and not lived. Wright navigates his audience through a warm and honest hour of poems and stand-up with the directness and pathos that has made him one of the most popular live poets in England.

With some wild experiments in form, a nervous kitten called Sir John Betjeman and a healthy smattering of drum n bass, Wright manages to navigate some heart-wrenching material and keep the laughs coming.

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“Luke is on fire! A poetic interrogation of himself, who he is and where he is from that leaves you tenderised and bruised and with a little something in your eye” Mark Thomas

“His performances rumble with rage, passion and humour” Guardian

“He must be on some kind of dope” John Cooper Clarke

“Cool Poems” Patti Smith

“Fierce, wistful, romantic and witty. A sensational hour” ★★★★★ Stage

“Curiously classless, perfectly placed to dissect the dreams of the British nation. His lexical acrobatics are astounding, often motor-mouthed and breathtakingly honest” ★★★★★ The List

“One of the funniest and most brilliant poets of his generation” Independent

“Visceral, poignant and riotously funny” ★★★★★ Scotsman

—

Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Luke-Wrights-Silver-Jubilee-Tour/36388484/

Kevin P Gilday: Spam Valley

Weds, October 4th, 2023

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Critically acclaimed writer and performer Kevin P. Gilday (Suffering from Scottishness, Sonnet Youth) takes a verbal sledgehammer to lazy stereotypes and attempts to deconstruct what it really means to be ‘working-class’ in modern Britain. Spam Valley is a hilarious, autobiographical monologue exploring what happens when a working-class upbringing gives way to a middle-class career path. Blending theatre, stand-up and contemporary spoken word; Gilday delves into his own Glaswegian upbringing to chart his journey, from ‘Spam Valley’ to the stage, with trademark wit and delivery. Spam Valley is politically charged theatre at its best.

After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe which garnered critical acclaim, including a five star review, the show hit the road for a mini-tour taking in performances at the iconic Stand comedy clubs. It is now available for booking for one-off performances throughout Oct/Nov 2023.

‘I wanted to make a show that challenged the way we view working class culture while still sharing the messy joy of it’, says Gilday. ‘We only ever seem to see one version of working class life in the media and it often doesn’t relate to my lived experience. I wanted to question that narrative, to attempt to find the truth about working class identity – or the multitudes of it. To do that I needed to delve into my own complex relationship with my upbringing and where I am now as an artist. It’s a personal show with a universal appeal, a hilarious night out with a big message of acceptance at its core.’

About Kevin P. Gilday:

Kevin P. Gilday is an award-winning poet, writer and performer from Glasgow. He is the founder of poetry performance collective The Scribbler's Union and was co-founder of much loved spoken word cabaret night Sonnet Youth. He is a National Theatre of Scotland Breakthrough Writer, a BBC Writersroom Scottish Voice and one of Scotland’s most celebrated contemporary poets.

Kevin has performed all over the world, from Hollywood to East Kilbride, including major festivals (BBC 6Music Festival, Glastonbury), Fringes (Edinburgh, Toronto, Vancouver) as well as large scale tours of the UK, Germany, Canada and the US. He has supported artists and public figures such as Akala, Saul Williams, George the Poet, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, Sage Francis, The Silencers and Jeremy Corbyn MP.

His theatre work includes writing, performing, directing and production credits on hit shows Suffering from Scottishness, Exiles, Gigantic Lying Mouth, thick skin, elastic heart and Confessionals.

—-

Praise for Spam Valley:

‘Poignant class satire that demands to be heard’

★★★★★ - The Wee Review

‘Do your heart some good by grabbing a ticket before the run ends’

★★★★ – The Quintessential Review

‘an autobiographical monologue about class, delivered with controlled feeling and biting wit’

The Scotsman (Link)

Praise for Suffering from Scottishness:

★★★★ - The Scotsman
★★★★ - The Wee Review
★★★★ - Everything Theatre
★★★★ - Corr Blimey
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AWARD - Fringe Review
PICK OF THE FRINGE - Scots Wae Hae

Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Spam-Valley---Kevin-Gilday-spoken-word/36417067/

A collision between jazz music, burlesque and theatre...

Get ready for a unique cabaret performance by Selina Helliwell and Jas Nisic.

Lost in Tib Street tells the story of two women in the swinging sixties, navigating their lives and joining forces to set up their own cabaret.

With an array of classic jazz covers and burlesque dance sequences tied up in a theatrical bow, this is a show not to be missed.

So get lost on Tib Street with Jas and Ember. Swing into the sixties and all that jazz...

Lost in Tib Street is a brand-new theatre show from To Bee Productions set in the swinging 60s.

The production company has partnered with multi-award winning theatre-maker Selina Helliwell on the new show, which combines elements of jazz, burlesque and theatre.

Selina Helliwell is a well-known name in the North West theatre scene. The performer has won numerous awards, including the award for ‘Best New Producer’ at the Manchester Fringe Festival 2021.

Grab a ticket to the show here:  https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Lost-in-Tib-Street/36359011/

Another Enjoy The Show masterpiece makes its way to our legendary stage 🙌

Pete the Temp and Emmy the Harp present an engaging collision of comedy, harp and vocals – for a show like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Ahead of their autumn UK tour, Peter and Emmy are coming to The Ferret for a special preview show. 

The performance dives into themes of madness, philosophy and the mind - with the help of loop machines, synthesizers and FX machinery. The result is a uniquely poetic and songful carnival of vibes. Expect a one-of-a-kind act of rapture. Laugh, sing and prepare to be enchanted.

Pete “the Temp” Bearder is an award-winning spoken-word poet, author and comic. His work has been featured on BBC Radio 4, The World Service and Newsnight.

His mission is to incite wonder and enchant a riotous love. Pete is a former National Poetry Slam Champion and has taught and performed in 15 different countries. While living in Europe he worked as a street entertainer, bringing laughter, dance and interactive silliness to large audiences across the continent.

Emmy the Harp is a classically trained harpist with a lifelong dedication to her craft. Her collaborations include duets and bands ranging from prog-rock to afrobeat.

A Bristol-based multi-instrumentalist, Broughton works with a diverse mix of musicians, storytellers, poets, clowns, dancers and theatre companies. Recent collaborations include Outlier by Malaika Kegode (Bristol Old Vic, 2021-2022), Ernie’s Journey by Clementines Live Arts (Rural & National Touring, 2021-2023). Upcoming collaborations include workshops with Liz Felton and touring with Gnawa player Mohamed Errebbaa.

Support from Thick Richard + Robot Friend - an organic AI extravaganza!

Grab a ticket to the show here:  https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Pete-the-Temp-and-Emmy-the-Harp-/36355634/

Enjoy The Show & The Ferret present, Matt Abbott (Spoken Word)

TUESDAY, 23rd MAY, 2023 (Doors open 7pm)

Poet Matt Abbott returns to the stage in a special one-off gig at Preston's iconic music venue The Ferret!

Abbott's previous show Two Little Ducks received huge critical acclaim. It focused on the poet's time spent volunteering at the Calais Jungle refugee camp.

His powerful, personal and political spoken word show made him one of UK poetry’s rising stars, as feature in The Guardian. His poetry channels the human side of politics to look at national identity, preconceptions, class and anti-establishment anger. Poetic flair and storytelling, with a unique insight into the summer that changed everything.

—

★★★★★ Everything Theatre

★★★★★ Broadway Baby

★★★★★ The New European

★★★★ The Wee Review

★★★★ Reviews Hub

★★★★ The Theatre Guide

‘An artist with something to say, who knows how to say it’ The Scotsman

‘Classy; he talks politics from the heart’ The Morning Star

‘Highly Recommended’ FringeReview

—

Support for this gig comes from the brilliant Carla Mellor. Mellor is a Wigan-based Yorkshire poet who writes 'poetry for the people'; accessible, down to earth, and relatable poems for the everyday.

She has worked on various commissions for charity campaigns and also for the BBC. Her debut poetry collection SCRAPS was published in 2021 by Wrecking Ball Press.

—

🗓️Tuesday, 23rd May

📍The Ferret, Preston, Doors at 7PM

🎫🔗https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Matt-Abbott-spoken-word-at-The-Ferret-Preston/36305147/?fbclid=IwAR1F8JTUrKuncYn9meSRr1u-4uZVOLA1b3yCNX8aIXuXn8TsnfbJvX25WSg

Enjoy The Show & The Ferret present, Pamela DeMenthe - eVULVAlution

TUESDAY, 25th APRIL, 2023 (Doors open 7pm)

After hitting the dizzy heights of erotic fiction stardom, Pamela DeMenthe is attempting that ‘difficult’ 29th novel. 

It’s a time traveling prehistoric erotic fiction romp, set in Hull, titled, eVULVAlution.

But after an acute case of writer's block, Pamela looks to the audience to provide her with a creative laxative. Find out what she dislodges in the hilarious interactive storytelling comedy!

—

Creator Jenny May Morgan

Producer Mark Croasdale

Dramaturg Lyndsey Chapman

Set Gideon Conn

Composer Richard Lomax

Graphic Design Andy Lyth

Created by Jenny May Morgan, developed with and commissioned by The Lowry.

—

Tickets at theferret.live/pamela-dementhe

🗓️Tuesday 25th April

📍The Ferret, Preston, Doors at 7PM

🎫🔗https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Pamela-DeMenthe-eVULVAlution/36298849/?fbclid=IwAR1_EQaaVknQo4g2Qe1wEwDqAyvo2pkwbCPBuBkiYbdM3ZK29Yy77R4lro8

Enjoy The Show & The Ferret present, Poetry with Tony Walsh

THURSDAY, 30th MARCH, 2023 (Doors open 7pm)

Tony Walsh is often billed as a 'giant' of the UK poetry scene - not least because he stands at two metres tall. Since 2004, he has performed everywhere from grass-roots poetry gigs to international literature festivals, but his work came to worldwide attention in May 2017 when his poem 'This Is The Place' was broadcast globally from the vigil for victims of the Manchester arena bomb.

An evening with Tony Walsh is a rip-roaring rock and roller-coaster ride from a profoundly inspiring artist at the very top of his game.

Forget what you imagined a poetry night could be and expect belly-laughs, tears and everything in between from this big-hearted performer who often leaves audiences on their feet, dazzled and breathless.

Reviews:

"Now a national hero.." - The Guardian

"He is the real deal!" - Prof Beniamin Zephaniah

"Seriously amazing!" - BBC.COM

“..stirring..stunning..." - TIME magazine, USA

"Astounding" - BAFTA

🗓️Thursday, 30th March
📍The Ferret, Preston
🎫🔗https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Spoken-word-Tony-Walsh/36285597/

Enjoy The Show & The Ferret present, It Is What It Isn’t

THURSDAY, 23rd FEBRUARY, 2023 (Doors open 7pm)

Another incredible @enjoytheshowuk performance makes its way to #TheFerret stage next month ✨

Cheekykita, who has shared bills with Alan Davies, Robin Ince, Simon Munnery, Tony Law, Harry Hill and Spencer Jones, is a Prague Fringe 2014 award-winner and has performed her peculiarly charming brand of comedy in and around the UK and abroad and at The BBC tent at Edinburgh Fringe.

- - -

🗣️‘Brilliantly surreal and delightfully silly. Made me absolutely howl with laughter' Ellie Taylor

🗣️‘Hilarious' Alan Davies

🗣️‘Ridiculous in a good way’ Arthur Smith

- - - 

🎫🔗https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Cheekykita-It-Is-What-It-Isnt/36270523/

📍The Ferret, Fylde Road, Preston

🗓️Thursday, February 23, 2023

⏰Doors at 7PM

Enjoy The Show & The Ferret present, Spoken Word in the City

THURSDAY, 26th JANUARY, 2023 (Doors open 7pm)

The Ferret opens its doors to three of the North’s strongest voices in poetry for Spoken Word in the City 🗣️✨

Featuring: John Darwin, Rich Davenport and Sharena Lee Satti.

Performance poetry is the most totally captivating in live performance. Experience the unique atmosphere that spoken word poetry delivers, right in the heart of Preston at our iconic independent music venue, #TheFerret 🙌

If you’ve never been seduced by the magic of words and the brilliance of performance poetry, then this is the night for you to venture out and witness something remarkable.

Enjoy the Show and The Ferret continually bring the best in theatre and performance to Preston at a time when there is no regular live theatre in the city. Come and support, and keep live performance alive in this city! ♥️

🗓️Thursday, 26th January
📍The Ferret, Preston
🎫🔗https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Spoken-word-in-the-city/36246011/

JB Barrington: Showing Poetential

THURSDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2022 AT 20:00 (Doors open 7pm)

Cult performer JB Barrington is an award-winning poet renowned for his searing, satirical words and snarling delivery of sharp rhymes.

His funny, endearing and nostalgic poetry has made him one of the most powerful performers on the UK scene.
Showing Poetential delivers a rollercoaster of emotions with a brilliant and imaginative display of poetic writing covering social issues, economics, class and loss.

Barrington's unique, gritty style has won him several high-profile fans, including the bands Sleaford Mods and Reverend and The Makers who he has supported extensively on tour.

The poet has been commissioned by BBC Radio Manchester, City of York Council (York Fairness Commission), Kendal Calling and Salford Arts Theatre.

Suggs from Madness was so impressed by Barrington's book 'Woodchip Anaglypta And NicotinedArtex Ceilings' he took a copy on stage with him at Kendal Calling 2016 during the sell-out Madness headline show and read out one of the poems.

Tickets: skiddle.com/e/36062229

World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker's heart and humour has been watched by millions online and allowed him to perform all over the world, until suddenly he couldn't. From reviewing toilet seats online to writing falafel-based diss tracks for Chris Evans, he's back on stage where he belongs with his most heartfelt, playful, unashamedly Harry Baker-y show yet. “

“Spectacularly Witty” ★★★★★ Whatsonstage
“Blistering wordplay” ★★★★★ Threeweeks
“Not one syllable out of place” ★★★★★ The Wee Review
“The Spell Over The Audience Is Tangible” ★★★★★ Broadway Baby
“Simply put... The greatest performer on earth” ★★★★★ BBC Radio 1

TICKETS: skiddle.com/whats-on/Preston/The-Ferret/Harry-Baker/36062231

WINNER Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Performer 2021.

Whether he’s opening for the Libertines or reciting Georgian ballads down your local, Luke Wright is adept at taking poetry places it doesn’t normally go. John Cooper Clarke’s regular warm-up guy writes poems that are tender, riotous, caustic and romantic then delivers them with the ferocity and panache of a raconteur at the top of his game.

This is an ALL-NEW show with deliciously funny poems set against a backdrop of pandemic politics, ageing parents and the poet’s quest for JOY!

Wright’s third collection The Feel-Good Movie of the Year is out now from Penned in the Margins. Ian Duhig calls it “a terrific new book: subtle, nuanced and movingly personal. A hurt man taking stock in fresh words”.

TICKETS: skiddle.com/e/36148106

Henry Normal The Escape Plan

An evening of pure escape with stories, jokes and poems from writer, poet and TV and film producer Henry Normal. Featuring all your favourite poems from his BBC Radio 4 series and his seven poetry collections.

Henry is co-writer and producer of some of the biggest hits of British TV and film of recent years. He co-wrote ‘Mrs Merton’ and ‘The Royle Family’ among others, and produced ‘Gavin and Stacey’, ‘Alan Partridge’, the Oscar-winning film ‘Philomena’, and many more.

His poetry books include his last collection ‘Strikingly Invisible’ and the new collection ‘The Escape Plan’. He has performed his poetry widely across the UK. Henry has written and performed six BBC Radio 4 shows, including his latest; ‘A Normal Universe’.

Reviews:
"Not heard anything that jumps from hilarious to moving in such an intelligent, subtle way as Henry Normal's show" - Radio Times

“the Alan Bennett of poetry” The Scotsman

“Dovetails bittersweet poetry with a sublimely observant wit' The Guardian

“A mixture of the absurd and downright wacky...a gentle giant of stand-up poetry” The List

“The poetry itself is stuff of proper substance, marrying the suburban beauty of Beatles ballads with the blunt candour of the kitchen sink” The Guardian

"The funniest man you've never heard of" The Telegraph

"Witty and uncannily accurate with his observations" - The Stage

"Distinctly funny" - Time Out

“Shove up National Treasures. We need to make room for Henry Normal" Simon O'Hagan - Radio Times

Ticket link: skiddle.com/e/35867767

The Adventures of the Bearded Lady

Dream job, huge fanbase, and in a committed relationship with a beefy dancing bear. Everything was going right for the bearded lady, until her secret came out…

A coming of age fairytale about the bearded lady who ran away from the circus and embarked on a voyage transcending time, space and sex, her struggles to understand the societal limits on her gender and the eventual acceptance of herself as a woman.

Appropriating Leonardos from da Vinci to DiCaprio, a gender bending journey and joyful F*ck You to a world that asks people to hide or change who they are.

The show was first performed at Camden People's Theatre in 2018, and went on to Dumfries Big Burns Supper, Brighton fringe and a full run at the Edinburgh fringe with Gilded Balloon.

In January 2020, headhunted by producer Chris Dodd, the bearded lady travelled half way across the world for Perth fringe, performing in four venues, including her first circus tent (Casa Mondo, Yagan Square.

As well as the live show, the character’s autobiography is available to buy from all good bookshops. https://www.tdbeek.com/shop

Reviews:
‘Brilliantly understated comic with the punk spirit of the Sex Pistols’ ★★★★ The Scotsman

‘Tip top show’ Henning Wehn

‘Hilarious but equally thought-provoking, it’s funny and deep in the best combination’ The Brighton Blogger

'A real hidden gem... The writing has a fierce imagination and a very winning performance from van der Beek mixing, as it does comedy, singing and high drama’ Stephen Carlin

'At times enchanting, funny, joyous, and delightful, but there is also drama and stark tragedy – and just the right amount of bawdiness. Original and captivating, I highly recommend' Keith Prince

Ticket link: skiddle.com/e/35869334

A former Poet in Residence for the world-renowned Glastonbury Festival, Manchester poet Tony Walsh (aka Longfella) has taken his words to rock festival and stadium main stages, to national television events, major sporting occasions and a standing ovation at a BAFTA awards ceremony.

Along the way, he has picked up a host of celebrity fans and commissions from The Guardian, The Observer, Channel 4 News, The Imperial War Museum, the Lake District National Park and many times by the BBC.

With his second full collection underway and a newly-signed three book deal with Hachette Children's recently announced, Tony was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Salford in 2018.

“Now a national hero” (The Guardian) having "stunned millions of people" (Huffington Post) with his iconic performance after the Manchester arena bomb in May 2017, international audiences are now discovering what has been an open secret for over 15 years: a performance from Tony Walsh is a rip-roaring rock and roller-coaster ride from a profoundly inspiring artist at the very top of his game.

Forget what you imagined a poetry set could be and expect belly-laughs, tears and everything in between from this stunning, big-hearted performer who often leaves audiences on their feet, dazzled and breathless. Think that you won't enjoy a poetry night? Think again!

"Seriously amazing!" BBC.COM

"...stirring...stunning..." TIME magazine, USA

"Astounding" @BAFTA

PHOTO: Tobias Alexander/Grey Trilby.

Ticket link: skiddle.com/e/35842412

Life hasn’t quite turned out the way she thought it would when she accepted her sash and crown in Trilogy nightclub back in 2007. No one goes out anymore. Tinder is shit. And she’s pretty sure her dad is dying. Things couldn’t get much worse. Until she sits on a cactus … naked.

This one-woman show with balls, heart and Yorkshire grit tells a bold, triumphant story about how we can survive and thrive when all the odds are stacked against us. It has won a string of five-star reviews, hailing York’s performance as ‘punchy’, funny’, ‘insightful’ and ‘heart-breaking’.

The comedy performance, which includes a banging soundtrack, stand-up comedy and dance, has already played to sold-out audiences at London’s at Camden Peoples Theatre and Vault Festival. Its recent run over four nights (May/June 2021) at the prestigious Brighton Fringe was such a hit that the show has already been invited back to the festival for extra shows in July.

Written and performed by Annabel York

“Donna is a fine creation… both writing and performance are punchy.” The Guardian

“Annabel York, an actor who is definitely a triple threat.” Lyn Gardner

“Annabel York is a natural born entertainer, establishing a sincere relationship with the audience from the very start.” The Upcoming *****

“An insightful and funny performance that makes you laugh and cry, laugh so hard you cry, and even laugh through heartbroken tears.” Broadway World *****

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PLEASE NOT CHANGE OF DATE OF THIS SHOW DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

Brilliantly-shocking rock-theatre show A Rock 'N' Roll Suicide comes to cult Preston venue The Ferret.

The unique autobiographical show came to the city as a work-in-progress in May 2019 as part of Lancashire Fringe Festival but returns as a complete and updated show after taking Edinburgh Fringe by storm.

A Rock 'N' Roll Suicide, a rollercoaster ride of performer Lee Mark Jones' life story, was described as 'Marmite with crack on it' in Edinburgh, where a splattering of four and five-star reviews were punctuated by equally shocking one-star reviews.

Produced by Theatre of the Wild, Beautiful and Damned, the show totally split critics, with it's in-your-face brutal storytelling of Jones' real-life story, including tales about Lemmy, Slash, Axl Rose, Blondie, Joey Ramone and Joan Jett, performed as a captivating theatre show that is glamorous, punky, anarchic and tragic.

This show, packed full of anecdotes from the internationally-acclaimed rock and pop stars Lee has met and worked with, has been re-written, re-developed and re-worked by award-winning theatre maker Chris Thorpe and will tour all over the UK from March 2020 taking in rock festivals, clubs, pub social and Labour clubs and community centres.

The Still Alive 2020 Tour is funded by Arts Council England.

Reviews:
"Lee Mark Jones stories and delivery are worth their weight in cultural gold, some are tragic, others laugh-out-loud hilarious." The Edinburgh Reporter ***** 5 Stars
"It’s only Rock n Roll (theatre) but we love it!" Viva Le Rock ***** 5 Stars
"For a raw meaningful exploration of fame, aspiration and music industry this is a show worth supporting… it is never too late to succeed." Pocket Size Theatre **** 4 Stars
"Imaginatively staged and anarchic." The Stage *** 3 Stars
"Cause to be concerned for his welfare" The Scotsman * 1 Star

SUPPORT
Local bands Masters Of The Scene

MASTERS OF THE SCENE are a NSFW acoustic comedy duo from the North West of England. Mixing country, folk, pop and rock genres with Noel Coward-esque wordplay to create hilarious cautionary tales, this eclectic pair are bringing sexy back to the acoustic guitar! Masters Of The Scene tackle important issues such as male erectile dysfunction, female empowerment and fantasy board game betrayals with aplomb, whilst throwing half a dozen rude words for good measure. Don’t bring your kids. Unless your kids are funnier than you… being them, then leave them with us. They’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll be fine.