Today's idea - Floetics and Facepaint

Floetics excellent night of locally produced music, poetry, spoken word, drama and comedy return to night. They promise brilliant acts and lots of open mic slots, so if you're a budding wordsmith, this one's for you.

This month's is in aid of Brighton charity Hue Help and all funds raised will go straight towards furnishing a new orphanage in Hue Vietnam. The plan's too create a home for forty Vietnamese children - more info at Huehelp.org.uk

"There will be facepainting, coffee which = phwoar, colouring-in, and of course the inordinately anticipated and confundingly life-changing prize draw."

So, for a night of wordiness, expression, and happy locals, it sounds pretty good. They had us sold at colouring-in.

If you're interested in taking part, sign up on arrival (look for Jasmine).

Time: Doors at 8pm, starts at 8.30pm (until 10.30pm)
Cost: £3
Facebook event: here
Location: Redroaster Coffee House, St James Street

Today's idea - Red Mutha Children's Rave (and Jesus: The Guantanamo Years)

If you're anywhere in the vicinity you'll have heard peculiar sounds from St Annes Well Gardens. Today, Red Mutha as part of the Brighton Festival are doing an "all afternoon, out in the open kids' rave." They'll have sets from top DJs for adults and kids to "have it large (or small)". Brilliant. It sounds very silly.

"Bring your picnic blanket and pitch up for the day. Get dressed up and you could win a prize or likewise if you bust a move better than anyone else!"

It's on from 12 (more like 11) until 5pm today and is completely free. You can find the event on Facebook. Find a map here




In other news, Jesus: The Guantanamo Years is great and it's the last night it'll be on at Upstairs at Three and Ten. Find more info here.

So that's day and nighttime sorted then. Soldout now!

Today's idea - "Littlest Things" Tiernan Douieb @tiernandouieb

"Hello! Do you live in Brighton? Near Brighton? Wear Bright Clothes? Are not particularly Bright? Or just come from Hove which is pretty much the same place? Then come along to my solo show at the Royal Albion Hotel as part of the Brighton Fringe. It'll be a combination of a preview of my upcoming new Edinburgh show 'Littlest Things' and some proper jokes which actually work. Yey!"

Today Tiernan Douieb brings his solo show to the Fringe before he jets off to show it in Edinburgh. It sounds very good, aimed at twentysomethings, and as a side note, cheap. A good combination.

"You look lovely today. No, really. The smallest things we say can really make someone's day. As a professional small thing, Tiernan knows this well. Douieb’s second solo show exploring good nature, unsung heroes, just how dangerous ants are and why, on the whole, he’s a really shit friend. This show contains some thoughtful bits, and the term ‘Liam Kneesons’.

‘Infective enthusiasm - he is instantly likeable and his anecdotes are amusing and uplifting. A prophet for the generation of twentysomethings…’ – Three Weeks
“Clearly a natural comic...an inherently funny person” - AllTheFestivals.net
‘Hugely Charming’ – Time Out

Official Brighton Blurb: Words! Who likes words? Well, here’s some that have been cleverly put into sentences, 83% of which are funny, by ‘natural comic’ Douieb. A short diabetic bearded man shouting his mind at things he’s seen, done, thinks and has nearly been punched by.

‘Small in Stature, not in talent.’ – The Scotsman ‘Hugely charming’ – Time Out"

Time: 7pm
Location: Royal Albion Hotel
Tickets: here
Website: here
Facebook event page: here

He;s also just been named as one of the Top 50 Twitter feeds about Arts and Culture to follow, according to The Observer. Follow him @tiernandouieb

Today's idea - Off the Cuff at Upstairs at Three and Ten

Last time we listed Brighton comedy troupe Off The Cuff, they sold out before the event began. This time, if you're keen to see the Improv group hailed by Fringe guides and blamed for leaving people "heartened and exhilarated" return to Upstairs at Three and Ten we suggest you book in advance. N.b if you're interested in trying your hand at improv, they also gold an open rehearsal every week, which is free to attend (email sjduggan[at]googlemail.com).

The "most exciting, unpredictable and frequently just plain mental comedy your senses can feasibly experience. No script, no safety nets, no elbow pads; only your suggestions and raw, unpasteurised wit," rave the box office.

"The applause threatened to bring the roof down" ****1/2 Fringe Guru"

Sat 24th April
Start: 9pm
Tickets: £7/£5
Find out more at Otherplaceprodutions and book online here.

Today's idea - The Treason Show

Today we recommend The Treason Show. Aside from a strange looked half-naked man in the picture, we suspect this may be quite good. It's on tonight at the Dome:

"The Treason Show team are back in their new home taking another satirical swipe at the world of politics, sport and popular culture.

Their irreverent treatment of all things topical leaves no stone unturned, nor is any famous figure immune from their biting satire.

This famous gag-a-minute sketch show uses strong language and adult themes, and may contain nudity. It is suitable only for adults... the more unscrupulous the adult, the better!"

It's on at 8pm and is strictly only for adults. Find tickets for £10 or £12 on the Dome site.

Today's idea - Improv comedy tonight at Upstairs at Three and Ten

As is traditional it involves audience members shouting obscure places, names and moods at actors who turn it into something odd, mad, and very funny. Sketches can be short or long-form and are based solely around the audience. I want to stick in a clip of that 80s Improv show in which Eddie Izzard plays guest one day, and much stomping around the studio playing grocers and nazi (or some such ilk) occurs. If you know it, let me know.

Brighton's Off the Cuff formed in 2005 and have been in Brighton Fringe merrily making noise since 2006. They perform around the country, and are meant to be just a tad brilliant. Tonight at Upstairs at Two and Ten (10 Steine Street) you can catch them for £7 - £5 if you're a concession. They start at 8pm, and look to be the best Improv in Brighton.

Today's idea - Rabbit in the Headlights at Upstairs at Three & Ten

I've an aversion to suggesting comedy I don't know but try the 'Rabbit in the Headlights' show at Upstairs at Three & Ten on Steine Street tonight. Things that give me confidence include the gratuitous use of 'hilarious', 'bizarre' and 'mind-blowing.' The night's hand-picked as opposed to any old soul shouting into a mic and is hosted at Upstairs at Three and Ten, an award-winning fringe venue upstairs (the downstairs spends its time being a pub). It sounds young and lively, and careful of providing a good show. "We specialise in bringing all of the most talked about talent to you," and whilst this sounds like anyone could have written it, have a look at the website and there's something a little more honest about the whole affair. They're also a Brighton Fringe venue, and the area's meant to be gorgeous, so says the Argus. It's also 'bijou' though and the night's gaining in popularity, so arrive on time - which is 8pm.

It's £6 for adults, £5 for concessions which isn't bad in my opinion. You can avoid the queues and buy tickets via TicketSource. Find it on the map

That said, this looks rather good too.

Today's idea - Pappy's Fun Club

A short, simple (and late-posted) one today. With an amusing picture and blurb involving the words 'Channel 4' and 'critically acclaimed' we are intrigued. If sketch shows and Fringe things are your thing, head to Komedia to see Pappy's Fun Club.

"Fresh from Channel 4 and a critically acclaimed, sell out run at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, "the funniest sketch troupe on the Fringe" (The Scotsman) continue to take the UK by storm."

Today Pappy's are presenting a World Record Attempt: see 200 Sketches in an Hour. Sounds tiring. They also promise the joy of bonus sketches and an Interval. Horray for it all.

"Sheer joy" ***** Metro
One of the Guardian's "Hottest Tickets for 2010" (Sat 2 Jan 2010)

It's ten pounds for a concession ticket, twelve for a proper grown-up adult, and it starts at 8pm. Grab a ticket here. Oh, and it's showing at that lovely Komedia place.

Today's idea - See Spike Milligan's "Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall"

Today there's a quite fantastic sounding play by Spike Milligan taking place at the Theatre Royal. Milligan, a comic genius, major influence of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and responsible for The Goon Show which my father likes to play loudly from cassette and walk around the house booming "He's fallen in the wet type water thing" [sic].

Happily entitled, "Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall" the play is a mix of gloriously absurd war memoirs and celebrated hit comedy. It's "critically acclaimed" and makes critics and real people laugh, which in achieving both is brilliant. It's also got a pleasing amount of good jazz including, for people that know jazz far better than me, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Ain’t Misbehavin’, In the Mood, Honeysuckle Rose, Kalamazoo and many more.

(Occasional quotes from the official blurb there, but all points to rather bloody good).

"High comedy and tragedy collide, as we follow Gunner Milligan and his jazz quartet, adrift on the tide of great historic events. Using Spike’s own words, the show joyously fuses comedy, song and dance – showing how humour, music and comradeship enabled a hapless bunch of young men to prevail against the might of the Nazi War machine."

It sounds very good, and the reviews section (can be found here by clicking 'reviews') is full of glorious quotes telling you it's all very funny indeed.

It runs from today, its opening night, until Saturday the 23rd. )This is not too long.) It's on at 7:45pm each day, and you can find tickets here for £26 (not sure if there's student prices but online booking suggests not). It's quite a bit, but it's a fantastic play so I recommend it whole heartedly.

"Warning: contains barrack room humour."

Today's idea - See 'The Ugly One'

Yesterday on Brighton's Reverb radio I heard what essentially sounded like a segment involving the presenter reading a newspaper. I was confused as we don't have this segment of radio where i come from, but she payed nice music so it was okay. My point, is that this newspaper reading involved a mention of upcoming plays and entertainment type things. She mentioned 'The Ugly One', which was on my list to talk about and now it means that it must be talked about with slightly more gusto than normal.

'The Ugly One' comes out today at the New Venture Theatre and the blurb says thus of the plot:

"Lette, a happy employee of an electronics company, thought he was normal. But to everyone else, including his loving wife, he is 'unspeakably ugly'. When the extent of his ugliness is revealed he turns to a plastic surgeon for help. But after the bandages come off, he soon learns that there is such a thing as too beautiful."

It's a play involving eight characters played by four actors. Apparently the "role-changing becomes mind-bending as the characters proliferate and share names and faces. The last time I saw something like this was in a World War II play I saw with my school when i was 13. It was a professional acting 'troupe' and it was done really well. I rarely go to the theatre or such to see things in some form of acting (films and TV meanwhile, I am there) and I'd like to go again (because theatre is secretly fabulous, although maybe it's just me who doesn't know this.)

In good news, tickets cost £8, £6 on Tuesdays, and £9 on final night. This leaves you from between £1 - £4 from a tenner to spend on sweeties and wine and such good things.

Director Mike Stubbs says of 'The Ugly One': "This is a fantasy that relies on feeding the imagination of the audience. My aim is to create the world of cartoon comedy on stage where the only real thing is the laughter".

In other good words, they also call it "An evening of fantasy and farce that has the bounce and snap of music-hall cross-talk."

Find tickets and more info here, although I'd hurry as they might disappear soon. Opening night is tonight, and it closes on the 23rd. Which is soon, so chop chop!


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