Erics Fermented Thoughts……..
Saturdays fundraising gig at The White Rock Theatre was a massive success and a treat of comedic excellence for the people lucky enough to get one of the 1066 seats available, for this one off fundraising show. Jo Brand topped the bill, also appearing were Angela Barnes, the winner of BBC radio 2s new comedy award 2011 and Quincy, a London stand-up comic that also presents, writes and acts.The show sold out very early and at £22.50 a ticket raised a large amount of money for The Pier Fund. All the comedians gave their time and talents free of charge to support this worthwhile cause. Actress and comedian Doon Mackichan presented the pier poetry competition winning entries, all of which where of a very high standard. Some very moving and some very funny. For the first 10 minutes it was hard to hear the first act, Angela Barnes, but after that blip the evening flowed without a hitch. Quincy, the next act was full of London attitude, talking about relationships and family problems, was very funny, although someone from the audience took his stance on disciplining his kids far too seriously and barracked him to treat his kids with more compassion. Quincy came back very quickly laughing at the comments and telling them, that he could not be too long on stage as the kids were in the car. That got applause from the audience. Top of the bill Jo Brand did not disappoint. Ms Brand came on stage in her typical outfit of black sweatshirt, black trousers and the obligatory boots. Laid back air of confidence, talking about her times as a teenager in Hastings, Her own very individual comedic look on local newspaper cuttings and stories, also engaging with the audience in very witty conversations. The audience totally in the palm of her hand and enjoying every word. Ms Brand also talked about her family, some of which still live locally and of her husband some of which was tongue in check, very cutting but very funny. All in all a great evening was had by and for a great cause. One of the best things about the evening is that the atmosphere was right and everyone wanted to have a good time including the audience and the entertainers. Review by Eric Harmer.
