As we move into the vibrant summer months, my focus shifts to performance – with our final performance of The Big Palava tonight. I’m thrilled to once again be part of the dynamic landscape of the Brighton Fringe Festival 2025, celebrating its 20th anniversary and have put together a summary of the shows that I’ve been to see, and look forward to seeing in the last week of the Brighton Fringe. Once the busy summer calms down I shall return focus to my writing projects.
Penny Pound’s Big Palava
I am absolutely honoured to be part of Penny Pound’s Big Palava and its journey through addiction to recovery. The story is told in a variety of art forms by fabulously talented performers – all with a connection to the material, guiding audiences through the highs and lows of addiction and the path to healing. Leyla Fey’s dramatic and beautiful violin contrasts with Tabitha Wilde’s comedic and meaningful ukulele, Kimi Kazee uses wolf puppets to depict the devil & angel on your shoulder, telling the story from Ren’s ‘Hi Ren,’ Ingrid gives wiry, unruly energy as the audience are led through twists and turns, Narcissistic Malice brings strength and beauty to the stage and myself, as Eva-Marie I perform my first hula hoop act and get the crowd going with a high-energy performance to Badger’s ‘Kisses’, before hitting rock bottom with a contemporary duet, with none other than the Penny Pound! Once she stops clowning around, she keeps the whole Palava together and gifts us with a stunning rendition of Pink’s ‘Sober.’
Our initial three performances sold out, and due to popular demand, we have an extra-long ‘epic’ Palava on May 28th, featuring a special Q&A session afterward. With my birthday at the start of June, I’m lucky to be able to perform in the final show and celebrate with family and friends. After working on creating an autobiographical performance, recently I feel this format lends itself to exploration of a difficult subject in an engaging and entertaining way, and I know if I hosted a variety-style performance or cabaret, I’d have tons of fabulous performers to put on the bill!
Gobby Girls Collective
I’m equally proud to be part of Gobby Girls, a collective of comedians from various disciplines across the UK. Supporting fellow members, I attended several standout shows:
Anna Soden: It Comes Out Your Bum at The Caxton Arms. Anna, a British Comedy Guide winner and award-nominated performer, delivers a madcap hour filled with songs, revenge, and talking out your ass. Her unique blend of character comedy, sketch, and stand-up has garnered praise from notable figures like Harry Hill. I loved her comedic songs, audience interaction and the sheets of toilet paper with inspirational quotes that were handed to us upon entry.
Kayleigh Jones: I Fed My Dad to a Pelican at The Temple Bar. Kayleigh’s show seamlessly blends storytelling, musical comedy, and authentic humor. A former wedding singer turned rising comedy star, she shares the true story of feeding her dad to a pelican in a heartfelt and humorous hour. My favourite part was her song for male independence, a take on Neo’s Miss Independent but to reassure the guys in your life.
Annabel Edmonds: Live Read-Throughs of Sitcom Scripts at Presuming Ed’s. Annabel presents live readings of her sitcom scripts, Steak Out and Gimme Shelter, performed by talented actors. I’m hoping to attend one of the last performances at the end of the week – Thursday will be Gimme Shelter, a fast-paced comedy-drama set in a homeless shelter, following housing worker Jess as she navigates underfunding, local politics, and personal challenges. Whereas Friday will offer Steak Out – a true crime spoof where a stolen steak sandwich leads to an amateur podcast investigation.
Last week of the Fringe
RPJ: Role Playing James at The Walrus. This nerdy, joyful romp was a brilliant birthday pick from my friend and fellow performer Sacha Cooper—and I’m so glad she invited me along. Hosted by James Bennison, RPJ: Role Playing James blends interactive theatre with tabletop-style role-playing. In our session, King James of the Fairies summoned three brave volunteers to take on the roles of Warrior, Rogue, and Magician—Sascha was chosen as the Magician (perfect casting), while I was secretly hoping to be a Warrior mouse (I can totally twitch my nose!), but fate had other plans. I would’ve loved to see even more improvisation—letting other audience members roll the dice or spontaneous audience input to really ramp up the unpredictability. The concept is great fun, and James delivers it with sharp wit and charm. If you get the chance, catch the final show on 1st June and join the adventure.
Astonishing Illusions Back at the Rotunda Theatre—where I performed Marvin and the Dodgyspinners last year—I ended up at Astonishing Illusions by Danny Lee Grew. I’m not usually into magic shows, but this one had a cheeky charm that made it easy to enjoy. Danny blends old-school tricks with cheeky winks to the audience, The “Special K(not)” routine is bizarrely funny, with the paper money bit raising a good laugh. The real highlight? Sascha and I took part in one of the illusions. I lay on a board balanced across two chairs, and Danny dramatically removed one of the chairs and the board… and somehow, I was left floating. I didn’t even realise what had happened until I saw the video afterwards. Still not entirely sure how he pulled it off, but it made for a memorable night.
Joan: The Musical at The Actors Theatre. This production tells the story of 72-year-old Joan’s journey of self-discovery, combining sequins, hot pink leggings, and an original musical score. After two sold-out performances, I’m lucky to attend the encore on Monday 26th having met Gertrude (the wonderful lady planning Joan) on a Brighton bus and chatting about our shows together!
(note: Sadly I never made it to Joan: The Musical as my fatigue condition flared up.)
The Brighton Fringe Festival continues to be a hub of creativity and innovation, and I’m grateful to be part of this year’s lineup and celebrate 20 years of Brighton Fringe. Here’s to inspiring performances and unforgettable experiences!
