NEWS BRIGHTON

Brighton Comedy Garden Returns For 2023

Garden heads to Preston Park on Weds 5 –Sun 9 July, accompanied by some of the best stand-up comedians in the world.

This year, you can catch one of Britain’s best loved comedy stars Jack Dee, Off Menu co-host Ed Gamble, the phenomenal Sara Pascoe, legendary BAFTA and Perrier Award winner Dylan Moran, Qi’s Alan Davies, Starstuck’s Rose Matafeo and multi awardwinning queen of ventriloquism, Nina Conti.

There’s plenty of Comedy Garden favourites joining returning, including Ghosts and Shrill icon and master character comic Lolly Adefope, Brighton’s very own comedy superhero Jen Brister, Taskmaster star Fern Brady, the phenomenal Phil Wang, Mash Report host Nish Kumar and lo-fi hero David O’doherty.

Combining award-winning entertainment with a quality selection at the bars and delicious eats from local street-food heroes, this crowdpleasing festival has been dazzling comedy lovers from Brighton and beyond since its first edition back in summer 2019.

Across five nights and the weekend afternoons a series of meticulously curated mixed-bill shows, featuring the absolute best comedians of the moment, are presented in a seated open-air arena.

Set within a boutique festival setting with bars, food stalls and more, the event is perfectly pitched in the leafy surroundings of Brighton’s glorious Preston Park welcoming in audiences from near and far.

The Comedy Garden is produced by sibling team Will Briggs and Cass Randolph of 57 Festivals. And the pair are thrilled to be announcing this year’s festival.

“We’re over the moon with this year’s line-up,” says Will. “It’s definitely one of our biggest line-ups coming to Preston Park. Jack Dee has been on our wish-list for a long time and we can’t wait to get this year’s festival started.”

A London-based company specialising in live comedy, 57 Festivals produce a series of critically acclaimed summer festivals, deliver a year-round programme of shows and tours and provide bespoke comedy programming for other festivals and venues.

Since 2005 they’ve been delivering exceptional comedy shows and a signature style of comedy festivals to select cities across the UK. Fusing the energy of a comedy club with the atmosphere of a fullon festival the events have been a huge hit in each location with tickets flying out each summer. Throughout the year a host of shows and tours are programmed, managed and promoted across the country, including longrunning weekly nights, high-capacity monthly gigs and solo and mixed-bill shows that regularly tour the UK’s best venues.

Cass added “The Comedy Garden is really established now, our audience know they’re guaranteed an incredible set of comedians with every show, with the added festival fun of great bars and street food. Often people buy tickets to see one act they love and are introduced to many more amazing comedians while with us, this festival is the ultimate showcase to catch the best comedians of the moment.”

Get your tickets now to the south coast’s biggest and brightest comedy spectacular landing in Brighton this July.

To find out more and book tickets, head to: www.brightoncomedygarden.co.uk

BREAKIN’ CONVENTION COMES TO BRIGHTON DOME

Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Breakin’ Convention returns with another showcase of gravity and genre defying dance action. Out on tour for the summer, the international festival of hip hop theatre will be throwing it down at Brighton Dome on Sat 3 June, mixing global talent with the south coast’s greatest.

Hosted and curated by Breakin’ Convention’s Artistic Director Jonzi D, It showcases exceptional hip hop crews from across the UK - including top poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls plus as always, showstopping international acts. Out in Dome’s foyer, you’ll also find live DJs, graffiti artists and freestyle dance sessions so everyone can join in.

This renowned and inclusive celebration of hip hop culture welcomes the legendary Ghetto Funk Collective for 2023. Based in the Netherlands, this collective of dancers, musicians and DJs was founded by best friends Ruben Chi and Roché Apinsa. They’ve created their own funkfuelled movement, sound and experience. Dancers include Rowly Hughne, Imaury Dos Santos Moreno Horta, Joshua Markiet, Jinko Adams, Joao Balde Arias and Ibrah Kakande. They take audiences on a journey, paying homage to funk’s rich cultural heritage while infusing it with a fresh, modern sensibility.

Also from the Netherlands, Yvonne Smink will be bringing a highly original, hip hop infused take on the art of pole dancing. Her practice originated from climbing and she immediately fell in love with the physical challenge pole dancing offers. This breath-taking, gravitydefying signature style is influenced by Chinese pole and breakdance amongst other forms. Every performance is loaded with power moves and intricate detail as Yvonne demonstrates her natural grace, flow and physical dexterity.

Hailing from South Korea, MOVER move beyond specific dance genres, building on and utilising their considerable skills as breakers. They’ll perform a piece titled Merry-Go-Round, referencing a DJing technique which repeats the interlude or break of a song by using twin turntables. In their view, B-Boying, which originated from this music is a dance mirroring our lives, flowing and moving with a repeated rhythm.

There’s a host of brilliant local talent, including Mid Sussex’s unstoppable BPM Dance Academy, the exceptional Project Female and hip-hop dance from JP Omari’s legendary Street Funk crew. Alongside them are Visual Artists with choreographer Munya Muchati, explosive freestyle action from Will Timpson and students from street dance and performing arts school, Urban City Dance.

Two decades down the line, Breakin’ Convention’s values have remained unchanged – to platform the best hip hop theatre from around the world, and from around the corner. Through its international festivals, tours and professional development programme and projects for young people, this invigorating dance event is at the vanguard of the global development of hip hop theatre artists.

www.brightondome.org www.breakinconvention.com www.sadlerswells.com