BN1 Magazine October 2023

OCT2023 2023 SEPT BN1 MAGAZINE TASTE EDITION

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SIMONEATERIES REEVE /TO DREAMY PLACE / ELLI INGRAM / JORDAN GRAY INSIDE: DISCOVER // COFFEE SHOPS // FASHION & UPCYCLING / UBERPUZZLES EATS OFFERS / SHAUN BYMUSIC THE SEA BILLY BILLINGHAM // TV & FILM GUIDE // AND /THEATRE GUIDE

BN1 MAGAZINE 1

Celebrating 15 Years of Excellence: 100,000 Bodies Treated and Counting!

Three Cozy Premises, 1500+ 5-Star Reviews, One Trusted Name: Little Jasmine

15 Years of Little Jasmine: Your Home of Relaxation and Five-Star Care For a decade and a half, Little Jasmine has been more than just a spa; it's been a home to relaxation and rejuvenation. With 100,000 bodies treated and over 1500 5-star reviews, our commitment to your well-being has never wavered. As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, we invite you to be a part of our story, a story marked by excellence and a dedication to customer satisfaction. Visit us at any of our three premises for a celebration of relaxation and joy.

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Autumn

at Brighton Dome

Tom Allen Comedy | Thu 12–Sat 14 Oct

Garth Marenghi Comedy | Wed 8 Nov

Mahalia Music | Wed 18 Oct

Ben Folds Music | Thu 9 Nov

Live at Brighton Dome

Jordan Gray Comedy | Thu 9 Nov

Feat. Simon Amstell, Tim Key, Catherine Bohart & Josh Pugh | Comedy | Sat 21 Oct

Reverend Richard Coles Talks | Fri 10 Nov

Two Mr Ps in a Podcast

Penguin Cafe Music | Fri 17 Nov

Comedy | Mon 23 Oct

The One Like Judi Love Comedy | Fri 17 Nov

Simon Reeve Talks | Wed 25 Oct

Tom Davis Comedy | Sat 18 Nov

An Evening with Adrian Edmondson

Heath Quartet Classical music | Sun 19 Nov

Talks | Thu 26 Oct

Dawn French Comedy RETURNS ONLY | Fri 24 Nov

Andy and the Odd Socks Family | Sun 29 Oct

Sophie McCartney Comedy | Wed 29 Nov

Lloyd Cole Music | Tue 31 Oct Gecko - Kin Theatre, pictured | Wed 1–Sat 4 Nov

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AUTUMN 2023 11 OCTOBER

GAVIN BRYARS AT 80 12 – 15 OCTOBER

MARLBOROUGH PRODUCTIONS & NEW WRITING SOUTH

THE COAST IS QUEER

24 & 25 OCTOBER

VICTORIA MELODY

HEAD SET

LUCRECIA DALT

SUPPORT: HELEN GANYA 10 – 19 NOVEMBER

CINECITY FILM FESTIVAL

26 OCTOBER

24 NOVEMBER

SUPPORT: EVA LUNNY

SUPPORT: NINA KOHOUT

SHIDA SHAHABI

Gazelle Twin image: Teri Varhol

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GAZELLE TWIN

27 OCTOBER

28 & 29 NOVEMBER

SUPPORT: MATTHS

IF ALL ELSE FAILS

ALESSANDRO CORTINI

FORCED ENTERTAINMENT

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BN1 MAGAZINE 5

RETURNING TO BRIGHTON DUE TO HUGE DEMAND!

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CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS: STUART ROLT AMY STANBOROUGH ROSIE PALDI EDWARDS MATT RUSSELL KITTY HUDSON ELENI SPIROU SAGAL HASSAN

EDITOR IN CHIEF: CHRIS SADLER CHRIS@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK EDITOR: STUART ROLT STUART@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK MAGAZINE DESIGN: AMELIA HARRIS

NEWSDESK/ GENERAL ENQUIRES: INFO@BN1MAGAZINE.CO.UK

BN1 MAGAZINE UNIT 28. FLOOR 6 NEW ENGLAND HOUSE BRIGHTON BN1 4GH 01273 022991

10-21

NEWS

24

UBER EATS OFFERS

26

QUIZ FACE

28

STEVI JELBART: STYLIST TO THE STARS

30

BN1 CHATS WITH ELLI INGRAM

32

NEW NIGHT CLUB: HORIZON

34

BN1 CHATS WITH SOMEONE

36

NEW FESTIVAL: DREAMY PLACE

38

ACCA WINTER PROGRAMME

42

BN1 CHATS WITH BILLY BILLINGHAM

46

JORDAN GRAY

48

SIMON REEVE

52

LOCAL ARTIST: HAUS OF LUCY

54

AI IN THE WORKPLACE

56

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

58

BRIGHTON PHILHARMONIC

60

MEG WILSON: SIGNATURE STYLE

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REVIEW: LOAM

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SHAUN BY THE SEA TRAIL

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FILM GUIDE

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BN1 MAGAZINE 9

NEWS

LEONARDSLEE LAUNCHES AUTUMN AND WINTER SEASON DISPLAYS

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens in Horsham, West Sussex, is launching its autumn and winter programme, with events for visitors to enjoy the seasonal displays in the gardens. This includes Leonardslee Illuminated, from Fri 24 Nov – Thurs 21 Dec, the highly popular nighttime trail featuring spellbinding illuminations, large-scale projections and music, as well as food and gift stalls.

Throughout this period the gardens become a major attraction for visitors, with hundreds of tree varieties showcasing stunning bark and colours. The oak and acer walk is a must-visit, offering views of grand oaks and acers, as well as the bluebell wood and shimmering reflections of amelanchiers and swamp cypress in the seven lakes.

The famous Rock Garden, created in 1890, turns into a sea of greens, blues, and yellows during the winter months, with lichens and moss creating fascinating shapes on the Pulhamite rocks.

Visitors can also enjoy the sight of winter-hardy Bennett Wallabies, descendants of the original herd brought by Sir Edmund Loder in 1889.

The deer park becomes a particularly stunning spot when frost descends, providing an ideal setting for photographers.

Migrating birds find shelter and feed on the berries at Leonardslee in the autumn and winter months, offering an opportunity to see various bird species amongst the bare trees and around the lakes. Ducks, cormorants, snipes, and woodcocks can be spotted, while birds of prey circle overhead.

The historic Leonardslee estate, established by Sir Edmund Loder, spans 240 acres and is often referred to as “the finest woodland gardens in England.”

The estate features a café and Michelin-starred Restaurant Interlude, with luxury rooms for overnight accommodation and classic afternoon tea in Leonardslee House. www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk

Photo Credit Jason Ingram

Photo Credit Jason Ingram

Photo Credit Jason Ingram 10 BN1 MAGAZINE

14 October 2023 to 18 February 2024 brightonmuseums.org.uk

BN1 MAGAZINE 11

Self portrait (with headband), Lee Miller Studios, Inc., New York, USA 1932 by Lee Miller © Lee Miller Archives England 2023. All Rights Reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

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NEWS

TEAM HOPE LAUNCHES T-SHIRT BRAND TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESS

Off The Fence, a charity that aims to restore the lives and hopes of people experiencing homelessness, women in difficulty and vulnerable school children in Brighton & Hove, has unveiled its new exclusive t-shirt brand - Team Hope.

Leading artists and designers, including Sam Bailey, The Postman, Rip Gill and Ellie Judd, have come together to donate unique designs and create exclusive batches which will be sold to support homeless and marginalised individuals in the city.

“Team Hope is more than a brand,” said the charity’s CEO, Roy Stannard.

“It’s a movement aimed at levelling the playing field for those who have been dealt an unfair hand. We exist to ensure the vulnerable in our cities are seen, heard, and understood. It’s about literally wearing our hearts on our sleeves, demonstrating our commitment to fostering empathy, inclusivity, and compassion. With every purchase, our customers become a part of this remarkable journey, a journey that gives extra time, attention, and care to those whom society has unfortunately overlooked.

Each t-shirt comes with a certificate of authenticity and be signed by the designer. Six designs are now available to purchase from the Team Hope website: teamhope.life. Priced at £35 per t-shirt, £10 from each purchase will go directly to the OTF charity. This new brand officially launched last month with an exclusive event at Brighton’s Leonardo Royal Hotel, showcasing the inclusivity, compassion and creativity among the local community, “Each t-shirt is unique, not just in design but in the lives it touches,” adds Stannard. “Crafted by exceptionally talented local artists who share our vision, these shirts carry the essence of transformation and hope. I want to say thank you in advance to our customers - when you choose a Team Hope t-shirt, you are not simply making a purchase; you are casting a vote for change, compassion, and progress - which is, in itself, emblematic of Brighton & Hove.”

For more details and to see the full range, head to: www.teamhope.life

Photo by Steve Ullathorne

VICTORIA MELODY ‘HEAD SET’ COMES TO ACCA

Acclaimed performance artist and theatre-maker Victoria Melody brings her current tour ‘Head Set’ to Brighton’s ACCA on Tues 24 – Weds 25 Oct for a hometown show.

Fresh from a celebrated run at Edinburgh Fringe quirky and funny exploration of what success really means. Perhaps it’s not about winning a Nobel Prize or successfully applying for a mortgage. Perhaps it’s more about being your true self.

Sufficiently disillusioned with her theatre career that she shoved cake into a woman’s face, Victoria Melody turned to stand-up comedy. But in her search for creative freedom, she finds constraints and rules that she struggles to fit herself to.

Melody has previously been a pigeon fancier, northern soul dancer, beauty queen, championship dog show handler and funeral director, all in the name of art. But when she realises she’s hiding behind her headset on the comedy circuit, she starts to question: what it would feel like to really share herself, divergent and messy brain included?

We find her after a hyper-focused dive into dopamine mining, teaming up with a neuroscientist and performing with a Faraday cage on her head to explore the potential of stand-up as self-medication for ADHD. Now, Head Set is the chronicle of Victoria’s journey; a bonkers, hilarious and galvanising celebration of becoming your authenticity. www.attenboroughcentre.com BN1 MAGAZINE 13

NEWS

BOOKSHOP DAY IN BRIGHTON & HOVE Bookshop Day returns on Sat 14 Oct. Started by The Booksellers Association, this annual celebration of bookshops will see craft parties, workshops, live music and special events taking place in bookshops across the country, including Brighton & Hove.

From author events with Harriet Muncaster, AF Steadman and Billy Sloan, to children’s book groups being invited to become a bookseller for the day, and from freebies and special offers to live music and bookshop birthday celebrations, Bookshop Day will have something for everyone.

A.F. Steadman

Billy Sloan 14 BN1 MAGAZINE

Book-lovers are encouraged to go to their local bookshop, or support them online if they can’t pay them a visit in person. With booksellers on hand to share personalised book recommendations, Bookshop Day is also the perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping early.

spaces. The events also celebrate readers who found love in a bookshop, as books have a special power to connect people.

Hove’s award-winning independent The Book Nook stocks an extensive range of inspirational, inclusive and quality literature for young people of all ages and abilities. For Bookshop Day they’re hosting a fun-filled Evil Emperor Penguin event with a special appearance from its author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson.

Her critically-acclaimed graphic novel series tells the story of a peculiar flightless bird plotting to take over the world from the frozen wastes of Antarctica. Children aged 6+ are being encouraged bring along drawing materials, so she can teach everyone how to create their very own comic series.

“We’re delighted to see lots of wonderful events already confirmed to take place,” said Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the BA. “Celebrating all high street bookshops, from indies to chains, the day is a brilliant opportunity for customers to meet and chat to their local booksellers, discover the next book they’ll fall in love with, and take part in dozens of author events and celebrations. We want bookshops to continue to bring people together throughout the year, every year, and book lovers to show their support to these national treasures of our high street.”

Any self-respecting bibliophile will be eagerly awaiting the release of this year’s ‘Books Are My Bag’ limited-edition tote bag, which sports a design by Illustrator Poonam Mistry. Her style incorporates a love of nature and explores the relationship between pattern, shapes and colour creating beautifully intricate illustrations.

Brought up around Indian fabrics, paintings and ornaments, she cites them as a source that heavily influences her work. Poonam joins the likes of artists and illustrators such as Jackie Morris, Dapo Adeola, Charlie Mackesy, Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin and Orla Kiely, who have designed previous editions of the bag.

The theme for this year is ‘Bookshops bringing people together’, highlighting their key role as community hubs as well as retail

For more details head to: www.booksaremybag.com/ BookshopDay www.booknookuk.com

Gary Wigglesworth

Harriet Muncaster

MO-MO-MO IT’S CHRISTMAS!

SUN 3 DEC

brightoncentre.co.uk Promoter reserves the right to alter the programme.

This is a tribute show and is no way affiliated with any original artists/estates/management companies or similar shows.

BN1 MAGAZINE 15

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CURIOSITIES

T N E V E ‘ SPACIE ’ E R H FOR

NEWS

WORTHING THEATRES AND MUSEUM CELEBRATE UKRAINIAN ARTISTS ACROSS WEST SUSSEX Worthing Theatres and Museum have unveiled a new exhibition celebrating the diverse creativity of Ukrainian refugees in West Sussex. Created in conjunction with the Worthing Ukrainian Friends’ Network, exhibition will be on display at the Museum’s Studio Gallery until Sun 11 Feb 2024.

It has been a year since Ukrainians started coming to British shores in search of safety and opportunities to rebuild their lives. Accompanying them was a wealth of creativity, which greatly enhances the local community. A group of artists, with differing styles, mediums and backgrounds, will represent the best Ukraine has to offer, in this celebration of the nation’s rich and diverse cultural contribution to European culture over more than a thousand years.

There will be a free Ukrainian Culture Day at the museum on Sat 25 Nov. Supported by The Worthing Lions, this will offer an insight into Ukrainian traditions, arts and crafts. There will be the opportunity to meet some of the artists, free workshops and a short film about Borsch. After this choirs, Kolo and Ukrainian Voices will perform and there will be a variety of activities which relate to Ukrainian cultural traditions.

BRIGHTON & HOVE MUSEUMS RECEIVES GRANT FOR OUTREACH WORK IN CITY’S SCHOOLS Brighton & Hove Museums has been awarded funding through Art Fund’s Reimagine grants programme for an ambitious new project working with young people about the UK’s colonial past.

The project will develop partnerships with local students, teachers and museum staff to develop new learning offerings and create exciting educational sessions exploring the history of venues like the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Preston Manor. Young people will learn about those who contributed to these venues from a broad perspective, rather than the more traditional viewpoint of euro-centric history.

“Schools are our most diverse audience group and they are leading the way with regards to antiracism, decolonising the school curriculum and tackling difficult questions,” said Brighton & Hove Museums CEO, Hedley Swain. “We want to embed the open and questioning approach increasingly used by schools throughout our organisation, particularly within our learning and curatorial teams.”

The ArtFund has awarded a total of £800,000 to 21 museums and galleries across the UK for creative and engaging projects, helping them reimagine support for their workforce and improve inclusion and diversity.

“This year’s Reimagine grants will enable museums and galleries to foster inclusivity and create opportunities for diverse voices to contribute to the cultural sector,” said Art Fund’s director, Jenny Waldman. “Together, these projects make a step towards a more inclusive and diverse museum workforce.

Huge congratulations to all recipients.”

Art Fund is a national fundraising charity providing millions of pounds every year to help museums to acquire and share works of art across the UK, further the professional development of their curators, and inspire more people to visit and enjoy their public programmes. Art Fund is independently funded, supported by Art Partners, donors, trusts and foundations and the 135,000 members. www.artfund. org / www.brightonmuseums.org.uk

“As artists, we are grateful for the opportunity to show the local community the heritage and diversity of Ukrainian art and culture,” said exhibition organiser, Yaroslava Matvieienko.

“Every one of us is now a cultural diplomat. We aim our mission of delivering our culture and art to the world to be successful.”

HUNKER DOWN &

Worthing Ukrainian Friends’ Network was set up in April 2022 by local activist and philanthropist Mike Tyler with the help of local community leaders, to help Ukrainian refugees settle and integrate into their new life in the UK. The organisation aims to support all Ukrainians around in and around the town.

Hibernate

For more information on this or any of the events, visit www.wtm.uk

21 & 22 October

Discover how we would prepare our homes for the long and cold winter months.

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BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW. www.wealddown.co.uk Tel: 01243 811363

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NEWS

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES WINTER SEASON

WHAT THE DICKENS? PERFORMED BY THE TELLING

Molly Lynch, actress as Dickens' mistress, Ellen Ternan.

With a fabulously varied array of some of the best touring productions currently on offer in the UK, Chichester Festival Theatre have announced their Winter Season for 2023/24.

Five-star shows coming direct from the West End include the Olivier and Tomy Award-winning Life of Pi on Thurs 16 Nov – Sat 2 Dec, Liza Goddard, Matthew Kelly and Simon Shepherd in Michael Frayn’s celebrated Noises Off on Tues 9 – Sat 13 Jan and 2:22 A Ghost Story, the supernatural thriller

by Danny Robins which won Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards, on Tues 6 – Sat 10 Feb. Other star-studded dramas include A Voyage Round My Father with BAFTA and Golden Globe nominee Rupert Everett on Tues 7 – Sat 11 Nov. There’s also Shakespeare’s classic The Merchant of Venice 1936 with Tracy‑Ann Oberman and Somerset Maugham’s sparky comedy of manners, The Circle, which brings together Jane Asher, Clive Francis and Nicholas Le Prevost on Tues 30 Jan – Sat 3 Feb. The original cast of a classic Channel 4 sitcom reunite for Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening! on Tues 20 – Sat 24 Feb. Three decades on, Susannah Doyle, Robert Duncan, Ingrid Lacey, Neil Pearson, Jeff Rawle, Stephen Tompkinson and Victoria Wicks, reimagine this trailblazing, smash-hit TV series. The Nina Simone-inspired Black Is The Color Of My Voice heads to Minerva Theatre on Tues 20 – Sat 24 Feb. Following the iconic singer and civil rights activist’s life it features her most celebrated songs, performed live by Apphia Campbell.

Christmas at CFT this year will gain be a true family affair as, alongside Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s new dramatisation of The Jungle Book for ages 7+, there’s a perfect first musical for ages 3 – 7 in the Minerva: the Unicorn Theatre production of Stiles & Drewe’s The Three Billy Goats Gruff directed by Chichester’s new Artistic Director Justin Audibert. And for the first time ever, Father Christmas himself is taking up residence in Santa’s Grotto. The season also sees a plethora of music, comedy and performance from favourites such as Judi Dench, Rob Brydon, Fisherman’s Friends and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

There’s loads of treats for families, including Truth & Tails, which brings the stories by Alice Reeves and Phoebe Kirk to life on Thurs 5 – Sun 8 Oct. Michael Morpurgo’s Carnival Of The Animals comes to Chichester on Sat 13 Jan, which sees the celebrated children’s author and cellist Clare O’Connell celebrate the natural world, and HurlyBurly Theatre return on Fri 26 Jan with You Are The Sun - their very first opera for babies and grownups which explores the magic of nature.

Off-stage, there’s also a huge number of activities, workshops, pre- and post-show talks and crafts on offer. For budding performers there’s a Life of Pi Puppetry Workshop with cast member Romina Hytton, Creation Station Chichester returns for October and February half term craft activities and The BRICK People will inspiring Lego enthusiasts. Pop-up Play Cafés and Family Fun before selected Minerva Theatre family performances will provide free crafts, colouring in and a reading zone for ages 0 – 5, and there are new Family Friendly Theatre Tours too.

For further details on these events and much more, visit: www.cft.org.uk 18 BN1 MAGAZINE

The first performance of a brand new show What the Dickens?: by acclaimed playwright/singer Clare Norburn, her company The Telling and BAFTA-nominated director Nicholas Renton (Mrs Gaskells’ Wives & Daughters, Lewis, Musketeers) comes to Ralli Hall, Hove on Weds 11 Oct. Charles Dickens’ reading of A Christmas Carol isn’t going to plan: he finds himself re-cast as Scrooge, with his past, present and future being played out, as presented by two women he mistreated: his wife Catherine and his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan, who was only 19 when Dickens first approached her – at the age of 45.

Clare Norburn, playwright and singer, who grew up in Hove, attending Brighton and Hove High School in the 1980s explains: “In What the Dickens? I’ve reimagined Charles Dickens’ classic ‘A Christmas Carol’, taking inspiration from the secrets of Dickens’ life: his secret mistress, his terrible treatment of his wife and his early life as a boy working in a factory which made shoe blacking, of which he was deeply ashamed. I have also drawn on how unwell and febrile he was in his final years: he put so much energy into his theatrical readings that he would often collapse afterwards in the wings. So I have used all those elements to overlay the familiar story we all know of ‘A Christmas Carol’, with Dickens himself being forced to reevaluate his life and the impact of his actions.”

The plot is set on Dickens’ final Christmas Eve, 1869. Against his doctor’s orders, he gives one of his acclaimed theatrical readings of ‘A Christmas Carol’, but from the moment the lights go down, his life becomes strangely entangled with that of his character Scrooge.

Dickens’ carefully managed image as a family man, who created the very quintessence of Christmas, starts to unravel. He is haunted by the women he mistreated: his wife Catherine, his mistress Ellen (Nelly) Ternan and the mysterious ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. They strip aside the jovial public family image Dickens has tried to maintain and force him to face up to his past, present and future. Can Dickens learn from the ghosts, repent and be saved - as Scrooge was saved?

The collision of music and theatre is Clare Norburn and The Telling’s hallmark. The drama is soundtracked by live musicians and musician/ actors who perform colourful Victorian popular songs and street music, haunting carols and lively folk dances, arranged by acclaimed music theatre composer Steve Edis.

What the Dickens? aims to empower and give a voice to the women in Dickens’ life who were denied an opportunity to give their side of the story at the time. The show may be set in the Victorian past, but like all of Clare Norburn’s work, it speaks for today, for women, and in this show, for victims of celebrities. It is also great fun!

The Telling will take What the Dickens? across England on a mini 5-stop tour with plans for a longer run next year. The premiere will take place at Ralli Hall, Hove which has special meaning as Brighton was Dickens’ favourite holiday destination (not to mention his wife Catherine’s refuge when she ran away from him) and also where writer Clare Norburn grew up.

Tickets cost £5-£20 and are available to book online now at www.thetelling.co.uk/events/dickens-hove

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BN1 MAGAZINE 19

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NEWS

WEALD & DOWNLAND LIVING MUSEUM EXPLORE WINTER TRADITIONS

SUPPORTING LOCAL

Chichester’s Weald & Downland Living Museum will be hosting a Hunker Down & Hibernate weekend on Sat 21 – Sun 22 Oct, exploring how people once prepared for the long winter months.

Winter was always a hard month for rural communities of the past as the weather got colder and the days grew shorter and darker. Hunker Down & Hibernate will show the various ways people would have survived these long months, from food preparation and working the land, to keeping warm.

During the weekend, visitors will get to see a range of cooking demonstrations in the Tudor Kitchen, the bakehouse and historic homes, seeing first-hand some of the techniques still used today such as salting, pickling and fermenting food to preserve it for longer. There will also be an opportunity to see demonstrations of brewing and apple pressing in the orchard.

There’s also a chance to discover the traditional winter tasks for agricultural workers and the role of the working animals. You might even get to see the heavy horses in action as they plough the fields.

There will be a chance to learn more about day-to-day rural life such as the tradition of two sleeps to make the most of daylight hours and how the state of the roads impacted communities.

Our rural ancestors worked closely with the seasons and nature, so the Museum will also look at how wildlife and animals adapted during winter.

Home to over 50 historic buildings from across the Weald and Downland area of Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and Kent, the Museum’s collection represents almost 1,000 years of rural life in South East England. Amongst the award-winning collection of homes, shops and public buildings is a working water mill, bakehouse, Victorian school, smithy and even a church, presented just as they would have been in the past with roaring fires, straw beds and historic gardens.

Hunker Down & Hibernate is one of many events hosted at the Museum to give visitors the opportunity to see, hear and even smell what rural life was once like.

To find out more and book tickets visit: www.wealddown.co.uk

Happy autumn people!

Grab your boots, jumpers, and get the woolly hat out because the weather is on the turn. Sunday Roasts - not sunbathing - are now the main attraction and Brighton gets to recover from the chaos of the heatwave by sitting in front of an open fire whilst wearing cosy knitwear at a traditional boozer.

Did you make time for the beach this year, when summer finally arrived? We at Connected loved getting in the sea, sinking sundowner drinks with friends, and getting time on the water with Brighton Watersports on our kayaking adventures (still no dolphin sightings, yet).

When the sun comes out, Brighton really is the best place to be, isn’t it?

We’ve been having fun across the city too with our Connected Brighton crew. We have had 80s Classic Movie Nights on the pier, food and drink experiences, and charity events. It’s been quite the ride this summer.

Now we’ve expanded our team as the brilliant Jude joins us to work on our events and grow our member community. There will be even more fantastic events for you like our new Dinner Safari which travels from Nostos, to Pesc, then Carne to complete a three course meal. Pith helmets are optional!

Check out our Connected website for all the details of our weekly events and download our app to get involved. Meet great people looking to make new friends, enjoy bespoke experiences and support locals in this fab city.

And if you are looking for Singles Nights, pop over to our sister brand The Single Sessions for monthly singles parties. Make sure you listen to our September podcast with Dating Coach & Matchmaker Laura Buckley who has cuffing season advice. Plus, there are some funny stories on photos you probably didn’t mean to send to the school Whatsapp group.

But first, Halloween! Have a spooky one.

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NEWS

OCTOBERBEST IS BACK!

Brighton’s highly-anticipated OctoberBEST festival returns for another year. From Sat 7 - Sun 22 Oct, 35 of the top restaurants in the city (as compiled by Brighton’s Best Restaurants) will be offering special £25 menus or offers that showcase the quality and diversity of our independent dining scene. A competition and a raffle add to the fun this year too!

There’s a staggering amount of choice with menus to suit every palate – from The Urchin’s Louisiana-inspired shellfish boil to Terre a Terre’s vegetarian tapas. High-end dining will be more accessible too with £25 menus by Little Fish Market, 64 Degrees and Etch, while Lucky Khao, Namo, The Chilli Pickle, Easy Tiger, Kitgum, Moshimo and Baby Bao will take diners on an epic culinary journey across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kerala, East Africa, Japan and Korea.

Experiences such as Palmito’s celebration of Mexican street food, Cin Cin’s Italian ‘banchetto’, The Flint House’s counter-top dining, Market’s Rioja and tapas night and Bincho Yakitori’s themed Sundays will be hot tickets. Wild Flor’s four-course menu reads like an ode to autumn, French bistro classics come courtesy of Petit Pois, Fourth and Church bring another beautiful and quirky set menu, and Med will once again be serving flavour-packed small plates with a side order of great music.

Halisco, winners of Best OctoberBEST 2022, are returning this year with three Mexican menus, while their brand-new restaurant concept Anakuma will be using the festival to showcase their Asian-inspired small plates. Seafront dining comes courtesy of Murmur, Due South and Riddle and Finns, superb three-course menus have been created

by The Gingerman and The Ginger Pig, and the entire Black Rock restaurant group is represented with Burnt Orange, The Coal Shed, The Salt Room and Tutto all taking part.

Two restaurants are harnessing the OctoberBEST hype to raise money for charity. Alongside their usual fantastic “two pizzas plus two drinks” deal (which this year comes to £30 between two people), Fatto a Mano are running a pizza-making masterclass to raise enough funds to buy a pizza oven for The Real Junk Food Project. Meanwhile, high-end tasting menu restaurant Furna are raffling off some amazing prizes – including a meal for two worth over £300 – to raise money for the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership.

Finally, The Set is once again giving away a handful of their full set tasting menus for just £25 via Instagram competitions – details of which can be found on the OctoberBEST website and the Brighton’s Best Restaurants Instagram.

“Last year, over 12,000 menus were served over the OctoberBEST fortnight and with this year’s line-up our biggest to date, we’re expecting that number to rise,” says Suzanne Lindfors, one of the festival organisers. “OctoberBEST is getting more and more popular. It’s a great chance for people to try new places without breaking the bank, with many people dining out two to three times during each week of the festival. What we’re particularly struck by, though, is the generosity of the participating restaurants, who have stuck to last year’s price point of £25 per person despite continuing rising costs.

“OctoberBEST is a fun and affordable way to celebrate and support the unique dining scene we’ve got going on down here. The independent restaurants of Brighton and Hove are one of the things that make us stand out from other cities – if we don’t support them, we’ll lose them.”

Details of all the offers and fundraisers can be found on www.octoberbest.uk For the quickest updates on newly-released dates and soldout offers, follow Brighton’s Best Restaurants on Instagram at @ brightonsbestrestaurants

NEWS

MUTATIONS FESTIVAL

The 4 day event returns with over 100 of the most exciting and established artists

Mutations, a name that has become synonymous with creative brilliance and audacity in the world of music, is set to illuminate Brighton this November with its fifth festival edition. From 2 - 5 Nov 2023, the city will reverberate with some of the world’s most enthralling artists.

Celebrating diversity in the musical universe, Mutations Festival 2023 promises an eclectic mix of established stars and up-andcoming sensations, all assembling from various corners of the globe. Over the course of four resounding days, nine of Brighton’s prized Grassroots Music Venues will host these artists, making the festival an unmissable event in the city’s Autumn music chronicle.

But what makes this year’s edition particularly captivating is its intimate setting. With a capacity limited to just 1,000, attendees are in for an unparalleled experience. The line-up boasts the likes of Fat White Family, Public Service Broadcasting, Django Django, Porridge Radio, The Staves, and many more. Venues such as Chalk, The Prince Albert, Green Door Store, and The Hope and Ruin are just a few of the iconic stages set to feature these performances.

The journey of Mutations has been nothing short of remarkable.

Since its inception in 2015, the festival has constantly evolved, each edition surpassing the previous in terms of creativity and exploration. Who could forget the audacious move in 2019 when the festival shifted to a mysterious venue on the city’s periphery?

Or the record-breaking 2021 edition which marked its first-ever sell-out? The politically charged 2022 line-up only further solidified its reputation as a haven for alternative and post-punk acts. Now, Mutations Festival 005 is all geared up to continue its tradition of innovative and inspiring programming, tantalizing not just the music aficionados but anyone with a penchant for the uncharted and the extraordinary.

The masterminds behind this festival, concert promoters FORM, are no strangers to the music scene. With roots in both Brighton and London, they orchestrate over 600 events annually. Their impeccable track record includes bringing global giants like The War on Drugs, Glass Animals, and Bonobo to Brighton, and their expertise extends to other grand festivals like Pitchfork London, Visions, and Wave.

As the days grow shorter and the chill of autumn sets in, Brighton will once again become a beacon for music lovers worldwide.

Mutations Festival 2023 promises not just a musical experience, but a journey into the heart of what makes music so profoundly beautiful and uniting.

Tickets start at just £25 and are available per day or as a full 4-day weekend pass Tickets from: mutationsfestival.com Acts include: THE STAVES / BAR ITALIA / PARIS PALOMA / PRIMA QUEEN / THE GOLDEN DREGS / PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING / ANTONY SZMIEREK / PANIC SHACK / PORRIDGE RADIO / STEVE MASON / FAT WHITE FAMILY / DITZ / DREAM WIFE / GROVE / JUST MUSTARD / LIFE / DJANGO DJANGO / CHAPPAQUA WRESTLING / GRUFF RHYS / THE LOUNGE SOCIETY

MELTING VINYL

COMING UP IN 2023 03.10 James Holden BRIGHTON 07.10 Sleeper FOLKSTONE 10.10 Big Joanie FOLKSTONE 18.10 Gasper Nali BRIGHTON 20.10 Ye Vagabonds LEWES 26.10 GLOK BRIGHTON 29.10 Yumi & The Weather BRIGHTON 9.11 Decisive Pink BRIGHTON 13.11 Mikey Kenney BRIGHTON 15.11 The Mary Wallopers FOLKSTONE 17.11 Charlie Beddoes 21.11 Kris Drever BRIGHTON 22.11 BC Camplight BRIGHTON 01.12 Richard Dawson BRIGHTON 09.12 The Unthanks in Winter FOLKSTONE 10.12 Memorials LEWES

12.12 Lankum BRIGHTON meltingvinyl.co.uk

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Enter this month’s Quiz Face trivia competition for a chance to win a voucher for you and your friends at Escape The Vault!

Visit www.escapethevault.co.uk for more details.

WORDUKU

Fill out the grid using the letters above each Worduku. The letter in the pink boxes will make up a word, when rearranged.

Text Code

Text Code: Using the telephone keypad, decypher what the numbers are trying to spell out, clues are also provided in the Quizword: TEXT MESSAGE ONE: 282427378 (Quizword 5 Down) TEXT MESSAGE TWO: 26374226 779246 (Quizword 8 Across) TEXT MESSAGE THREE: 65 26678837 (Quizword 11 Down) TEXT MESSAGE FOUR: 843 463328437 (Quizword 1 Down)

EMOJIS: Here are three sets of emojis that spell out something that corrilate to the questions in Quizword.

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QUIZWORD

The Quizword is like a crossword but a little bit more trivia based.

Once completed, the letters in the pink boxes spell out a CODEWORD when rearranged.

When you have figured it out email us at prizes@quizface.co.uk FOR A CHANCE AT WINNING THIS MONTH’S PRIZE!

ACROSS 2.

If the Lounge is opposite the Study and the Kitchen is opposite the Conservatory. What is opposite the Hall?

4. Go to EMOJI 2 for this T.V. show 6. Go to TRANSLATION to figure out what type of language this is?

7. The Crazy WHAT is one of the many rides you can go on at the Brighton Palace Pier?

8. Go to TEXT MESSAGE 2 in TEXT CODE to figure out the author of this book.

9. Go to EMOJI 3 for this well-known cocktail 12. 17,373,589,143 x 26 spells out what celebrity name when totalled up correctly and turned upside down?

15. What is name given to a group of pandas?

17. Which countries flag has a red triangle on left side pointing east, with a white star in side, filling the rest of the flag is 5 stripes 3 blue and2 white.

18. Sulphur - Polonium - Oxygen - Potassium -Yttrium when changed to their chemical symbol, in this order, spells out what word?

19. Go to EMOJI 1 for this West End production 20. If I were to say your star sign was the greatest of all time. Which star sign would it be?

DOWN 1.

Go to TEXT MESSAGE 4 in TEXT CODE to figure out the middle name of the director of this film.

3. Solve the WORDUKU 5. Go to TEXT MESSAGE 1 in TEXT CODE to figure out the country of this capital city is in.

10. An infamous road in Mario Kart 11. Go to TEXT MESSAGE 3 in TEXT CODE to figure out the band who made this album.

13. Go to TRANSLATION to figure out what word is being spelt out?

14. In jousting what is name given to the long stick knights would use to knock their opponent over with?

16. Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Memory features three of these melting objects

Translator: The image below shows a form of language. We would like to know what this language is called and what it is spelling out in the image. The answers corrilate to two questions in the Quizword. (6 Across and 13 Down)

BN1 MAGAZINE 27

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STEVI JELBART:

FASHION ADVISER TO THE STARS ON AUTHENTICITY IN STYLE AND EMBRACING YOUR TRUE SELF. Writer Matt Russell, was fortunate enough to speak to fashion adviser and costume designer to the stars, Stevi Jelbart, about how important it is to look and feel like yourself and why the ability to change should always be something exciting and never be anything else.

Stevi Jelbart was immediately enamoured of fancy dress and creative design from a very early age. This talented young lady stuck stridently with her instincts much to the shock of some of her family members. Yet her dalliance in relation to fashion history and vintage clothes was something she believed was always “very much in my veins.”

Going on to study Fashion Design with Business at The University of Brighton, shortly after graduating, Jelbart set up a stall at Portobello Road “selling frilly knickers and nipple tassels” with her friend Emma.

While branching out the business they also won Swatch Young Designers of the Year with the company Ophelia Fancy.

After those endeavours ran their course, she took on a job at ITV’s costume department on the south bank.

“I loved it,” said Jelbart.

Almost 20 years later, she’s now very busy working freelance as a costume designer, a stylist on tv dramas, light entertainment shows, fashion stills, commercials, music videos and everything in between. She’s also working for Disney, Netflix, NBC, BBC. With the theme of this month’s issue being the ability to change, It was great to chat to this driven young lady who proves that creativity has no boundaries if you love what you do, especially if you are very good at doing it.

When was it you found such a love of fashion and costume design?

From day dot I, really. I was obsessed with fancy dress and creative dressing - much to the chagrin of my mother. I spanned most subcultures in the way I dressed before I was 20. Fashion history and vintage clothes were very much in my blood.

When did it dawn on you that you could make a career out of your love of fashion?

Randomly, I think I always knew. I've never been book smart but colour and shape and the ability to turn something 2D into a 3D form just came naturally.

I would be in trouble if I couldn't earn money from it!

What are the most interesting projects you have worked on?

Last year I designed the Masked Singer special for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! It was great to draw creations that came to life. I have also recently finished a series for NBC America. The show was called Hot Wheels Ultimate Challenge and they made real life-size Hot Wheels on the set, it was a real spectacle. I'm really lucky as loads of interesting shows come up all the time.

Which projects have been the most complicated and why?

As with every job, some people are easier to work with than others. Dressing somebody is incredibly personal whether it be in character or styled as themselves. It’s more about finding that perfect balance: what do they want to change about themselves or develop for example. Clothing tells a story, and you can read so much from somebody's choice of how they want to be perceived – be that by the person themselves, or a variety of other important visual decision makers. It is a delicate process to find the actor/celebrity, mine and the director or execs vision and pull it all together.

If you have the opportunity, what aspects of the industry would you change?

As with most things, it is dependent on the production. It's hard being in a very female based department and role, which sometimes has a tendency to be overlooked on set. Time is often given freely to the camera and sound departments and costume and makeup come secondary to that. It has got so much better in my 20 years in the industry but there is still a load further to go. Sad but True... Metallica even wrote a song about it... LOL!

Which celebrities have you enjoyed working with the most?

I've worked with Arielle Free for a number of years and she became one of my best friends. I love working with her. We have similar taste in clothing and we have an absolute scream in the process. On another random note Bette Midler was a dream come true, she's as bonkers as she looks and we had a great ol’ time.

And conversely, which celebrities have you least enjoyed working with?

Feel free to say no comment.

Well, yes there may have been a few. But a lot of my job is based on discretion, so as a professional, I’m going with your option of no comment.

What has been your most enjoyable job thus far?

A kids show for ITV called Scrambled.

It was one of the first shows I designed but the cast and crew were amazing and utterly ridiculous. We shot it over seven years, and for four years after filming stopped we all still meet for drinks once a year. The guys would play football outside at lunch and everyday something stupid would happen, Sam lost his continuity shoe in a tree once and I had to paint another one to try and match it in 5 mins... Chaos!

When it’s the most challenging aspect of the work you do?

We work insanely long hours and as freelancers we take work when we can, so it very much gets in the way of your social life. You have to love it to do it! It can also be really challenging if you have anything else going on in your life because your emotions are secondary to getting the job done. And that inevitably catches up with you in the end.

What are you currently working on and what do have planned in relation to future projects?

I'm currently designing The Dumping Ground for CBBC and as soon as it finishes, I'm off to do this year’s Royal Variety Performance. stevijelbart.com

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Image by: © Jasmine Engel-Malone

MUSIC

Elli Ingram to perform live at Concorde 2 this Autumn Amy Stanborough

E

lli Ingram has silky smooth vocals which she lays over foot tapping tracks that meander somewhere between R&B and jazz. Her second album Bad Behaviour, released earlier this year, is full of bad-ass and confident lyrics.

Take the opening track for example, No Plan B, as it demands the listener to trust that Ingram will make it as a successful artist.

The message is simple: Ingram knows her talent, so why should she do anything other than write and perform her music? And this young talent is proving her point by setting off on tour this October/November including an appearance at Concorde 2 on Weds 1 Nov. We speak on the phone and the humble, bubbly artist behind the call seems like a contradiction to the feisty persona that sings “I know you only want my bad behaviour” in the album’s title track.

After all, Ingram is getting ready to fly to Greece for some zen before her tour which sounds totally wholesome to me. It is a well-deserved holiday after a summer of festival gigs including Kendal Calling in the Lake District and El Dorado Festival in Herefordshire.

Bad Behaviour is a thirteen-track project created with long-time collaborator Aston Rudi. It has come six years after her debut, Love You Really, and was recorded over four years therefore encapsulates a lot of Ingram’s growth as a person and musician. The singles Heavy and Bad Behaviour were played live over the summer to which Ingram says, “it was so nice playing the new music and seeing people actually singing back and enjoying it.” It gave her just a taste of what she has to look forward to in her headline shows later this year.

“When I started writing this album I was going through a lot of shit,” Ingram reveals on the origin story of her project, allowing it to come from a place of heartbreak and hurt. “I was noticing a lot of people around me changing,” she continues, “so I started to analyse people’s behaviour and it spiralled from there.” Songs like Selfish, for example, where Ingram sings about the pains of not loving herself or Trouble, a soul song about being stuck in a loveless relationship, started to

“all I was saying to people is ‘I just want people to hear my voice and show off a bit. I have a big voice and a big story to tell.’” come together. It has all been one big process of learning to let go and grow.

As a result, the writing of Bad Behaviour is mature and intelligent, not just in its context and themes, but musically too. Ingram’s voice has an indulgent soulful sound which is really highlighted in this album, put together with infectious bass lines or jazzy saxophone, and moments of simple piano and string instrumentation. “My songwriting and way of looking at the world around me has obviously grown and developed,” Ingram ponders, “you can really hear that in this album for sure.” It was a conscious effort to highlight her voice: “all I was saying to people is ‘I just want people to hear my voice and show off a bit. I have a big voice and a big story to tell.’”

Ingram’s story starts in Brighton because this is her hometown. The third track on the album Growing Pains is an emotional reflection of her early years and family life growing up, so I asked if she could reminisce on this time a bit more. “Being in Brighton has allowed me to be completely and authentically myself and it has allowed me to move at a slower and more enjoyable pace.” We all love the city for its rich culture and inspiring creative energy, but one core memory that sticks out for Ingram was seeing Amy Winehouse perform live at the Brighton Centre. From that moment, Ingram really embraced the ‘can do’ attitude by deciding “I want to sing on a stage in my home city.” Her gig at Concorde 2 will therefore be a full circle moment, and a really special night to witness. “I feel really lucky for having that space.”

The journey into making music “got serious when I actually started to write songs,” Ingram tells me.

“I have always loved singing, but never thought it would be something I do,” she continues. “When I started listening to Amy [Winehouse] and other artists I am inspired by, I started to take on board songwriting and the importance of lyrics.” Beneath the passion and curiosity however, songwriting is even more important to Ingram. She is dyslexic, so when she started to get praise for her songs she thought, “this is so much better that you think my lyrics are sick over you thinking I am a good singer.” “That was what really ignited the fire in me,” she affirms. Ingram used songs to express herself through words, where on a day-to-day basis she found that really difficult.

Ingram is a completely independent artist and is self-managed which of course comes with many challenges. She confesses, “it is very conflicting because there is a lot of stress but at the same time it feels amazing because you have so much control.” This independence means she is constantly learning: “I came from a major label background to now being completely independent. It is a whole rewiring of what you know and how to navigate the industry.”

However, the freedom to release music makes it all very rewarding. “I can be free with my art” she exclaims, “which is how it should be!”

With the tour coming up, Ingram says it will feel amazing to have everything come together. “The feeling I will feel when I stand on stage and think ‘shit, I did this and I made this happen’... I can’t even imagine how that will feel. I can’t wait.” This is when she tells me that she is going to Greece for two weeks to prepare for the tour. “I am really going to use that calm and relaxing time to think about the setlist and really start prepping,” she states. “I really want to put on the best shows of my life.”

Elli Ingram’s new single Selfish featuring Jake Isaac is out now on all streaming services Bad Behaviour is also available on all streaming services. You can buy tickets to her show at Concorde 2 on Weds 1 Nov at

www.elliingram.co.uk BN1 MAGAZINE 31

HORIZON

This autumn, Brighton's iconic seafront welcomes a gamechanger: Horizon. Nestled beneath the arches with an unparalleled beachfront view, Horizon is set to breathe new life into Brighton's nightlife scene. Brace yourself for unforgettable weekends, as Horizon emerges as the ultimate hotspot for clubbers in search of an incomparable nightlife experience.

Behind the scenes of Horizon are the masterminds responsible for some of the most electrifying shows, not only in Brighton but on the global festival stage. With a track record that includes the famed On The Beach series, the esteemed Afro Nation festivals, and the team behind Louder, Horizon embodies the spirit of the moment.

Opening their doors from Fri 22 Sept the scene is set for an unforgettable experience of carefully curated events over the autumn months.

Regarding the music styles This includes a diverse blend of House, Disco, UKG, Drum & Bass, and Afrobeat vibes.

Then, as the weekends unfold, anticipate a journey through endless nostalgia every Thursday with Y2K Brighton, followed by losing yourself in the beats of 'Lost' every Friday. On Saturdays,

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Introducing a new destination for Brighton nightlife on the seafront

Horizon's flagship weekly event promises a diverse and unique experience for the city. Not to mention the quirky Hidden Corner - a DJ playing Ibiza style tunes in the open plan gender neutral bathroom!

The venue also boasts a brand new sound system that sits at the cutting-edge of technology and a leader within Brighton Nightlife across a multi-room clubbing layout - that distinct spirit of late-night in 2023 rings true in everything Horizon is about, refusing to look towards the past but pave the way for a future filled with dancing together once again.

Speaking about the launch of Horizon, the club said: “Brighton truly stands apart as boasting one of the best nightlife scenes in the UK, and we’re delighted to continue that reputation with the launch of Horizon. Set in an incredible location right on the shores of Brighton, we’re excited to build on the city’s rich heritage and unrivalled atmosphere to create a true standout clubbing experience on the South Coast. With much more to be revealed in the coming months, we look forward to welcoming everyone to Horizon and creating unforgettable memories.”

Horizon stands as a stellar addition to the vibrant nightlife of Brighton, offering a large hub for a high quality offering all year round. As winter settles in, anticipate a multitude of extraordinary takeovers, featuring an expansive 2023 Freshers lineup.

The future transition into 2024, prepare to experience even more exceptional seasonal events, all hosted in an unmatched setting for both day and late-night revelry. If there’s one place that’s a must for Brighton, Horizon is it.

214 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NB

horizonbrighton.com

HORIZON

SATURDAYS

HORIZONBRIGHTON.COM

3 ROOMS OF MUSIC S TAT E - O F - T H E - A R T SOUND SYSTEM L E D I N S TA L L AT I O N

22:30 – 05:00 5 SHOTS FOR £5 DOUBLE UP FOR £2 ON HOUSE SPIRITS

EVERY SATURDAY AT HORIZON CLUB 214 KINGS RD, BRIGHTON BN1 1NB BN1 MAGAZINE 33

Photo Credit Bibian Bingen

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MUSIC

Interview with Someone Rosie Paldi Edwards

S

omeone is the stage name for Tessa Rose Jackson, a Dutch/British Singer, songwriter, producer and visual artist. Her most recent album, Owls, came out in Feb 2023 and evokes a dreamy surreal sound with silky vocals and hypnotic synthesisers. The album inspired by an amalgamation of genres mixing on the radio as they travelled through the states creates a pop filled fever dream of american suburbia.

How did you get started?

I started out as a singer. I went to Brit School which was a great experience. I was lucky to have a teacher who was really strict but a good strict. There was a really expensive studio that was designed by George Martin and my teacher said to me, “you are going to learn how to use it. I don’t care if you are freaked out by the technical side of things, you’re gonna do it.” When someone puts that pressure on you, it made me really self sufficient really quickly and that’s where my love for production started.

The visual side of things was therapy for me. I got writer’s block, and then I just kind of found that I could express myself in a different way that had no expectations. No one knew I did [visual art] and I just started to mess around. Now, luckily, I am in a place where it all fits together.

How were your travels in America and how did that experience shape your new album Owls?

When someone puts that pressure on you, it made me really self sufficient really quickly and that’s where my love for production started.

At the same time we were watching the latest David Lynch series called Twin Peaks and we just got into this really weird sort of headspace.

We were driving through suburban America, which is already a totally different world compared to the UK or Holland. Anyway, we focused on the music in the series and we got into this trippy space that just inspired a lot of the atmosphere for the album.

Favourite song on the album at the moment?

You go through different periods of liking certain songs. Right now I’m really really into Audrey because that is the song that is most fun to play live. One of my bandmates, Kevin, has a mad textural guitar solo that is always a climatic moment in the set that is so fun and unexpected.

How do you plan your sets for touring?

My band mates hate me in that sense. The setlist is planned but usually I start moving them around while we are on stage depending on the room. For example, this week we just played a big outdoor gig - the first proper day of the

Each city has such musical heritage, but it’s all quite different. One of the coolest things we discovered was to simply leave the radio on and to just drive. Something really cool happened because when you’re around New Orleans it’s all Dixieland Jazz and very Jazz focused. Then we go to Memphis and you realise there are some blues sounds creeping in and some Rockabilly stuff too. And when you get closer to Nashville, there is some more country music and a bit more pop. It’s really interesting to let the music morph by itself on the radio. We passed Atlanta too and heard some hip-hop on the radio. It was so inspiring in a very wholesome way, taking inspiration from so many different sounds.

Any visual effects planned for the UK Tour?

We have these eyes and they are huge. We can only use them at very select locations but to be a bit more tourable, we have three smaller eyes as well to use. I’ve hooked them up to control them through Ableton which is a type of music software. I’m still trying to figure out how to use them for the UK Tour and if I can’t get them to work I can still just put them on stage.

Mutations Festival in November are you excited to come back?

I love Mutations Festival. The last time we went, we met one of our bandmates that we are touring with now. He was based in Brighton and it’s a really good place to connect with other people. Brighton is always always fun; it’s such a wonderful city. I think we are playing the same day as The Staves. I’m excited to see them.

@TessaRoseJack

It was magical. It was before lockdown when we went on that road trip. Me and my partner (my partner is in the band) went from New Orleans to Memphis to Nashville.

festival - so we are going to play some louder songs. On Saturday we are playing in a little theatre and it will be a lot more intimate set. That is the nice thing that happens when you have a few albums out as well because you have much more to choose from. Like maybe this set will be a bit more shapeshiftery (that was the sound of my last album which was a bit more acoustic). Then, this gig could be more Owls focused depending on the vibe of the city or the venue. It’s a big thing that I like to do because I do solo shows as well.

Photo Credit Bibian Bingen BN1 MAGAZINE 35

Credit videoclub and Thomas Buckley

Dreamy Place, previously Brighton Digital Festival, announces new programme of inclusive arts events in Sussex

Dreamy Place, which was formerly known as Brighton Digital Festival (BDF), has announced its rebranding and the introduction of a new seven-day program. More than 30, mostly free, events are scheduled to take place this October in Brighton & Hove, as well as Crawley.

Produced by the arts agency videoclub, the festival will feature world-renowned artists and installations alongside local creative talent in a series of interactive events. The festival aims to engage individuals from all walks of life in the potential of creative technology. It is scheduled to be held in Brighton from Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Oct and will also extend to Crawley from Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Oct, marking a first in the festival's 12-year history.

The rebranding to Dreamy Place aligns with videoclub's objective of using the festival as a platform to encourage people to explore the benefits of creative technologies on mental and physical health. The festival is expanding its scope beyond its original location in Brighton & Hove to include Crawley, as part of an effort to increase inclusivity.

Jamie Wyld, the director of both Dreamy Place and videoclub and a co-founder of Brighton Digital Festival, shares the vision that technology is not confined to a single location or purpose but is a dynamic force that can inspire and support individuals in various ways.

Previously, Lighthouse managed Brighton Digital Festival before it transformed into Dreamy Place. To commemorate the evolution, Lighthouse has curated a launch program featuring

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Credit Goliath by Anagram

both past creators of BDF and new artists. Alli Beddoes, the CEO at Lighthouse, emphasizes that Dreamy Place aims to foster genuine human connection in the digital age through interactive performances and activities.

The 2023 program promises a diverse range of activities, including workshops, exhibitions, conferences, outdoor film screenings, and immersive experiences in audio, visual, and VR. The program challenges attendees to consider how technology can bridge the digital divide and contribute to wellbeing.

In collaboration with Exploring Senses, Dreamy Place will offer animation workshops for young people from Brighton & Hove and Crawley. The creations from these workshops will be projected onto the streets, showcasing young talent.

One must see event is the 80-metre-long light and sound installation happening beneath Brighton train station in the old Cab Road tunnel at 52 Trafalgar Street (next to the Old Toy Museum). It’s a collaboration between four Chinese artists and one UK artist called Only a Few Find the Way. The festival is committed to inclusivity, featuring a broad array of accessible exhibitions, performances, and talks. It has been curated by videoclub, in partnership with various organizations including Sarah Ticho, Jo Summers, and several community and LGBTQU+ groups from Crawley.

A notable aspect of the 2023 program is its collaboration with renowned artists from China. Installations by these artists, in partnership with Brighton-based artist Thomas Buckley, will be featured in Brighton. Furthermore, several UK-based artists will travel to Hangzhou, China, for a Dreamy Place exhibition in December 2023.

Dreamy Place is produced by videoclub and has been realised with the support of various partners from Brighton & Hove, Crawley, and beyond. The event is also supported by numerous funders and sponsors, including Arts Council England and the British Council among others.

For updates on the Dreamy Place program, you can visit their website or follow them on their social media channels below.

Find out more and book tickets: www.dreamy-place.com @DreamyPlaceUK / #DreamyPlace23

Credit Goliath by Anagram

Credit Vasil Dzhagalov

12 - 22 October experience

Dreamy Place!

www.dreamy-place.com

Winter programme of music at

ACCA Wed 11 Oct Gavin Bryars at 80

Celebrate Gavin Bryars’ 80th birthday, with some of the composer’s most iconic works, performed by the Gavin Bryars Ensemble.

Gavin Bryars started his musical career as a jazz bassist, working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley, forming the famous Joseph Holbrooke Trio.

In 1966 Bryars abandoned improvisation, heading instead to the US to work with the ground-breaking composer John Cage.

Gazelle Twin

Dakhabrakha

Gavin Bryars

Bryars’ first major composition, The Sinking of the Titanic, appeared on Brian Eno’s Obscure Records in 1975 and alongside his seminal work Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, which featured the looped vocals of a homeless man singing an unknown hymn, established his reputation worldwide as a prominent figure in minimalist and experimental music. Both pieces have evolved and expanded over time, being performed with artists from across the musical spectrum, from Aphex Twin and experimental turntablist Philip Jeck, to the London Philharmonic and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The famous 1990 version of Jesus’ Blood, which featured singer Tom Waits, was also nominated for The Mercury Music Prize.

Thurs 26 October Shida Shahabi Born in the Swedish capital in 1989 to Iranian parents who had fled the Iran-Iraq war, composer Shida Shahabi’s home was filled with both 1970s Persian pop and longestablished classical works, but, she insists, “it was the environment – my parents finding joy in listening and singing – that shaped my long-term relationship to music, not the genres or my family’s CD collection.”

In 2018, she released her debut album Homes which was championed by BBC Radio’s Mary Anne Hobbs and Gilles Peterson. Over the following five years, she recorded a five track EP of her own, Shifts, as well as tracks for a split EP, The Sea at The End of Her String, with 130701 labelmates Resina and Emilie Levienaise- Farrouch.

An unusually immersive style, this provides a refuge which invites a reaction as cerebral as it is sentimental. In fact, according to Shahabi, “I don’t see any necessity in making a distinction. We need both to experience art.”

Fri 27 Oct Alessandro Cortini (plus support from MATTHS) Alessandro Cortini is an Italian musician, producer and composer, known for participating in various industrial and alternative projects, most notably Nine Inch Nails. As a solo artist he has released haunting instrumental music and has collaborated with electronic artists such as Daniel Avery and Lawrence English.

Cortini is also the frontman for the LA-based alternative electronic project SONOIO. One of the foremost figures of contemporary electronic music, Cortini has been releasing a steady stream of his own music on luminary labels (including Mute and Important Records) for the past decade. Balancing dark ambience with smoky, pulsing rhythms, his compositions are perfectly restrained, textured and mesmeric.

Throughout his rise to fame, Cortini has collaborated with the likes of Lawrence English, Daniel Avery and Merzbow (to name a few).

Support comes from Brighton-based electronic producer MATTHS. The Radiophonic Workshop collaborator MATTHS (Matt Hodson) presents dark, brooding and extreme techno productions that boast brutality within the breadth of the production aesthetic. His first release (on FatCat Records’ sub-label FCR in 2019) presented two stunning, atmospheric soundscapes ‘Velocet’ and ‘Loop’, which immediately captivate.

Thurs 9 Nov Lucrecia Dalt Tracing a timeline of Lucrecia Dalt’s sonic trajectory is an elusive endeavour. As a musician, sound artist, performer, and composer, she has traversed a myriad of musical portals, relaying innate sensory impulses and excavated references into luminous constellations. Shimmering with modulation and the incandescent tones of her voice, Dalt’s compositions summon magnetic atmospheres in her distinctive, and ever-expanding, universe of sound.

Following the acclaimed releases of Anticlines (2018) and No era sólida (2020), Dalt returned in 2022 with her eighth solo album ¡Ay! – released on RVNG Intl – conjuring a new realm where her signature experimentation and treasured early influences meld together. Glimmers

Fri 24 Nov Gazelle Twin Gazelle Twin’s new live show is a plunge into darkness. Memories and dreams electrified by fear. Rooted in the theatrics of the séance and the phenomena of ghosts. If we can summon the spirits of our past, or present selves, what would they tell us? Are we the ghost, or the haunted?

Gazelle Twin is the performance moniker for acclaimed composer, producer, singer and visual artist Elizabeth Bernholz. As an ambassador for women in music production and an alumnus of the University of Sussex, Bernholz is the inspiration behind the Gazelle Twin Scholarship for Women in Music Technology. Gazelle Twin returns to ACCA this autumn to perform from her forthcoming album due for release on Invada Records later this year.

Bernholz created her “transformative” Gazelle Twin performance persona in 2009, to encompass composition, studio albums, soundtracks, art installations and live performance, intended to openly address a deep-rooted aversion to traditional and contemporary norms across the music industry, particularly for women. Her everchanging, identity-warping personas based

on powerful, emotional themes and a fiercely independent spirit has driven her output and many collaborations since.

Fri 26 Jan DakhaBrakha DakhaBrakha is a world music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine. Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, Ukrainian ‘ethno-chaos’ band DakhaBrakha, create a world of unexpected new music.

DakhaBrakha was created in 2004 at the Kyiv Centre of Contemporary Art ‘DAKH’ by the avantgarde theatre director, Vladyslav Troitskyi, and given the name that means ‘give/take’ in the old Ukrainian language. Theatre work has left its mark on the band performances – their shows are always staged with a strong visual element.

Lucrecia Dalt

After experimenting with Ukrainian folk music, the band has added rhythms of the surrounding world into their music, thus creating the unforgettable sound of DakhaBrakha. They strive to help open up the potential of Ukrainian melodies and to bring it to the hearts and consciousness of the younger generation in Ukraine and the rest of the world as well.

At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theatre, their musical spectrum is at first intimate then riotous, plumbing the depths of contemporary roots and rhythms, inspiring ‘cultural and artistic liberation’.

Shida Shahabi

FROM OCTOBER 1

Where a Love of Colour Leaves you in Wonder Enjoy the beautiful gardens ablaze with colour, join weekly workshops and follow the self guided tour.

h everc astle.c o.uk

of her early influences and musical origins, also diffused through her previous records, are cast by spectres of growing up in Colombia, where a spectrum of tropical music genres formed a part of her surrounding environments.

Pages for BN1 x 2.indd 1

21/09/2023 12:21:11

BILLY BILLINGHAM

(MBE / QCB)

SAS veteran swings into action with new show

By Stuart Rolt

B

ritain has long held a fascination with the Special Air Service. This may be due to the strict secrecy surrounding this most elite of army regiments. The dramatic end they brought to a hostage situation in central London during 1980 was inadvertently televised live on a bank holiday evening, becoming one of the most defining moments in modern UK history.

From TV dramas to books with flames on the cover, there’s been a lot of romance and speculation surrounding this illustrious special forces unit. “You spend all of your military career trying to get into the SAS and the rest of your life denying it” Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham tells me. “I left the army, with nobody knowing what I did.” The slightly reluctant star of Channel 4’s SAS: Who Dares Wins has legitimately lived life at the sharp end of the nation’s military might. Having joined the Parachute Regiment in 1983 and serving with distinction, he was selected for the SAS as a Mountain Troop specialist eight years later.

Working across the world, in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, South America and Africa, he led several hostage rescues and received numerous awards - including the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery and an MBE presented to him by HM Queen Elizabeth.

After leaving the regiment, he suddenly found he’d more comrades than anyone realised. “I’m getting offered jobs in security, and I found that everybody working in that industry was apparently in the SAS! I knew none of them. Everybody was using our credentials, but I was too afraid to say it. Half of them couldn’t even spell SAS…” this left him with decision to make. He could either keep quiet about his past or embrace who he was and his extraordinary skillset.

42 BN1 MAGAZINE

Image © Lee Collier

I’ll admit I’d gone into this interview with an impulse intention of writing a slightly cheeky feature about ‘British TV’s Hardest Man’, but that would have been a huge disservice. It's easy to like Billy. He’s friendly and doesn’t flaunt this noteworthy career, which has repeatedly involved doing things so the rest of us don’t have to. This doesn’t appear to be modesty, but a sense of quiet pragmatism.

Almost everything up to this point has been about doggedly achieving his potential. It's this constant striving to be the best which forms the basis of his new speaking tour, Always A Little Further. On manoeuvres across the whole of the UK, it tracks most of his life; from running with gangs in 70s Birmingham to bodyguarding for celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe.

He says people can take the show’s title however they like. But, for him, it’s been a personal mantra since his childhood. “I’m not one of those people who stands up there throwing out quotes and statistics, which sound great but don’t really mean anything. I take people on a journey, and it’s my journey, I’m not telling anyone how to live their life.” He tells me how he used to steal hats from elderly men, at the tender age of nine. “Then this one guy chased me. God knows how, he was about 70. I think he was Linford Christie’s Dad… He cornered me and I went into a boxer’s stance.”

Rather than give the youngster a good hiding, the sprightly older gentlemen invited him to spend some time at a local boxing club. Which is how Billy found himself in room behind a pub. “‘There’s something about you… Keep the hat. I want you to come to the boxing club.’ It’s ridiculous, I was meeting this old man in the back of a pub learning how to box. He always used to say that boxing isn’t a sport of brutality, it’s a poor man’s game

of chess. It’s about anticipation and respect. And when you think you can’t go on, you can. As long as you keep in your mind ‘always a little further.’

He reminded me every day I went there.”

Fortunately, this was just one of the people who inspired Billy on his journey. He sounds like a tearaway as a youngster. In trouble with the law at 11, he was kicked out of school at 13 for gluing his teacher to a chair and got stabbed aged only 15. He’s not proud of any of these episodes; but says they did teach him some important lessons.

“Boxing got me out of trouble, but it also taught me how to fight better. So, I was getting into more fights, but getting away with it. Then my brother came home and said he’d joined the cadets…

The man in charge was an old fashioned, nononsense type. If you stepped out of line, he’d put you back in your place”. But Billy gravitated towards the discipline. “I was being taught things which made sense. I learned first aid and could see how that would save lives and it was ‘real’. I was taught how to navigate with a map and by the stars. In school, crossing the Ts and dotting the Is, I thought: ‘What’s this nonsense?’ So, I just didn’t bother going.”

Then he started seeing men around the neighbourhood who’d joined the Army. “They came back, and they looked smart and acted smart. I thought that was where I had to get to.” He’s adamant the military saved him from a life of crime, or perhaps an early death. After several years’ service, he attended a selection process for the SAS. At their Hereford barracks stands a clocktower, inscribed with the names of the regiment’s fallen above the words: ‘We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go. Always a little further; it may be. Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow. Across that angry or that

BN1 MAGAZINE 43

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44 BN1 MAGAZINE

we just run a course and they film it 24/7. It’s given me a massive platform. I hate the word celebrity.

Unfortunately, in the crazy-arsed world we live in, celebrities get more credibility than professionals like scientists or proper politicians.” His role as Cheif Instructor on the series of challenges treads a line between intimidating and inspiring, as each week he seeks to get the very best from the contestants.

He admits it’s not the full SAS experience, but it does run off the same ethos. “It’s the person that’s special. That’s what selection does. It peels the person back to their raw self. Are they somebody who can pick themselves up when the chips are down and go forward? Can they think outside the box? Are they a genuine person and not one of these egotistical lunatics?”

Image © Lee Collier glimmering sea’ - an excerpt from James Elroy Flecker’s The Golden Journey To Samarkand. “It’s always been my mantra, if I’m honest,” he says.

“But that’s when it became embedded in me.”

He suggests the military needs people with a rough upbringing, who are going to fight for their county. But it also needs very well-educated, ‘nicely brought-up’ people as well. “Put them together and you’ve got the best army. It pinpoints people with prospects and gives them a chance in life. Eventually rising to Sergeant Major, his career was then spent doing things he once couldn’t have dreamed of. “I managed to get it right through all the direction and training. The army picks up great potential in everybody and pushes you to your limit.”

While he travelled around the world doing astonishing things, one of the biggest challenges was leaving the army after 28 years. “It was a world of pain. I’d just gone through a divorce, and you don’t realise how much the army does. I knew where the doctor was, I knew where to get food.”

After getting himself organised, and working in several different security roles, he again started applying his personal motto to civilian life. “A lot of it was aiming for goals I’ve never reached, but they did open up other avenues. Don’t be afraid to go for things above the bar. You might get there, or you might not. Falling and getting back up is what life is about. It’s how you grow and become who you are.” He suddenly found himself stepping from the shadows into the glare of the camera lights. Working with celebrities, Billy had done a few bits of filming; just for fun more than anything. There had been one piece of TV work, which he found immensely unfulfilling, but then he received an offer to do a new Channel 4 reality show.

Showing a disparate group of people who they really are, SAS: Who Dares Wins must stand as the most gruelling and empowering reality show on TV. Billy says he loves the filming because it gives so much to so many people. “It’s not acting,

This unwavering examination of each candidate’s true self is what the real SAS is founded on. Which is probably why hardly anybody gets in. It’s about pushing people through physical, mental and emotional processes in a very short space of time. “That’s why they come on the show. Most people in the world haven t got a clue who they are, they all think they’re somebody else on Instagram. I don’t think there’s one single person who’s done that show who won’t say it’s made their life better for it.” His view is that life should be more than acquiring social media follows and material things. It’s about health, family and doing the respectful thing. And people walk away from SAS: Who Dares Wins with that lesson embedded in them.

Although he’s best known for his TV work, he spends most of his time maximising the platform he’s been given for charity work. He founded REBUILD Globally with his second wife after seeing the devastation left by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This non-profit organisation aims to create a sustainable solution for survivors, fighting poverty through education and job training.

“Military people are particularly passionate about charity work, especially after seeing what we’ve seen. When this earthquake happened, I didn’t even know where Haiti was. But, with the numbers of people dying we felt we had to do something.”

His goal is to replace conventional charitable aid with a thriving social entrepreneurial ecosystem.

military people get treated. I don’t believe we should have everything given to us. I went to the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre up in Loughborough, and the facility is phenomenal. It did give me hope that the government have spent a bit of money.” But then he found all the families supporting the injured receive no financial aid.

It’s endemic of a wider attitude towards those who’ve served their country. “We’ve got soldiers on the street, men who are smashed up and in a bad way, and we’re taking care of other things.

We should be taking care of these people. The veterans have served us and done their piece.

Giving them a false limb isn’t the end of it. It’s just the beginning. We should be taking care of them until they die. It’s disgusting.”

Cramming a lifetime of experiences into a welcoming and fun show, Always A Little Further can offer something of a reality check to audiences. “Life isn’t easy,” says Billy. “We’ve lost the truth in this world. You are going to fall on your arse. You are going to get things wrong.

The message is to have a dream and go for it.

Just by steeping over the line it will put you in a better place.” I ask if there’s any more mountains to climb or is he just going to settle in this new celebrity lifestyle? As you’d expect, he’s got no interest in settling or taking things slowly. “I’m going to try and throw myself out of a plane and break a world-record, which the missus isn’t too happy about,” he says, after a short pause. “I’m always looking for the next challenge. You don’t know what you’ve got left. You don’t know what’s going to happen. So don’t give up until you HAVE to give up.”

Mark ‘Billy’ Billingham’s Always A Little Further comes to Bexhill’s De La Warr Parr Pavilion on Wed 18 Oct and Theatre Royal Brighton on Thu 19 Oct. Season five of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is airing now on Channel 4

www.markbillybillingham.com

Originally, he’d gone over to build a hospital, but what was supposed to be a couple of months soon turned into three years. He started raising money so street kids could get through school. “But it’s all well and good, but what use is that without an actual job? So, my wife formed a business.”

Now this locally owned, for-profit social business employs around 80 workers making handcrafts, sandals and accessories, establishing a framework for the transition from desperation and dependency to self-sustainability.

Elsewhere, he’s currently an ambassador for both Phoenix Heroes, who encourage wellbeing amongst veterans through outdoor activities, and The Tommy Club, who help ex-servicemen regain their independence and overcome challenges caused by disability, substance dependency or unemployment. Billy also does a lot with Scotty’s Little Soldiers, who provide long term support for bereaved military children. But there’s so much more work to be done. “I’m horrified by the way Image © Lee Collier

BN1 MAGAZINE 45

JORDAN GRAY Comedy star asks Is It A Bird?

By Stuart Rolt

46 BN1 MAGAZINE

Photo Credit, Dylan Woodley

“

J

You just get good at stuff you like”

ordan Gray is talking about how she taught herself piano.

“If you enjoy some aspect of Sudoku, you get good at it, because you want to keep doing it. I got really into finding out which chords sound happy and which sound sad.”

A bout of sickness during her teenage years meant a lot of time off school at home. So, the comedian and singer got themselves a keyboard in a bid to fill the time.

Fast forward to 2016, and she was appearing on BBC’s The Voice, getting through to the semi-finals with barnstorming performances of This Woman's Work, Florence and the Machine’s Shake It Out and Deacon Blue’s Real Gone Kid. “I had a great time on it, but I get bored so fast. If you sing a song really well, you’re obliged to sing that everywhere you go for the rest of your career. I can’t think of anything worse. The Voice was wonderful, but it was also the reason I quite music for comedy.” It seems to be her natural resting point. At the end of every cycle, whether that’s TV or film, she’ll always come back to live comedy. She tells me comedians will never be short of a stage and a microphone. “You can think of a joke in the morning and can be doing it onstage that night. That’s how lucky we are.”

After a hugely successful Edinburgh run last year, followed by a season at London’s Soho Theatre, she triumphantly took her sensational new show, Is It A Bird?, to Melbourne Comedy Festival, bypassing the rest of the UK completely. But now, almost a year later, it’s time to take to get out on tour properly. “Always work backwards from a pun if you’re making a comedy show. It’s amazing how many people don’t get the pun, until I bring it up.”

It’s a joyous melding of stand-up and songs, with only a cursory diversion into the conflicted and bizarre world of superheroes to make the title stick.

“There’s no agenda. I’m not trying to teach or prove anything. So, stop worrying about saying the wrong words in front of transgender people. It’s a show to make you feel better about stuff like that. We’re not scary. Most of us are just idiots like everyone else…”

After winding its way around the nation, the series of dates culminates at Brighton’s Corn Exchange on Thurs 9 Nov. “I’ve got a feeling it’ll be a big one. Any stops that haven’t been pulled

out yet, we’ll be pulling them out then.”

She might have toured as a singer for ten years, but this is the first time she’s taken the first time taking a comedy show out. It’s been fun getting to know the different personalities and how different counties react to material…”

I ponder for a moment that comic books might have more to say about identity politics than first appearances suggest. You have the perpetual outsider trying to prove themselves as some kind of messiah in Superman, or the hyper-aggressive revenge fantasies of Batman. “A big premise of this show is that people don’t want me going into women’s toilets, but they’ve no problem with Bruce Wayne dressing up and self-identifying as a bat.” But, she stresses Is It A Bird? isn’t some niche show, packed with obscure facts from Spider-Man. It’s just a bare-faced attempt to justify the title.

“Batman is an absolutist, for sure.

There’s something to be said for Joker doing so well. You notice films about antiheroes tend to take off when the economy is poor.” Gray points to the comfort brought by the Avengers films swatting away alien threats in a post 9-11 world. But once trust in the Government begins to fade it drives audiences to the darker side. “That’s why Disney are releasing their back catalogue of villains, with things like Cruella. They’re doing really well, because people relate to those who want to see the world burn.

“And Batman is a billionaire, so who really cares?” She chuckles and pauses for a moment. “He’s got all the money in the world, and nothing better to do than beat people up. It’s annoying… because he’s really cool.”

She offers that comic books have had a habit of reflecting social anxieties throughout their history, revealing our dark impulses and fascination with antiheroes. “It’s really interesting when you graph it; what trends we like to follow…

Batman is part of the lineage of Paul Bunyan. He’s an American folk hero more than a superhero.”

Aside from writing comedy shows that are punctuated by silly, but somehow quite powerful, musical interludes, Gray has also been developing her own TV show. It’s an evolution of Transaction, a six-part online series filmed for Comedy Central. “That did really well.

It’s their fastest show to hit million views.

Obviously, that’s an honour.” Created with comedy legends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, it continues her adventures of Liv, a narcissistic and obnoxious supermarket worker. “I’m an affirmative action hire, but I haven’t got the humility to treat that for the honour it is. So, I just make it everyone else’s problem. She’s an egomaniac who is very happy to play to people’s insecurities.”

She says it’s an enormously fun character to play, pointing out trans people generally get portrayed as suffering saint characters who can’t do anything wrong, over-sexualised villains or sex-workers in the media.

“There’s nothing wrong with sex workers, but not all trans people do that. It’s nice to play that idiot in the middle. We had an internal document when we were making the show, which said: ‘Some people are dickheads.’

Transgender people are just people, so some will be idiots…”

In many ways, Transaction challenges that habit of viewing people purely through their sexuality. There’s a preconception in some quarters that simply existing is ‘shoving it in people’s faces. “I always like to point out… although it’s more of a ‘bit’ rather a piece of logic …when you have a baby that’s shoving your heterosexuality in people’s faces. Put a bag on its head! I don’t want to see that! Keep your heterosexuality away!”

She bursts out laughing for a moment, but then suggests that if someone has never known any different then they probably will find some things unusual.

“It’s like seeing people of different ethnicities popping up on adverts.

It’s too reductive to say it’s the older generation, but people do get more ‘small c’ conservative as they get older. They’ll see black people on TV, and they’ll go: ‘Every advert!!’ Every advert? Just because it’s different from when you were young, but it’s just a better representation of reality now.

But things are changing, and let’s give them some credit because they’re still figuring the world out.”

Pencilled in for broadcast on a very mainstream domestic TV channel, the show is more about working in a supermarket than being transgender.

(Obviously Liv would like it to be all about her.) The reality is that it’s a fun and silly sitcom, with no agenda beyond. Gray does let on they’ve got at least ten pages of vegetables puns in a drawer somewhere waiting to be used…

Gray’s podcast is where she delves into weightier subjects. Like will it one day be possible to live forever? Or whatever happened to Wagon Wheels?

Transplaining sees her inviting along stars from the worlds of comedy, music and film to get to the very essence of the human experience, crowbarring in a pun at every opportunity. “Celebrities come on and ask one big question and one small question, then I attempt to answer them with no context or prior knowledge. The guests have been incredible, we’ve had Jameela Jamil, Richard Herring, Nish Kumar and Russell Kane!”

with a divisive appearance on the anniversary reboot of radical 90s TV staple, Friday Night Live. After a series of mostly adequate performances from new stars and comedy greats, she rounded off proceedings with a mesmerising crescendo. Performing a number which explained why she was obviously superior to every member of the audience, she proceeded to strip naked and truly demonstrate her versatility upon the piano.

“I really wanted to do it, and I’d pitched this with diagrams and everything, to make a cotton magician’s suit which I’d set on fire and it would disappear.

Nobody said ‘no’ until a week before.

Then they showed me the diagram I’d sent, and it was just a stick-man on fire.

Fair play… If I saw that I wouldn’t trust me either!” The performance drew over 1600 complaints to Ofcom, mostly from people who been informed about their personal outrage by Monday morning’s tabloids. Which apparently was some kind of record. “I came on and sang about how much better I am than everybody else, which I’d hope every right-thinking person would realise that was a parody. Then I got nude, which just adds insult to injury if you think someone is laughing at you.”

The controversy inarguably boosted her profile. Soon, she was getting fivestar reviews from one side and death threats from the other. But the attention wasn’t the main motivator. “Wanting to carry on that legacy was one of the reasons to do it. I wanted to contribute to that anarchy and rebellion. Channel 4 have been so good to me. We won a BAFTA for it as well. Which I never thought would happen in a million years!”

Now established as one of Britain’s most complex, hilarious and exhilarating rising stars, Gray is staying true to her mission to combine standup with music because you can convey ideas, context and emotions far quicker in song form. Appearing on TV singing about how you’re better than everyone else has a certain power, but she tells me the performance on FNL was abridged. “It usually ends on a more poignant note, with the admission that if I’m going to be a joke, then I might as well be in on that joke. If you take that away, it quite bonkers…. When you drop it into a show where everyone has been enjoying an hour of comedy, it hits people’s brains a bit differently. They’ll leave thinking new ideas. Music and comedy are very powerful together.”

Jordan Gray’s Is It A Bird? comes to Brighton’s Corn Exchange on Thurs 9 Nov. www.brightondome.org

While Gray had already been doing tidy business, she truly broke through BN1 MAGAZINE 47

SIMON REEVE TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

From pre-teen petrol bombs to mountain-top revelations, TV travel star Simon Reeve shares his wild plans for new tour

T

aking a chance and turning left instead of right can lead us down new paths – to discover more about the wild world around us, according to TV presenter, author and explorer Simon Reeve as he prepares for his new tour.

Simon’s own experiences of growing up in inner city London, escaping from a mental health crisis to flee to Scotland and finding his feet – quite literally – see him well placed to suggest ways others can discover more personal wild moments.

And he hopes his latest tour To The Ends Of The Earth, which sees him visiting 36 towns and cities across the country in October and November, will encourage people to take a few more risks and find the value in nature, wherever it may be.

“I loved getting out there and being with a live audience on my last tour, and that was a big part of wanting to do another,” Simon said. “But the real motivation was that I was getting a bit depressed about the state of the world and how digital our lives were becoming, and I want to remind audiences there’s a really beautiful, wild world out there for us to love and experience, individually and collectively.

“My theme for the tour is ‘wild places exist and we need to find them’. There’s not much in life that I am sure about, but I am sure about this.

“The value of getting into nature is very simple, whether it’s a local park, a remote national park, or somewhere else in a far-flung corner of Planet Earth. It all counts.”

Simon, whose travels and award-winning TV series have taken him to more than 130 countries, across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, acknowledges many people

reconnected with their local world in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and is keen to remind us not to forget those moments.

“Millions of people reassessed their lives during the pandemic, and while yes it was hellish in a lot of ways, it gave people time and space to reconnect with their local area,” he said.

“We were forced to stay close to home, and there is something powerful in re-discovering what is around you, seeing it with fresh eyes. Even by just turning left instead of right on a walk or run, you can have a completely new experience, adding a heightened sense of value to your love of the place.

“Going wild can be in any environment – whether the inner city or a remote island. The important thing is to push yourself out of the comfort zone and try new things, which help us see the world differently, and prompt us to raise our eyes from that screen we all carry with us.

“Noticing nature around you is a bloody tonic.

It’s a lot cheaper than therapy or other exercise, but super-valuable for us as individuals and collectively. So if you aren’t great at taking chances or eating in restaurants that don’t have photos of the food outside, come along and let’s see if I can persuade you to have a few more adventures.”

On his new theatre tour, Simon says he’s also planning to talk about the craziest places he’s been, the adventures he’s had and the amazing people he’s met. “I’m really hoping to inspire people with my tales, and I’m planning to tell some stories I’ve never shared before, about my adventures and also about my background.”

Simon, who is best known for his travel documentaries which combine current affairs, history, wildlife, culture and conservation,

followed a far from conventional route to a life in the spotlight.

Making petrol bombs at 11, on the brink of suicide at age 16, chancing upon a job as a newspaper post-boy, Simon is all too aware that while he now speaks from a position of privilege, it wasn’t always the case.

“I don’t come from an outdoorsy, wild background,” he explains. “I grew up in inner city London, didn’t get on a plane until I was working as an adult, and that was only to Newcastle.

“The great outdoors started out as a mental health tonic for me. One of my real formative experiences as a lad – I was on the dole, very depressed, stood on a motorway bridge – was when I went wild to Scotland on my own and found a shed-load of physical self-confidence, exploring and discovering and feeling the grass under my feet.

“That kind of experience can truly transform a person.

“We have been lulled into thinking that we can experience the world via our screens, but the benefits of being in nature and getting wild are so much greater.”

Simon has spoken of the life changing – or perhaps more realistically life “saving” experience of climbing in Glencoe in Scotland, shortly after stepping back from the brink where he’d stood on a motorway bridge preparing to jump, and how the lessons he learnt at that moment have carried him through life since.

“That experience, getting on a train to Scotland, climbing Glencoe in jeans and trainers – I shouldn’t have made it up and back safely, but I did.

“The most useful mental health tonic I had in the darkest time of my life was to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving, and I’ve found that ever since.

“That simple action provides help, answers and solutions to almost everything I come up against.

The simple act of moving, ideally in Mother Nature, gives you self-respect, mental openness

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and clears the head. And when I found that, and realised the value, I knew I wanted to share that knowledge with others.”

Besides sharing the many benefits of getting into the great outdoors on his new theatre tour, Simon also plans to share his experience of nature in a broader sense – talking about ecosystems around the world and the impact mankind has had on the planet.

“I’ve travelled through so many completely different environments and am looking forward to sharing some of that.... What it’s like to be in the desert, in the mountains, the coldest places on the planet, and all the other extreme locations I’ve visited.

“In terms of learning about myself and the world around us, almost everywhere I’ve visited has taught me something. But there are also specific people who have opened a page in a book at a particular time or shone a light on something which has surprised me.

“I’ve met some incredible people in remote parts of the world with very different outlooks on life.

In the developed world, we are very much about driving forward, acquiring, insulating yourself from the outside world and other humans. But I’ve spent time in remote communities where everyone is raising children together in solidarity, and it’s breath-taking to see.

“A big lesson for me has been staying with people who take what they need from Mother Nature, not what they want. Their footprint is so small and delicate that their impact on the world is very different to our own. I’ll talk about some of those remote communities on my tour – I won’t romanticise their lives, and often there is comparative poverty, but it’s worth being reminded of those ways of living.

“Nobody who travels should be unaware of the impact of our journeys or our lives on Mother Nature.

“Everywhere I go, the impact of the modern world is visible, or the consequences of burning fossil fuels, plastic pollution etc. It’s seen all around the planet; there’s plastic at the deepest depths of the oceans and at the top of the tallest mountains.”

While keen to encourage responsible tourism and travel, and seeing sights beyond the obvious, Simon – described as ‘British television’s most adventurous traveller’ – also reminds people that exploration is a ‘fundamental’ part of human nature.

“There is an enormous value to travel,” he said.

“I don’t want people to forget we have done it since the beginning of our species. It is part of human history and we need it in our lives.

“It’s a fundamental aspect of our humanity, that desire to see what’s around the corner or over the next hill. We haven’t just done it to look for food but for adventure and experiences.

“We need to hold on to the idea of travel, and to do it responsibly. I’m always keen to nag people to not just sit by a pool. Get up, get out and go and do things when they are away.

“Obviously I’ve got no right to tell people how to live their lives, but I still want to remind them they can have seriously enriching experiences when they step out of their comfort zone. I don’t want people to think they can’t do ‘adventures’.

“We, humans, are incredible. The world is amazing.”

While he’s travelled the world in the years since scaling Glencoe as a trainer-wearing teen, Simon hasn’t – yet – been back to the summit where he reassessed his life and found a new verve. And he hopes to be joined by a special companion when he gets round to a future return trip.

“In a way, Glencoe is the place where it all began for me. I do want to go back there, and soon, with my son. He’s 11 now and doing so much better at life than I was at that age… He’s not off making petrol bombs!

“It’s a challenge bringing up kids in today’s world. We want to keep them safe, but we want them to flap their wings and fly as well. So we are all looking for ways to get them outdoors to discover themselves and take risks which can, yes, be uncomfortable and scary.

“Balancing reality and screens is a huge issue for parents, whether you’re in a town or in the countryside. It is in our family too, as we try to

balance what’s fair and right. I don’t want my son to miss out on playing screen games with his mates, but I also want him to have meaningful experiences away from all that.

“Kids also need to be bored so they find their own ideas and games. I know, for me, those moments when you’re on your own and away from screens are when I get time to think and dream.”

With destinations just this year including the likes of Indonesia, Patagonia and the Kalahari Desert, what is it that Simon dreams about?

“Places like that are reminders that there are still pristine, beautiful environments that deserve and need to be protected,” he says.

“As humans we’ve left our mark on the world and that can’t be easily wiped out. It’s an impact that future generations will be shaking their heads at on our behalf. But we can certainly still protect and save beautiful and diverse life on the planet.

“It’s one of the greatest challenges we face and we need to do it by changing our behaviour, managing what we have got and making more sustainable choices.

Simon wants to remind us that the greatest benefit of travelling and going on adventures is actually the chance to meet other people: “Hand in hand with that dream of supporting Mother Nature, my journeys are about people and that’s what viewers remember and talk to me about. I love that.

“There are eight billion human beings on his planet – that’s eight billion different stories to be told.

“Travel can never be boring when you’re connecting with people.”

You can catch Simon at the Brighton Dome on Weds 25 Oct Tickets for SIMON REEVE – TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH are on sale now from www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/simon-reeve

Interview with Local Artist

HAUS OF LUCY

By Rosie Paldi Edwards Haus of Lucy is a contemporary multi-media artist. Lucy flips charity shop finds on their head with polymer clay and ceramic paint, turning them into something completely different.

Picture a classic cow butter dish now with a gimp mask, or an oil painting of a manor house with tiny satellites photoshopped into the image. This clash of old and new creates a wonderful if slightly anarchist take on classical art.

She follows these same principles throughout her artwork, like the print series and her figurines. Lucy’s art is often a fun reflection of social commentary and can make a vintage Victorian lady feel relatable.

Lucy has built up a healthy 11K followers to her art account over the years on Instagram, but with recently having her account taken down for something she didn't do, an artist's career can be turned upside down if the app decided so. I sat down with Lucy to find out what happened.

How did you get started in the art world?

In my previous life I used to be a magazine designer. I did my degree in graphic design and then moved to London. But then I got to a point where I’d get to my lunch break and I really needed to do something more creative than just this page layout.

I used to find old masters online - I just used to google traditional oil 52 BN1 MAGAZINE

paintings and photoshop things into them. I used to have five finished by the end of my lunch break. I created about four that I printed out onto really nice art paper. My husband was working at NME at the time in the archive department - they had all the magazines from when magazines were invented pretty much.

ceramic plates and I put Ed Sheeran where Harry should have been, obviously as a joke but the plate ended up going viral. It ended up in the Daily Mail and I suddenly had all these plate sales.

My husband used to get quite a lot of artists and creatives to come and get inspiration. He had someone coming in from Art Republic. My husband Jason didn't tell me about this, but took my pictures and just left them lying around and then the guy saw them and really liked them, so my husband just said it was an artist called Lucy and gave them my details. It was nice because no nepotism was involved. Jason said expect an email form these guys later and then I got the email and they took me on. They were the first gallery to give me any representation. In fact, within a week they had put my work in the window.

It was amazing because we were living in London and we came down to Brighton and there was my work in the window of a gallery. I just thought ‘oh my god, it is the best moment of my life.’

I have enjoyed them all. I did one with Lazy Oaf that was really nice it was a really cute little commision.

They needed just some figurines wearing their collection and I really enjoyed that because I didn't feel out of my depth at all. I absolutely don't have imposter syndrome, but I can definitely feel overwhelmed sometimes when I accept a job and think ‘can I actually do this?’

I didn't just quit my job and become an artist overnight. It took a few years of still selling bits and pieces through Art Republic and then there was a point where I designed a plate for when Megan and Harry got married. I do like piss-take pastiche

Who has been your favourite collaboration?

Something else that was really enjoyable was some bits I did for Primark and Greggs. Primark occasionally does this drop of Greggs themed clothing. So basically, I've got this print called “all shopped out” and it's this lady on a sofa looking exhausted. It's originally a John Singer Sargent oil, but I’ve added in Primark bags at her feet because you can picture it. It just looks like she's been out at Primark all day.

Someone sent me a message saying ‘did you know that the CEO of Primark has got that picture in his toilet.’ I was like ‘Oh my god can you get me his details?’ So then I dropped him a line, saying ‘look I heard you got

this picture of mine and I appreciate the fact you're not suing me right now cause I love the brand and it's a homage to the brand more than anything negative.’ He totally saw that and said ‘okay well listen, we are doing a collaboration with Greggs. It's top secret but we would like some prints in the head office.’

They wanted prints that would just have touches of Primark in the prints but still be really classic. So I created an image of a Pre-Raphaelite lady in a changing room. I had to create three new Greggs figurines, but I had to copy a flat PDF because the collection wasn't out yet. When the launch happened they had a little pop up in Soho, and I think that was actually my favourite commission.

Do you have any favourite things to make at the moment?

I couldn't do a job that required repetition now. I think I'd go mad.

I’ve recently just been churning out vintage plates with brands in the middle. Like a McDonalds logo in the middle of this beautiful vintage plate, because I just think why shouldn't you eat your burger off fine china.

You Instagram got removed, what happened there?

In late July, I designed a very silly t-shirt and it said Gucci but looked like the Lidl logo. I wore it on the grid and then about 30 people messaged me saying that's a really cool t-shirt, so I did this tiny tiny batch of t-shirts

which a number of my galleries were helping with the printing and deliveries. Then an influencer wore one of the tops on Instagram and tagged me but she didn't tell me she was going to do it. But fair play because I think she thought she was doing me a solid and it kind of was. I probably gained about a thousand followers in two days.

On August 26th I got my phone out, did the usual scroll, and then this sign popped up on my page saying ‘we have suspended your account, click here if you want to appeal.’

I think it's every artist's worst nightmare. It took two weeks and it's been the worst time of my life.

It's my livelihood, my shop window but it's also my connections to the world and the artist community, whether they are in London, LA or Brighton. Obviously I have friends in real life but I found a lot of them from Instagram and I guess possibly I was addicted to it a bit. There is a dopamine hit when someone likes your work.

Later when we went to appeal, the thing we were appealing against was that I had breached Copyright,

“mesmerising” The Guardian

it's a very grey area especially in the world of art. After I sent this appeal, I got a letter back saying they have decided to permanently disable my account because they believed I was selling counterfeit goods. It isn't true obviously because they would have to be replicas and no one would mistake my Gucci t-shirt that looks like a Lidl logo as being either, it's a parody I designed myself. I even wrote ‘can you give me an example of what I've been counterfeiting,’ but I didn't hear anything back. They've taken away my livelihood on a false claim.

I'm back on instagram but i’m so careful with what I post. I did a plate collaboration with Art Republic and it was a lovely Stan Smith Adidas green vintage plate, but I was too scared to even put that on my page despite having worked with Adidas.

It has made me rethink, well think carefully, about what I do so it's clipped my wings and definitely could have a negative impact on what I put out.

Lucy's new instagram account is @ Houseoflucyart

How was your recent exhibition Ghost Town at the entire gallery?

It started about a year ago when I was in Croydon. I was in a shopping centre and it wasn't just that every other shop was closed, it was like 90% of them were closed within the centre and there's this old song called Ghost Town by The Specials and I just got it stuck in my head. Me and Jason would go to the charity shops and we realised every highstreet was starting to look the same: the same chains, same fast food, or shops with not much use to the community like a vape shop. That's how the idea came about.

I was in another charity shop and I found this ceramic shop front and I know I can totally do what I do with the figurines and prints and I can turn this really traditional shop front into a Greggs, McDonalds or a nail bar. That's what I did. I ended up doing about 20 or 30 shop fronts and added some figurines to the shop fronts as well like the residents of Ghost Town and a few prints as well. The way Entre Gallery curated the show was really

good because I wasn't quite sure how it was going to look. We had a table in the window and it was set with all my cups of tea sculptures and people could sit down on this table and chat. What I had in my head was really realised by them, it was the happiest time. I've just got to think about the next one now or do I just tour Ghost Town?

What future plans or events have you got coming up?

At Brighton Bier Brewery on Sat 7 Octthere is an Art Battle and they are having an Art Fair alongside it.

A whole day of art, I really like those events because you meet everyone locally and you get that sense of community.

To see Lucy’s prints and more visit www.hausoflucy.com or follow instgram account: @houseoflucyart

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Inhuman Resources?

The use of AI in the workplace

By Andrea Samuelson

Are the UK’s existing employment protections fit to deal with the challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI)? The answer increasingly seems to be, “no.”

AI is becoming a part of HR processes such as monitoring employees, selecting them for redundancy, and recruitment, carrying out tasks previously done by humans. It is relatively inexpensive, and may appear to be efficient, impartial and unbiased. Unfortunately, AI is not a magic solution. Human beings are responsible for providing the data used by the AI system and setting its parameters. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, that can lead to skewed or discriminatory decisions later on – the “rubbish in, rubbish out” principle.

In the field of recruitment, for instance, HireVue’s face recognition software (now removed) was proved to discriminate against disabled candidates, including those who were partially sighted, because the programme could only accept a limited selection of “normal” facial movements.

Inappropriate use of AI strikes at the principle of mutual “trust and confidence” that is the heart of the employee/employer 54 BN1 MAGAZINE

relationship. The issue is even more pressing for those who do not have the protection of employment legislation, such as the Just Eat self-employed couriers who recently found themselves thrown off their work app by AI without any means of appeal.

Whilst AI has been used for some time as a means of organising outsourced work, it is also increasingly replacing full time employees. We are all familiar with chatbots that provide customer support, but AI also threatens professional careers in teaching, accountancy, finance and law. The OECD and other organisations believe that more than a quarter of jobs could become partly or fully automated in the near future and it is by no means clear what will replace them.

So how do employers and employees protect themselves from the potential problems of “inhuman resources”?

Firstly, employers must ensure that they are open and transparent about the use of AI/ADM in any context. It should never be used for high level decisions such as

dismissal or redundancy, unless those decisions can be sensibly explained and understood by employees, and where AI/ADM is being used in the interview process, that should be made clear to applicants and some form of appeal offered if discrimination appears to have occurred. If AI is intended to be used to monitor employees in any way, agreement should be obtained.

If as an employee you believe that AI is being used inappropriately in the workplace you should seek legal advice either from your union or from a legal professional.

Currently, employees have no right to demand that a final decision is made by a human rather than AI, nor to ask for proof that a human has had oversight over the process. Some legal protection exists regarding decisions informed by inaccurate data, as under the UKGDPR all data processed as part of AI/ADM must be accurate (Article 5(1)(d)).

However, complaints under the UKGDPR cannot be pursued in the Employment Tribunal; the only punishment for breach of UKGDPR is a fine for the company itself.

Complex technological solutions can have a dangerous mystique, and even the most tech-savvy managers are unlikely to fully understand the capabilities of their

AI systems or anticipate possible pitfalls. The revelations of the Post Office scandal, where the Horizon computer system was held to be more trustworthy than the humans tasked with using it, is proof of how damaging complacency can be.

The speed at which AI is being incorporated into the world of employment is troubling, and organisations tend to be secretive about its use. Prevention is always better than cure and now is the time for the Government to look at how the law can be adapted to protect employees before AI and ADM become an unavoidable part of the employment process.

Our solicitors are always on hand to give you friendly, professional advice. Please contact Zoe on 0203 858 9765 or email zoe@mulberryssolicitors.com.

Mulberry's has offices in Brighton and London.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.

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THE HIT WEST END MUSICAL

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE COMES TO THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON

Image: Matt Crockett 56 BN1 MAGAZINE

Image: Matt Crockett

Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold-out UK & Ireland Tour and Amazon Studios award-winning film, the smash-hit and critically acclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie RETURNS on a major UK & Ireland Tour.

Funny, fabulous and feel good, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie features an all-star cast including West End sensation Ivano Turco, EastEnders legend John Partridge, Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati, and Dancing on Ice royalty Hayley Tamaddon.

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in.

Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation.

Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. This ‘Funny, outrageous, touching’ (Daily Telegraph), musical sensation is to be experienced by all the family and not to be missed!

With an original score of catchy pop tunes that will ‘blow the roof off the Theatre’ (Mail on Sunday) by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who), this ‘Sparkling comingof-age musical’ (The Times) will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.

Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.

Ivano Turco stars as ‘Jamie New’ Words by Hugh Montgomery

In his short career so far, super-talented musical theatre star Ivano Turco has already demonstrated formidable range: having made his professional debut playing Prince Sebastian in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella in the West End, he then transformed into reggae icon Bob Marley in bio-musical Get Up, Stand Up! But his latest role, as Jamie in the new touring production of heartwarming British musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, is particularly fulfilling because “it’s the closest character to my actual character that I’ve played,” he says.

That’s in part because, playing the gay teenage hero and aspiring drag queen, Ivano is getting to embrace his queerness in a way that he hasn’t on stage before. “I really wanted to be able to experience playing within those realms, and to not have to put on several layers to try and be somebody else.”

What this means in practice, Ivano explains, is that in the rehearsal process, he has found he doesn’t “have to do as much in terms of trying to figure out what Jamie’s mannerisms are, and all of these small nuances… it’s very freeing in that sense, in that I can put a lot of my natural movement into it.” One of the other aspects of the role that really resonates with Ivano is Jamie’s close relationship with his mother. “For the most part I grew up in a single parent household with my mother as well, so we really had that kind of connection,” he says, adding that “[like Jamie too] I know what it felt like to have a dream that was different from everyone else’s”.

Since it premiered in 2017, Jamie has been a huge international hit, and Ivano believes a lot of that has to do with the pioneering nature of the character of Jamie himself. “He’s just a boy who happens to be gay, and wants to be a drag queen. I think that’s a refreshing lens to have a queer character to look at through – [someone] who’s not burdened by their queerness. I know

I really felt empowered by that, watching it.”

Meanwhile another key draw, he thinks, is that “the music is really easy to digest. It’s a lot like what we listen to nowadays, so it’s much more realistic [than most musical theatre].”

If Jamie has had a remarkable run over the last few years, then so has its new star. Having set his sights on performing ever since singing in church, when growing up in Milton Keynes, he graduated from drama school in 2020, only to find himself personally chosen by Lord Lloyd Webber to be the male lead in his hotlyanticipated new musical. For a first gig, it was a wonderful, if nerve wracking, experience, he says. “To have a multimillion pound musical resting on your shoulders was hard to navigate for me and I found at times it was hard to really [appreciate my achievement] because there was just so much work to be done. But then somewhere about halfway [through the run], because I really knew the show and what I wanted to do as an actor, it became perfect.”

Then to top that challenge, he took on the lead role in Get Up, Stand Up! last year – off just two weeks rehearsal, astonishingly enough. “The first Bob had a year to prepare … so for me to try and get all that work done in two weeks was … a challenge,” he laughs.

As for what the future may hold? Ivano really isn’t thinking too far beyond Jamie, “dream show” that it is. “[This role] is my chance to put all my techniques that I’ve learned over the years and over these other shows into overdrive, as this character is so much closer to me. I feel like there’s a lot more power with it that I’ve been afforded.”

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is touring to the Theatre Royal Brighton from 31 Oct to 11 Nov 2023.

For more information, and to book tickets visit www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk

BN1 MAGAZINE 57

Photos by Csarah Hickson

BRIGHTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA City’s cultural favourite prepares for centenary

“

Obviously you can do it being very boring and stuffy, but that’s not my style,” Joanna MacGregor CBE tells me. “We can do concerts which are amazingly accessible and attractive, yet also quite challenging.” She’s been musing on her responsibilities as only the fourth Music Director of Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. In her charge is an organisation about to celebrate it’s centenary. While there’s an obvious responsibility to their established audience and the most celebrated works of the classical music tradition, there’s also an ambition to evolve and adapt with changing tastes.

They’ve become known as the ‘Beating Heart Of Brighton’, being potentially the oldest cultural institution in the city. It’s certainly one of the longest-running orchestras in the UK. Formed in May 1925 by Herbert Menges, the Symphonic String Players had the aim of holding regular concerts of a high standard in the city. Starting in the old Hove Town Hall, by 1928 they had moved into the Brighton Dome and become fully orchestral. During 1945, it turned professional, before finally being renamed the Brighton Philharmonic in 1958. This month sees the

58 BN1 MAGAZINE

By Stuart Rolt

commencement of their Autumn / Winter season, a series of shows which gently eases them into their 99th year. And the approaching big birthday is on everybody’s minds.

“This a huge opportunity for us,” says BPO’s Operations Manager, Gill Davies. “We’re Brighton’s most-established professional orchestra. We’ve been going for almost 100 years, but there’s still some people who don’t know about us.” The Orchestra find itself with an enormous archive of materials, including posters, pictures and programmes from the 20s, 30s and 40s, some of which are going to be posted on their website. “It’s absolutely astonishing to see the roster of very famous classical musicians who came down to Brighton because of this society,” says MacGregor. “There are names who are now legends; Arthur Schnabel, Yehudi Menuhin, Myra Hess…” She tells me that the BPO is very much a generational affair, with players who’ve performed with them for three decades sitting alongside the most exciting new talent. “While these big milestones are a cause for celebration, you’ll need to look to the future and engage new audiences if you want to celebrate a second century.”

This ambition has manifested in the BPO’s new programme. Everything launches with Short Ride in a Fast Machine at Brighton Dome on Sun 8 Oct. This concert of American classics opens with John Adams’ famous titular work. “This first concert really ties everything together,” says Davies. “It’s got a little of the film music and little of the modern, so that’s a really accessible concert.

It’s opening night, so there’ll be a big buzz around it.” Conductor Clark Rundell will then be joined

by MacGregor for Gershwin’s Hollywood-inspired piano concerto, Charles Ives’ contemplative The Unanswered Question and Bernstein’s sensational Symphonic Dances, and instantly recognisable works from West Side Story.

Taking the Jazz influence a small step further is Moondog: Sidewalk Dances on Sun 12 Nov at Brighton Dome. It sees the BPO collaborate with some of the jazz scene’s finest players to examine cult figure Moondog; whose inspiration has resonated from the streets of 60s New York to iconic DJ, Mr Scruff.

I suggest the world of jazz, with its love of improvisations, and a full orchestra, which

invariably requires efficient organising, might be strange bedfellows. “For me, it was obvious,” says MacGregor. “Since my 20s, I’ve been working with jazz guys. I suppose that’s unusual for a concert pianist... They’re terribly erudite, always getting off the leash. The only complication is when you do that with an orchestra.”

The performance sees internationally acclaimed saxophonist, and MacGregor’s long-time artistic partner, Andy Sheppard, explore their album Deep River. Deep South gospel and blues meet electronica, with music by Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. “Classical musicians have got this enormous admiration for jazz musicians,” she says. “There’s this ability to improvise, they love it and learning from it. So, there’s no clash of cultures at all. Jazz musicians have often said to me how they admire classical musicians, for their technical process and ability to absorb very difficult scores. So, they’re not so separate, these two worlds.”

The show’s second half explodes into Sidewalk Dances, a 12-movement orchestral suite based on Moondog’s most famous short compositions, which blend swing, Native American rhythms and Bach. “It’s unlike anything we’ve done before,” says Davies. “Joanna has taken these ideas straight out of New York and orchestrated them.

That will be something unique.”

On Sun 3 Dec, BPO’s Winter Solstice examines the music of Arvo Pärt, which has enthralled listeners for decades with its haunting spirituality, space and simplicity. This evening will provide a rare chance to hear Lamentate, his dramatic ritual for piano and orchestra, as well as the enduringly popular and meditative violin solo Spiegel Im Spiegel. Eminent conductor Sian Edwards then continues with Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony, a sweeping reflection of Nordic light and snowy mountains. “There’s such a juxtaposition between the romanticism of Sibelius and the beautifully atmospheric melodies of the Pärt,” says Davies.

“The orchestra is an incredible organism, which has been used by everybody, particularly in film,” says MacGregor. “In this season, we’re doing a big Wagner programme, and I’ve programmed Ligeti to go alongside that. That was used by Stanley Kubrick all the time. Most people will be familiar with it just by going to see his films.”

The result might be one of the most ambitious concerts ever mounted by BPO. Wagner’s Dream on Sat 27 Jan. Vlieger’s monumental adaptation of the epic Ring cycle takes audiences from Das Rheingold to Götterdämmerung in 65 minutes, accompanied by Wagner tubas, eight horns and multiple anvils, amongst one of the largest orchestras ever seen onstage at the Dome. The first half opens with Ligeti’s dreamy Atmosphères and Berio’s witty Folk Songs, all performed by sensational German soprano Dorothea Herbert and young British conductor Geoffrey Paterson.

Other delights include Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol at St George’s Kemptown on Fri 15 Dec. This feel-good event sets the festive mood with sparkling brass arrangements of classics, such as Ding Dong Merrily on High, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In, Coventry Carol and O Come O

Come Emmanuel, along with narration from Pip Torrens, mulled wine and mince pies.

Alistair McGowan will be leading three actors and a dancer in Stravinsky’s 1918 masterpiece The Soldier’s Tale, a satiric story of a soldier, his violin and the Devil, alongside Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera Suite. The BPO then celebrate International Women’s Day with a showcase of exciting music by strong female composers, including Eleanor Alberga, Errollyn Wallen and Florence Price.

Finally in April, an epic season closer stages a homage to the sea, with works from Britten, Peter Grimes and Debussy.

As a lauded concert pianist, conductor, composer, Head of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and professor of the University of London, MacGregor’s involvement with BPO came after living in Kemptown for several years. She’d worked with both the orchestra and its then Music Director Barry Wordsworth before. “I’ve run lots of big festivals, so I was used to handling a large number of concerts. But I thought it was very nice to be involved with.” Just as she’d taken over, Covid and all the associated disruption struck, so her first season was spent doing online shows.

MacGregor looks upon the time positively, saying that it gave her time to meet many of the regular players, and bring in new players. “There were some seats which hadn’t been filled, and some had retired before I got there. I’ve got a very dense black book, so I was able to bring people down. That was an interesting start.”

She tells me BPO’s following is a mixture of hardcore classical music lovers, who are hugely supportive of the orchestra and the symphonies, and young people who are into visual arts, film and clubbing. Always, as a classical musician, she has endeavoured to reach out to wider audiences. “Some of the more modern works have more accessibility than the ‘classical stuff’. If you play Shostakovich, Bartók, Stravinsky or any of those modernist masters, people really get it.

They’re drawn in by the energy and the visceral power. Very often there’s also an interesting political background. I think that’s always been my attitude; I can bring you music which is thrilling and has something to do with your everyday lives.”

Part of BPO’s commitment to create a journey for everyone focuses on the financial barriers to participation. They offer children’s tickets for a single pound, meaning a daytime concert can easily be a viable family outing There’s also handsome discounts for students, while even fullprice tickets start at a modest £13. “The quality and scale of what we’re achieving is comparable with a very large orchestra,” says Davies.

“We’re a regional orchestra, but we have got big aspirations. Part of that is the ticket pricing and wanting to attract families and younger people.”

The orchestra’s Love Music programme also offers reduced price tickets on the day before each performance, meaning you could benefit from the best available seats for as just £12.

There are also complimentary tickets for carers and assistants and savings of up to 25% for block bookings.

As the orchestra receives no traditional arts funding or grants, the friends and patrons’ scheme is an important part of their history and will continue to be part of their future. “I spoke to a lady who moved to Brighton in the 80s and has been a patron of the orchestra all that time,” says MacGregor. “There’s a huge amount of loyalty and support for the orchestra amongst the wider community.” The large following is recognised with special events like drinks receptions and after-show gatherings, where you can meet the musicians and hear about music.

“We want to develop a broader community,” she adds. “We don’t just want them to buy a ticket, but to be part of a something.” MacGregor herself regularly speaks onstage, offering extra context to the music and performers. It creates a convivial atmosphere, and communication is key to breaking down the barriers. She tells me they often select conductors on their ability to interact with audiences.

It might seem like retreating to the confines of more traditional works would ensure an orchestra’s permanency but MacGregor tells me the opposite is true. Audiences are increasingly brought in by the more challenging works. “That’s where commercial success lies. The more bold and innovative you are, the more likely you are to attract a large audience. We need to reach out to people who are not just younger, but those who think classical music might not be for them. And this is true for all orchestras. It’s about looking back and celebrating, but also looking forwards.”

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine comes to Brighton Dome on Sun 8 Nov, Moondog: Sidewalk Dances is at Brighton Dome on Sun 12 Nov and Winter Solstice is at Brighton Dome on Sun 3 Dec. For more details on these shows, along with the entire BO programme, head to:

www.brightonphil.org.uk

Photo by Pal Hansen

BN1 MAGAZINE 59

FOOD IS WHERE THE HEART IS

M

eg Wilson is Brighton born and bred and has been building a reputation for herself in the city’s vibrant hospitality industry for 16 years. Amassing experience in numerous esteemed pubs and kitchens, she has also gained valuable skills in event management.

Eight years of those were spent with the Laines Pub Co. before branching out and forging a place in Brighton’s thriving culinary scene.

Five years ago, she made the full transition over to the cheffing world and helped create Sin Shack at The White Rabbit, serving delicious food with her own signature style. She has now joined the team at The Urchin in Hove, where she continues to delight patrons with their vast array of dishes which are a mixture of the traditional and the new and exciting.

I had the fortune to discuss myriad topics with this driven young chef ranging from family favourites, comfort food, all the way to death row last meals.

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It’s apparent you’re truly passionate about food.

Why and when did you decide this was the career for you?

I’ve always been fascinated by food since a very young age. My Nan raised me and she would host these fantastic dinner parties that I would help her with and the passion grew from there.

Hospitality seemed the perfect fit and pretty much as soon as I turned 18, I was running pubs, which then led to events management and festival work.

I always wanted to be a Chef but never thought I’d have the capability. One day just before my 30th, I made a passing joke to my best friend about how I wanted to work in her kitchen... three weeks later I was thrown in and let loose. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and I can’t imagine not being in a kitchen now.

It’s hard work and long hours but so worth it.

What was the first meal you remember enjoying the most?

Probably the first time my nan made me a lasagne. I was only little, but I remember watching her making it in absolute awe.

After that I think it’s all I wanted to eat for about a month. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Nan if you’re reading this you know what to make next time I fly home!

With this issue discussing the importance of change - why is it so important for chefs to use seasonal produce?

Seasonal produce is picked when it’s naturally designed to be harvested, so it is fresher and more flavoursome. That way you can let these ingredients shine through and speak for themselves. It also means you get to use local produce that hasn’t spent days in transit and is treated with chemicals and pesticides.

On an environmental level, what do you feel needs changing in the food industry?

One of the things that I really struggled with when I first became a chef was the amount of packaging used. I remember having one supplier that had individually wrapped carrots which came in a plastic bag, and then a box... I was baffled. Some companies and suppliers are getting better, but there definitely needs to be a drastic change to control the amount of waste.

What do you believe the government can do to help in relation to educating the public and also helping smaller restaurants?

I feel that the Government should reintroduce home economics into the school systems as it would encourage more people to cook fresh at home instead of buying packaged and pre-made foods.

Allowing local authorities to set business rates to help encourage growth in areas that would otherwise be underdeveloped would also be a push in the right direction.

While clearly a very knowledgeable chef, when it comes to relaxing at the end of a stressful day, do you have a comfort food that’s perfect for just relaxing on the sofa with?

I’m a huge instant noodle nerd. You can literally throw anything you want into it and have dinner ready in 5 minutes. There’s always a stash of them hiding in my bag.

If I’m not too tired and feeling a bit more adventurous then you can’t go wrong with a homemade katsu curry. And of course, that lovely after work glass of red to truly help relax.

The Urchin has a superb reputation when it comes to its kitchen - why do you think that is?

Well for starters everyone that works here really cares about what they do, and always put 100 percent into the dishes. The quality and freshness of the ingredients really show. We have a small core menu which allows us to do new daily specials using seasonal produce which keeps the creative juices flowing. I’ve only been here for a few months, but I feel incredibly lucky to work closely with some extremely talented people. I am forever learning new things from the guys here and genuinely wake up excited to get cracking at work.

I’ve been watching quite a few dark documentaries recently, and Death Row last meals came up frequently. One person ordered three massive pizzas and a bucket of KFC chicken pieces and didn’t touch any of them as a protest; another ordered as many pizzas as he could on the budget and asked for them to be delivered to the homeless; another asked for one olive with the pit left in and someone else just decided to forgo the food and requested the last part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as he wanted to see the ending before he died - which was actually granted to him. Some rather bizarre requests indeed. As a chef what would your last meal request be?

Oysters... 100 percent. I found out during lock down I had become allergic to them which was heartbreaking! I think it would be a perfect last meal as I’d get to one up my executioner and die happy and full of oysters before they got the chance.

And finally, on a less morose note, if you had to cook for a big friends or family dinner - what would be your go-to dishes to cheer up an entire room?

I am obsessed with Asian food and it is my usual go to when hosting for friends or family. My folks live in Tenerife and I’ve spent a huge part of my life over there, so I adore both Canarian and Spanish cuisine, especially as whenever I go home I get to cook with freshly caught fish and seafood and homegrown fruit and veg. I would definitely do a big Canarian spread. There’s something about sharing good food and wine that instantly makes everything and everyone feel a little better.

You can see Megs work on her Instagram @chef_zilla Or visit the www.urchinpub.co.uk page for bookings.

BN1 MAGAZINE 61

LOAM I

The Cult of the Cinnamon Buns Written by Eleni Spirou

t would be easy to miss Loam, due to its smaller size and the fact that it is nestled quietly in The Lanes. However, behind its dusty peach façade is a secret pastry lusted after by all those that try it. Having opened in 2022, Loam isn’t just a great new addition to Brighton’s billowing hospitality scene, it’s a community hub for coffee-loving regulars, and pastry fiends alike.

and Rwandan coffees. Disappointed, I ordered a pistachio croissant and a matcha latte. I needn’t have been so disappointed, as the pistachio croissant was an extremely tasty consolation prize. During my short stay in the cafe, at least three groups of people came in asking, “Any cinnamon buns today?” All of them left with slumped shoulders and an air of dejection.

On a recent visit to Loam, I skipped through the doors feeling excited for my sugary morning fix, only to be disappointed as I scanned the counter.

There were perfectly coiffed pastries and cakes in all shapes and sizes, but one was crucially missing.

“Have you got any cinnamon buns?” I asked hesitantly. “Nope” said the barista, “none today I’m afraid.” It turns out that only Francesco, one of the owners, knows the top-secret recipe and Tuesday and Wednesday are his days off.

I vowed to return another day, hoping to successfully acquire one of those elusive buns. On my second visit I am more optimistic. The sunlight leaks through the gaps in the buildings as I stroll down the lanes mid-morning.

Upon arrival at Loam, I am greeted by the tantalising smell. Although the cinnamon buns are nowhere to be seen on the counter, their presence is given away by the rich smell of childhood dreams and Christmas Eve wishes.

“There’s a cult following for those buns!” A regular chimes in, as he sips a batch brew whilst stroking his dog laying attentively under the table. He chats jovially with the barista about the differences between Colombian

“You don’t have any cinnamon buns by any chance, do you?” I ask eagerly.

“Yes, actually. They will be ready in two minutes.”

On this occasion, another equally chatty regular enters the store whilst I’m patiently waiting for my bun. He strikes up a conversation with Francesco who mans the counter solo. “This batch brew is so malty” he says, “it would go so well with the cinnamon buns!” He eagerly recommends this combination to another couple who come in and are instantly enamoured by the sight of the cinnamon buns.

The illusive bun finally arrives before me on a stylish plate that matches the cohesive, Scandi design of the whole shop. It is like no other cinnamon bun I have had the pleasure of trying. Lathered in a sticky cinnamon filling that oozes over the sides, the doughy layers curl around each other as if in an embrace. They are served with a seriously decadent Biscoff butter that glides across each layer, melting almost instantly and vanishing as it is spread. Having spent a few months living in Copenhagen, I like to think I have tried some of the best buns in the business. None are quite like this.

I savour every bite, having to refrain myself from licking the plate clean.

In the time it takes me to indulge in this little bundle of luxury, most of the freshly baked batch is already gone as regulars swarmed in to get their cinnamon fix.

Francesco tells me that he bakes around 20 buns each weekday and up to 40 on the weekends. And do they sell out?

“Everyday, yes. They are gone before 12pm most days.”

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Loam’s cinnamon buns is their elusiveness. The anticipation of walking through the doors, unsure if they will be there waiting for you, makes them taste even more delicious when you finally meet again. They are like a mythical creature: hard to track down but always worth it.

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We understand that finding the right support can be challenging, so let us make that search easier for you Our Brighton & Hove-based team can advise about free local support services, connecting you with others and improving your mental wellbeing

Freephone: 0808 196 1768 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

Chat with us by email: chat@uok.org.uk

Arrange a call back at: www.uok.org.uk/talk-to-us BN1 MAGAZINE 63

Martlets’ Shaun by the Sea art trail unveils more than 40 BAA-rilliant giant painted sculptures across Brighton & Hove A colourful collection of ewe-niquely designed Shaun the Sheep sculptures created by local artists has popped up overnight in city landmarks from Hove Lagoon to the Amex Stadium. This free Shaun by the Sea art trail runs until 5 November and presents 42 Shauns in various city locations.

completing the art trail – they can be found on the app. Rewards include a fine dining experience at The Grand, a free cuppa at Bird & Blend and artist prints from Sussex Audiology’s artist, Rosie Apps.

Shaun by the Sea builds on the success of previous Martlets-run art trails Snowdogs and SnailSpace, which saw thousands visit the city to spot the sculptures. The trails help to connect people from across the community whilst raising money to enable Martlets to keep caring for people facing the toughest of times.

In addition to the 41 Shaun the Sheep, this year’s art trail will also include a new Shaun-inspired book bench at Jubilee Library and a roving Shaun sculpture displayed in Martlets Charity Shops throughout the trail. A total of 77 little Shauns have been designed and decorated by local schools, nurseries, community groups and care homes.

A city map revealing the location of the flock of sheep sculptures can be found on the new mobile app called “Shaun by the Sea” (Apple and Android), as well as online at www. shaunbythesea.co.uk/art-trail/. New locations for the Shaun sculptures include One Garden at Stanmer Park, Rockwater on Hove seafront and the Clocktower in central Brighton.

Supporters of the trail include headline sponsor Brandwatch, community sponsors Rockwater and Star Property Group and volunteer sponsor Brighton & Hove Buses.

Trail participants can also release rewards for certain finds, by reaching key milestones and

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Tanya Hunt, Director of Income Generation at Martlets said: “Our trail of big and little Shauns covers the whole community Martlets serve, shining a light on the reach and impact of hospice care. All of the team at Martlets owe a huge debt of thanks to our sponsors, to the incredibly

talented artists, to our partners and to all the hardworking staff and volunteers who have made the trail happen. All the money raised from Shaun by the Sea will enable Martlets to keep caring for people facing the toughest of times.”

The 42 Shaun sculptures, book bench and 77 little Shauns will remain in place for eight weeks until 5 November. The large sculptures will be auctioned off to raise funds for Martlets Hospice on Monday 27 November.

The Shaun by the Sea art trail is brought to the city in association with multi award-winning animation studio Aardman, and Wild in Art, Martlets’ partner for all previous art trails. For more information about the art trail go to shaunbythesea.co.uk

BN1 MAGAZINE 65

FILM GUIDE THE GREAT ESCAPER FRI 6 OCT

Michael Caine and the late, great Glenda Jackson take on an astonishing true-life story.

Director Oliver Parker (Dad’s Army, Dorian Gray) recounts the unlikely story of Bernard Jordan, an 89-year-old British World War II veteran, who broke out of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France.

It was a story capturing the imaginations of the world, as Bernie embodied a defiant, ‘can-do’ spirit that was fast disappearing. Against this escapade’s backdrop is one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war and the many lessons we should learn from the Greatest Generation.

ORDINARY ANGELS

SILVER DOLLAR ROAD

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER

Based on a remarkable true story, the brilliant Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don’t Cry) stars as Sharon - a fierce but struggling hairdresser in a small-town in rural Kentucky.

It’s a quiet and unassuming existence. Then she discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Reacher’s Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters.

From Academy-Award Nominee Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro, The Young Karl Marx), this Amazon documentary follows the story of the Reels family, as told by the matriarch Mamie Reels Ellison and her niece Kim Renee Duhon.

These two fierce women are fighting to protect their ancestor’s land. Their brothers and uncles were incarcerated for eight years for refusing to leave their homes; becoming two of the longest serving inmates for civil contempt in the country.

The iconic American supernatural horror franchise gets another instalment, with David Gordon Green (Halloween Kills, Pineapple Express) at the helm. Originally planned to be a reboot , it’s now been reworked into a direct sequal, with another in the pipeline.

When she discovers one of her new friend’s daughter is still waiting for an expensive liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family -and will move mountains to do so. What unfolds is an inspiring tale of faith, filled with everyday miracles and ordinary angels.

Based on a 2019 ProPublica article, this startling film highlights the ways the legal system is exploited to limit land ownership in the Black community and further contributes to the racial wealth gap.

FRI 13 OCT

THE MIRACLE CLUB FRI 13 OCT

Directed by the Emmy-nominated Thaddeus O’Sullivan, this heartwarming Irish drama brings together the inestimable talents of Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith and Stephen Rea. Set in 1967, three generations of close friends live in Ballygar, a hard-knocks community.

These brilliant, funny and flawed workingclass women have never left their homes in the suburbs of Dublin. With a small bit of benevolent interference from their well-meaning local priest, they suddenly find a way to escape their daily struggles. By some miracle, they win a church talent competition, they get the prize of a lifetime and set off on a pilgrimage to the French town of Lourdes.

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FRI 13 OCT

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON FRI 20 OCT

The legendary Martin Scorsese directs and produces this epic Western. The film is cantered around a series of brutal murders in Oklahoma’s Osage Nation during the 20s, committed after oil was discovered on tribal land.

It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, with Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser in support. The atrocities against the Native American tribe happened under mysterious circumstances, sparking a major Bureau of Investigation operation - headed by the 29-yearold J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger, and old-style lawman, Tom White. What they uncover is a dark world of greed, corruption and complicity, as the trail leads to some unexpected places.

FRI 13 OCT

When his daughter, Angela, and her friend Katherine, show signs of demonic possession, single father Victor Fielding is forced to confront the horrifying depths of true evil.

As an increasingly terrifying chain of events are unleashed, he is forced to take extreme measures. Desperate for an end to the hauntings, he sets out to find Chris MacNeil - the only person left alive who’s witnessed anything like it before.

THE HOLDOVERS FRI 27 OCT

Starring Paul Giamatti (Downton Abbey, Straight Outta Compton), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building, The Idol), and Dominic Sessa, and directed by Alexander Payne, this thoughtfully-acted and perfectly-paced American comedy-drama returns us to the 70s.

We follow Paul Hunham, a disliked teacher at Barton Academy, who’s responsible for supervising students who are unable to return home for the Christmas holidays. During this process, Paul is forced to deal with one particularly rebellious but troubled student, Angus, who is grieving the loss of his father. What we get is an exercise in restrained filmmaking, in a sleeper hit which might just become a festive favourite.

The beating heart of Brighton

Our thrilling and adventurous

Concert Season 2023/24

10% off for BN1 readers; use voucher code BN1BPO10 before 31 Oct.

Coming up Short Ride in a Fast Machine Sunday 8 October 2.45pm

Moondog: Sidewalk Dances Sunday 12 November 7.30pm

Winter Solstice Sunday 3 December 2.45pm

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Peas Get groceries, effortlessly on Uber Eats

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Food items are indicative. Check app for geographical restrictions and availability. Uber Eats delivery fee applies.