The Path To Strange Books: Spoken Word Adventures In Legendary Brighton Arts Venues Part 2

In 2005 I became resident storyteller at the Alternative Folk Nights in Brighton’s Duke of York Picturehouse cinema, where unsuspecting cinema goers were treated to my surreal monologues and stories. These evenings took place in the bar and were organised by Felicity Beckett who often provided music. Here she is…

Flick also made the cool and cute flyers. Here are a few of them:

I remember introducing a story by hammering a watch into pieces. It wasn’t a trick.

To be continued…

The Path To Strange Books: Spoken Word Adventures In Legendary Brighton Arts Venues Part 1

My spoken word adventures began in 1999 at the now legendary arts cinema Brighton Cinematheque on Middle Street where Mel Absolon organised cabarets consisting of short films and performances.

These were eclectic, exciting events. I performed wearing an oversized top hat with holes for eyes and mouth in the spirit of DaDa and Cabaret Voltaire.

I remember one evening a virtual fireplace which filled the cinema screen behind me as I performed suddenly being replaced with the words ‘Not for public screening’. ‘Oh,’ I remember saying, ‘it’s gone out.’

Brighton Cinematheque was a fantastic phenomenon where, in exchange for a pound or for nothing at all, you could see a Kenneth Anger movie, a John Waters double bill or work by local artists such as ourselves. Here is a great article about it… Memories of Brighton Cinematheque: https://www.lazaruscorporation.co.uk/articles/cinematheque-changing-reels

It was during this time that my top hat shrank to a more manageable size and grew an eye.

To be continued…