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Victoria Nangle says that shocking can be funny, but only if it’s done with care and intelligence

It’s always a little annoying when I go along to what I like to call an ‘emperor’s new clothes’ gig. One where everyone else is howling with laughter and I’m just holding my head in bemusement and confusion. It’s not that I’m easily shocked, more that I’m easily disappointed. After the hype of all of these people liking a comic, I’m a bit sad that I just don’t get it, and a part of me thinks that they shouldn’t either.

“I can’t abide the lazy comedian who just says something in order to be offensive”

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A cabaret academy will give hopefuls the chance to learn the craft from some of the biggest names in the business. Drag star Dave Lynn and industry professionals will run the ten-week school in Charles Street club this autumn.

The academy will be open to wannabe performers from all genres, from drag queens to comedians, vocalists, magicians, ventriloquists, dancers and comperes. Dave Lynn starred in Channel 4’s series Faking It, where he taught naval officer Spence Bowdler to become drag queen Britney Ferry. Since the episode was aired in 2003, Dave has been inundated with requests to assist fledgling artists develop their acts. He held his first academy last September and it resulted in a number of professional bookings for many of the students.

This year’s lessons begin in September and run every Tuesday until November.

Each act will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform on stage, culminating in two fundraising performances in November for the Sussex Beacon, of which Dave is patron. The course fee is £20 per session.

Visit www.davelynn.co.uk

Maria Jastrzebska

Whoosh!, an anthology of queer writing from the South East, will launch tonight (Tuesday 29 July) as part of Pride festival. Queer Writing South, which spearheaded the project, will hold a party at the Sanctuary Café, Brunswick Street East, Brighton from 7:30pm.

There will be readings from contributors, poetry from Jay Bernard and music from singer songwriter Al Start and DJ Bec Chalkley.

Whoosh! is the result of a year-long project funded by Awards for All and supported by Brighton and Hove Pride and literature development agency The South. Queer Writing South, led by poets Maria Jastrzebska and John McCullough, ran ten weeks of workshops at Brighton Writers’ Centre on Grand Parade. The resulting anthology, published by Pighog Press in association with Queer Writing South and The South, is a fresh, innovative and varied mix of new poetry and prose.

Shaun Levin, editor of Chroma Magazine in London, described the anthology as: “A collection of new and bold queer voices from Brighton. Queer Writing South is a community that will keep growing.” Admission to tonight’s event is free of charge.

For more information contact Nathan or Bec on queerwritingsouth@gmail.com

Turner Prize shortlisted artist Nathan Coley has over the last decade helped to break down our ideas of space and the built environment.

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