Stage – Jilliana’s Salonista Alert!

Anyone who hasn’t recognised or indeed embraced the fact that Brighton & Hove is the true home of the creative, the vibrant and yes the eccentric is clearly not living in Brighton & Hove. The city is, and has always been awash with the most exotic of creatures; the flamboyant and the outspoken have room to flourish here and no matter how much “austerity” successive governments throw at us the spirit lives and thrives here on the south coast.

One such thriving force of nature is the extraordinary Jilliana Ranicar-Breese. Jilliana is a woman of “a certain age”.

I don’t think she would be offended at being labelled as such, quite frankly she would not have been able to cram so much into her life were it not so. And cram it in she certainly has,from archivist of the exotic and erotic to world traveller, she now combines those travels with writing, video blogging and a regular radio presence with co-creative Susie Oddball on Brighton & Hove Community Radio.

Jilliana has now created a regular spoken word salon in Hove and already has seven events tucked firmly into one of her brightly coloured belts. She has pulling power too, and has already hosted some extraordinary talents including local writer Aiden Bex amongst them.

The next outing, an appropriate choice of word in this case, will be a special post Pride event at her regular venue Fudgies Bar and Bistro in Hove Actually. It promises as always to be a fun evening of poetry, story telling and monologue with Andrew Farr, the award-winning creator of ‘Piaf Live at Nimegue’ and Pauline Weir who has a lot to say!

Joining the evening will also be Latest’s very own Andrew Kay, creative director, TV maker, journalist, novelist, food critic and play write, and he will be talking about coming out as well as his new play Morning Glory! which opens at the Edinburgh Fringe a week later. The evenings start at 8pm with a networking entr’acte from 9-9.30 and the evening ends at 10.45 with one of Jilliana’s own ‘Vignettes’. It promises to be a fun and no doubt provocative evening of words and wisdom.

Jilliana’s Spoken Word Salon 6 August 8pm (Wordsmiths should go to Facebook and subscribe to Jilliana’s Spoken Word Salon – open mic slots if still available)

Fudgies Bistro, 196 Church Road Hove BN3 2DJA free event (dog friendly)