Lone Star Comedy moves to the Tower Theatre

The Lone Star Comedy Club returns at a new venue – The Tower Theatre on North Road at Shorncliffe in Cheriton, near Folkestone – on Saturday May 31st with MITCH BENN, MICHAEL FABBRI, compere MAFF BROWN and a newcomer’s act.

Now the home of FHODS, the Tower Theatre is currently the town’s best-kept secret and is the old Garrison Church at the Shorncliffe barracks. There are about 300 seats in the auditorium and a Full bar service. Drinks will be available before the show starts, in the interval and afterwards. Don’t be put off making the effort – there’s ample FREE parking and you’ll love it when you get there! Take a look at the website – www.towertheatrefolkestone.co.uk – for a map and further details.

MITCH BENN headlined the club’s opening night at the Lanterns in Folkestone back January 2004. He is not only one of the most sought-after acts on the comedy circuit but is widely acknowledged as one of the best writer/performers of comic songs in the country. Mitch began his comedy career at Edinburgh in 1994. He moved to London two years later and quickly established himself as a comedy club ‘headliner’ as well as a favourite on the university circuit.

In 1995, he was voted ‘Best New Comic’ at the Glastonbury Festival and he has appeared there every year since, including an hour-long extended set in 1999 which drew a standing ovation from an audience of 1,500.

Mitch is a regular writer and performer on ‘The Now Show’ for BBC Radio 4 and ‘It’s Been a Bad Week’ for BBC Radio 2. Three series of his successful Radio 4 show, ‘Mitch Benn’s Crimes Against Music’ have been broadcast so far. He also presents ‘The Mitch Benn Music Show’ on BBC Radio 7.

On tv, Mitch appears regularly on BBC1’s ‘The One Show’ as the writer and arranger of ‘the Complaints Choir’. He contributes occasional songs to Channel 4’s ‘Bremner Bird and Fortune’. He has also appeared on ‘The Last Word’ for More4, ‘Gas’ for Channel 4, ‘Live at Jongleurs’, ‘The warehouse’ and ‘Today With Des & Mel’ for ITV, ‘The Comedy Store’ for Channel 5, ‘The World Stands Up’ for Paramount and ‘Raymaan Is Laat’ for Dutch tv. He was the presenter of the paranormal discussion show ‘Out There’ for Carlton World.

Mitch’s second album “Radio Face” was released through Laughing Stock records in 2002. His earlier live album, “The Unnecessary Mitch Benn’ is still available.

In 1999 he had won the Mercury Comedian of the Year prize at the Leicester Comedy Festival. He has performed many times at the Edinburgh Festival and also appeared in the successful revue show “The Bootleg Bootleg Beatles’.

Mitch has toured extensively abroad, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Ireland, Montreal, Holland and South Africa.

“Well crafted, well sung, his songs are just plain funny.” – The Guardian.

MICHAEL FABBRI is fast earning an enviable reputation as one of the best up-and-coming acts around – becoming sharper and smarter with each passing month. Inventive in his outlook, he has latterly acquired the gig-hardened discipline of hitting punchlines hard and often without allowing this reliable professionalism to compromise his relaxed, slacker persona.

His trick is to play the juvenile buffoon while delivering material with an increasing edge. The suppression of his own exuberance is a highly effective technique, as it makes the audience feel a little naughty in empathy, and so they laugh all the more.

MAFF BROWN is the resident host of the award-winning Outside the Box comedy club in Kingston-upon-Thames. Within three-and-a-half months of its launch, it won the Best Comedy Venue for small clubs in London by chortle.co.uk he has been described as a material machine by Frank Skinner as he is constantly writing a new 20 minutes for his club every Monday.

“Maff is one of those comics that doesn’t need to try. Jokes fallout of him like gold coins coming out of a pirates chest.” – Frank Skinner.

Tickets are £8 each and available by contacting Richard on 07810 864228 or the Tower Theatre direct at 01303 223925. Doors open at 7.30pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm.

2008 :: Comment / reply

Folkestone camera club update

On 30th March was our 5th digital image competition of the season when our members learn from the judges comments, tips, advice and experience. Our judge was Mr Dave Mason who came to us from Woolwich, a very experienced photographer, and his results (out of 20) were:-

Monochrome: GEMMA by Dave Turner 20

(21 emtroes) LOCAL TIKI by Paul Gavin LRPS 20

WALL OF WATER by Alice Gosling 20

BEACH, BOAT, SKY by Sue Cowell 19
WAITING FOR THE TIDE by John Mitchell 19
Open Group 2; MORNING MIST OVER HAWKSHEAD by Jan Mackay 20

(18 entries WINCHELSEA AT DUSK by Paul Melia 20

SUNSET OVER WESTMINSTER by Pam Wraight 18

THE PATH THROUGH THE WOODS by Tony Reeves18

Portrait Group 2: STEPHANIE by John Mitchell 20

(13 entries) PRINCESS STELLA by Monica Stringer 19 EMMA by Paul Melia 19

LIBBY by Jim Wraight 19

Open Group 1:- ROBIN (ERITHACUS RUBECULA) by Trevor Page 20

(16 entries) GERMAN PALIAMENT BERLIN by Paul Gavin LRPS 19

THREE RED CHAIRS by Bob Brisley LRPS DPAGB 19

PINK RUDBEKIA by Melanie Chalk 19

KINGS COLLEGE FRESHMAN by Arthur Bailey 19

Portrait Group 1: OLIVIA 3 by Paul Gavin LRPS 20

(9 entries) THOMAS by Keith Green 20

JESS AND LEAH by Sue Cowell 19

SU THAILAND by Alan Meek 19

Creative:- BENEATH THE WAVES by Dave Turner CPAGB 20

(15 entries) LOST SOLES by John Mitchell 20

AEROSPACE by Paul Gavin LRPS 19

NIGHTMARE by Bob Brisley LRPS DPAGB 19

WATER MUSIC by Alice Gosling 1

Although we are coming to the end of our season we still have 5 more competitions to see. New members are still coming along too, so we hope they will continue into the next season.

Saturday 19th April is the Kent County Photographic Association Biennial Audio Visual Competition which Folkestone is proud to be hosting this year. It is being held at the St. Andrews Methodist Church Hall, Surrenden Road, Cheriton from 2 p.m. Further details can be found on our website.

Many photographs taken by members, including the above with 20 points, can be seen on our website at www.folkestonecameraclub.co.uk

Our meetings are held at the St Georges Church, Audley Road, (on the corner of Shorncliffe Road opposite West Station) Folkestone September to May, on Mondays at 7.45pm. New members are always welcome, if interested please phone Mrs Jenny Barraclough (Press Officer) 01303 245399. E mail: jenny-bar@btconnect.com

2008 :: Comment / reply

Doctor Doctor please

I thought Doctor Who was great this week, a trip back in time to 1869 and Charles Dickens, as played by Simon Callow. We went to his one man show a few years back all about Dickens, funny to see that crossing over with the Doctor.

www.scifi.com says BBC has apologized to Christopher Eccleston, for making public details of his plans. It also seems to confirm that a) he was planning to only do one series and b) I've been spelling Christopher Eccleston wrong, there's no E.

In other weekend news, Clare had a dress fitting in Whitstable and I tweaked the suits in Canterbury, so we missed the royal wedding and the grand national. Lunch in Nandos and beers in Chambers. So nice to have Sundays all to ourselves and not be stressing about getting back to London on the half four train. Been out of Stokey for a week now and not missing anything about the place, though it seems odd when the flatmate's not there... just in case she's reading this :-). Also been commuting for a week now, no troubles yet. Today's journey seemed quick (must have fallen asleep) and also the train was more crowded than usual. Good thing about getting on at Folkestone is we get the pick of the seats and always get a table. When it catches on as a commuter town this might change, oh no... Property prices do seem to have stalled in the area, though still don't see anything quite like ours for the price we paid for it. Did see a three bed flat for 84k though, hoping that's a misprint. It's right by Kentucky, but it still seems too cheap! Off to search for online details of that, and also a property up for auction in the West End... Just window shopping though, this month's only purchase is more carpet.

2005 :: Comment / reply