There's so much to see in this small great city and May is the perfect time to see it in all its technicolour glory. Around every corner there is creativity, excitement and something new to blow your socks off. Here is a round-up of my faves so far.
So, I hopped out of bed first thing on Saturday morning and got my gladrags on. I looked like I was doing the walk of shame from the night before and my costume of choice made me look like a disco ball.....but I didn't care because the sun was shining and I was in Brighton where nobody bats a big sparkly eyelash. As Ultranate once said 'Cause you're free, to do what you want to do'! (A song from my choir in fact).
It was a perfect weekend of pleasure and fun and not organised by me, which made it even more fun.
Now let's get down to logistics. I'm not your most organised person as I've constantly got too much in my head to think about from remembering to wash my kid's PE kit to ordering a toilet seat (how complicated??), from organising a hen party for a best friend to designing a jewellery collection and running a business etc so let's just say I drop a lot of balls all the time and never fully complete a list. So in steps my magical friend (my Husband's best friend) nicknamed 'Short Shorts by a voluptuous burlesque dancer (don't ask) a few years ago when we started this escapade and the name has stuck.
'Short Shorts' comes down from London every year with a meticulous itinerary. I'm not even joking. He gave us a spreadsheet and it was brilliant. I normally have a fear of spreadsheets, but this was fabulous. The perfect allocation of shows, free time and food and drink stops...and every year we end the weekend with a silent disco on the beach by Guru Dudu. If you haven't done it yet, please do. It's like living your life (for just one hour) in a musical. I wish every day was a musical. It's amazing how you forget how stupid you look singing and dancing in the street. It's obviously better if you don't live here and recognise people at every turn. Hence, my kids backed out of participating.
This year we watched comedy, clowns, cabaret, improv, magicians, a fantastic surf band called Los Dedos, male burlesque and Vaudeville. We even squeezed in a very emu-sing Guess the weight of the bird quiz that was brilliant.
In an egg-shell the highlights were
Chloe Radcliffe at Artista Secret Comedy Club, who talked about being addicted to cheating- she was brilliant and made you squirm at times. Very funny.
Der Wunderlich Revue at The Spiegeltent- It was a full house and a shock to the system from a dancing Tellytubby (in a thong!), to a bunch of naked men with firecrackers up their jacksy, free crisps and the afore mentioned Jammy Dodgers retrieved from parts of their anatomy. It was hilarious in some places and had a brilliant compère who reminded me of Jarvis Cocker, but some parts were absolutely terrible to watchor possibly so highbrow it went over my head.
Sometimes it's the ones you least expect that leave you with the best memories. On Sunday morning we decided last minute (with the kids who are 13 and 15) to see a free show at the Temple Bar at 12pm
It was funny and light-hearted and if you guessed the bird's weights right you got a free Cadburys crème egg. It also taught me (and my kids) about weights and different bird species plus you got to play bingo! What's not to like? I can't stop ˜raven' about it. It is on all month, it is FREE and well worth a visit.
If you don't get to a show though do make sure you head to The Spiegeltent and Caravanserai to soak up the atmosphere. There are normally live music or DJs playing and sometimes a dancer in a cage. Caravanserai is child-friendly and does free circus skills from 11am, slowly moving more adult as the night draws in. Please do get on the Fringe Festival website(or download the app) to see what shows are on and don't just go on price as some of the cheaper ones (or even free ones) were my favourite and lots of the venues are pubs so its WIN WIN all round.
I am so excited about what's in store this weekend (although I don't have the organisational skills of ˜Short Shorts' (˜¹) I will also be visiting some Open Houses to see some incredible art by local makers. These art trails are all across the city in every neighbourhood and not only do you get to see great art, but great houses too (interior inspiration at every turn) and the chance to buy a one-off special piece by a local maker. I started with an open house back in 2004 and never thought I'd get to turn it into my business, so please do support them.
