I’m Lorna (hello! how do you do?) and I’m co-producing the Whitechapel Arts Showcase at The London Hospital Tavern, 18th-23rd October: a week of shows, free events, workshops, and admin-induced anxiety chest pains for myself.
The festival is a brand new baby, born into the world with a hope of bringing arts back into the pub, bringing the pub back to people, bringing the people back to the pub, and the arts back to the people. Some of my favourite things I’ve ever seen have been at pub-arts venues, and I’m really chuffed to be joining the long and illustrious history of collaborations between pub hospitality and live comedy (hospicomedy? comitality?). The London Hospital Tavern is a beautiful pub right in the heart of Whitechapel, next to the Royal London Hospital.
Throughout the *REDACTED* both live comedy and pub culture were hit really hard. Loads of passionate, talented people, whether normally onstage or behind the bar, found themselves at home. Now that we’re heading out of the *REDACTED* we really wanted to create a week where people could celebrate the unique experiences that comedy and pubs both offer; laughing, crying, seeing old friends, meeting new strangers and supporting lovely people! Sticking a big *REDACTED* up to the *REDACTED* and telling it to *REDACTED* off!
We’ve got 11 GREAT things happening (five free events, five affordable shows, one big party). I’m super proud of the team for pulling this all together in such a short amount of time. Highlights include Lucy Hopkins who’s kicking off the week on Monday 18th with a brand new show: The Unknown (£6 tickets). On Thursday 21st, we have 2016 Funny Women Winner Harriet Braine with a show featuring new golden material and some classics (£6 tickets). And on Friday 22nd we have a cabaret, featuring some of London’s most exciting cabaret acts, including 2017 Funny Women finalist Jodie Mitchell. Plus, on Saturday, we have an alternative comedy party with pop-up performances, DJ and disco till late – it’s a fusion of a classic Saturday night out at the pub, with the inventiveness and mayhem of a late night comedy experience.
We’re also hosting a FREE Improv workshop on Wednesday, run by alumni of TheImproverts, Edinburgh Fringe’s longest-running improv group. Come oil those muscles, learn a new skill or just have a laugh!
We are so proud to be showcasing a festival where the majority of our acts and team are women and non-binary folk, and can’t wait to give our performers the audience they’ve missed for the past year and whatever it’s been since the *REDACTED*.
All tickets can be booked here, plus reservations for the free events. Please remember to reserve a ticket for free events, so we know you’re coming, as we are working at socially distant limited capacity: https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/theatre/whitechapel-arts-showcase
