Comedian Jo Brand lends support to Hastings Pier

Jo Brand Stands Up for Hastings Pier, will take place at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings, on March 30, 2013.

The BAFTA-winning comedian, who hails from Hastings, has lent her support to the pier and said: “I spent some of the best days of my life on the pier and I’m really happy to be able to help rescue it!”

Jo Brand, 55, is a comedian, writer and actress, who began by swapping psychiatric nursing for stand-up.

She has gone on to appear on The Brain Drain, Channel 4’s Jo Brand Through the Cakehole, Getting On, Jo Brand’s Big Splash and as a regular guest on panel show QI.

In 2003 she was listed as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy, and in 2011 won a BAFTA for best female performance in a comedy role and a British Comedy Award for best TV comedy actress.

The night of stand up comedy will include support from Angela Barnes, Quincy, Doon Mackichan, and Steve Furst.

Angela Barnes won BBC Radio 2’s New Comedy Award in 2011 and has since been a regular on the stand-up circuit.

She has also appeared on television and radio including Russell Howard’s Good News on BBC Three, and performed at Latitude Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Quincy is a stand-up comedian, presenter, writer, actor and host, who has appeared on Comedy Central’s Comedy Blue, MTV’s Comedy Funhouse, and BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Comedy On The Boat.

His brand of humour has been described by Chortle as ‘comedy with emotional insight’.

Doon Mackichan is best known as one of the stars of the Channel 4 comedy series Smack the Pony.

She has also appeared in comedy series such as On The Hour, The Day Today, and Brass Eye, and played Cherie Blair in Channel 4 drama A Very Social Secretary.

Steve Furst is a comedian, actor and writer, who is a familiar face from his starring role in the Orange mobile phone adverts, but who has also made appearances in a range of theatre and television productions.

Among these are Little Britain, Skins, The Wright Stuff, and Matilda The Musical.

Performers are donating their time for free, and the proceeds from ticket sales are going to the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT).

The restoration of Hastings Pier is a £14 million project, which aims to transform the structure ravaged by fire in 2010.

Work is due to begin next year, though this relies upon a bid for just over £11 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund being successful.

Funding is also to come from a range of other sources, and by the end of this year the HPWRT hopes that it will be in a position to start making detailed plans for the new look pier.

A major milestone was Hastings Borough Council securing a Compulsory Purchase Order to take control of the pier from its Panamanian owner Ravenclaw, which had failed to start repairs. This was given the go-ahead earlier this year.

Tickets are selling fast, and cost £22.50. To book call the box office on 01424 462288 or visit whiterocktheatre.org.uk.