Housemates turn living room into Brighton Fringe venue

Ali Blatcher, aged 33, and Anjali Singh (36) were inspired by Lionhouse, another Brighton Fringe venue in a residential home, to register the flat they rent on Southover Street for this year’s festival.

“For a couple of years we’ve hosted a variety show in our living room for my birthday in June and a poetry event on Burns Night,” says Anjali. “We take the legs off our dining table, plop a mic stand on it and it becomes a stage. It’s always such a lovely, creative atmosphere. And we thought, why not do that for Brighton Fringe?”

It was Fringe theatre that brought the two friends together. Ali and Anjali, both creators and performers, met during lockdown doing an online course called Write Your Solo Show run by London organisation Hoopla, and subsequently performed their solo shows at the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringes.

They wanted to make a venue that feels truly grassroots and that is accessible to all artists –

they take no hire fee upfront, taking a 30/70 split of the box office takings instead.

The two registered their home on Eventotron, the Fringe platform – after getting their landlady’s permission – and now have a programme of shows on the weekends of May 23-25 and May 30-June 1. You can see all of the Roost Events and buy tickets at https://www.brightonfringe.org/venues/the-roost/

Coming up:

Glove fulla Vaseline. Comedy. May 24-May 25. The trauma of thirty years spent attempting to teach Of Mice and Men to disengaged secondary school students... From £6

The Roost Variety Show. Cabaret & Variety. May 24. Brighton's new living room venue hosts a hand-picked selection of acts from the Fringe and beyond. From £8

Hats OFF Poetry. Literature & Spoken Word. May 31. A celebration of poetic talent through audience hat throwing. From £10.

Deaf Ears. Literature & Spoken Word. May 30-June 1. What’s it like growing up with deaf parents? Joe Friedman, author and therapist, answers in this funny, poignant solo show.