Solo Show Festival heads to Lewes

Artistic director Jonathan Brown said: “They say everyone’s got at least one novel in them. But for actors it’s closer to being a solo show.”

Jonathan has been creating solo shows since 2006, and has mentored many successful and award-winning acts on his solo show course.

And once again Something Underground and Lewes are together playing host to the second Lewes Festival of Solo Theatre, happening the weekend before Brighton Fringe, in the historic setting of Fitzroy House.

“Seven shows in one weekend is what the billing boasts. Amongst the offerings we have the raucous 2021 Pick of the Edinburgh Fringe award-winning Olivia Nicholson’s Hyenas, the sublime 2018 Brighton Fringe Live Music Award-winner Geoff Rob’s The Music of Trees, and multi-award-winning Something Underground’s own new piece Children of the Revolution. Several of the shows are premieres being shown for the first time before going on to Brighton Fringe and then on to further national tours.”

Jonathan added: “The Sussex area has an abundance of talent which in April’s Festival is going to be further augmented by brilliant acts coming from London and Bristol.

“As I’ve seen more and more brilliant work, I decided in 2019 to run the first Festival of Solo Theatre in Lewes. Now, after the pandemic, it’s time for the second.

“Once again, there’ll be reduced-cost passes too, to enable you to see several shows... and what is remarkable is the number of people who, having seen their first solo show, become utter evangelical converts to the genre.

“That’s invariably because, rather than in an ensemble play, whereby an actor might rely on others to carry the performance, a one-person show performer, because they’ve no one else to hide behind, invariably has to have such incredible energy that they inhabit the whole stage, bring an entire world to life, fully populate the story and single-handedly transport the audience with their sheer presence and talent. Because there’s no hiding, you invariably get performers who really know their game and how to bring a place alive.

“The audience are also far more engaged as one-person pieces often include acknowledging the presence of the audience, connecting with them, not necessarily in what some might consider rather scary audience participation, but simply by turning to them far more, recognising that this genre is more about facing and talking to your audience than the fourth-wall style that most theatre is accustomed to presenting.

“We’re also very pleased to be using the lovely space of the Fitzroy House which has been host to many creative ventures.”

Cost: individual shows: £8 concs plus various passes for deals on seeing several shows.

Tickets for the festival are available via the website https://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/lewes-festival-of-solo-theatre/

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