It began with me (Pennie Varvarides) doing a few poems, which I am not going to comment too much on…. but I enjoyed doing it! And I have recorded the last one of the evening and uploaded it to YouTube. If you want to have a listen visit youtube

It moved on to animations from Vivien Peach, which were all brilliant. One of which was a dancing pair of shoes… Her animations really put a smile on my face!

I think you should go check her out at joesart

Next was the amazing work of Paul Eccentric, who was accompanied by a bassist and a bongo player on the stage. The performance was very well executed and I totally enjoyed it =D Check him out at theantipoet

After the interval we had Sam  Berkson with some more performance poetry, his work had a touch of satire and humour to them as he played with words. Very worth checking out his myspace account to have a listen for yourself! 

Finally Monooka treated the missfit crowd to a few songs from Romania starting with a Transylvanian marriage song. It was a beautiful way to end the evening! Check her out at monooka.com

Over all a really good night, though it was a shame that Michael couldn’t make it to give everyone some of his much loved poetry. 

Written and directed by Stephen M. Hunt

Sex, Drugs, Therapy & Mayhem will later transfers to the Henley Fringe Festival 22-25 July, 2009. Another of Stephen’s self-directed plays is Permission Painted which receives a rehearsed reading in central London September 2009, Brian Blessed has agreed in principle to read the part of ‘Albert’. In Liverpool his Autumn, Stephen directs Over The Top, a new play by Edward D’Arcy Hatton. At the end of March 2009, Stephen makes his fourth appearance on BBC radio to discuss his projects with Linda McDermott, Late Night Live!

Stephen M. Hunt directed his radical adaptation of The Merchant of Venice at the Harlow Playhouse, February, 1999. The following year he directed No Sex Please, We’re British! at the same venue. His first work in the London fringe was directing a partial rehearsed reading of Johnson’s Mistake for SourFeast Theatre. The rehearsed reading of his play Impossible steps was directed by Kirsty Bennett at the Brockley Jack Theatre. This work transferred to the Rosemary Branch Theatre where Stephen directed the legendary Hildegard Neil (RSC) and Ben Onwukwe (“Recall” in London’s Burning, also RSC). Stephen’s work with Hildegard continues this year when they co-direct a new production of Impossible Steps starring Hildegard Neil, co-starring Rosalind Blessed and tours ten theatres from 7th May, 2009.

This is an Update about “The Father Monologues (Parts 1,2 and 3) and “Free Beer”, the one-person shows, written and performed by Jonathan Brown.In this update:

Stories:Sell out for “Jenny” at Grub on 6th Feb 2009New performance dates: at Grub in East Grinstead (3rd April “Danny”, 5th June, “Billy”, 4th September “Free Beer”)New performance date: 9th April at The Rooms St Leonards, Hastings (“Jenny”)New performance dates: May, at Peredur Centre for the Arts, East Grinstead (“Danny” on 15th and “Jenny” on 22nd
New performance dates: May, at The Elephant and Castle, White Hill Lewes. (“Free Beer”, 1st May, and “Jenny” on 12th June)”Free Beer” to premier in Lewes.The Father Monologues, Part 1, “Danny” invited to play at the 2009 National Childbirth Trust Conference in Swansea (28th June)

Scenepool showcase goes down well!”Free Beer” to Showcase again in London at Southwark Playhouse. The Father Monologues included in list of “Practices” for professionals on The Fatherhood Institute websiteDenise Evans to direct “Free Beer”
More information can be found at http://www.thefathermonologues.com/

Sell out for Jenny at Grub
Friday 6th Feb saw Grub Café Bar in London Road, East Grinsteadbustling and busy as a sell-out audience squeezed into the space to geta look at Jenny (FM Part 2) and hear her/his story.
Despite a fairly heavy snowfall that hit the area earlier in theevening, no-one was put off, and the performance began only 20 minslate to a packed and appreciative crowd.
The space was hushed, the London Road traffic outside was calmed by theicy weather, and the staff at Grub were utterly considerate, turningoff all the machines and watching along with the audience, adding tothe sense of focus and concentration.

The space was perfect, the show a success.
At home-time, with lots of people expressing interest in seeing Parts 1
and 3, the crowds departed into the chilly night.A few days later, one watcher emailed to say:

“Hello Jonathan,
Just to say how much I enjoyed your performance in Grub last Fri.
Its many layers worked through me in the following days. I look forward to some follow-ups.
M.”

New performance dates at Grub in East Grinstead (12/3/09)
Following the sell-out success of Jenny at Grub
Cafe-Bar in East Grinstead in February, all further three of Jonathan’sone-person shows will be playing there over the next few months. All shows are on Fridays, at 8pm, as follows: 3rd April “Danny”, 5th June, “Billy” and 4th September “Free Beer”.Demand for tickets seems to be high again, so get yours quick whilst we still ‘ave ‘em!In the meantime, don’t worry if you miss one, as Parts1 and 2 will also be playing at the Peredur Centre for the Arts, inEast Grinstead, home of the Artemis School of Speech and Drama. (and if there’s the demand, Part 3 and Free Beer will probably show there too. )Directions to Peredur can be found on the Artemiswebsite http://www.artemisspeechanddrama.org.uk/, and liftshares can bearranged via the Forum on the FM website. AND you can buy multipletickets online through the FM website that enable you to attend morethan one of The Father Monologues at either of the East Grinstead Venues at reduced prices over April, May and JuneSo, with one ticket, you could catch Part 1 at Grub, Part 2 at Peredur, and Part 3 at Grub again. We’re here to help.

New performance date: 9th April at The Rooms St Leonards.
St Leonards, just west of Hastings in sunnyEast Sussex, is the next unsuspecting seaside town to be hit by a tasteof the transgendered librarian father, Jenny. In her furthest eastappearance yet, Jenny, (Part 2 of The Father Monologues) will bestarting her startling story at the cosy and relaxed veggy cafe-bar cummusic venue cum recording studios at 8pm on the 9th April as part of athree-nighter mini fest of drama and comedy at The Rooms in WesternRoad. Be there or be elsewhere.

PricesAs – this is a community base venue, ticket prices areslightly lower to encourage those who might not ordinarily check out apiece of theatre to dip in a toe, or those who love good theatre, but are”feeling the pinch” to come along as well.

New May performance dates: Peredur Centre for the Arts, East Grinstead
As a response to the very encouraging East Grinsteadand Forest Row area’s response to “Jenny” at Grub on the 6th of February, FM’sParts 1 and 2 are going to be shown at the Peredur Centre for the Arts (“Danny”on 15th May and “Jenny” on 22nd May). This venue (on the West HoathleyRoad East Grinstead) is slightly off the beaten track, but is in a gorgeous studiotheatre and set in some beautiful grounds there. Perhaps you can arrange a lift, by going to the Forumpage and connecting up with other travellers.

New performance dates: The Elephant and Castle
Free Beer is now to have it’s Premier on the 1st May at The Elephant and Castlein Lewes. The upstairs room of the “establishment” is a roomy venue andjust right to try out this show about the demise of a pub. The show,set in a recently shut down pub, in Woodingdean, Brighton is now beingdirected by Denise Evans, a highly experienced performer and director.Rehearsals for Free Beer are in progress now, and the first four sceneshave once again been shown recently (Monday 23rd March) to a veryappreciative audience at the Missfit Mondays showcase in Hoxton, London.Also, on 12th June, “Jenny” will be played at The Elephant and Castle.

“Danny” invited to play at the 2009 National Childbirth Trust Conference in Swansea
On 28th June “Danny” (FM Part 1) is travelling to Swansea to the 2009 National Childbirth Trust Conference. The play will be shown in full to the 600 delegatesthat are expected to attend the conference of the NCT, with a Q & Asession afterwards. “Danny” expects that all the delegates, who are insome way involved in aiding safe and healthy childbirth, will havequite an eye-opener, and some fun.

Scenepool showcase goes down well!
Bernie was out and about in London, recently. At the Camden People’sTheatre to be precise, as part of Scenepool, a week long, prolonged andvaried showcase of new theatre. Bernie told the first 20 mins (Scenes1-4) of his story (Free Beer) to a packed, sell-out audience, and seemed toleave them all with something to chat about when they hopped off laterfor a drink (probably of organic OJ)!

“Free Beer” to Showcase again in London at Southwark Playhouse.
London again, and Bernie is getting ready for a fuller outing of Free Beer to be shown as part of Southwark Secrets, a season of work-in-progress performances held in the bar of the Southwark Playhouse, very near London Bridge. Staring at 9pm, Bernie hopes to let you haveas much of it as you can take, which might be quite a marathon,especially if you have just come from watching the show that’ll beplaying in the main space beforehand.But of course, the great story of the last days of a troubled localpub, and the exquisite telling itself, will keep you firmly in yourseats, till some one calls, “Time ladies and gentlemen!”

The FM’s included in list of “Practices” onThe Fatherhood Institute website.
After much to-ing and fro-ing, The Father Monologues plays have nowbeen included as one of the many resources that those working with theissue of how to support fathers being fathers, can turn to viaThe Fatherhood Institute website.Information about all 3 plays can be found on the site, and has already generated some interest for the plays.

Denise Evans to direct “Free Beer”
The most exciting news to date is that highly experienced and innovative performer and director Denise Evans is now working with Jonathan as a director for Free Beer. Her recent shows include Medea and directing George Dillon in “The Man who was Hamlet”. plus lotsmore. She’s got a CV as long (and as varied) as your arm, (not thatyour arm is necessarily that long, or varied) and whenthis writer has a week or two to spare, he’ll rattle it off(her CV, not your arm) onto his qwerty, and you can read some of it.But in the meantime, be assured that Denise, who is certainly notknown for working on conventional pieces (no “Thoroughly ModernMillie” here, thank god!), now has the errant Bernie very much in handand is REALLY showing him a thing or two about how to bring the best out of this new show.

More information on any of these stories including the relevant links can be found on http://www.thefathermonologues.com/page26.htm

and information about all the upsoming performances can be found on http://www.thefathermonologues.com/page7.htm

(BTW…Apologies if you received this twice. Teething problems with new software)If you prefer not to receivemail outs about these shows, please follow the steps described tounsubscribe yourself from any future mailings, and accept my apologiesfor any inconvenience caused.Otherwise….

All the best for an inspiring 2009. Do visit the website, and/or drop me a line, and/or come to a show.See you there.
Jonathan