Countdown to Brighton Fringe 2017

Guest blog by Journalist Works’ Lynsey Bartlett

The countdown is seriously on! Brighton Fringe begins on Friday, May 5 and there is plenty to be excited about.

But where to begin?

What better way to celebrate the arrival of the Fringe than Guilty Pleasures on the opening night, which promises to be ‘big, wild and glamorous’ and full of unashamed singing and dancing. Book soon to avoid disappointment – and be prepared to stay out late! May 5, Brighton Spiegeltent.

The following day, after an energy drink and protein-packed breakfast, fill up your hamper and take the kids to Fringe City Family Picnic in Pavilion Gardens on May 6. The event is free and will entertain your little angels with family-friendly shows and a whole host of activities.

For award-winning comedy, don’t miss the brilliant Bent Double at Komedia on Sunday, May 7. It’s a fun, irreverent, gay-friendly show boasting three stand-up comedy superstars and is the perfect way to end the first Fringe weekend.

Now for something completely different. Expand your local knowledge and become the envy of your friends as you glide across the water for a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of Shoreham Port. There are four tours available on May 8, beginning at Nautilus House on Albion Street. It won’t cost you a bean but you will need to book.

If it’s more family fun you’re after, you can’t go far wrong with Christopher Nibble on May 7, 8 and 9 at The Warren. Kids aged two to seven will love this plucky guinea pig doing his damnedest to save the humble dandelion!

For those with a darker mind (perhaps leave the kids with a sitter for this one), Good People, Bad Day will be right up your street. This tale of three flatmates will see you rooting for them as they decide what to do with their accidentally-knocked-unconscious handyman. See it May 8-14 at Sweet Dukebox.

On the seventh day of the Fringe, open your mind to an evening of new poetry by self-proclaimed ‘middle-aged mamma’ Suzanne Smith. Her show And Another Thing! will not only have you smiling and nodding wryly but, after an interval ‘which may include gin’, also gives you the chance to exercise your grey matter with her interactive quiz ‘Poetry, Prose or Song.’ Fringe fun at its best. May 11, The Claremont.