Friendly Brighton 45+

Brighton Fringe officially runs from 2nd May to 1st June, and I'm thrilled that we're starting with this, as it's how we usually start Edinburgh Fringe!
There are 4 "menus", and we can see them in 2 double-bills, the first, with Menus 1 & 2, on Saturday 3rd May and the second, with Menus 3 & 4, on Saturday 17th May. It's an early start, with doors at 9.30 am, but no need to eat breakfast before you leave the house. Just time enough to queue to collect your tea or coffee, croissant and their trademark strawberry before Menu 1 starts at 10 am and Menu 2 starts at 11:30 am.

Tickets for each Menu are £14/£12, BUT, as each Menu is completely different, and it really is worth seeing them all, they have a special offer online, so, once you've paid for the first one, the next 3 are all half-price, at £7, i.e. £35 for all 4 - and that includes 4 breakfasts!!

(BTW you may want to pair up with someone and become a Friend to get 2-4-1s throughout the Fringe, which would bring the price for 4 down to £28, and you'd only be using 1 of your 2-4-1s on this.)

Book your ticket here:-
https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/big-bite-size-breakfast-show/

"Join us at The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show - Brighton's NEW theatre café experience!
Dive into one of FOUR delicious menus of ten-minute plays. Comedy, eccentricity & the odd mini-drama served up with a warm welcome and Trading Post coffee, Bird & Blend tea, croissant and strawberries.
Four menus:
Menu One at 10am & Menu Two at 11.30am on 3, 4, 5, 10 May
Menu Three at 10am & Menu Four at 11.30am on 17, 24, 25, 26 May
Meet friends and contacts for a stimulating and relaxing event, or come solo too.
Now an Edinburgh Festival institution, we're back home in Brighton after 11 years away!"

After a morning guzzling croissants at Bite-Size Breakfast, we may not want too much lunch, but there'll be plenty of reasonably-priced "street food" at the Spiegel Gardens.
The Soul Afternooner is in "Wundabarn", the new venue there. It's on for 3 hours starting 2.30 and should be fun.
I suggest we meet in the queue from about 2.15 as I expect seating will be limited. Come along prepared to boogie - and maybe BRING A FAN!

(BTW you may want to pair up with someone and become a Friend to get 2-4-1s throughout the Fringe.)

Tickets are £10 and are on the 2-4-1 for Friends.
Book your ticket here:-
https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/spiegelgardens-soul-afternooner/

"SPIEGELGARDEN SOUL AFTERNOONER! (with Neil St John and Colin Slater)
Get ‘Out on the floor’ with 3 hours of Northern stompers, Motown magic, Stax, Atlantic, Chess and the best of the rest."

To finish our first hectic day on the Fringe, we're heading into Kemp Town to the little Lantern Theatre's lovely upstairs space, the Grania Dean Studio, to see an interesting-sounding play, "Mettle", which is about WW2 Atlantic convoys.
Meet in the cosy bar from 6.30/6:45 - play starts at 7 pm.

(BTW you may want to pair up with someone and become a Friend to get 2-4-1s throughout the Fringe.)

Tickets are £12/£10 and are on the 2-4-1 for Friends.
Book your ticket here:-
https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/?search=mettle

"“Mettle” - a true story
Written and performed by Nicholas Collett and directed by Gavin Robertson.
Award-winning solo performer Nicholas Collett (British Arrows Best Actor, Special Performance Award World Duo Festival, Seoul South Korea, Best Theatre Award Adelaide Fringe 2023) tells the story of his father’s service during the Atlantic Convoys of World War Two. A true odyssey, that takes us from Sheffield to Liverpool to Nova Scotia, Boston to West Africa and home again, amidst the constant threat of U-Boat attack and treacherous weather. Physical theatre and storytelling, with a dramatic soundscape and 40’s music, this is a tribute to those who served, those who were lost – and those who lived to tell their story.
In association with the Daparian Foundation - committed to those on trauma journeys, supporting veterans and blue lights personnel."

This month, we're reading Kathy's choice, " "The Book Club" by C. J. Cooper, 99p, 376 pp.

"EVERYONE IS HIDING A SECRET. ONE OF THEM IS MURDER.
The book club was her idea, of course.
It was her way into our group. A chance to get close.
I knew from the day she arrived that she couldn't be trusted.
And I was right.
Alice didn't come to the village for peace and quiet.
She came for revenge.
A deliciously addictive psychological thriller about a book club that unravels dark and scandalous secrets between one circle of neighbours."

Use this link to join:-

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/88473104058?pwd=cRQfzd5W9NrvWMmYVw2p6lxDCoMtRB.1

or

Enter code: 884 7310 4058

The passcode, if you need it, is:- JZ4PCk