Page 23 - 367639 LP248834 NE Volume Magazine (170mm x 245mm 52pp) October 2022

COMEDY
Dave Twentyman takes to the stage at The Forum in Darlington on Thursday 27th October for another extraordinary night in the Hilarity Bites Comedy Club series. Twentyman’s latest showcase is an exploration of the mind of the man himself, with the simple and sobering title ‘Dave Twentyman Has ADHD’, a concise signpost of the direction of the show which doubles as a neat encapsulation of the life behind the comedic storytelling on display. Twentyman himself describes the show thus: “This show is for those people I see nodding in recognition in the audience when I talk about ADHD in my comedy set. It’s for the people who come up to me after the show and say “that’s exactly what it’s like for me”. It’s for the people who love someone with ADHD and it’s also for those who just want to understand it more”. That quote bears a verbatim repetition, summarising as it does a comedy show with a heavily educational angle and a particularly grounding premise, delivered by a great talent. The ADHD Foundation itself pays tribute to the material with the endorsement that “Dave’s lived experience of ADHD is the source of his creativity and lightning quick humour. A hilarious and moving account of genius minds in a mundane world”. Despite being first and foremost a prominent neurodiversity charity rather than being notable for any expertise on the world of stand-up comedy, the second sentence from the Foundation strikes as an accurate description of most stand-up, while the first is as strong a summation of Twentyman’s proficiencies as any press could muster. Irrespective of the vulnerabilities conjured by the subject matter of this tour, Twentyman is already renowned for his warmth as a performer, with an affability which is especially flexed when engaging the crowd directly. This combines seamlessly with a natural gift and razor-wire wit, as well as a flair for narrative; a package constituting a veritable Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy fundamentals. He boasts a diverse tenure taking in everywhere from comedy clubs to major music festivals and is much favoured by elders of the Northern scene such as Dave Spikey, John Bishop and Jason Manford. While the show is already well-toured, Twentyman is accomplished enough to be comfortable with any given audience, thriving as much on unpredictability as on his planned material by virtue of his effortless badinage, putting comedy crowds in safe and side-splitting hands. MICHAEL JOHNSON
Tickets: £10.50 Advance | Visit: theforumonline.co.uk
STAGE
This month, Durham’s Gala Theatre welcomes a fascinating new show in collaboration with Red Ladder Theatre Company. Written by Nana-Kofi Kufuor and directed by Dermot Daly, ‘My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored’ is an urgent interrogation of the ever-present topic of racial identity and looks into the story of 15-year-old Reece who finds himself being roughly accosted by the police force outside of a Marks and Spencer’s store. Reece’s teacher Gillian finds herself frozen in fear and bearing witness to the event as she is present outside the same shop, standing by and watching as the young man’s face is pressed into the wet gravel floor and a policeman’s knee is shoved into his back. The following day sees Reece locking himself and Gillian in a classroom, refusing to relinquish the key, as he wants his teacher to pay and understand the pain her passive behaviour caused him. This intense and emotional performance is sure to stay with you for a very long time. GEORGINA SHINE
Tickets: £6.00 Advance | Visit: live.org.uk
naughty, ‘This Can’t Be It’ is the five-star show that highlights the cumulative strings of Watson’s comedic bow, as it pulls back and hits a bullseye with every shot. Bringing the tour to Stockton’s ARC on Saturday 8th October, Watson’s audience will be immersed in the charisma and comedy of one of Britain’s best, making it a perfect Saturday night treat. CAMERON WRIGHT
Tickets: £20.00 Advance | Visit: arconline.co.uk
MY VOICE WAS HEARD BUT IT WAS IGNORED
AT GALA THEATRE, DURHAM
DAVE TWENTYMAN
AT THE FORUM MUSIC CENTRE, DARLINGTON
CULTURE // NE VOLUME MAGAZINE // 23