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Avalon Edinburgh Preview: Pierre Novellie and Toussaint Douglas
A double header of comedy as two top comedians warm up ahead of the Edinburgh Festival.
Pierre Novellie
Stand-up comedian, writer, radio host and podcaster. Pierre is co-host of The Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio, and recent TV appearances include World’s Most Dangerous Roads (Dave), The Mash Report (BBC2), and Stand Up Central (Comedy Central). On the radio, Pierre has performed on The Now Show (Radio 4), hosts the BBC Sounds podcast series Obsessed With… SAS: Rogue Heroes and co-hosts the hit Budpod podcast alongside Phil Wang. As a writer, Pierre was one of the regular writers on the rebooted Spitting Image (ITV/Britbox) and has also written on shows including Mock the Week (BBC2), The News Quiz (Radio 4) and The Mash Report (BBC2).
Toussaint Douglas
One of comedy’s most exciting and talked about new names and is already making serious waves across the industry. His innovative brand of stand up mixes the personal with the political, whilst adding a uniquely absurdist slant to brilliant comic effect.
His extensive list of credits include Late Night Mash (DAVE), Outsiders (DAVE), Hypothetical (DAVE), Comedians Giving Lectures (FAVE), Unforgivable (DAVE), Alan Davies, As Yet Untitled (DAVE), Funny Festival Live (BBC One), Question Team (DAVE) BBC Presents: Stand Up For Live Comedy (BBC Three), The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4) and Dead Ringers (BBC Radio 4).
'There’s something of a Richard Ayoade vibe to Toussaint Douglass, stiffly awkward and on a different plane from rest of the world. He creates vivid, slightly absurd, images of his life…but it’s skillfully concealed beneath a charming quirkiness. One of the best and most distinctive acts' Chortle
Studio
£13.50
Pierre Novellie
Pierre's website
Insta pierrenovellie
Fb PierreNovellie
Toussaint Douglas
Insta toussaint_gram
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Avalon Edinburgh Preview: Matt Forde and Chloe Petts
A double header of comedy as two top comedians warm up ahead of the Edinburgh Festival.
Matt Forde
Matt Forde is one of the country’s most in demand satirists.
Described as 'our foremost satirical stand-up' by The Sunday Times, Matt Forde has toured critically acclaimed shows nationwide including most recently Clowns To The Left of Me, Jokers To The Right in 2022 and Inside No. 10 in 2023.
Matt Forde’s hit live podcast The Political Party transferred to the West End’s Duchess Theatre in 2021 after over 70 sold out shows at Westminster’s The Other Palace, for a twice extended fortnightly residency continuing in to 2024. Matt has brought Parliament to life with his stand-up and debate with some of politics’ most powerful figures including Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon, Tony Blair, Eddie Izzard, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Angela Rayner, Michael Heseltine, Anthony Scaramucci, Alastair Campbell, Gordon Brown and Gary Neville. Matt has received numerous nominations from award bodies including the British Podcast Awards and Chortle Awards and the show is regularly highlighted as a top podcast pick in the press.
Matt wrote and voiced characters for Spitting Image (BritBox/ITV) including Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and Donald Trump. Matt currently presents Absolute Radio’s weekly Rock ‘n’ Roll Football Show. He is also the co-host of Wondery’s flagship British Podcast Award winning British Scandal alongside Alice Levine.
In 2019 alone, Matt hosted the Alternative News Desk for Channel 4’s election night coverage, chaired the One Nation Conservative leadership hustings and debated Britain’s withdrawal from the EU with Tony Blair for the Institute of Global Change.
Matt hosted four series of Unspun with Matt Forde on Dave, receiving several nominations at the Broadcast Digital Awards, and has numerous other broadcast credits including: Have I Got News For You (BBC One), The Royal Variety Performance (ITV), Mock The Week (BBC Two), 8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Hypothetical (Dave) Rory Bremner’s Coalition Report and Rory Bremner’s Election Report (BBC Two), Question Time (BBC One), This Week (BBC One), Newsnight (BBC Two) and Daily Politics (BBC Two).
Matt’s first book Politically Homeless was listed by The Sunday Times as one the Best Political Books of 2020.
Chloe Petts
'One of the most compelling young comics' Brian Logan, The Guardian
'Clearly a rising star whose name will soon be in lights' Bruce Dessau, The Evening Standard
Chloe has established herself as one of the most exciting up and coming acts on the circuit.
Chloe is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer with her new show How You See Me, How You Don’t. This comes after a UK Tour of her show If You Can’t Say Anything Nice which sold-out in the first week of the Edinburgh Fringe last year, leading to 6 extra shows being added to the run. In 2022, she performed her debut show Transience to sold-out audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and for two five night runs at Soho Theatre, which led to a tour around the rest of the UK which ended with an extra date added at London’s Leicester Square Theatre. Receiving rave reviews from publications including The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard.
On television and radio, Chloe recently appeared on Have I Got News For You (BBC One), and hosted her own segment every Saturday morning on Sky Sports News. She has also been a regular on The Frank Skinner Show (Absolute Radio), World Cup Breakfast (Sky Sports) for the Men’s Football World Cup 2022 and previously for Good Morning Euros (Sky Sports) for the UEFA Women’s Euros. Further appearances include MOTDx (BBC), Jonathan Ross’s Comedy Club (ITV), The Stand-Up Sketch Show (ITV2), Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC Two), Random Acts (Channel 4), Hypothetical (Dave), Fighting Talk (BBC Radio 5 Live), BBC Three Quickies (BBC Three), as well as winning Pointless Celebrities (BBC One). In terms of podcasts, Chloe has appeared on Off Menu, Films to Buried With and co-hosted The Guilty Feminist.
An alumna of the prestigious Pleasance Comedy Reserve, shortlisted for the BBC Comedy Award, finalist of Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year Awards 2017 and runner-up in the Funny Women Awards 2017. As well as supporting Ed Gamble on current Hot Diggity Dog UK tour and previous tour Electric, Chloe has supported Frank Skinner during his West End run and performed at Melbourne International Comedy Festival this year and last year.
She is a co-founder of The Lol Word, a queer comedy collective that hosts sell-out monthly London nights, boasting the finest female and non-binary queer acts on the circuit. Their most recent Edinburgh run was a sell-out. Diva Magazine has described it as a space that is demographically queer, inclusive, and safe, and on top of all of that – the comedic talent is smart, insightful, hilarious, and completely relatable.
Studio
£12
Matt Forde
Matt's website
Chloe Petts
Chloe's website
X ChloePetts
Insta chloepetts
- 15 May SOLD OUT
Funky Monkeys
An energetic and creative music and movement class for babies and children under 5.
This fun and funky session uses lights, puppets, parachute, instruments and music to get your little ones moving!
Suitable for ages 9 months - 5 years.
Summer
Fri 9 May - 25 Jul (excluding 28 May)
11am - 11.45am
£8.50 | Siblings (9 months +) £4 | £45 for 6 sessions a term (this offer doesn't include the sibling ticket)
If you would like to book the offer price for 6 sessions, please enter a ticket for each date you would like to attend into your basket and the offer will apply automatically.
Intermediate Yoga
Led by Julie Potter
This class is suited to those who have been practising for at least 6. My intention for this class is to move our practise forward, explore different avenues and approaches to the traditional postures. We will be aiming to be going deeper into awareness and noticing.
The yoga I teach is an evolution of over 20 years of practice and study, perhaps moving away from external evaluation of the postures and moving towards an internal sense of the postures, moving away from the more used traditional approach of systemised yoga to a more experiential approach. Whilst looking at traditional Hatha Yoga postures and pranayamas, I will be encouraging fun and freedom within the traditional structure, whilst taking into our awareness fundamental anatomical and functional aspects required by our bodies for maximum wellbeing benefits.
Please bring a blanket, a Yoga / Pilates mat, and wear loose comfortable clothing.
Spring
Fri 10 Jan - 7 Feb (5 weeks)
Fri 14 Feb - 14 Mar (5 weeks)
Fri 21 Mar - 25 Apr (5 weeks)
Summer
Fri 2 May - 6 Jun (6 weeks)
Fri 13 Jun - 25 Jul (6 weeks) (excl 4 Jul)
Please note that the sessions on Fri 6 and 13 Jun will be covered by a different teacher.
11am - 12.15pm
£12 per session | £50 per 5 week course
This class will take place both in person and online via Zoom.
You will find the link to access the session in your booking confirmation email.
Duck
It’s the summer of 2005, England prepare to win the Ashes and Ismail (Smiley to his friends), a British south Asian schoolboy, is about to become the youngest-ever player in his elite public school’s First XI cricket team.
He sets his sights on immortality, breaking the school batting record and getting his name into Wisden. But things are about to heat up.
From award-winning playwright maatin, Duck is about adolescence, the pressures of sporting competition and finding your identity in an environment that doesn’t cater for difference.
Performances are captioned with projected text and illustrations onto the set making it accessible to d/Deaf audiences.
Recipient of the Pleasance's Charlie Hartill Fund 2024.
'It could not feel more topical' ★★★★ Guardian
★★★★ Everything Theatre I ★★★★ Broadway World I ★★★★ Theatre Weekly I ★★★★ SpyintheStalls I ★★★★ First Night Magazine I ★★★★ AllThatDazzles I ★★★★ Asian Culture Vulture
Credits
Produced by Broccoli Arts
Writer - maatin
Director - Imy Wyatt-Corner
Original Design - Maariyah Shaarjil
Original Lighting Design - Jonathan Chan
Sound Design - Holly Khan
Caption Design - Rachel Sampley
Image design - Alice Gorman
Production photographs - Isha Shah
DUCK was originally produced by Two Magpies Productions.
Age guidance
12+ years
Content warning
This show contains distressing or potentially triggering themes of racism and islamophobia.
Creative captioning
Performances are captioned with projected text and illustrations onto the set.
Studio
£16.50
Ahh…Freak Out!
The World’s Biggest Disco hits!
Step into the glittering time machine and journey back to the dazzling 1970s, as we turn back the clock and bring the disco inferno back to life, LIVE on stage!
Get ready to boogie the night away as we take you on a magical journey delivering non-stop, chart-topping disco hits alongside our world class live band! We're talkin' Donna Summer's sultry vibes, Earth, Wind & Fire's cosmic funk, the Bee Gees' silky harmonies, and Gloria Gaynor's fierce diva power – all in one mind-blowing show!
So, dust off your bell-bottoms, slip into your shiniest platforms, and join us in the heart of Funkytown for a disco extravaganza that'll make your heart race, your hips shake, and your soul boogie all night long!
'A real disco inferno on stage! Left us craving more!'
Courtyard Theatre
£23
Insta Ahh...FREAK OUT!
Fb Ahh Freak Out - The World’s Biggest Disco Hits
- 9 May SOLD OUT
Salsa
Led by SalsaStyle
Specialising for twenty years in providing individual attention to help you develop dance techniques and grow in confidence. SalsaStyle will ensure everyone feels welcome no matter what level.
Spring
Fri 10 Jan - 7 Feb (5 weeks)
Fri 14 Feb - 14 Mar (5 weeks)
Fri 21 Mar - 25 Apr (5 weeks) (excl 18 Apr)
Summer
Fri 2 May - 6 Jun (6 weeks)
Fri 13 Jun - 11 Jul (5 weeks)
Fri 18 Jul - 15 Aug (5 weeks)
8.15pm - 9.15pm
£12 per session | £50 per 5 week course
Don't forget to stay for the Salsa Social from 9.15pm - 10pm: stay after the class for a dance and drink!
Box Office closes at 8pm but online booking is still available.
Align and Flow Yoga
Led by Deborah Le Vene-Page
Align and Flow Yoga is influenced by the biomechanics and heart orientated philosophy of the Anusara Hatha style of yoga. With a specific alignment focus within the flow of postures the practice will tone and strengthen the body, improve posture and create more freedom in the body and mind resulting in a calm and relaxed state of being.
Each week there will be a different theme weaving its’ way through the session, but a typical class starts with breathing techniques to centre and ground, poses to warm up and then progresses to a fun and challenging mix of vinyasa and alignment yoga.
This class is designed to cultivate focus, stamina, strength, and flexibility. Leaving time at the end for a well-deserved relaxation.
Come prepared for an energising class that will also leave you feeling relaxed.
Age guidance: 18+ years
Spring
Sat 8 Mar - 26 Apr (8 weeks)
Summer
Sat 3 May - 21 Jun (8 weeks)
Sat 12 Jul - 16 Aug (6 weeks)
10am - 11am
£13 per session | £88 per 8 week course | £66 per 6 week course
Please note that the sessions below will be covered by the following tutors:
Sat 12 Apr and 14 Jun - Sarah Norman
Sat 19 Apr and 21 Jun - Michelle Carvill
Suitable for all levels of experience. Please bring a yoga mat with you.
St John's Chamber Orchestra
Alex Wun (piano)
Eleanor Holmes (violin)
Nigel Wilkinson (conductor)
Beethoven
Piano Concerto No.5 (Emperor)
Romance No.2 in G
Symphony No.4
The Beethoven symphony cycle (21-25) nears its end with the bright and vibrant Fourth Symphony.
RAM scholar Eleanor Holmes returns to Norden Farm to play the elegant Second Romance The programme opens with the powerful and popular Emperor Conceto, with prizewinning Hong Kong pianist Alex Wun as the soloist.
Courtyard Theatre
£21.50 | Under 18s free
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