London, London Again and then Melbourne

Dear Member of the Daniel Kitson Marketplace. ™
 
 
I hope you are currently so well that’s its making you suspicious. I've currently got a plumber in my house replacing my soil stack (not a euphemism) and i've got a few things to tell you about – one is longer term, one is shorter term and two are super short term to the point of being pressing.  
 
So we’ll start with those.
 
Firstly, I am doing a benefit at the Backyard Comedy Club this coming Monday night (2nd March) for a charity that works against the practice of harvesting Bear Bile. Now, I mean, listen, I know that sounds like a weird, possibly made up thing and I dare say there’s other causes that seem more pressing to you. But let me say that firstly, its not made up. it’s as real as my elbow* and secondly, I think this cause might seem more pressing than homelessness or community arts radio if you were a bear trapped in a cage, having your bile harvested.
 
That’s what I’m telling myself, daily, at the moment.
 
And besides these things aren’t either/or are they?
 
Anyway. it’s been organised and booked and will be compered by Lou Sanders. Who will introduce an excellent bill of Sara Pascoe, Sarah Kendall, Adam Hess, Luke Mcqueen, Me! and …. More!
 
Most of whom, I imaginem, when contacted by Lou about the gig said some version of:
 
 “Sorry? Bear Bile? Am I hearing that right? Bear Bile? The bile of bears? Erm. Okay. No. Absolutely. Yeah. You’re sure that’s real though? Okay. Yuck. Sure. Let me check my diary, I’m pretty sure im busy, so I might not be able to …no, actually, …I am free”
 
And now, here we are, with a very good bill at a very good price on a very good Monday. You can get tickets here.
 
https://backyardcomedyclub.co.uk/event/charity-comedy-fundraiser-for-bears-trapped-in-captivity/
 
 
The next thing is that I am compering the Union Chapel on Saturday the 7th of March. This is not, repeat NOT, strictly speaking, a benefit gig. There is no charitable cause attatched to the show but it will of course benefit the audience with a magical Saturday night and me with an absolutely mound of cashola to spend on clay.
 
One for the bears and one for me!
 
Yipppppeeeeeee.
 
Ahem.
 
Anyway – im compering for Tim Key, Isy Suttie, Bridget Christie and Ivo Graham. I mean. The bill is so good, that I (and this is actually true) asked the “promoter” if I could be on, like a desperate little stage pig.
 
And you can get tickets for that one here
 
https://www.seetickets.com/event/live-at-the-chapel-with-bridget-christie/union-chapel/1484082
 
 
As for the other things
 
1 – I am coming to Melbourne for comedy festival and doing a show at the Malthouse Tuesday to Wednesday at 10pm and Saturday to Sunday at 1pm. (March 31 – April 19) This was agreed last night, so tickets aren’t yet onsale. I’ll let you know as soon as they are but it may be worth keeping an eye on the Comedy Festival and Malthouse websites. Here’s some blurb for that show.
 
 Shenanigan.
 
Last August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, for the sake of something to do, I told a story with the aid of some post it notes, called Shenanigan and advertised at the time as,
 
“Something new, vaguely experimental, unfinished and frankly, quite unlikely to ever be finished.”
 
Anyway, It became a really good story that I very much enjoyed telling and I started wondering what this could become, and what I might do with it and then I went back to touring a different show, and doing pottery, and celebrating Christmas, I suppose, and I didn’t think about that story for six months.
 
Until now**.
 
Now, I’m really thinking about what this could become and what I might do with it and actually, how I’m going to spend the best part of a year, taking it apart and rebuilding it as a completely different show, staged in in a totally different way with a scale to boggle the bloody mind.
 
But first, to start that process, I’m coming to Melbourne (on something of a whim) and at relatively awkward times, telling that story, much like I did in Edinburgh – probably  (but not certainly) with the aid of some post it notes.
 
Not so much work in progress as a show that’s somehow both, basically finished and also, barely begun. 



Now, I won’t be doing any other cities in Australia on this trip, which I know will irritate eight to twelve of you, but the idea is to return early next year with a full scale tour of whatever this show becomes. And dont you worry, at that stage, I’ll be visiting EVERYWHERE*** to the point of very much out staying my welcome.
 
The final thing, for now, is a quick heads up that I’m currently putting the finishing touches to a small UK tour of KEEP for September and October of this year. after which that show will be done.
 
But that’ll do pig, I’ll send separate emails about Shenanigan in Melbourne and the autumn dates of KEEP as and when I have the information sorted.
 
Until then.
 
Lets all wash our hands a bit more. 

 
GOODBYE FOREVER.
 
 
 

 
*Potential new saying?
**27th Febuary 2020
*** EVERYWHERE does not include Everywhere