The Marlowe Studio Announces April Programming

COMEDY, folk, rave and puppetry are on offer at The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury, next month (April).

Alun Cochrane: A Show With A Man In It, on Friday 8 April, promises jokes about manliness, womanliness, hobbies, ageing, fighting, perfume, beards, snoods, feminism, fundamentalism, and (hopefully) some profound understanding about life itself. Alun can be frequently heard on BBC Radio 4 on Alun Cochrane's Fun House, Just A Minute, Dilemma and The Now Show, and he has performed his observational autobiographical comedy on various stand-up and panel shows on TV, including Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (BBC 1), Mock The Week (BBC 2), Have I Got News For You (BBC 1) and 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4).

The Young 'Uns, one of the most sought-after acts on the English folk scene, bring Three For All to The Marlowe Studio on Monday 25 April. The multi-award-winners, including Best Group, BBC Radio Folk Awards (2015), are known for their irrepressible humour, infectious love for harmony singing, passion for storytelling and commitment to maintaining the tradition of social commentary.

In 2013 they gave up their jobs and took to the road to share their love of singing and laughter. Since then they have performed alongside Billy Bragg at Glastonbury, opened the main stage at Cambridge Folk Festival, recorded a memorable live session on BBC Radio 2, held a host of intimate rural singing weekends, visited dozens of schools and appeared at more than 40 festivals at home and abroad.

A decade after first their first appearance as (inebriated) teenagers at Stockton Folk Club, The Young 'Uns (so called that night because they were the youngest people at the club by more than 40 years) have developed their craft, absorbed the musical heritage of their native North East, sought inspiration from the hundreds of performers they have heard and are now preparing to take their music to a much wider audience than they ever imagined.

2015 saw the release of their fourth album, Another Man's Ground. Inspired by the actions of a group of Stockton residents who chased a Benefits Street film crew from their doors, the album celebrates working-class heroes of the past and present with powerful and poignant tales of struggle, poverty and peace.

Paines Plough and Latitude Festival present With A Little Bit Of Luck - "theatre you can rave to" - on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 April. It's 2001 and Nadia is swept up in one hot summer's night of love that promises endless possibilities. Drinking, dancing, hope, ambition, lust, greed and decisions that will determine the rest of her life. Rhythmically underscored by a live mix of old school UK garage, award-winning writer Sabrina Mahfouz explores the legacy of a cultural movement that defined the hopes of a generation.

The Good Person Of Szechwan (Friday 29 April) asks in a world bereft of goodness, is it possible for one truly good person to survive?

Theatrical Niche re-awakens Brecht's epic tale using puppetry and physical theatre. The gods descend but find that only sex worker Shen Teh will risk everything to help them. Hidden identity, betrayal and unrequited love all stand in her way: will Shen Teh's unbreakable belief in the goodness of others save her, or ultimately drag her under?

From the critically-acclaimed team behind Lysistrata and Blood Wedding, Puppet Director Alice Sillett leads the production with her exquisitely crafted creations, whilst Venetia Twigg re-works Brecht's morality play for a modern-day audience.

The Alternative Comedy Show (Tuesday 26 April) and The Marlowe Comedy Club - (Saturday 30 April) both have limited ticket availability.

All performances start at 8pm; to book tickets, call the Box Office on 01227 787787, or go to marlowetheatre.com. Discounts available and booking fees apply; please note, age recommendations are in place for some shows.