Head to the boozer for some top live lit

Artsreach is bringing the vibrant INN Crowd to rural pubs to give punters a measure of top live literature performances by acclaimed artists.

On Sunday, March 5, Callum Patrick Hughes heads to The Gaggle of Geese in Buckland Newton with ‘Thirst’, his hit show about love – love of pubs, love of community, love of family, and a reminder that not everything you love is necessarily good for you. Everyone has heard of the 27 club. In July 2018, two months before his 28th birthday, Callum nearly joined that list and was forced to discover who he is without looking through the bottom of a bottle. Join the acclaimed writer and performer for a riotous, warm and musical journey from a small Oxfordshire town, through Beijing’s Hutongs and the Scottish Highlands, to the bright lights of the ‘Big Smoke’.

Intertwining storytelling and song, Thirst is both a love letter to sobriety and a celebration of all things alcoholic; exploring life, family, theatre, religion and most importantly the positivity of the pub and how creating a community under the roof of your nearest watering hole doesn’t have to involve alcohol.

In her fantasies, poet Brenda Read-Brown is an imprisoned pensioner who rescues fellow passengers from crashed aeroplanes. In reality she is a bit of a hoarder who likes Greek islands. Join the prize-winning playwright at The Royal Oak in Drimpton on Sunday, March 12 for ‘But I Haven’t Finished Yet’, a riotous celebration of growing older in a brand-new show to delight and entertain audiences, however advanced in life they

may be!

And finally, on Sunday, March 26, acclaimed stand-up poet and storyteller Jonny Fluffypunk heads to The Gaggle of Geese in Buckland Newton with his new show about searching for the hero inside yourself, without involving M-People. The world’s gone nuts. You’ll have had your problems; Jonny’s had his. He also built himself a shed in lockdown, in which to work out how to get through it. This is the result. Inspired equally by idleness, ancient myths, and Grayson Perry’s Art Club, ‘If We Just Keep Going, We Will Get There in the End’ is part story, part poetic digression and part community support group. Full details, booking and pub kitchen opening hours is at artsreach.co.uk