Uke can do it!

Date for your diary: Wednesday 22nd August

Chris Young Entertains presents Johnnie Suave, the 1920s song-and-dance man. Johnnie's songs will leave you both tickled and intimately touched as his impressive banjolele brings tears to your eyes.

For one night only, come and experience Johnnie's slot - as part of Tricity Vogue's very modern cabaret evening...

Tricity Vogue's much-loved ukulele night returns to the Fringe for its third year. A star-studded line-up of special guests battle to win the coveted Uke of Edinburgh Award, and the audience get roped in for some rousing singalongs too. If you've got a uke, bring it. If you haven't, play your cards right and Tricity might let you have a strum on one of hers.

TRICITY VOGUE'S UKULELE CABARET
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, Ballroom, 38 West Nicolson Street Edinburgh EH8 9DD
AUG 2-26 at 9.30-10.30pm
ENTRANCE FREE

Spoetry

No, I haven't just sneezed. "Spoetry" is the title given to a project produced by ConFAB, which fuses sport with poetry, with specific reference to Glasgow, via the medium of short film. The three videos (which have been played as part of the Merchant City Festival) feature the words of John Savage, Anita Govan and Chris Young. Anita's poem also features the body of Chris Young, as does his own poem, "Stereotypical Jock". Chris will now stop talking in the third person and let you enjoy the video (complete with captioning if you choose to read the words as subtitles).

Death by Chocolate

Tonight's booking is sold out, but you may be interested in booking a murder mystery courtesy of Spirit of Glasgow. "Death by Chocolate" is the name of what I'll be doing tonight - a tale of doomed romance in Victorian Glasgow. Among the many reasons to pick this for your celebration, be it a hen night, birthday or works night out, is the opportunity of seeing this dashing young fellow:

Vote for me! Do it for the fluffy animals!

And do it soon! You only have this weekend (until Monday morning) to help judge the inaugural StAnza Digital Slam. Which of the 12 finalists has produced the best poem? My talented sidekick Cid is hoping you will vote for him (and me) performing our poem about the Minotaur:

Note: you can read the text of this poem by turning on YouTube's close captioning facility (CC button).

You can see and listen to all the splendid entries here, at the end of which page is the voting poll - only this weekend to vote!

Arguments and Nosebleeds at Free Fringe 2012

Back again for a third year, I will be performing at this show as part of the Edinburgh Fringe and the Laughing Horse Free Festival:

Arguments and Nosebleeds - FREE

Sun 26 August @ 16:00 (1h)
Laughing Horse @ The FREE Sisters (Venue 272), 139 Cowgate, EH1 1JS

THIRD year - ONE show - NO entry fee


Round off your Fringetide with an afternoon of poetry transfused with comedy. A craic squad of performance poets tackles life’s major issues (scary schoolteachers, body hair, missing teapots etc.), pausing only for laughter and medical emergencies.

Battered and bruised from the success of previous years, the tag-team returns for another bout of verbal footwork – punching both sides of the belt. They expect to haemorrhage humour of all kinds, from the sanguine and the phlegmatic to occasional melancholy and bile.

Warning: excessive side-splitting may lead to blood loss.

www.argumentsandnosebleeds.com

The Riding Room

Glasgow has a new cabaret venue! It's called The Riding Room and it can be found at 58 Virginia Street (formerly Moda, connected to the Polo Lounge).

I had the pleasure of performing there on their "hard hat" preview evening last Wednesday (picture above), as well as the Friday and Sunday nights of their opening weekend. And I will be performing there again tonight, with a variety of other brilliant acts, from 9.30pm. Expect comedy, music, burlesque, magic, spectacle, verbal gymnastics and artistic oddness.

Prohibition Party at the Flying Duck - LATE this Thursday

 

Johnnie Suave, the 1920s' most ill-spent tenor, makes his Glasgow début at this charity event (all proceeds to NSPCC). He will join other live performers in a themed night also featuring booze and gambling, celebrating a decade of debauchery. 

 

£3 entry. Thursday 19 April @ The Flying Duck, top of Renfield Street, Glasgow - 11pm until 4am! 

 

For details visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/281998948542323/

Spoken Word at Govanhill Baths

Come on in - the water's lovely!

Well, the idea is to raise funds for the restoration of these magnificent municipal baths. So why not dip your toe into some spoken word and music?

This is the first of three spoken word events to raise funds for Govanhill Baths Community Trust. Performers include Robin Cairns, Chris Young (about 20 minutes of me), Gracie Flair and guests, with music from Lorraine Barrie. Compère: Jim Monaghan.
7.30-10.30pm, Friday 6 April
Govanhill Baths, 73 Calder Street, Glasgow, G42 7RR

0141 433 2999 ‎ · www.govanhillbaths.com

Words of Love (and a bit of flesh)

As January draws to a close, a young(ish) person's thoughts turn to love and Valentine's Day. So far, I have been booked to appear at three gigs, each in a different city and each run by a different lovely lady. Expect some radical/humorous poetry in amongst flashes of flesh and variety turns...


Saturday 4 February, GLASGOW:
Dolly Presents: La Cheetah! Valentine's Special

February is the month of St Valentine's Day, and to honour this Dolly Tartan is hosting a romance-fuelled La Cheetah show! There will be stories of love, loss and desire onstage for you, with a fabulous selection of performers including: 
George and his Marvelous Magic
Eva Sweetheart - musical and enchanting burlesque
Midnight Munroe - beautiful and graceful burlesque
Chris Young - radical poet!
and, bringing her unique blend of sauciness, wit and stunning burlesque... Cat Aclysmic!

Doors 7.30pm, show 8pm. Tickets £6 if reserved in advance or £7 on the door. There will also be a raffle with some fab prizes!
Downstairs in La Cheetah Club @ Max's, Queen St, Glasgow.


Saturday 11 February, DUNDEE:
Varietease Burlesque presents Tempt Me, Tease Me

Varietease Burlesque brings you their first show of 2012 with "Tempt Me, Tease Me" - a night of variety performances for you and your lover to enjoy. Featuring Live Music from local band Silent Nothing, and burlesque performances from Scarlett Flame (special guest), Dolly Tartan (special guest), Magenta Lust and debut performances from Lola Trixx, Enola Valentine and boylesque debut from Anonymous V! Hosting this delightful evening is the charismatic and very humorous performance poet Chris Young.

Entry on the eve of this event will be £6 (£4 in advance from Grouchos Record Store, 132 The Nethergate or from the venue). Strictly over 18s. Doors open at 7.30pm.

Venue: 
The Doghouse
15 Ward Road
Dundee
DD1 1ND
01382 206812





Tuesday 14 February, EDINBURGH:
Candid Cabaret Valentine’s Day Special

Candid Cabaret returns for another night of fun and frolicking with a special Valentine’s twist. We have a variety of magnificent acts from classic burlesque to poetry and magic acts. We are proud to also be featuring extra special guest Lynn Ruth Miller aka The Granny Stripper from this year’s Britain’s Got Talent! She is coming all the way from San Francisco to grace the stage of Candid Cabaret. So come join us for an extra special Valentine’s evening out.

Also featuring…
Susan Morrison: "Susan Morrison - the Glaswegian wit for whom the word feisty was invented"
Scotland on Sunday
http://www.suziemo.co.uk/

Poppy La Pilule: Proudly fluttering her lovely lashes and blowing a crimson kiss to Scotland.
http://www.facebook.com/poppylapilule

Gretel Grimm: Bedtime stories and fairy tales aren't just for children... If you go down to her woods today, you're set for a saucy surprise...

Chris Young: Chris Young is a poet with a difference: he's funny. Poetry was not like this at school; alarmingly, Chris was! Winner of Glam Slam UK 2010 and StAnza Poetry Slam 2011. www.chrisyoung.biz

Gilda Lily: "Gilda Lily's graceful and Grace Kelly-esque demeanour, coupled with
her penchant for mischievousness and debauchery has earned her “one of
Scottish cabaret's most talented dancers” (The Skinny, 2010). Gilda
has devoted years to studying, performing and fusing various dance
styles; she also teaches nationwide with the Academy of Burlesque and
Cabaret. High-kicking her way to the heavens, she's a favourite
amongst audiences and performers alike."

Magic 67: Renowned Scottish magician.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqlbYYwLR5I

***SPECIAL GUEST***
Finalist of Britain’s Got Talent 2012…

Lynn Ruth Miller: Lynn Ruth Miller will make you laugh at the reality of drooping features and fading memory, with her unique take on what aging really means. She is a 78-year old cougar who knows it is too late to prowl, horrifying proof that though you wrinkle up and can’t hear a thing, you can still be a hot number.
www.lynnruthmiller.com

Plus more acts to be announced.

Doors open at 7pm and show begins 8.30pm-10pm, then the party continues for those with enough stamina until 1am with live music to play the evening out.

Tickets: £7 (£5 concession) and special offer for couples; 2 for £10. Purchase from the venue by calling 0131 229 6391, or in person at The Sapphire Rooms, 81-83 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9AW

***********
ThreeWeeksReview, August 2011: In the murky depths of a strip club, we are treated to a veritable smörgåsbord of Fringe performances. From Japanese men in morph suits recreating movie characters to spaghetti-eating opera singer Miss Louisa... what can you expect next? Well, Candid Cabaret offers a wide-ranging variety of entertainment. A highlight for me was a Spanish flamenco quartet that had the whole room stomping their feet, followed by a stunning belly dancer who shook her hips to devastating effect, but audiences can also expect contortionist accordion players and a selection of comedians…the variety of acts was brought to a superb conclusion by the dreadlocked bluegrass band that played us out.
****4 Star Review by Felicity Martin

Ding! Ding! Seconds Out!

Happy New Year!

I have finally entered the poetry establishment! Having won last year's poetry slam, I have been invited back to St Andrews to provide lunchtime entertainment at StAnza - Scotland's International Poetry Festival. Details below.

Poetry Café: Seconds Out

Lunch & verse with Chris Young and Jane Overton
Thu 15 March | 1.00-1.45pm
The Byre Theatre, Abbey Street – Studio Theatre | £6.00/£4.00

The first of this year’s lively Poetry Café events offers poetry sure to spice up the lunch included in the ticket price. Chris Young, familiar to many for his regular slam appearances at the Byre, was a worthy winner of the StAnza 2011 slam. He is joined in the Studio Theatre by one of his regular sparring partners from ‘Arguments and Nosebleeds’, an occasional collective founded by Jane Overton to bring the punch of performance poetry to mainstream audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and beyond.

StAnza Box Office, Byre Theatre: 01334 475000
OR
Book Online