WHAT THE BUTLER SAW!!

Brighton's ever-popular and innovative theatre/tea room/cabaret space the Emporium has come up trumps once again with a short run of the hilarious farce What The Butler Saw starring Brian Capron (Coronation Street, Where the Heart Is, Grange Hill)!

ORDER YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Talking Scarlet present 'What The Butler Saw'

Joe Orton's final play is a hilarious farce which revolves around Dr. Prentice, a psychiatrist attempting to seduce his attractive prospective secretary, Geraldine Barclay. As part of the job interview he convinces her to undress. When his wife enters, he attempts to cover up his activity by hiding the girl behind a curtain. His wife, however, is also being seduced and blackmailed by a Nicholas Beckett. She therefore promises Nicholas the post as secretary, which adds further confusion, including Nicholas and Geraldine dressing as the opposite sex. Dr. Prentice's clinic is then faced with a government inspection ...

What follows is a near faultless piece of theatrical invention as these ingredients form the basis for a perfect recipe of outrageous confusion!

Cast
Brian Capron as Dr Prentice
Jenny Funnell as Mrs Prentice
Michael Kirk as Dr Rance
Melissa Clements as Geraldine
Michael Adams as Nicholas Beckett
Duncan Drury as Sergeant Match

April 21st til May 9th
http://emporiumbrighton.com/butler/

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE - FRANCOISE PASCAL IS COMING TO TOWN!

An evening with Francoise Pascal

The career of one of the most beguiling leading ladies has been an adventurous one that has taken her from being in the centre of Swinging London in the mid-sixties, to cult status as a model and actress in the seventies and a stint in Hollywood in the eighties working in movies and a popular daytime soap. Finding solace as a humanitarian dedicated to helping the under-privileged and elderly, Francoise has recently revitalised her career with new projects and is currently revamping her autobiography, As I Am.

Pascal is best known for her iconic role as the sexy Danielle Favre in the smash hit sitcom Mind Your Language as well as guest appearances onCelebrity Squares, Blankety Blank, Happy Ever After, Coronation Street and many more popular television series. Francoise also gained a cult following amongst horror fans for her acclaimed performance in Jean Rollin’s The Iron Rose (1973) and made an impact in hit comedy There’s a Girl in My Soup (1970) co-starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn.

Last year Francoise filmed a guest appearance for a new television production, Fragments of Fear and began work on a new sitcom called For the Love of Ella. She has also been signed up for a lead role in action/superhero film GirlForce which is currently in preproduction for Cyberschizoid Multimedia and co-stars Dave Prowse, Alex Reid and Dani Thompson.

Join Francoise Pascal for an intimate evening at Emporium in Brighton on Thursday 26th March from 7:30pm.

There will be an onstage interview hosted by popular horror host, writer and publisher Richard Gladman and an audience Q & A.

Francoise will be signing autographs and having her photograph taken with the audience.

Autographs will be charged at £15 each unless otherwise stated on the night.

Emporium Brighton website - www.emporiumbrighton.com/

Francoise Pascal website –www.francoisepascal.co.uk

Francoise Pascal on Twitter –www.twitter.com/Fpascal

Francoise Pascal on Facebook –www.facebook.com/francoise.pascal

 BOOK TICKETS NOW! 

"HANSEL & GRETEL" - A MAGICAL SHOW IN BRIGHTON THIS CHRISTMAS FOR ALL THE FAMILY

COME ON A MAGICAL JOURNEY INTO AN ENCHANTED FOREST WITH LANTERN LIGHT'S CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION OF 'HANSEL & GRETEL'!

Looking for some entertainment this December to put you in the Christmas spirit? Then look no further - this family-friendly adaptation of the Brothers Grimm's dark fairy tale Hansel & Gretel opens at Brighton's Unitarian Church on Wednesday 11th December!

Quirky and engaging, Lantern Light's charming re-telling of the classic fairy-tale will have you hunting for pebbles, clapping to the polka and singing along with the Forest Song!

In a small village, deep in the Black Forest, things are not all as they seem when a handsome young woodcutter marries a mysterious woman….

His children don’t like her, but they also don’t like village life and chopping wood! Feisty tomboy, Gretel wants to leave the boring old forest for the excitement of the city and shy, sensitive, Hansel, well – he doesn’t want to cut down trees, he wants to paint them!

Join Lantern Light this Christmas for a magical adventure and find out how the story ends… can the bird outside the cottage really talk?.... what kind of a spell has their new stepmother cast on Hansel & Gretel’s father?.... and why is there a smell of gingerbread wafting through the trees?

A Christmas show with a heart, about growing up, learning to love your family and not always getting what you want!

Songs, dancing, games for children of all ages (!) to get involved with and sweet giveaways – come down and join the fun....

Age Recommendation:

We would recommend that the show is suitable for ages 5+, but are happy to welcome younger members of the family if parents feel they will enjoy it!

Running Time:

Approximately 1 hour & 20 minutes

Plus a 20 minute interval


PLAYING AT:

Brighton Unitarian Church
New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UF

ON:

December 11th, 14th, 18th, 20th, - (7pm)
December 23rd - (2pm & 7pm)

Adults £8
Concessions £6 (Under 16, OAP, NUS, Equity)TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM WEGOTTICKETS

Interval refreshments of tea, coffee, soft drinks, cake and gingerbread (!) will be provided by Temptation Cafe, Brighton.

"EMPORIUM" - A BRAND NEW THEATRE VENUE IN BRIGHTON!

Something amazing and exciting has happened in an area of Brighton, East Sussex, not renowned for its cultural or artistic ventures apart from the beautiful old Duke of Yorks cinema on Preston Circus. A brand new professional theatre has opened up on London Road, home of the charity shop and boarded up ex-shops! In fact, the whole area seems to be undergoing some sort of regeneration of late; the almost-derelict Open Market is being given a multi-million pound revamp, as are the abandoned old Co-Op department store and The Level, a public green space which is also in the midst of a massive face-lift. Not to mention the brand new ethical supermarket, HiSbe Food, about to open up just down the road.

But I digress...Emporium is a new professional theatre which has opened up on London Road high street in the long-disused old Methodist chapel. They are still in the midst of renovations but have opened up a few months early in order to take part in Brighton's ever-growing fringe festival and the "distressed" look actually works in its favour, giving an edgier feel to the place, particularly effective in a "fringe" context. The main space as you walk in is a relaxed and comfortable tea room selling exquisite cakes and delicious loose-leaf teas. The whole area is very large and spacious and the perfect place to chill either before a show or to just pop into for a gossip during the daytime. 

The entertainment on offer at Emporium is eclectic encompassing theatre, cabaret & chat and various workshops & classes. During Brighton Fringe, the wonderful Fake Bush, an inspired Kate Bush comic tribute, makes her triumphant return to Brighton after almost two years away from these parts. There are also shows from international soprano Miranda Keys, The Speakeasy Three, an all-singing, all-dancing performance group and later in the year Emporium will be a partner venue for Brighton Pride's first Film & Arts Festival. 

So whether you want to attend an all-day creative workshop, share an evening of cabaret and fine dining or just want to relax over tea and cake one morning while out shopping, pop into Emporium on London Road...I can guarantee you'll be back for more! 

For booking information check out the Emporium website HERE.

Follow Emporium on Twitter.

Like Emporium on Facebook.

IF YOU LOVE TEA AND CAKES...

If you love tea and cakes then you will really love one of the newest additions to Brighton's burgeoning independent tea shop community - B & R on Trafalgar Street in the North Laines. It's only been running for a little over six months but already B & R is gaining a reputation via word-of-mouth as one of the best independent cafes in Brighton perfectly situated on a corner just a few doors up from The Great Eastern pub and overlooking a pretty residential garden on the opposite side of the street. 

The atmosphere is calm and inviting with chilled-out jazz playing quietly in the background, big spacious windows so that you can watch the world go by and a marvelous selection of loose-leaf teas. But the biggest draw for me is the delicious array of absolutely gorgeous home-made cakes including the best Chocolate Guinness Cake I've ever tasted! I cannot recommend this highly enough to all you cake connoisseurs out there - if you're not a local, it's worth a trip to Brighton just for B & R's cakes! 

So far they've been keeping it old school but a little bird tells us that B & R will soon be entering the digital age with a website and Facebook page so that they can stay in touch with their customers and keep them up-to-date with any new cakes, teas and special events! Watch this space....

GREEN TREE HEALING - Just One Session And The Pain Had Gone!

Here at The Happy Zone we love to bring you ideas and places that can help keep you healthy and happy in both mind and spirit. We especially like to support small, independent businesses which is why today we want to draw your attention to Green Tree Healing based in Brighton, East Sussex in the UK. Focusing on a variety of therapies, Graham and Liz use a combination of Body Electronics, Shamanic Healing, BodyMind Therapy and Nutritional advice in order to help you on your own journey to health and rediscovering the magic of life.

I wanted to share my own story with you today as a testament to Green Tree Healing's amazing restorative and healing techniques. I have suffered from depression virtually my whole life and was at a particularly low ebb both mentally and physically. Along with the depression I had been suffering from painful verrucas for eight months which would not go away and had virtually crippled me; the pain was so intense there were times when I could barely walk. I came to see Graham for some healing as I had tried every remedy I could find but they just would not budge. After just one session with Graham the pain stopped and I could walk properly for the first time in eight months. Within a couple of weeks (two sessions) the verrucas had almost gone. Just a few short weeks later my foot was completely healed and the verrucas have never returned. 

Not only that, but after every Energy Healing session my depression would lift for a few days and I would feel more balanced mentally. I also suffer from rosacea, which makes my face flare up, my skin dry and gives me severe acne symptoms. After my healing sessions, my face also began to improve. I cannot recommend Graham strongly enough and am incredibly grateful for his help.

If you are suffering from any physical or mental ailments and you need some help or a bit of a mental or physical boost contact the Green Tree Healing centre and book an appointment with Graham or Liz today. Please tell them The Happy Zone sent you. Their prices are incredibly reasonable and they have a huge range of treatments.

If you want to recommend any particular healing centres or have a positive story you'd like to share, please feel free to comment below.

You can call Green Tree Healing on 01273 563054 or Graham directly on 07748 223072.

Don't forget to tell them The Happy Zone sent you!

A PURRFECT WAY TO RAISE MONEY!

The Happy Zone is an avid supporter of animal charities and we recently heard a rather cute tale (or is that "tail"?) from Lost Cats Brighton based in East Sussex! One of their volunteers, Codie, is being sponsored to sleep in the "Cat's Pen" on the nights of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd November - dressed as a cat! She will stay all day and all night in the pen and she will be allowed out only to use the bathroom. 

If you would like to sponsor Codie just pop over to the Donation Page on the Lost Cats Brighton website and click on the Paypal button. Make sure you mention "Sponsor Our Girl" in the comments/message section when you donate! 

Share your comments and stories with us on this page or over on the Happy Zone Facebook Page!

Funny Friday - Frighten Brighton Special!

The Happy Zone loves a good laugh and loves getting like-minded people together so we're combining some of our favourite things today with our spooky Frighten Brighton Funny Friday!

Here are a couple of funny horror cartoons to help celebrate the Frighten Brighton horror film festival taking place at The Rock Inn in Brighton on Saturday 3rd December from 12 noon! Join in the fun by tweeting us your favourite horror film using the hashtag #frightenbrighton !

MORE FAB PLACES WE LOVE!

Here at The Happy Zone we are always looking at the different places that make us happy and enjoy sharing these places with you! Today we wanted to make you aware of one of our favourite places in Brighton, East Sussex. Over the last year we have discovered Brighton Farm Market, a fabulous farmers market hidden away in the bohemian North Laines.

Open every Saturday and now also Fridays 9:30am - 4:30pm, you will find a whole host of varied traders selling everything from organic cheeses, local honey, gorgeous home-made cakes, fruit and veg to fresh fish and home-made pies! The quality is exceptional and the traders themselves are friendly, chatty and knowledgeable. At the back of the market is the Farm Kitchen, where customers can enjoy a field-reared hog-roast every Saturday or just a nice cup of tea.

If you are a real foodie then it's worth checking this place out as soon as possible. There is even a craft market held there two Sundays a month. If you're a trader and want to get in touch with the guys that run the market why not head over to their website now for contact details. They are particularly looking for stalls for Fridays at the moment as Saturdays are already incredibly busy!

Fab Places That Make You Happy!

I was having a think the other day about the aims of this blog. The main thing is that I want this to be a happy, positive place that you can come to if you need cheering up, are sick of reading only bad news or want some tips on how to keep happy and healthy. 
But another of our aims is to share the good stuff around. We want to promote cool small businesses and independent shops, tell you about any great special offers, money saving vouchers and fabulous places you can visit if you have a day, weekend or week off! 
The Happy Zone also wants you to share your money saving tips, health advice, good causes and positive stories that make you happy!

So today I thought I'd big up Brighton; or to be more precise, my favourite part of Brighton, The North Laines. This is an area full to bursting with cool independent shops, funky cafes,laid-back bars and the friendliest pubs in town. For those not in the know, Brighton is down on the East Sussex coast in the UK, just an hour away from London. Check out the North Laine Brighton website and discover just what you've been missing!