Alan Bissett

At 12pm on the 6th of February, I will be selling The Big Issue for one hour on  Gordon Street, Glasgow as part of the first-ever Big Sell-Off.

Organised by Glasgow-based charity INSP (International Network of Street Papers) and The Big Issue, The Big Sell-Off aims to raise awareness of homelessness, boost Big Issue vendor morale and sales and raise funds for both INSP and The Big Issue.

Over 20 celebrities, CEOs, media executives and government ministers will be involved in the event, trying their hand at selling The Big Issue on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. You can see a full list of everyone involved here.

The money raised will go towards INSP’s work supporting street papers around the world to start up, grow and develop so that they can provide homeless and unemployed people with a way to earn an income and improve their lives. It will also help The Big Issue to provide winter clothes and essentials to support its vendors at a particularly hard time of year. Please support this valuable work by donating through my JustGiving page here.

Come kick start your 2014 with me on:

Jan 8th (Wed) @ The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow. With Adam Stafford and Kim Moore. Ticket price (£5) includes supper and live entertainment between 7pm and 10pm.
Jan 22nd (Wed) @ The Glad Cafe, Glasgow. Independence Live presents: Project Fearty. A presentation & Q&A on Scotland’s Independence for the fence sitters, the mibbies & those who like being ruled by Westminster!
Jan 25th (Sat) @ SWG3, Glasgow. Guy’s Charity Burns Night. All proceeds go to the Scottish Cot Death Trust and you can book your ticket here.

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Ban This Filth! heads to Camden for its London premier on:

November 5th (Tues) @ Camden People’s Theatre. Part of Calm Down, Dear: a festival of feminism. Double bill tickets are available for Ban This Filth! & Pretty Ugly at £15 / 12. Please note, these tickets are only available on the door.

“Andrea Dworkin: radical feminist.  Alan Bissett: man.  One stage.  Bissett plays ‘himself’, telling stories from his own life, with a penis, and Dworkin, one of the most controversial women in history, who has a few things to say to him. Expect laughter, Led Zeppelin, and a live ‘reconditioning’ of a man who’s had it all too easy. Until now.”

Shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.

**** 4 stars (selected as Hot Show) ‘The brilliant Scottish writer Alan Bissett … What’s striking is the grace and discipline … He is eloquent and very funny … Bold in his use of audience participation and physical theatre … Oddly magnificent.’ – Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman

***** 5 stars ‘an incredible piece’ – Three Weeks

**** 4 stars ‘genuinely fascinating exploration of feminism, pornography, and the ingrained individualism we plant into issues which stretch far beyond just ourselves’ – National Collective

For those of you who didn’t catch it at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ban This Filth! is coming to Dundee on:

October 26th (Sat) @ Bonar Hall, University of Dundee. As part of the Dundee Literary Festival. Tickets are £3 and available here.

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If you missed Ban This Filth! at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe you can catch it again on:

September 20th (Fri) @ The Scottish Storytelling Centre. Fundraiser for the Edinburgh Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre. Tickets are £12 and available here.
October 5th (Sat) @ McNeillie Tent, Wigtown Book Festival. Tickets are £7 and available here.
October 26th (Sat) @ Bonar Hall, University of Dundee. Part of the Dundee Literary Festival. Tickets are £3 and available here.

I’ll also be performing Stand Up Literature on September 16th (Mon) @ The Moray Book Festival. Tickets are £3 and available here.

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Some great reviews for my Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Ban This Filth!

**** 4 stars (selected as Hot Show) ‘The brilliant Scottish writer Alan Bissett … What’s striking is the grace and discipline … He is eloquent and very funny … Bold in his use of audience participation and physical theatre … Oddly magnificent.’ – Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman

***** 5 stars ‘an incredible piece’ – Three Weeks

***** 5 stars ‘incredibly powerful’ – Arts Desk

***** 5 stars ‘a brave and extensive examination’ – Across the Arts

**** 4 stars ‘hugely engaging … funny, thought-inducing’ – The Times

**** 4 stars ‘genuinely fascinating exploration of feminism, pornography, and the ingrained individualism we plant into issues which stretch far beyond just ourselves’ – National Collective

‘An interesting, honest and thought-provoking show’ – Broadwayworld.com

Ban This Filth! runs until the 11th of August and tickets are available here.

My new solo show Ban This Filth! comes to The Scottish Storytelling Centre from the 1st to the 11th of August, as part of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Directed by Sacha Kyle (The Moira Monologues & The Red Hourglass), tickets are available here.

“Andrea Dworkin: radical feminist.  Alan Bissett: man.  One stage.  Bissett plays ‘himself’, telling stories from his own life, with a penis, and Dworkin, one of the most controversial women in history, who has a few things to say to him. Expect laughter, Led Zeppelin, and a live ‘reconditioning’ of a man who’s had it all too easy. Until now.”

***** 5 stars ‘Sophisticated, completely captivating theatre.’ – Three Weeks on The Red Hourglass.

***** 5 stars ‘Bissett’s a joy to watch as a solo actor. His language is crisply economic, and punctuated by whip-smart humour.’  Fest on The Red Hourglass.

***** 5 stars ‘Hilarious, with a political edge.’  The Skinny on The Red Hourglass.

***** 5 stars ‘One of the hidden gems of this year’s Fringe.’ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine on The Red Hourglass.

**** 4 stars ‘Brilliant stuff … so funny that some of the audience were shouting with laughter.’ – The Scotsman on The Moira Monologues.

**** 4 stars ‘Bissett has real presence as a performer; his writing glitters with unusual erudition and deft wit.’ – Independent on The Red Hourglass.

Get your summer started with me on:

June 1st (Sat) @ A’ the Airts, Sanquhar. Part of the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival. Tickets are £7 and available here.
June 4th (Tues) @ The Arches, Glasgow. Scratch Arches, including Eilidh Daniels, Melanie Jordan, Melanie Forbes Broome and Juliette Burton. Tickets are £3.50, include a free glass of wine or soft drink, and are available here.
June 15th (Sat) @ Harbour Arts, Irvine. Tickets are £3 each, two for £5 or four for £8, and are available here.
June 17th (Mon) @ The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow. Compère for the Refugee Week Scotland Opening Concert. Tickets are £13/£16 and available here.

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Come see me on:

May 11th (Sat) @ The Torvaug, Kirkwall. Yes Orkney-National Collective Night featuring myself, John Aberdein, Seona Dunsmuir, Bruce Mainland and other performers. Free and open to all, hosted by Yes Orkney, supported by National Collective, and MC’d by Phemie Matheson. More information available here.
May 14th (Tues) @ Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh. The Speakeasy, featuring myself, magician Kevin McMahon, comedian Gavin Webster, ukelele player Eleanor Morton, a 10-minute play by Keara Murphy, storyteller Fiona Herbert, a short film by Jordan Mills, plus others and MC Jo Caulfield. Tickets are £6, available by calling 0131 556 9579
May 18th (Sat) @ Falkirk Library. Alan Bissett Does Falkirk. Free event, with more information available here.
May 29th (Wed) @ The West Port Hotel, Linlithgow. Talking Independence at 7:30pm. Free event, but RSVP required. More information here.

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