At Home with Jude Simpson
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28th September 2023 – 18th November 2023
Entertainment for your family, friends and colleagues in your own home!
Once again we have the amazing offer from Jude to provide entertainment for you and your guests in your own home, or at a local venue.
This will be the third year that our wonderful Poet in Residence, Jude Simpson, will be offering us a fantastic chance to have fun with family, friends and colleagues whilst raising money for Home-Start.
As in previous years, Jude is available to come and entertain you and your guests, at your home or a local venue, during the day or in the evening. But this year, we are putting a more intimate twist on it! Jude will share some work in progress, some ‘hot-off-the-press’ new material, and some of her favourite writing (old and new, both finished and unfinished).
She will also talk, and answer questions, about the creative process, and tell some fascinating stories about her career. From co-authoring a book about marginalised women to writing a Primary School musical, this promises to be a fascinating insight into a writer’s life and emotional journey! Jude will also invite you or your guests to bring along your favourite poem, either to read out yourself or for her to read out to you.
Do you have a birthday coming up and looking for some entertainment? Would your book club or colleagues from work like to get together? Or would you just like to get your family and friends together for a fun evening? All you have to do as the host is provide some refreshments for your guests, either tea/coffee cake and biscuits, or wine and nibbles, your choice. At the end of the evening, your guests make a donation and 50% of this comes to Home-Start and the other 50% goes to Jude.
Who is Jude Simpson?
Jude Simpson is our poet-in-residence at Home-Start Royston, Buntingford and South Cambridgeshire. She is a unique writer and entertainer, combining insightful observational comedy with poetry, rap and song to create an act that leaves audiences smiling, laughing and occasionally hungry!
Jude has performed at various festivals, venues and theatres around the country, including the Edinburgh Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Cambridge ADC Theatre, Wolsey Theatre Club, Greenbelt, Henley and Glastonbury! She is currently writing and performing new and old material, and we have another exciting opportunity for Home-Start supporters to host her in some small-scale, intimate home gigs.
From an envious poem about reptiles to a heartfelt account of being a parent and songs about spleens and mangoes, Jude’s work is often hilarious, sometimes moving, and always entertaining.
Think you might be interested? Here’s how it works:
What do I do?
Jude has a selection of dates available (see the list at the bottom of the page). Let us know you’d like to host and on which date, then just set up your space, invite your friends, and that’s it. Call Tracy on 01763 262262 or email events@hsrsc.org.uk to book your performance.
What do I need?
You’ll need space to seat upwards of 10 or more people. Jude will need some space, at least 1.5m x 1.5m, which is well-lit to give her performance.
If you think your sitting room is not big enough, don’t worry! You could go ‘al fresco’ and put on a fantastic barbeque in your garden (weather permitting), or you could team up with a friend or neighbour to use their home/garden space instead. There are so many ways you could make the most of this opportunity.
Who should I invite?
Anyone you think will enjoy some live entertainment! It will be appropriate for anyone aged 13 or over. You could invite family, friends, colleagues – and they can invite their friends – or maybe your book club members, or parents from school.
Will they need to buy tickets?
No, all we ask is that you have a basket or box somewhere to put out for donations. Previous guests who enjoyed At Home events gave around £5-10 each. Call Tracy on 01763 262262 or email events@hsrsc.org.uk to book your performance.
What are the timings?
We can work around what suits you…
If you’re hosting a morning session, we would suggest inviting people to arrive at 9.45 am. Jude will begin her performance at 10.00 am or 10.15 am, and the session should finish around 11.30 am – just in time for lunch!
For the evening session, our suggestion would be to invite people to arrive at 7.45 pm. Jude will begin her performance between 8 pm and 8.15 pm, for around 30 – 40 minutes. She will then stay around to answer questions, talk about her work and perhaps even give you an encore! The evening is likely to be finished around 9.30 pm.
How much does it cost?
The event is free to attend, but we ask that attendees make a donation at the end of the session.
Available Dates*
* Please see the available dates below. As dates are taken they will be crossed off.
SEPTEMBER
Thursday, 28th (morning only)Friday, 29th (morning or evening)
OCTOBER
Thursday, 5th (morning or evening)Friday, 6th (evening)Saturday, 7th (evening)Thursday, 19th (morning)Friday, 20th (evening)Saturday, 21st (evening)- Monday, 23rd (morning or evening)
- Tuesday, 24th (morning or evening)
- Friday, 27th (evening)
- Saturday, 28th (evening)
NOVEMBER
- Thursday, 2nd (morning or evening)
- Friday, 3rd (morning or evening)
- Saturday, 4th (evening)
- Thursday, 9th (morning or evening)
- Friday, 10th (morning or evening)
- Saturday, 11th (evening)
- Thursday, 16th (morning or evening)
- Friday, 17th (morning or evening)
- Saturday, 18th (morning or evening)
Reactions from previous audience members…
I thought it was a fantastic diverse set, full of humour and truth… I laughed (a lot!) and I cried!
I have never seen a live spoken word gig before and I was really struck by how the rhythms, inflexions and rhyme carry such power to speak to the soul, lull you and catch you off guard.
I could listen to you all day, Jude!
