He’s a former bus conductor who achieved fame as a stand-up comedian and performance poet, but John Hegley’s first “paid” public performance was busking his songs, initially outside a shoe shop in Hull in the late Seventies.
By 1980 his “act” has transferred to the streets of London (Hegley was born in Islington) and soon after he achieved a breakthrough at London’s Comedy Store.
He went on tour as one half of The Brown Paper Bag Brothers and received national exposure when he appeared with his backing band, the Popticians, on Carrott’s Lib (the TV show fronted by comedian Jasper Carrott) and recorded two sessions for John Peel.
Hegley published his first poetry collection, Visions of the Bone Idol (Poems about Dogs and Glasses), pieces from which were later incorporated into Glad to Wear Glasses, in 1984.
Hegley has written a number of collections of poetry, ranging from the surreal through the humorous to the personal and emotional. There are a number of recurring themes in his poems, notably glasses, dogs and reminiscences of his childhood.
Stage4Beverley is delighted to present John Hegley at the East Riding Theatre, Beverley, as part of its inaugural festival, from February 17 to 19. His family-orientated lunchtime show (suitable for aged 8 upwards), “Family Wordship”, will take over the main auditorium on Saturday February 18 at 12 noon. Tickets are available from the ERT box office or via the website, www.eastridingtheatre.co.uk They cost from 8 to £12.
John Hegley was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts from what is now the University of Bedfordshire and once performed in a womens’ prison in Columbia with his daughter’s godfather, Nigel.
He is a frequent guest and collaborator on RADIO 4 and recently created the series WHO DOES JOHN HEGLEY THINK HE IS? which aired in 2014. He performs regularly around the country in schools, festivals and theatres and is a heavily published author and urgent ukelele player.
* John’s new radio play Deceit, Desire and the Viking Helmet was broadcast on Radio 4 in December and is available thereafter on BBC Iplayer. Inspired by a poem by Anthony Thwaite, it’s a surreal and tragi-comic love story in which John himself stars alongside Graham Fellowes.
