Hen & Chicken

Comedy: Stephen K Amos NOW WE'RE TALKING!
2025-11-06 20:00 - 23:00 UTC | Hen & Chicken Studio
How good’s a laugh? My joke book is overflowing, so let’s get talking about what gives me the ick and what makes me tick. It’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. No filter, no limits. The gloves are off and I’m packing a punchline, so let’s speak easy and laugh freely. Join me for freestyling musings and merrymaking to get your belly aching! After all, in jokes we trust…

Jazz: Eddie Gripper & Alex Clarke Quartet
2025-11-06 20:00 - 22:30 | Chicken Shed
Alex Clarke – saxes, Eddie Gripper – piano, Nick Kacal – bass, Ronan Ristord – drums
Following on from their spring tour in 2024 the quartet reunites for a swift, heavy hitting UK tour of hard-bop and feel good swing.
As a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and nominee in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 & 2022, Alex Clarke is known to be one of the most in-demand and versatile saxophonists to have emerged on the British jazz scene. Praised for her intelligent ear for harmony and a deep knowledge of repertoire across a variety of styles, Alex’s sound is steeped in the tradition of swing and bebop, “leaving the listener captivated by every phrase and nuance” (Jazz Views).
Having “already garnered comparisons with the greats” (Jazzwise) after the release of his debut album ‘Home’, Eddie Gripper has been rapidly establishing himself as another young contender on the national jazz circuit. He has worked as a performer, promoter and producer alongside top musicians in his field, including Huw Warren, Iain Ballamy, Laura Jurd, Alex Merritt and Yuri Golubev. As a composer, he has collaborated with Welsh folk artist Angharad Jenkins in a handful of projects, exploring the various aspects of folk, jazz and contemporary classical traditions.
Nick Kacal is a bassist originally from Trinidad who has lived in London and Manchester but is now residing in South Wales. After studying with Tony Hougham, the principle bass of the Covent Garden Opera, he moved to London and has played as a sideman on the scene playing predominantly jazz and acoustic folk, occasionally touring to places such as Cape Verde, France and Spain. He formed his own group, Guerillasound, releasing a CD in 2008 and touring successfully in Japan.
Ronan Ristord joins the band as special guest drummer for some of the tour dates. Ronan is a rising star of the Paris jazz scene, having studied at the famous Berklee College in Boston, USA.

Comedy: RACHEL GALVO - THE SHITE FEMINIST
2025-11-05 20:00 - 22:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Rachel Galvo is an incredibly shite feminist… but its not her fault. She spent 15 years locked up in an all-girls Irish catholic school run by nuns- and she’s ready to tell the truth…
“Rachel Galvo presents refreshingly funny interpretations of girlhood and ironically, The Shite Feminist could not be more empowering. You will leave feeling like you’ve caught up with a good friend.” ★★★★★ Ed Fest Mag

Talk: A History of Tarot Cards: The ancient art of inner knowing
2025-11-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
What makes tarot such a compelling tool for reflection, insight, and even transformation?
In this talk, we’ll explore how tarot works not just as a way to predict the future, but as a tool for spiritual growth. Rich in symbols, emotions and archetypes, tarot offers a way to better understand ourselves and the world around us.
We’ll start with how tarot is used today, then trace its roots back to the Italian Renaissance. Thinkers like Pico della Mirandola were searching for a way to talk to angels – a kind of spiritual language – and this quest helped shape the deeper meanings tarot still carries.
We’ll then take a closer look at three powerful cards: the High Priestess, Temperance, and the Devil, and explore what they might be saying. Finally, we’ll explore the explosion of tarot design in recent years, and why so many people turn to tarot to make sense of the world.
Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble
College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England’s biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMDb entry and a Wikipedia page.She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

Comedy: THE SCREEN ROT PODCAST: LIVE
2025-11-02 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
With JACOB HAWLEY and JAKE FARRELL
Jacob Hawley (As seen on The Russell Howard Hour, The Have A Word Podcast, Sky One, ITVX and Channel 4) and Jake Farrell (as seen on ITVX) present Screen Rot, their social media themed podcast where they discuss the weirdest and worst content that has been rotting their screens and indeed their minds. After selling out London shows in a matter of hours, the duo are embarking on a tour of the UK. Expect guest appearances, tangents, non sequiturs, and nonsense.

Comedy: Stand Up For The Weekend with Steve Bugeja
2025-11-01 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Stand Up For The Weekend with Steve Bugeja featuring Jamie D’Souza & Clint Edwards
Stand Up For The Weekend is our weekly flagship show from The Comedy Box featuring top circuit headliners and guest acts plus incredibly funny and engaging comperes who host the show. A choice of table seats, reserved row seats and unreserved row seats are available to book online.
Headliner: STEVE BUGEJA
Steve Bugeja is one of the circuit’s most exciting comedians. Steve hosted the BBC Radio 4 series Economics with Subtitles and has made numerous appearances on TV shows including The Russell Howard Hour (Sky One), Love Island: Aftersun (ITV2), Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central (Comedy Central) and Zoe Ball on Saturday (ITV1).

Making a name for himself internationally, Steve has twice been invited to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, appearing on Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow (ABC1) and on Comedy Up Late (ABC1).

A prolific writer, Steve was a key member of the writing team for The Russell Howard Hour (Sky One) and for Iain Stirling’s CelebAbility (ITV2) and has contributed material to Mock the Week (BBC2), 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and BBC Radio 4.

Steve won the BBC New Comedy Award in 2013 and has since performed numerous Edinburgh Fringe shows and national tours.
“Plentiful jokes and compelling storytelling” — The Scotsman

Music: Rod Picott THE FINAL TOUR
2025-10-31 20:00 - 23:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
US singer-songwriter Rod Picott is bringing down the curtain on the Circus of Misery & Heartbreak – he brings it down with the release of his album, Starlight Tour – the album is packed with raw themes and totally absorbing in its immersive Americana noir. It is being critically acclaimed as his finest body of work.

Jazz: Andy Hague's Sixty-tet
2025-10-30 20:00 - 22:30 | Chicken Shed
Andy Hague – trumpet, Luke Annesley – alto sax, Ben Waghorn – tenor sax, Jim Blomfield – piano, Riaan Vosloo – bass, Ryan Thrupp – drums – plus possibly a guest or two!
The big day has arrived for trumpeter Andy Hague, who presents an all-star sextet to mark the occasion. Andy has accumulated a substantial library of sextet arrangements over the years and the repertoire will be a mixture of standards, Blue Note classics and perhaps a couple of originals with the emphasis on having some fun.

Talk: Beneath the skin – an intimate look at our bodies
2025-10-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Altered State returns with a new talk, taking a fresh look at how bodies are seen in medicine.
From the influence of tradition and male bias to the blind spots of race and gender. Have female sexual organs had the attention they deserve? We’ll explore how priorities in surgery are arrived at and what we can do to compensate.
Altered State host Eliz Mizon will be joined by:
Gabriel Weston – surgeon, author and mother of 4
Gene Feder – Professor of Primary Care at University of Bristol
The event will be followed by a book signing with Gabriel
Contact hello@alteredstate.org.uk if have any questions
Entry requirements: 16+

Comedy: Stand Up For The Weekend with Ian Stone
2025-10-25 20:00 - 22:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Stand Up For The Weekend with Ian Stone featuring Micky Overman & Tom Glover
Stand Up For The Weekend is our flagship weekly show from The Comedy Box, featuring top circuit headliners and guest acts plus incredibly funny and engaging comperes who host the show. A choice of table seats, reserved row seats and unreserved row seats are available to book online.
Headliner: IAN STONE
Ian Stone is one of the most talented topical acts in the country. Edgy and provocative, with an easy-going manner and self-deprecating style, Ian has performed all over the world. Formerly a regular guest on Radio 5 Live’s flagship sports panel show Fighting Talk, and more recently on TNT Sport, he also presented Channel 5’s Comedy Bigmouth in 2017. In 2020 Ian wrote and published his first book To Be Someone, an in-depth look at his teenage years in the late 1970s against the backdrop of his favourite band, The Jam.
“Stone is probably better than we deserve. Ultimately, it is the sheer quantity of funny material that really impresses” The List

Comedy: Connor Burns - GALLUS
2025-10-24 20:00 - 22:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
The all-new show from Scotland’s hilarious new international breakthrough stand-up star.

A hit at the 2024 Fringe Encore Series as part of the New York Comedy Festival, Connor Burns’ previous show “1994” also sold 10,000+ tickets in Edinburgh, toured 100 dates around UK and Australia. He’s supported Daniel Sloss in 3 continents and his debut comedy special gets its world-wide release this summer.
“Burns has arrived” ★★★★ Entertainment Now
“Brilliant… gags coming at you at a terrifying rate… Superb!” ★★★★ The List
“Hilarious… he is fearless and it is wonderful…!” ★★★★★ The Scotsman

* Gallus: Traditional Scots dialect meaning Bold, Daring and Reckless

Music: Never The Bride
2025-10-23 20:30 - 23:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
At the heart of Never The Bride are two trailblazing women: powerhouse vocalist Nikki Lamborn — hailed by Roger Daltrey as “the best female rock voice since Janis Joplin” — and Catherine “Been” Feeney, the band’s primary composer, keyboardist, and occasional guitarist. Together, they craft music with grit, grace, and passion, supported by a world-class lineup of musicians.
Their career reads like a rock and roll hall of fame — sharing stages with legends such as The Who, Robert Plant, Elton John, Paul Rodgers, Eric Clapton, and Beth Hart. Their unforgettable rendition of Going to California on Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin earned them a gold disc, further cementing their place in music history.
BBC’s Bob Harris, a long-time supporter, introduced their live album Long Live Live with these words: “I was absolutely struck by their brilliant musicianship, their passion, their commitment — they really, mean it. They are one of the best live bands in Britain today.
Listen here

Jazz: Nick Malcolm and Martin Kolarides Quartetand Martin Kolarides
2025-10-23 08:00 - 17:00 | Chicken Shed
Nick Malcolm – trumpet, Martin Kolarides – guitar, Greg Cordez – bass, Mark Whitlam – drums
Trumpeter Nick Malcolm should be well known to Bristol audiences and has a growing national reputation. A fearless and inventive soloist, he moves effortlessly between completely free improvisation and blistering hard-bop. He is known for his work with Out Front, Dee Byrne’s Outlines, Rebecca Nash and has recently ended a long tenure with the Jazz Defenders.
Guitarist Martin Kolarides is yet another fine musician who has been drawn from London into the mysterious jazz vortex of Frome in Somerset. A graduate of London’s Trinity College of Music, Martin has established himself as one of the most creative, versatile and hard working musicians in the UK. Equally at home playing rock, blues, swing and jazz, Martin has worked with many outstanding musicians who have inspired his love of many styles including jazz, folk, Americana, experimental pop and electronica to name just a few. In addition to writing for and directing his own groups, Martin is a seasoned session player with numerous jazz and pop credits to his name… recent notable artists have included mainstream TV appearances with US singer-songwriter Valerie June as well as being the touring guitarist for another US act, chart topping jazz/R&B singer Lizz Wright. Martin has also recorded two top 20 albums and performs internationally with English close harmony vocal trio The Puppini Sisters. He has also recently completed a European tour with US singer and Snarky Puppy guest vocalist Shayna Steele, and is one of the founding members of electronic neo-soul outfit HUGH. Martin also produces music under the guise of ‘Sinking Monolith’ and has numerous writing and remix credits to his name.
It’s great to welcome back bassist Greg Cordez to the live scene. Having recorded three albums as band leader and composer, two of which were recorded in the USA with top-flight American players, Greg has rather retreated in to academia since Covid, concentrating on his teaching job at BIMM music college – but now he’s back and ready for a new chapter.
Drummer Mark Whitlam also tutors at BIMM and is currently working on his PhD. One of Bristol’s busiest musicians, Mark has worked with major jazz names such as Andy Sheppard, Iain Ballamy and Jason Rebello.

Talk: The Psychology of Carl Jung with Dr Rachel Newsome
2025-10-21 19:00 - 21:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Have you ever wondered what our dreams and imagination can say about our inner psychology? Join us for an illuminating introduction to the psychology of Carl Jung and his groundbreaking ideas about the creative, healing power of the unconscious. A founding father of depth psychology, Jung was a maverick thinker, artist and visionary whose ideas were ahead of his time. His extensive studies of ancient religions and mythologies, alongside his deep dream work, brought him to the edge of sanity. Through this work, he developed the pioneering concepts of the collective unconscious, the archetypes (including the shadow and the self), synchronicity, individuation, creative self-realisation and more.
In this talk, we’ll explore key Jungian concepts in relation to how Jung combined ancient Eastern wisdom with Western psychology. We’ll learn how this can be understood as a form of ‘sacred science’ reflecting the spiritual crisis of late stage capitalism and how Jung’s thought places us inside a larger reality transcending space and time. We’ll look at the instrumental role of imagination, dreams and symbols in Jung’s approach to psychoanalysis, including his innovative technique of active imagination or ‘dreaming awake’. We’ll consider how Jung’s psychoanalysis is still relevant today as a powerful, transformative tool to access the unknown and facilitate creativity in support of both individual and collective growth.
Dr Rachel Newsome is a Jungian-based writer and teacher. She holds a doctorate in applying Jungian psychoanalysis to creative writing and is the founder of Depth Writing With Dr Rachel, a holistic creative learning programme aimed at supporting transformational growth. Dr Rachel has a background in the media and academia as a former editor of arts & culture magazine Dazed & Confused and a lecturer with twenty years’ experience, respectively. She is an Associate of the Higher Education Association and an Editorial Board Member of the London Arts-Based Research Centre. Her research has been published in international academic journals and she is Co-Editor of the forthcoming Routledge publication The Creative Psyche: Between Spirit and Matter. Her monthly Depth Writing With Dr Rachel dispatches on travels between worlds via the arts, culture and all things Jungian can be found on Substack.

Music: Lilly Hiatt
2025-10-20 20:00 - 23:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
The search for answers—where she’s been, who she’s become, what it all means—lies at the heart of Hiatt’s striking new album, Forever. Written and recorded in Hiatt’s new home just outside Nashville, the collection grapples with growth and change, escape and anxiety, self-loathing and self-love.
The songs are intensely vulnerable here, full of diaristic snapshots and deeply personal ruminations, but they’re also broad invitations to find yourself in Hiatt’s unflinching emotional excavations, to see your own humanity reflected back in her pursuit of something larger than herself. Hiatt cut the album with her husband, Coley Hinson, who produced and played most of the instruments on the record, and the result is a raw, unvarnished work of love and trust that walks the line between alt-rock muscle and singer/songwriter sensitivity, a bold, guitar-driven, at times psychedelic exploration of maturity and adulthood from an artist who wants you to know you’re not alone, no matter how lost you may feel.

Comedy: Matt Green LEGITIMATE CONCERNS
2025-10-19 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Following his debut sell-out national tour, online comedy star Matt Green returns with brand new jokes about the state of politics, the world and himself. Matt has moved house and the world has moved into an even more chaotic state. But we can still laugh about it – right?

Is selling a flat more annoying than Donald Trump? Will Keir Starmer ever be cool? And what happens when an algorithm knows you better than you know yourself? Or are these all just illegitimate concerns?

As seen and heard in his viral clips on social media and YouTube, James O’Brien’s show on LBC, Radio 4’s POV, Oh God What Now?, Paper Cuts, Mrs Sidhu Investigates, The Marlow Murder Club and even as a news reporter in Doctor Who! You might also have seen the back of his head in A Very Royal Scandal, but only if you were really paying attention in the wedding photographer scene.

Comedy: Stand Up For The Weekend with MICHAEL SHAFAR
2025-10-18 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Stand Up For The Weekend with Michael Shafar featuring Tom Lucy & Meryl O’Rourke

Stand Up For The Weekend is our flagship weekly comedy show featuring top circuit headliners and guest acts plus incredibly funny and engaging comperes who host the show. A choice of table seats, reserved row seats and unreserved row seats are available to book online.

Headliner: MICHAEL SHAFAR
Originally from Melbourne, Michael Schafar is now based in London where he has quickly become one of the most exciting new acts on the UK comedy circuit. He regularly performs at the country’s biggest clubs where he gets to mock British people for their awful history and terrible food to their faces.​​

If you have lived in Australia, or even just visited there, you might already know Michael from his appearances on Network 10’s The Project and Studio 10, ABC’s Comedy Bites and triple j’s Good Az Friday. Of course, traditional media is dead, so it’s more likely that you might be one of his 100,000+ followers on social media or the 100+ million people who have seen his videos online. You may have also watched his debut special A(LIVE) on Amazon Prime or his most recent special Alright, Next Joke on YouTube.​
“Shafar circumnavigates the line between edgy and offensive with beautiful finesse” The Age (Melbourne)

Music: MARGINAL GAINS - 90s and 00s band night
2025-10-17 20:00 - 23:30 | Chicken Shed
Turbocharge your weekend with a night of 90s and 00s grunge and britpop BANGERS
Marginal Gains are BACK playing a selection of 90s and early 00s rock and indie including Ash, Arctic Monkey’s, Blur, Green Day, Nirvana, Oasis, Pulp, Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, and many more

Comedy: Harriet Dyer EASILY DISTRA....
2025-10-17 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
A new blancmange of whimsy from the somewhat fizzy mind of Harriet Dyer featuring hot topics such as wearing a wetsuit on a bus, jaunty social commentary on why couples don’t talk to each other anymore, and trying to get a cow to lick the top of your head.

2024 Winner of C4’s Sean Lock Comedy Award

As seen on Live At The Apollo, Rosie Jones’ Disability Comedy Extravaganza, Comedy Central Live, The Russel Howard Hour.
“A must-see and a masterclass of originality“ ★★★★★ Neurodiverse Review

Jazz: Benn Clatworthy Quartet
2025-10-16 20:00 - 22:30 | Chicken Shed
Benn Clatworthy – tenor sax, Jim Blomfield – piano, Riaan Vosloo – bass, Andy Hague – drums
Benn Clatworthy is a truly impressive modern jazz tenor saxophonist who was rated by the late Ronnie Scott as one of the best UK players that he had heard. Although born in London Benn has been resident in California since 1980, but returns to perform in the UK on a regular basis – however due to the pandemic this is his first visit to us since 2019.
In the late 80s Benn was recommended to Discovery Records by Horace Silver, resulting in his first album “Thanks Horace.” Since then he has gone on to establish himself as a musician of impressive pedigree and talent, working with the likes of The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Billy Higgins, Cab Calloway, Cedar Walton, Bobby Shew and Cyndi Lauper.
Over the past few years Benn has been leading a sextet called System 6, which includes trumpet legend Ron Stout – last year the band released their third album Indispensable which you can listen to here Youtube Playlist
On his last visit Benn performed as a quintet, to keep things fresh tonight, he appears with a quartet with Andy Hague switching from trumpet to drums, the mighty Jim Blomfield on piano and Riaan Vosloo – bass.

Comedy: Jack Skipper - SKINT
2025-10-16 20:00 - 22:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
THIS SHOW IS NOW SOLD OUT
Carpet-fitter turned comedian Jack Skipper delivers his debut, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated, stand-up hour with a show about how he went from a tradesman with no qualifications to a full-time comedian (with no qualifications) – offering insights into the endeavours of a working-class father struggling to navigate his way through life.

Seen on The Stand Up Sketch Show. Tour support for Michael McIntyre and Russell Kane. Over 16 million likes on TikTok.

Nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2024.
Winner of Best Debut Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2024.
Nominated for Next Up’s Biggest Award In Comedy 2024.
So You Think You’re Funny 2022 runner-up.

Comedy: Garrett Millerick
2025-10-11 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Stand Up For The Weekend with Garrett Millerick featuring Matt Stellingwerf & Tom Glover

Stand Up For The Weekend is our flagship weekly comedy show featuring top circuit headliners and guest acts plus incredibly funny and engaging comperes who host the show. A choice of table seats, reserved row seats and unreserved row seats are available to book online.

Headliner: GARRETT MILLERICK
Garrett Millerick is an acclaimed stand up comedian, writer and director. His unique and versatile style has led to him being in great demand on the alternative and club circuits both in the UK and internationally.

Garrett is known for his grumpy, grouchy persona who is fed up with the pretenses of the modern world, aiming his criticism at everything from the fraudulent activity of the recycling industry to growing depression inflicted by miserablist, oversharing celebrities. His shouty, ironic delivery keeps you on the edge of your seat and the crushing punchlines can leave you exhilarated as he rages against yet more societal hypocrisies.
“A virtuoso display of unforgivingly grumpy stand up delivered with fire in his soul” Chortle

Comedy: Josh Baulf - LOVELY STUFF
2025-10-10 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
After bursting onto the comedy scene with his razor-sharp wit and a string of viral videos, Josh Baulf embarks on his debut solo tour! With his trademark charm and killer punchlines, Josh delves into the hilarities of millennial life, navigating modern relationships and the quirks of British culture.
Described by Rob Beckett as a comedian “you have to see live” and hailed by David Walliams as “a very funny man”. Josh brings his infectious energy to the stage for a night of big laughs and relatable truths.

Jazz: Dom Franks' StrayHorn
2025-10-09 20:00 - 22:30 | Chicken Shed
Dom Franks – saxophones, Matt Hopkins – guitar, Anders Olinder – organ, Andy Tween – drums
Established in 2010 as a vehicle for the accessible, groove driven compositions of saxophonist Dom Franks, StrayHorn Quartet come to the club fresh from a UK tour and on the back of a glowing 4* Jazzwise review of their current album ‘Duality Pt. 1’. Combining lyrical themes with Brazilian and African influences and adventurous swinging improvisations, StrayHorn Quartet features Stroud based guitar firebrand Matt Hopkins (Hopkins-Hammond Trio), in-demand organist Anders Olinder and former Pee Wee Elllis/Ian Ballamy drummer Andy Tween. Dom Franks is a former winner of the Daily Telegraph Jazz Award, and now combines a busy career as a performer and composer with work in music education.

“Franks’ influences are broad…from the gospel-like ‘Home Fries’ to the dreamy, soaring ‘Ellipsis’ to a cheery New York swagger. The StrayHorn band sounds settled and cohesive… Duality Pt. 1 is an accomplished and highly accessible release that effectively whets our appetite for part two.” – Jazzwise Magazine ****
“Local sax hero Franks is a Cheltenham based musician with a national reputation and has been featured on national radio and in the national jazz press. Fluent, authoritative tenor sax soloing and lyrical soprano playing”. – The Jazzmann.com

Music: Angel Snow with Joe Wilkins
2025-10-09 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
We are delighted to announce the return of singer-songwriter Angel Snow to The Hen & Chicken for an intimate show upstairs in the Studio.
Angel will be performing as a duo with Joe Wilkins.
“Snow’s purring, trance-influenced vocals ground even the most mystical of these songs, and her wonderfully descriptive lyrics balance the spiritual and mundane concepts with a steady hand.” – American Songwriter
Listen here

Comedy: Robin Ince - THE UNIVERSE AND THE NEURODIVERSE
2025-10-08 20:00 - 22:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
The Universe and the Neurodiverse is a journey from the outermost planets to our innermost thoughts.

Robin Ince has spent 15 years hosting the multi award winning The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox and been at the forefront of the renaissance in science communication. Always keen to explore new avenues of communication, he has also recently been exploring poetry and was officially given his Poetic License at the 2024 Morecambe Poetry Festival. Combining poetry, stories, jokes and music, this show explores what it is to be human and the incredible diversity of our minds. It is a show about Jane Goodall and chimpanzees, about Apollo 8 and the Earthrise image, about our environment, about climate change, about neurodiversity and it is about finding joy and inspiration. It is a show created to empower and activate.

It is both Robin’s most personal and most universal show and the tour will coincide with the publication of his latest book Normally Weird…Weirdly Normal (Pan Macmillan) and then his first poetry collection, Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth (flapjack) comes out in October 2025.
“Joyfully entertaining. Full of warmth, wisdom and affectionate delight in the wonder and absurdity of being human” – Observer on I’m a Joke and So Are You

Wednesday Night Improv: Triple Bill
2025-10-08 19:30 - 22:00 | Chicken Shed
Wednesday Night Improv is back with a triple bill packed with quick wit, bold characters, and stories made up on the spot.
Join us for a midweek comedy boost featuring three of Bristol’s sharpest improv acts – each one creating a brand-new show right before your eyes, all inspired by audience suggestions.
[1] BEANSVILLE: THE IMPROVISED WORKPLACE PILOT
Beansville presents: The Workplace. It’s another day at the office… the shop… the factory… or maybe even that weird place you once worked. You know the one. With all of the romances, rivalries, politics and performance issues you’d expect, all made up on the spot in this improvised workplace comedy.
Watch the pilot episode of a wholly improvised workplace comedy based on your suggestions.
[2] WHAT’S YOUR STAR SIGN?: THE IMPROVISED HOROSCOPE SHOW
Have you ever read a horoscope and wondered who is having that kind of day? Wonder no longer, as we take you through the day of someone whose fate is in the stars. We’ll read a star sign from the most acceptable tabloid we can find, explore that day and the crazy events that come up. Today’s horoscope: This lunar phase sees you stepping in the right direction and making great decisions. That could be buying a ticket to see the next Wednesday Night Improv at the Hen & Chicken.
[3] PRESSURE COOKER: THE IMPROVISED RESTAURANT SHOW
Pressure Cooker whisks you into the chaos of a fictional restaurant where chefs, customers, and kitchen staff are all played by a dynamic ensemble. Using YOUR stories as ingredients, our performers cook up hilarious, unpredictable scenes every night. From meltdowns to menu mayhem, it’s comedy served hot and fast.
“Pure Comedic Alchemy” – Bristol 24/7
—
Whether you’re a seasoned comedy fan or just curious about what happens when performers make it all up as they go, this is a perfect night to dive into Bristol’s thriving improv scene. Expect laughter, surprises, and something completely different – every single time.
—
Part of the Wednesday Night Improv series

Music: Annie Keating Band
2025-10-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
We are excited to welcome the Annie Keating Band back to Bristol this Autumn with support artist, Seamus Foley.
From Brooklyn, New York, Annie Keating sings about heartbreak being the price of hope and all of it being worth the cost … the epitome of all things ‘Americana’.
Have a listen here

Talk: ADHD & Women: Misunderstood, misdiagnosed & moving forward for change
2025-10-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Discover the nuances of how ADHD presents itself differently within women in a neuroaffirming environment. Followed by Q&A.
Join us for an insightful talk exploring how ADHD uniquely affects women – from late or missed diagnoses to the emotional toll of being misunderstood.
Despite growing awareness, many women are still overlooked or misdiagnosed due to outdated assumptions and gender bias. Drawing on the latest research and real-life experiences, we’ll unpack key topics including emotional regulation, masking, burnout and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria. We’ll also explore how hormonal changes can intensify ADHD symptoms – and what can be done to support wellbeing throughout these shifts.
This talk takes a neuro-affirming approach, offering practical strategies and insights to empower women to better understand themselves and advocate for the support they need.
Speaker Bio:
Dr Emilie Moorhead (DClinPsych, CPsychol, BSc) is a Clinical Psychologist with nearly two decades of clinical experience working with Neurodivergent people. She is a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Chartered Clinical Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS). Dr Moorhead runs her own successful Psychology practice, This Is Me Psychology, which specialises in supporting Neurodivergent people to gain the best possible understanding of themselves. She adopts a neuro-affirming approach, helping Neurodivergent people to recognise the strengths and values that they have to enable them to embrace their full potential. She strongly believes that everybody should be able to access Neurodivergent support in a proactive and preventative manner, without needing to reach crisis point first.
Dr Moorhead has also worked in a range of NHS and private mental health services, including Clinical Lead at two specialist Neurodiversity Services. She works with individuals across the lifespan. She is a guest lecturer on a number of University courses, specialising in Neurodivergent conditions and post-diagnostic support.

Comedy: Carey Marx
2025-10-04 20:00 - 22:30 | Hen & Chicken Studio
Stand Up For The Weekend with Carey Marx featuring Abigoliah Schamaun and Tom Toal

Stand Up For The Weekend is our weekly comedy show featuring top circuit headliners and guest acts plus incredibly funny and engaging comperes who host the show. A choice of table seats, reserved row seats and unreserved row seats are available.

Headliner: CAREY MARX
Carey Marx is an unapologetic gagsmith. The jokes are short and sharp, often uncomfortably so, as any morality is sacrificed on the altar of quick laughs. And there’s no better way of guaranteeing a reaction than storming headlong into decidedly dodgy territory.

There’s plenty here for the connoisseur of comedy writing. The lines are efficient, original and potent – and rarely fail to blindside the audience.
And they come at a blistering rate, thanks to a hugely economical delivery. He doesn’t go out of the way to befriend an audience, yet there is a subtle charm and intelligence to him, even when the material is blatantly offensive.

“Hilariously demented” Edinburgh Evening News
“Anecdotally debauched … But if his lines are frequently sick, they’re elegantly written, too, and there’s a childlike glee to his naughtiness.” The Herald
