Comedy / Andrew Brooke
Former south west secondary teacher swaps the classroom for comedy
Former secondary school teacher Andrew Brooke used to teach in Sussex and Somerset, and is now based in Wells with his family – relocating there after watching the film Hot Fuzz and subsequently falling in love with the city.
After what he calls “30 years of classroom trauma”, he found himself wondering what to do next, and found inspiration in listening to Greg Davies on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
The comedian and Taskmaster (Channel 4) host – who is also an ex-teacher – was motivated to try standup after completing Logan Murray’s comedy course.
Brooke decided to enrol on the same course, and found himself armed with plenty of transferable skills for standup.
“Teaching was excellent preparation”, he admits. “I spent years relying on humour to keep classes engaged. The main difference is that comedy audiences generally want to be there.”
Andrew Brooke, Glove Fulla Vaseline – photo: Catrin Brooke
In writing his first solo show, it made perfect sense for Brooke to channel his experiences of teaching into comedy. Through writing his own standup and original songs, he wanted to explore one overarching question: “What happens when you spend 30 years trying to teach Of Mice and Men to disengaged secondary school students?”
The results encompass a widespread array of emotions, taking in what Brooke calls the “chaos, absurdity and occasional triumphs” of teaching.
Told through the lens of George, Lennie and the gang from John Steinbeck’s famous novel, Glove Fulla Vaseline has already sold out performances in Brighton, London, Wells and Cardiff. Brooke now brings the show to Bristol, with two consecutive nights at the Alma Tavern & Theatre on July 10-11.
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Glove Fulla Vaseline is at the Alma Tavern & Theatre on July 10-11 at 8pm. Tickets are available at tickettailor.com. Follow @apbrooke69 for updates.
Main photo: Ian McGinn
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