Comedians rally against “unjust” austerity in Newcastle

North East comedians Kate Fox and Mr Drayton are to appear in Newcastle tonight to protest against austerity measures.

They join a range of other musicians and actors, including Joe Caffrey and Dave Nellist, at a sold out Northern Stage event hosted by The People’s Assembly.

Caffrey and Nellist, who are appearing next week in Wet House at the Live Theatre, will perform a piece by Billy Elliott and Pitmen Painters writer Lee Hall, who has passionately spoken out against the cuts to the arts.

Mark Steel had been billed to headline the event but was forced to cancel this week.

Comedy poet Kate Fox said: “I want to support and be part of the People’s Assembly because I think many coalition policies are unfair to the vulnerable and unfair to people in the North and I got fed up of just shouting at my telly whenever a politician came on.

“It would be good to feel I’m doing something useful with my voice instead.”

The evening event follows a conference at Newcastle University, with speakers such as journalist Owen Jones, Alex Snowdon, from the Stop the War Coalition, and Cllr David Stockdale, who will talk about the impact of the “bedroom tax” in Newcastle.

Comedian and activist Stuart Robertson will speak about creative protest at one of the workshops.

Robertson performs at Sod the Tories (And Have a Nice Week), a monthly political show at The Stand Comedy Club, which launched this week as a podcast.

The People’s Assembly, which was formed in June this year, said: “The government’s austerity programme does not work; it is unjust, immoral and undemocratic.

“Alternatives exist: debts can be dropped; privatisation can be reversed; common ownership embraced, and much more.”