Tony Britton, PR and Fundraising Manager, ME Association.
There’s no need to dress up for his latest gig. But, thanks to one Bolton-born stand-up comic, the ME Association’s name is up there in lights at this month’s Ludlow Fringe Festival and it’s also inscribed in a new book that reads like the script for some of his most risqué routines.
Rich Davenport, a northern comedian who introduced himself by email with the memorable one-liner ‘No I’ve Never Heard of Me Either’ is back in full, lockdown flow after a chequered history of keeping club audiences up North entertained.
He launched his 2020 summer season by dedicating a portion of each the sale of his new book ‘Gormless’ to the ME Association. This is because, “Rich has M.E. and is keen to support these guys because they do an amazing job.”
And the Ludlow Festival has also taken us on board along with other great causes, including the local food bank.
“It’s my fourth come-back tour. It’s bigger and better than ever before”, said the 48-year-old comedy poet and musician, who now lives in Morecambe with his partner Viv.
Nowadays, denied an actual stage to work on or a live audience baying for blood, he records his shows in front of the fridge in their kitchen.
“It’s hardly a captive audience. If the cat doesn’t like what she hears, she puts her tail up in the air and disappears into the garden,” said Rich, who has had M.E. as long as he can remember.
Truly this man has comic genius and sheer bloody nerve – you need that to even attempt a revival in a year like this.
But somehow it’s paying off and providing a pleasant counterpoint to the day job – working from the computer at home for the records department of a local university!
This season he has already been awarded the title of best local talent at the Morecambe Fringe Festival, which was coronavirused-off from its usual venue at the town’s West End Playhouse.
And the book of gormlessness is beginning to fly off the shelves. It was suggested long ago by old pal and fellow stand-up comic Hovis Presley, who sadly passed away a few years ago.
What you really need to know is that Rich Davenport is eighteen-carat Northern gold.
You can watch his show – his mini-fridge festival – by visiting the Ludlow Fringe Festival website.
And you can mine more into the rich seam of his talent if you buy his book. It's priced at £4.99 and available from Chinbeard Books. Rich will donate 25p from each sale to the ME Association.
The ME Association
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