A chance to have a good laugh with Jo Brand, and stop people dying

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  • 21 November 2013

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

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If you like Jo Brand, if you like a good night out, if you have an empty diary on the evening of this coming Sunday November 24, and if you have a passing interest in making a small contribution to curing cancer and saving lives, then please click on here. I've been involved in An Audience With… since the very beginning, and every year it's one charity event not to be missed. In fact it’s become an Autumn Institution and a resounding success for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, raising over £160,000, so far, to help beat blood cancer. The annual event was the idea of my literary agent and leukaemia survivor, Ed Victor, and thanks to his, my and Alan Yentob's contacts books, we’ve brought audiences a unique insight into the lives of some of the most impressive people in entertainment, including Mel Brooks, Kevin Spacey, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, Billy Connolly and Miranda. Not a bad line up, and every single one of them turning out for not a penny. Jo Brand is the next great name to step up in the same way. The beauty is that although the Criterion Theatre is full of splendour, it is still a relatively small and intimate venue, so can you get up close and personal to the celebrity guest. Alan Yentob uses archive footage as the basis for interviews, and then the audience gets to ask the questions. A highlight last year was when an over zealous fan just wouldn't shut up but Miranda just said 'Shush now' and he did! I’ve no doubt that An Audience with Jo Brand will be brilliant. I have seen her do stand up, chat, after dinner, political, and lots else besides. Whilst she may be known to most as a BAFTA-winning English comedian, writer and actress, many may not know, for example, about her life as a psychiatric nurse for 10 years, or a Crystal Palace fanatic. That’s what makes this event so unique – we go way beyond what you thought you knew about the person. I’m expecting the evening to be full of laughs – Jo is an incredibly funny lady. However, there are always twists during these evenings so expect the unexpected! And here is a reminder of how to be there

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