Kriya Arts to Present HIP at Marlborough Theatre

Upon discovering a long-forgotten flat above the shops of Brighton clock tower, a bunch of young squatters find a once hip woman's long-forgotten possessions - including a box of diaries and letters addressed to various Brighton locations, and...a hip bone.

At the Fringe this year local performer Jolie Booth will be performing her one-woman-show, HIP, at the Marlborough Theatre from 9-11 May. It's a true story; an investigation into the life of a local Brighton woman called Anne Clarke whose house she squatted in ten years after her death - Jolie discovered her diaries, letters and belongings. She'd been a big part of the seventies counterculture scene in Brighton and local people still remember her fondly.

Through a meeting with Anne's daughter, Nikki, Jolie learnt more about Anne's history. She is a fascinating person and at the forefront of women's rights and the sexual revolution. She was a key figure in creating institutions in Brighton that still stand today, such as Infinity Foods. Before working at Infinity she was a member of staff at the Unicorn Bookshop - an infamous alternative bookshop that once stood at number 50 Gloucester Road. Hip is a touching and funny universal story for everyone and gives the audience a chance to examine their own journey through life and the choices we make.

As a producer Jolie Booth has been responsible for many award winning theatre productions, incuding Winner of the 2014 Total Theatre Emerging Artist Award, BACKSTAGE IN BISCUIT LAND (Touretteshero) and Winner of the 2015 Off West End Award, ALBERT EINSTEIN: RELATIVITIVELY SPEAKING (Tangram Theatre). As a performer Jolie has starred in various productions such as Fabian in the Winner of the 2012 Latest Fringe Award, Festival Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT and Richard II in Jonathan Kay's 2011 production of RICHARD II by the Nomadic Academy of Fools.

Through her work with these companies, Jolie has discovered the merits of relaxed performances. This means you are welcome to make noise and move around during the show. In fact, you are actively encouraged to do so. This adds a whole new dimension to the performance, which has come to be known as 'Extra-Live'- with the promise that no two shows can ever be the same - HIP offers an intimate, life-enhancing glimpse into the unique perspective of the life, love and laughs of a real woman who lived in Brighton during the seventies. It also tells a powerful story about the circles of life itself, charting Jolie's own experiences, from liberation and freedom to the dangers of excess.

Open to anyone who loves the rich tapestry of life, from party people to philosophers, history lovers to spiritualists, those who were there in the seventies but don't necessarily remember it, to those who are young adults trying to balance the delights of hedonism today with not screwing up, HIP is a gently-paced, wonderfully warm-hearted celebration of the ideas, ideals and idiosyncrasies of life and those who paved the way for the freedoms we all enjoy today. And as the first ever one-woman-show by Jolie Booth, it is vital viewing for anyone who wants to celebrate new work and support emerging artists - as well as utterly unmissable for anyone with a sense of humour and spirit of adventure.

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