Please note some strong language referenced throughout
She is unarguably one of our most beloved comedians, and among those who have their very own link to the town.
Dawn French occupies a special place in the national psyche because we sense, for all her talent and success that she’s one of us.
The much-loved comedian's link to the town further emphasizes this after Dawn called Reading home for many years where she shared her life with fellow comedian Lenny Henry in Spencers Wood up to 2008.
Now, Dawn French will return to the town with her new show.
Dawn French is a Huge Twat invites us to revel in the most excruciating gaffes and howlers of a 40-year career as a comedian and actor. The 2022 leg of this hilarious one-woman show was met with critical acclaim and sold-out houses across the UK.
Now, a further 38 dates have been scheduled for this year, arriving at Reading's Hexagon from November 3 to November 5.
Dawn French said: "The people I love are flawed, hilariously flawed and I can relate to that.
"If you think of the best laughs you have with people it’s when you say, ‘Oh my God, you’ll never guess what I did today?’ When you unzip and admit you’ve been a fool.”
Adding: “We live in a time when we’re told we’ve got to be perfect, and we’ve got filters and selfies and all we ever present is the good part. That doesn’t appeal to me at all.
"I can’t relate to that because I know I can’t achieve it. I can’t look like that; I can’t be like that. I haven’t got that aspirational perfect life and I’ve got no time for it either.
“My mum used to say, ‘we don’t do perfect’ and she’s absolutely right. Don’t even aspire to it. Go on your journey knowing you’ll never get there. And even when you do make progress, don’t get too up your arse about it because the mistakes are what make people so endearing.
"What I want is for people to leave the show feeling like mighty, glorious wa****s!”
Dawn French is a Huge Twat is 'an enveloping compassion for the human condition, for all the things we get wrong'.
Among the funny stories are more serious moments from Dawn’s career and one which audiences will relate to is that curious phenomenon where suddenly, without notice, a part of our life just dies.
She tells the story: “I was filming at the BBC and there was one sketch that went a bit wrong. Lots of the choices were wrong but still, to this day, I don’t know what happened in my head but as I got in my car that night to drive home, I decided I could no longer do comedy sketches. I had to call Jen (Jennifer Saunders, Dawn’s long-term comedy partner) and say, ‘I can’t do it anymore, I’m out of love with it.’ It was nobody’s fault, but there was something that went wrong, and I never wanted to experience that again.’”
It takes courage to call time on such a hugely successful and popular formula as French and Saunders, but the decision turned out to be the right one for Dawn. She has gone on to enjoy success as an actress and four-time novelist as well as reveling in the domesticity of her life in Cornwall with her second husband, Mark.
Dawn French is a Huge Twat is touring across the UK from September 7 until November 26, and will; be stopping off in Reading from November 3-5. More details at dawnfrenchontour.com
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