On the trail of Utopia

Find out about one man’s search for truth, beauty and some really funny stories as he visits Utopian communities, in a jolly and heartwarming live show this Friday 9 September at Electric Palace, Hastings, says Annie Waite.

“David Bramwell is a true philosopher, great journalist and excellent writer. He has gone where others only imagine trading, and the book is packed with gags, wisdom and pathos. Plus it ends on a high note: paradise begins at home. It actually is a must-read.”  Tom Hodgkinson, The Idler

That’s just one of the rave reviews of David Bramwell’s book, The No. 9 Bus To Utopia, upon which the upcoming show in Hastings is based. His funny and enlightening 90-minute show delves into the questions he asked and the communities Bramwell experienced on his journey across Europe and America, after the end of a relationship had left him heartbroken.

Traded for a younger model

David’s partner had left him for someone, “younger but more mature”, so in a bid to answer some key questions about life, he set out on a global adventure to become a better person. He visited an anarchist community in Denmark, a futuristic city in the desert and paradise in a Californian retreat, dreamt up by Aldous Huxley. Most fantastic of all was Damanhur in the Italian Alps, with a vast underground temple and a time machine.

So, can alternative communities teach us a better way to live? “I had a few questions I wanted to answer,” says Bramwell, “Is modern life rubbish? Why do so many of us feel lonely and unfulfilled despite a high standard of living? Are there communities out there who hold the key to happiness? And if so, why do so many of their inhabitants insist on dressing in tie-dye?”.

Find out in David’s live show, a wry and self-deprecatingly funny talk accompanied by images and clips from his travels. He’s the man behind Brighton’s Cheeky Guide and Brighton’s long-running Catalyst Club, and he’s also delivered a renowned TED Talk at TEDxBrighton.

Book tickets:

No9 Bus to Utopia with David Bramwell: Friday 9 September 2016 at the Electric Palace cinema, Hastings, Sussex.

Tickets £10

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