Lorraine Bowen on showing her talents on BGT

The Queen of Crumble returns to St Leonards

This Friday Lorraine Bowen (winner of David Walliams’ Golden Buzzer on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent) presents her eccentric comedy and quirky songs for an evening of cabaret at Kino-Teatr. HOT’s Erica Smith caught up with Lorraine to see what she’s been up to.

ES: Welcome back to Hastings, Lorraine! Quite a lot has happened since you headlined at the Hastings Online Times launch event all those years ago.
LB: Yes – unbelievably I decided to go in for a TV competition called ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ shown to 13 million people!  Have you heard of it?
…well even more unbelievably I won David Walliams’ Golden Buzzer award singing my quirky hit, The Crumble Song! It’s been a crazy year since then what with people running up and singing my song to me, shouting out ‘There’s the Crumble Lady!’ and teenagers writing hilarious comments to me on social medja! It’s all go!

ES: Tell me what you’ve been getting up to lately?
LB: I got some great opportunities from the TV exposure including being offered to write a children’s book with a Welsh publisher.
That’s coming out in November.  Guess what it’s called… The Crumble Lady!  Ha ha!
Not content with making myself work even harder than ever I decided to also write a 14 track kids album to accompany it!
I’ve had my face in the computer and playing the recorder all summer!  It’s nearly finished now…

ES: What other projects have you been involved in / got up your sleeve?
LB: Well this show here in St Leonards this Friday 30 September at 7.30pm!
It’s a corker of a show with myself doing a set of Greatest Hits, The tweeded duo The Chalkwell Ladies Drum ’n’ Bass League PLUS the angelic and eccentric delights of solo handbell ringer extraordinaire, Sandra Winter!

It’s called CABARET CRUMBLE because it’s a mish mash of celebratory stuff which will end up with a jam,,.. ad top news – hold the press… Sandra is bring her duet partner Angela Jones for a duet on ‘I Got Rhythm’!
It’s a first and you saw it here first!
I chose Sandra to work with as a special guest at the Lorraine Bowen Bexhill Christmas Concert last year and around 400 people came to join in with carols, songs and party pieces!

So as well as the songs on Friday I may also be getting the crowd to join in on the new Reggaeton Crumble Song dance routine! All great for lifting the calories off before heading down to the late night chippy!

ES: I know you like a trip to Hastings, and are a fan of the little railway in Alexandra Park… are there any Hastings sites or activities you’re looking forward to when you come over for the gig?
LB: I absolutely love racing up to the top of the hill and looking over the world and of course always sing The Carpenters ‘looking down on creation’ when I’m up there!
You Hastings lot are very lucky to have such a high hill at your fingertips!  Great for blowing out the cobwebs!

ES: Anything else you want to say?
LB: I’d really recommend making the effort to come along on Friday – it’s a test out to see if CABARET CRUMBLE can continue to bring other eccentric happenings like my polyester show, Polyester Fiesta!
It all starts here – SEE YOU THERE!

The Hastings Posse of Chalkwell Ladies fans will be delighted to hear that Karina Townsend will be joining Lorraine for some tweed-clad Morris/contemporary dance music combinations on mixing desk, sax, omnichord and organs. The Ladies play electronica from their repertoire including hits such as Jesu Joy of Ladies’ desirin’ and North/South divide.

This Friday 7.30pm at the Kino-Teatr, Norman Rd, St Leonards.
Tickets £10 available from Kino-Teatr box office or online.
More details on the Kino website and facebook page.

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