Frank Sidebottom Calling

Frank Sidebottom Calling is a spoken word comedy show by The 4 Johns, staged at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds. The group have won an award and been nominated by Sky Arts for their work.

The 4 Johns are a spoken word comedy group, and this show is their latest. Its premise is a stage situation in which the telephone keeps ringing, the fax machine is busy and fan post piles up, while the group wait for Frank Sidebottom, who has arrived at the door. Sketches, comedy and spoken word run through the evening.

The material for the show is fast-paced and anarchic, and it takes aim at celebrity, hero worship and fame, with the humour built on satire and on recognition of everyday self-consciousness. Jimmy Andrex joins as special guest, with poetry that the group describe as poetry you can dance to, placed alongside comparisons to Laurie Anderson, Sylvia Plath, Philip Larkin and Kraftwerk.

Hyde Park Book Club hosts concerts and shows in Leeds. The evening will suit those who enjoy spoken word and comedy performed by a small group of voices, with sketches and verse sitting side by side.