Comic ‘too blue’ for City Hall
Venue bans Chubby from performing
FOUL-MOUTHED funnyman Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown has been banned from performing at Newcastle City Hall – because he is too rude.
The comedian, whose real name is Royston Vasey, has been axed from his regular gig at the venue due to his “unpleasant, crude and offensive” act.
A self-proclaimed ‘bad boy’ of British comedy, Chubby has been a popular hit on Tyneside since the 1970s and filmed a bestseller there in 1994.
But now the Teesside star, who considers himself an adopted Geordie, has been given the boot by City Hall managers Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust - an independent charity which took control of the venue in April 2016.
And Chubby has been left gobsmacked by the rejection and has likened the news to a “divorce”.
“I’ve done so well over the years and playing City Hall has been the pinnacle,” he said.
“It’s like a divorce with them telling me sorry, we don’t love you anymore.
“Have I done something differently? Have I left a turd in the dressing room?
“It is a big disappointment to me because through and through I think and act like a Geordie.”
An email seen by the Sunday Sun was sent to Chubby’s management team by the trust cancelling the comic’s scheduled show on April 14, 2018, due to his “unpleasant, crude and offensive” act.
The star is no stranger to controversy over the years due to the so-called ‘blue’ nature of his comedy, cracking X-rated gags on topics such as disabled people, ethnic minorities and sex. But despite the rejection, Chubby, 72, remains unapologetic about his comedy routine and says his longevity in the industry proves that his colourful stage character is entertaining.
He said: “I’m coming up to 50 years now doing this, all those people that come to see me must like it.
“But suddenly some young buck has come along and said he doesn’t like me and that’s all there is to it.
“They have completely lost the concept of comedy and joke material. They have never looked up the dictionary definition of laughter.
“Chubby Brown is a character talking everyday things people can relate to – like something out of Viz magazine. But they seem to think I have crawled out of the gutter. Right now you have the likes of Frankie Boyle and Jimmy Carr who is worse than I have ever been. Sarah Millican talks about sex acts and is effing and blinding.
“What’s the difference? I think someone doing this just does not like me.”
Chubby is adamant a show at his regular haunt would be a roaring finan- Roy Chubby Brown Philip Bernays Teesside comic Roy Chubby Brown’s Newcastle City Hall show scheduled for April 2018 has been cancelled cial success, and has called on his fans to make their voices heard if they want him to return once again.
He added: “You have a choice, you don’t have to come and seem if you don’t like me. There are posters warning people who are easily offended to stay away. I hope my fans write to them to say, ‘who are you to tell us we can’t see Chubby’?
“I’ve got shows booked in the likes of Whitley Bay and Alnwick that will be packed to the rafters, why should Newcastle miss out?
Philip Bernays, Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust chief executive, said the decision was based on a number of factors including the act’s content, and one that was not taken lightly.
He said: “When determining the forthcoming programme for the City Hall and after careful consideration, we made the decision that we were no longer in a position to feature Roy Chubby Brown at City Hall.
“Although we only took on the management of City Hall in April 2016, we are very much aware of his long-standing association with the venue and this was not a decision that we have taken lightly.
“Every show is subject to a number of careful considerations when determining the programme for our venue and these will include scheduling arrangements, the overall blend of performances, audience feedback and commercial factors as well as
content.”