BOOKING NOW: MUST SEE EVENT
Ashley Blaker Normal Schmormal
Hull Social, May 22, Leeds Carriageworks, May 26. Tickets via ashleyblaker.com or normalschmormal.com
FOLLOWING the success of his recent book, Normal Schmormal, and second BBC Radio 4 series Ashley Blaker: 6.5 Children, comedian and writer Ashley Blaker has embarked on his Normal Schmormal stand-up tour.
Ashley’s aim is simple: to completely change how people talk about parenting children with special needs. He has six children, three of whom have a special educational needs (SEN) diagnosis. Between the children, there is autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, speech and language disorders, heart defects, hearing loss, mobility issues, sensory needs and gastroenterological problems. As Ashley says, “You know you’ve got a lot going on when Great Ormond Street Hospital gives you your own parking space.” It’s certainly not what anyone would call a “normal” household, but Ashley wouldn’t want it any other way.
Ashley’s story is one which parents, carers and teachers of children with SEN will particularly relate to, but his heartwarming tour, like the book and radio series, will appeal to any parent who believes love and acceptance are the most important building blocks of a happy family.
“Being a parent is tough and raising kids with special needs is even tougher,” he says. “That’s why I am delighted to share our story with people and hopefully provide some much-needed light relief. Thankfully our kids provide so much comic material this has all taken much less time to write than you might imagine.”
Ashley is a comedian, writer and father. He has performed two Off-Broadway shows, toured five continents and had several programmes on BBC Radio 4. In 2023, HarperCollins published his debut book, Normal Schmormal. It is part comic memoir and part how-to guide and highlights the challenges and rewards of raising a family which doesn’t fit into society’s definition of “normal”. The book was serialised in The Sunday Times and quickly became a number one bestseller on Amazon.
It also led to Ashley working with several major charities including Mencap, Sense and Adoption UK. As a writer and producer, he has worked with a who’s who of British comedy and was responsible for unleashing Little Britain on an unsuspecting nation.