FRESH from yet another Edinburgh Fringe run and touring Down Under, feel-good maestro Stephen K Amos will drop by Swindon with his brand new show Welcome To My World.

Known for his warm-hearted wit and room-filling effervescence, Stephen puts the cha-cha in charm and the pow! in polite.

But some may have noticed that behind that crisp ’n’ clean exterior dwells an altogether different animal.

He’s a deep-thinking, problem-spotting and question-asking sort of gentleman. Indeed, Mr Amos believes the time is nigh to invite the public to meet this inner friend of his. He’s been expecting you.

So is it no more Mr Nice Guy? No of course not, not on your nelly. But Stephen’s got some questions and concerns, such as ‘why is the world reacting to Russia’s Ukraine invasion as it is?’ and ‘why are people really voting for UKIP?’.

To be honest, he is getting a little peeved that people in 2015 are still reluctant to talk about racial and sexual inequality – at dinner parties anyway.

Just think of Amos as that guest who asks the awkward, pin-drop moment questions at your little get-together. He just happens to be hosting it, too.

“Ultimately, my main focus is that they’ve got to laugh,” says Amos. “The people who come to my shows are, generally speaking, the converted, so there’s no point in me just telling them about race and politics and getting all this applause, that’s just pointless.

“So I’m giving them the jokes and getting it down to a very basic level. Think back to Martin Luther King and his great speech about having a dream: I’ve always thought how the world might be a different place if, the night before that speech, he had eaten some cheese. So, it’s all about keeping it up and down, making a point but keeping the laughter flowing.”

Stephen K Amos has established himself as a household name over the last decade, performing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe every year since 2003, which include the no-holds-barred All Of Me, Find The Funny and The Best Medicine, and performing sell-out dates all over the world.

He has eased his way into TV fame with a multitude of credits including The Stephen K Amos Show and Live At The Apollo on the BBC.

Stephen K Amos will be at the Wyvern Theatre tomorrow, Friday January 30, at 8pm. Tickets cost £18. To book call 01793 524481 or go to swindontheatres.co.uk – Marion Sauvebois

Stephen K Amos is at the Wyvern Theatre tomorrow at 8pm. Tickets cost £18. To book call 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk

Academy will dance the night away in showcase

MORE than 250 dancers will tread the boards of the Wyvern Theatre to celebrate 20 years since Bobbi’s Academy of Dance and Performing Arts opened its doors in Swindon.

From ballet and tap to urban funk and hip hop, every genre of dance will be duly represented as students take to the stage on Saturday, January 31.

The Academy, based in Cheney Manor, was established in 1995 by Bobbi Newman.

Over the past two decades it has nurtured local performers’ talent and held countless galas and performances.

Last year the school also launched singing classes.

The showcase will run on January 31 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12 or £10 for concessions.

To book call 01793 52448 or go to swindontheatres.co.uk.

– Marion Sauvebois