An Audience Without Jake Or Les - Performed By John Watterson

An Audience without Jake Thackray or Les Barker

A new show celebrating the work of two of our finest and funniest wordsmiths

John Watterson is delighted to announce his new show for 2024 – ‘An Audience without Jake or Les’, celebrating the life, songs and wonderful wordsmithery of the great Yorkshire chansonnier, and the hilarious poetry of ‘the finest Poet Laureate we never had. The set includes many Jake classics (Sister Josephine, On Again On Again, The Bantam Cock etc), anecdotes from the recent biography plus some recently discovered ‘lost’ Thackray masterpieces. Les Barker’s wonderful poetry is celebrated through such gems as Reg was a Lonely Glow Worm, Dachsunds with Erections, Spot of the Antarctic and Déjà vu.

John Watterson is the UK’s leading performer of Jake’s songs. As Fake Thackray he has toured with Fairport Convention and Jasper Carrott and has performed at festivals, theatres and clubs across the UK and on local and national radio, as well as appearing with Jon Richardson on 'Meet the Richardsons'. He was a friend of the late Les Barker and continues to sell Les’ merchandise to raise money for Amnesty International, Les’ nominated charity.