Journeys of Laughter and Legacy - Windrush 75

Can Art Save Us?

John Simmit founded the Upfront Comedy Empire. He's a comedian, producer, actor and theatre performer enjoying current success in the musical Rush, a "joyous Jamaican journey" earning five star reviews and sellout shows. For 30 years, John has promoted black comedy in Britain, and alongside comedy tours, he has built a network of clubs nationwide. He's credited by The Guardian newspaper as "the man who put British black comedy on the map," and he also regularly showcased talent he brought over from the United States. Early on in his career, John made a name for himself in the Real McCoy, a hit BBC television comedy show featuring Black and Asian stars that quickly reached audiences of 5 million. He's also known for his character in the second most successful TV show ever in terms of sales. The multiple BAFTA award winning Teletubbies, John played Dipsy and Britain's only Cuban-Jamaican-Brummie brought reggae and Caribbean culture into preschool programming. From the surreal to the comedy of life, John brings us joy, and humor. We talk about Rush, musical theatre combing history with hits to tell the story of Windrush. We talk about the legacy and political scandal of Windrush and the courage, generosity and kindness of comedy.

Season 4 features 7 Windrush specific interviews with world class and award winning artists, just look for titles with 'Windrush 75.'

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all interviews in this series. Read only, text versions of every interview can also be found here: www.canartsaveus.com

Discover Rush: https://rushtheatrecompany.co.uk/

Find out more about #Justice4Windrush: www.justice4windrush.org/