Morecambe comic and poet features in online show to help refugees on Lesbos

The show, at 9pm on Friday, December 4, will raise money for The Hope Project, which is helping refugees abandoned on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Organiser Harry Brunskill said: "We're delighted to announce the second Humanity Show - or as we call it, HS2, but this is a good version!

"The last show raised loads of laughs ... and money - £330, plus direct donations, for The Disasters Emergency Committee, helping the poorest people in the world deal with covid-19.

"This show is to raise money for people made homeless by a fire at their overcrowded refugee camp. It was followed by flooding - and now Covid-19."

The comedians are all performing free of charge.

In the show, headliner Matt Panesh - whose grandparents were refugees - takes us on a trip through the dark heart of America.

Matt has received awards including Best Poet at San Francisco Fringe and Three Weeks Editors' Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Unlike the other comics, who are based in London, Matt lives in Morecambe, where he runs the Morecambe Fringe Festival and Alt Space. He also sits on the board of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.

Hosting the show will be Kate Smurthwaite, an international comedy performer who has appeared on more than 2,000 TV and radio show and written for Have I Got News For You, among many other shows.

A political campaigner and advocate for refugee rights, she has supported Furness Refugee Support in the past.

Also featured will be comedian Pauline Eyre, whose sell-out run at last year's Edinburgh Fringe was described as "beautifully crafted stand-up comedy" and "really honest and funny". She was a semi-finalist in the Funny Women Awards in 2019 and 2018.

People who want tickets are asked to donate what they can - "from a couple of quid to a lottery win" - at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the-Hope-Project then press 'yes' to share their email and they will be sent a link to the show on the day.

The current series of The Humanity Show will end with Kate Smurthwaite's Christmas spectacular on December 18.

But organisers are already planning more shows for the new year.

"You can't have too much humanity," said Harry.