Thinking of Happiness Etc with Laskey & Son

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th September 2025 

Tickets: £18 (£15 under 18s & students)

Saturday 13th September 7.30pm

Sunday 14th September 2.30pm

Tickets available HERE , by phoning 01728 454022 or in person Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10-12pm at the AJH corner office.

Michael Laskey is a ‘champion of contemporary poetry’ – teacher, mentor, workshop leader, editor. Almost all of Michael’s work life has been on a voluntary basis, including founding and directing The International Aldeburgh Poetry Festival which ran for 26 years. In 2015 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for Services to Poetry. He is also a T S Eliot Prize shortlisted poet. Two of his collections are Poetry Book Society Recommendations.

‘Laskey is his own man – so when I compare him to Larkin and Heaney it is merely to place him in the company he deserves.’ Craig Raine

Michael’s third son Jack Laskey is a theatre-maker and multi-disciplinary artist. He is an Ian Charlson Award Commended actor who trained at RADA. He is now an Arts Council-funded Artistic Director of community-facing creative arts company Spielhouse.

‘Jack Laskey… lights up the stage.’ Michael Billington, The Guardian

Michael and Jack’s Thinking of Happiness Etc is a unique father and son collaboration. It’s a first time experience for Michael to create theatre. At the heart of the production he will read his own poems.

Jack is recording all their work together, so he can make future versions of the show – with his dad in video-projection. Jack hopes to meet his father in front of audiences when he reaches 80 himself. No two shows will be the same – the production will always be a work in progress. Please join us for one or both of the sharings in September as we launch this phenomenal project.

Central to the touring project are creative community workshops which will begin this autumn. There is also an exhibition co-created by workshop participants and the lead Thinking of Happiness etc artists.

Please support this project via their Crowdfunder HERE

Doors open half an hour before the performance starts.