Ashley Blaker is coming to the Arts Centre on Friday 17 May to completely change the way people talk about parenting children with special needs.
Following the huge success of his recent book (Normal Schmormal) and second BBC Radio 4 series (Ashley Blaker: 6.5 Children), the comedian embarks on his Normal Schmormal UK stand-up tour, stopping off in Swindon this spring.
He has six children, three of whom have a Special Education Needs (SEN) diagnosis. Between the children there is autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, speech and language disorders, heart defects, hearing loss, mobility issues, sensory needs and gastroenterological problems.
Ashley said: "You know you’ve got a lot going on when Great Ormond Street Hospital give you your own parking space."
It’s certainly not what anyone would call a ‘normal’ household, but Ashley wouldn’t want it any other way.
Ashley’s story is one which parents, carers and teachers of children with SEN will particularly relate to, but his heartwarming tour, like the book and radio series, will appeal to any parent who believes love and acceptance are the most important building blocks of a happy family.
Ashley said: ‘Being a parent is tough and raising kids with special needs is even tougher. That’s why I am delighted to share our story with people and hopefully provide some much-needed light relief.
"Thankfully our kids provide so much comic material this has all taken much less time to write than you might imagine."
Ashley has performed two Off-Broadway shows, toured five continents and had several programmes on BBC Radio 4 including his family series Ashley Blaker: 6.5 Children, which has been the number one stand-up show on BBC Sounds.
In 2023, HarperCollins published his debut book ‘Normal Schmormal: My occasionally helpful guide to parenting kids with special needs’. It is a part-comic memoir and part how-to guide and highlights the challenges and rewards of raising a family which doesn’t fit into society’s definition of ‘normal’.
The book was serialised in the Sunday Times and quickly became a number one bestseller on Amazon. It also led to Ashley working with several major charities including Mencap, Sense and Adoption UK.
As a writer and producer, Ashley has worked with a Who’s Who of British comedy and was responsible for unleashing Little Britain on an unsuspecting nation.
For further information and booking details, people can follow the link: #ashleyblakertickets
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