Dirty Dancing and Me: Katy Brand in Conversation with Hannah MacInnes

Award-winning comic Katy Brand pays homage to her obsession – a monster hit and work of genius with much to say about sex, love, romance, rights and responsibilities: Dirty Dancing.

Katy Brand is one of our most celebrated talents – a comedian, actor, novelist and playwright whose journey from fringe sketch comic to national sensation acting alongside David Mitchell and Emma Thompson and heading her own eponymous ITV comedy series.

She joins How To Academy to reveal how her lifelong obsession with Dirty Dancing has made her who she is today – and to share with us the film’s legacy as a piece of film-making with a social agenda that many will miss on first viewing. From pushing women’s stories to the forefront of commercial cinema, to its ‘Gold Standard’ depiction of abortion according to leading pro-choice campaigners, and its fresh and powerful take on the classic ‘coming of age’ story told from a naïve but idealistic 17-year-old girl’s point of view.

One of the most celebrated and viewed films ever made is about to have the time of its life.

Praise for Dirty Dancing and Me:
It takes a true obsessive to open the mind especially to something one has always taken for granted. I knew I loved DIRTY DANCING but I didn’t know why. Now, thanks to Katy Brand’s hilarious, touching, bonkersly true book, I do. One of the best reads of the year.’ Emma Thompson

‘This is a book to massively enjoy (as I did) and then immediately hand on to your daughter (as I did)! I’m off to watch Dirty Dancing again immediately, and so will you when you read this gem.’ Dawn French

‘An honest, moving, hilarious journey into how our youthful passions shape the people we become. Katy is the finest dance partner to take you on this journey.’ Shappi Khorsandi

‘A joyous, funny, personal page-turner. I read it in one sitting.’ Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist

‘a witty, endearing and surprisingly political take on her lifelong obsession with Dirty Dancing’ The Bookseller

LINKS FOR FURTHER INFO:

Website: https://www.howtoacademy.com/events/an-evening-on-dirty-dancing/

This event is in the Main Hall on the ground floor. For accessibility info: https://conwayhall.org.uk/about/visiting-us/