REX CINEMA WELCOMES EARL OKIN AND DIRECTOR JOE SNELLING

WHO IS EARL OKIN?

We would like to sincerely thank Earl and Joe for a wonderful and entertaining evening at the Rex.  This captivating documentary, superbly filmed, directed, produced and edited by Joe himself single-handedly, enthralled the audience.  It is an amazing story of a man with so much to give. 

This was only the second ever screening of the film worldwide, which will no doubt soon develop a huge following.  Earl treated the appreciative and applauding audience to an impromptu live performance after an entertaining Q&A to round the evening off.  Travelling down to Dorset especially for us, it was a fantastic opportunity and privilege to meet Earl and Joe and to welcome Hayley Redmond, BBC Producer and Q&A host, back to the cinema. 

If you would like to see Earl perform or to find out about future screenings of this compelling documentary, please contact the Rex and we can forward your details.  Earl will let you know where and when his next performances and screenings will take place.

Look out for future 'DIRECTOR'S CHAIR' events in our programme, on our website and in our social media.

If you missed it, here is a brief biography about Earl:

The unluckiest man in showbiz?  Earl Okin has had opportunities people only dream of, yet few know him.  He has been photographed with the Beatles, has been a guest of Parkinson and Russell Harty, and you have probably seen him on television or performing over the decades, but who is he?  

He was born in January 1947 and is a London-based singer-songwriter, musician and comedian.  Born in Surrey, he lived in Notting Hill from the age of 5, holds a degree in Philosophy and worked as a schoolmaster for 11 years before devoting his life to performing.  He recorded his first single at Abbey Road in 1967 and some of his songs have been covered by Cilla Black, Georgie Fame and Helen Shapiro.

In the 1970s Earl performed as support act in larger venues, starting with folk acts such as Ralph McTell and Fairport Convention, and later opened for performers such Jean-Luc Ponty and Van Morrison.  In 1979 however, he toured with Paul McCartney and Wings as their support and then began to peform at jazz festivals.  This prompted him to pursue his musical career full-time.

In 1981 he appeared on The Parkinson Show and was invited by Nigel Planer to perform at The Comic Strip.  This developed into a second career on the alternative comedy circuit where he remains a headline act.

However, his act continues to be primarily musical and he has never performed stand-up.

In 1983, he began to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he has since performed over 500 shows.

Earl continues to work as a songwriter and jazz singer/musician, with a particular interest in Bossa Nova. He gives concerts and tours his one-man show, a mixture of music and comedy, worldwide. He has performed in New York and other jazz venues.  He has also performed at most major venues in London, including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Wembley Arena.  He is also very much a part of the recent rebirth of interest in the modern take on variety shows.

We were thrilled to welcome the Director of 'On Chesil Beach' Dominic Cooke CBE to the Rex on Friday, 1st June.  Dominic introduced the film and vividly talked about his directorial debut feature and what it was like to work closely with author Ian McEwan.  Thanks also to Hayley Redmond, BBC Producer for hosting the Q&A, which was very entertaining and insightful.

The event was a great success and enjoyed by a full house and all at the Trust are most grateful to Dominic for joining us and sharing his account of the making of the film. Thank you also to all those who supported the evening.  We all look forward to Dominic's next feature.

Adapted by Ian McEwan from his 2007 Booker-prize nominated novelia, the film analyses the awkward relationship of a young British couple, Florence and Edward, played by Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle.  You can still see the film at the Rex until Thursday, 7 June each evening.

Dominic is a renowned theatre director, TV and film director, and writer.  He directed the 'National Theatre Live: Follies' (2016) and is known for 'The Hollow Crown' (2012); 'Ironbark' and 'On Chesil Beach' (2017).  'On Chesil Beach' is his cinematic debut.

Dominic was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2014 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to drama.