Jen Brister: Waves

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Stand-Up Specials: Jen Brister: Waves

BBC Radio 4 - Stand-Up Specials, Jen Brister: Waves

Critically-acclaimed comic and swimmer Jen Brister explores life in and out of the water.

Why do so many seemingly sane people swim in freezing cold water? Acclaimed comedian Jen Brister explains what’s in it for her, with a mixture of stand-up and aquatic observation.

Why has such a large swathe of the population started plunging into freezing-cold water, in a country whose climate is pretty obviously ill-suited to wild swimming, or arguably any sort of swimming away from a spa resort? 

Jen Brister might seem, at face value, an unlikely candidate to ask. In her critically-acclaimed stand-up she has never been noted for suffering fools – or fads – gladly. Yet amid the bedlam of the past two years, as the mother of young twin boys suddenly finding herself a full-time nurse, teacher and a lot of other jobs she never signed up for, Jen has found refuge in the unlikely setting of the sea off Brighton, where she lives. 

Armed with the unusual combination of wetsuit and microphone, she takes us on a personal odyssey in this unique comedy special, which sees her shuttle between the stage and the less familiar performance space of the deep ocean. 

In a counterweighted series of stand-up segments and waterbound philosophical passages, Jen tries to piece together what it is about (sometimes dangerously) cold water that has helped reunite her with her sanity. Swimming in the elements promotes mindfulness, enhances our sense of self, and allows us to think our thoughts with a clarity that is often elusive. But what does a comedian do with this enhanced self-awareness? 

With her customary sharpness of tongue – admittedly, a little mellowed by all the wholesome exercise – and precision of thought, one of the most exciting comedians in the country finds waves of inspiration both on dry land and in the milieu she has started to regard as a second home. 

Actually, maybe a first home if the kids get any noisier.

Written and performed by Jen Brister
Produced by Lianne Coop

An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4

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