New comedy delves into life of mystery busker

He’s a bus station busker, whose songs are just the ticket for travellers. But who is he and why does he do it?

They are the questions tackled in new one-man comedy drama penned and performed by a north Norfolk entertainer, and heading to the Little Theatre in May.

Greg Powles’ show The Busker takes a journey in song, stories and humour that delves into the mystery street performer. As well as singing his songs, he explains how they fit into his life.

It will be staged at Sheringham on May 20 during a mini tour of three East Anglian venues ahead of plans to take the new work to the Edinburgh Festival next year.

Greg explained: “I’ve done one man shows before but wanted to do something new so I could return to the Edinburgh Fringe. In lockdown my son persuaded me to do silly songs and poems on YouTube and this busker guy developed from that.

“He’s a man in his 50s who has reached a point when he has decided to turn his back on his previous life. So he sings in the streets to try to earn a few quid.

“No-one knows how he ended up there – or bothers to ask, but like most people we meet in our everyday lives he has a past, and a story worth telling.”

Greg, from Foulsham, has been performing for 20 years with a varied career including spells with North Norfolk Radio and Radio Norfolk, doing a tribute to his screen hero James Stewart, acting in murder mystery events, and taking the role of Basil in a Fawlty Towers dining experience.

He has been to the Edinburgh Fringe twice before in 1992 and 2000 as Inspector Lestrade in a Sherlock Holmes play and as Dracula in a fun version of the horror classic. Now he aims to take his one-man show to the 2024 fringe to be part of the creative experience of taking part and watching other artists.