I Carried a Watermelon

‘Massively enjoyable’ Dawn French I Carried a Watermelon is a love letter to Dirty Dancing. A warm, witty and accessible look at how Katy Brand’s life-long obsession with the film has influenced her own attitudes to sex, love, romance, rights and responsibilities.

It explores the legacy of the film, 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.

Part memoir based on a personal obsession, part homage to a monster hit and a work of genius, Katy will explore her own memories and experiences, and talk to other fans of the film, to examine its legacy as a piece of filmmaking with a social agenda that many miss on first viewing. One of the most celebrated and viewed films ever made is about to have the time of its life.

Author Biography

Katy Brand is an award-winning writer, comedian and actor. After starting to write and perform comedy as a student at Oxford University, she became a regular on the UK live sketch comedy scene. In 2005 she took her debut Edinburgh show Celebrities are Gods to the Fringe which was immediately picked up for Channel 4 (Slap). This later became her award-winning ITV sketch show, Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show, which she devised, wrote and starred in. It ran for three series and later became a nationwide live tour.