Hello, Phillip here.
You might remember that I am a Comedian as well as an Author.
If not, here’s some proof. It’s a picture of me doing comedy, at Wise Guys Utah.
See, some of us writer types do go outside. Don’t listen to the memes.
I felt strangely at home in America. Over 90% of my readers live in various states (of disrepair), and almost all my traditional publishing has been American too. Some months, I can have over 60% of all book sales traced back to California. I have friends there, but I’ve never physically been, even if my psychic friend thought I lived there when we first got speaking.
I’d like to do a gig there sometime.
But where am I gigging right now?
Back in 2023 I put a show together titled AWKWARD RE-ENTRY which was a mix of Stand-up comedy, Sci-Fi, and Poetry. It was a solo stand-up show about what it means to be human, all the weird mistakes we make, and how we relate to the wider universe. Here’s an image of the first show.
The show lasted two days, and was a lot of fun.
Somehow, Phillipatine returned.
Yet, unlike modern Star Wars, I like to think this show is well-written. I’ve done a lot of rewriting and chiselling, from visiting Utah to tell jokes, to a comedy course, a work in progress gig, having an audience meowing at me in my home town. I will cover all this and more in detail in a future post, for now the headline is that the gig is back, and you might be able to see it, live.
The Awkward Re-entry show returns this year, in 2026, to the UK and hopefully online too. It is bigger and cleverer. The first gig is in Buxton.
Awkward Re-entry is a comedy show about what it means to be human, how modern people relate to the universe and each other. Topics include dating apps, sucking door handles, alien abductions, parallel universes, and my giant forehead.
I am showing you this because you’re a subscriber here at realphillipcarter.substack.com, and the deal is you get to hear about stuff first.
You have a few days on top of everyone else to go grab tickets before I announce them on social media. Only 38 tickets are available for this one (two have already gone to Press), but more dates and venues may be announced. Tickets are £7.50, or £5 for concessions (old people and benefits cheats allowed). These prices exclude tax, which I do not understand.
The first gig is
The Buxton Fringe
Sunday 12th July 2026
Lee Wood Hotel, Buxton, Canyons room
18:30pm (with bar across from performance space)
There is an elevator to this level from ground floor
If you are Press, you can get a free ticket if you want to watch and review. Just comment, or email me at Press@realphillipcarter.com
I am also looking for Press connections for other projects, from poetry to Lego statues.
Any ticket sales help me to realise the reality of being a full-time storyteller. Everything, from short story sales, shirts, gigs, and streams all come together as part of a wider world of storytelling, which is why I will also be selling and signing books on the night at a heavily discounted rate for ticket holders.
If you can’t afford it and are nearby, talk to me about it.
And if Buxton is too far, don’t worry, other shows will happen.
I have scheduled some announcements for social media, but if you are reading this on 04.04.2026, you are ahead of everyone else.
Click the big orange button above to get your tickets.
Subscribing is free.
I get my writing money from selling books and telling jokes.
Good luck Phillip! If you do end up out in California, I'll try to check that out (though it's a big place!)
Your act sounds real original.