Bom-Bane's facts for kids
Bom-Bane's is a super unique café and performance spot in Brighton, UK. It was started in 2006 by Jane Bom-Bane. What makes it special? The staff often sing, and the place is filled with really unusual decorations.
In 2007, Bom-Bane's won an award for being the best venue at the Brighton Fringe Festival. It even appeared on a TV show called World's Weirdest Restaurants in 2012. Later, in 2016, it was featured on BBC Radio 3's The Verb.
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What's Inside Bom-Bane's?
The small area downstairs is where live shows happen. Many famous performers have played here, like Nick Pynn and Stewart Lee. Every May, Jane Bom-Bane and her "Bom-Bane Family Players" put on a musical for the Brighton Fringe Festival. These shows often use the whole building!
Upstairs, the dining area is full of surprises. Each table has a "mechanical secret." One table slowly spins, another quietly rises, and one even has a tiny model of Brighton's Palace Pier with working rides! If you lift the salt shaker on one table, chimes ring out. Another table shows old black-and-white cartoons from the 1920s. Jane Bom-Bane and her partner, Nick Pynn, built most of these amazing tables.
Outside the café, there's a statue of Jane Bom-Bane herself. Her brother-in-law, John Jostins, who worked on the famous robot R2-D2 from The Empire Strikes Back, built the first statue. Sadly, it was stolen in 2012. Jane Bom-Bane said it felt like a part of her was gone. Friends of the café helped raise money for a new one. The second statue was put up in 2015. But then, in 2017, vandals damaged it. Luckily, the original statue was found, fixed up, and put back on the wall in 2021!
Bom-Bane's also shows films regularly. They even offer fun courses on art, photography, and singing. There's even a homework club for kids on Wednesday nights. It's a place where young children doing homework are treated with the same respect as the musicians!
Meet Jane Bom-Bane
Jane Bom-Bane, whose real name is Jane Bayley, grew up in Coventry. She used to be the lead singer of a band called the Swinging Cats. In the 90s, she started performing on her own. She would sing her own songs while playing the harmonium and wearing amazing mechanical hats. These hats "light up and turn and move in various ways." One hat even looks like a moving goldfish bowl!
The idea for the café came to Jane when she was running a music event. She wanted a place where she could keep her harmoniums and hats. She also wanted a small venue downstairs and a café upstairs. She thought it would just be her playing a few songs. But it grew into a place with many other performers, cinema clubs, and lots of other activities.
The café opened on September 1, 2006. Jane said that the first year was a big learning experience because she had never run a restaurant before. It wasn't until the second year that she really started adding the music performances.
Amazing Performances
Bom-Bane's the Musical
The tradition of having "singing staff" started when Jane hired Rosi Lalor and Candy Hilton. Jane realized they had incredible voices and could harmonize well. So, she decided to create Bom-Bane's the Musical. She wrote songs about setting up the café and the food, and everyone working there got involved. This musical was first performed in the Brighton Fringe Festival in May 2008.
A Musical History of 24 George Street
For her 2011 show, Jane Bom-Bane looked into the history of the building where the café is. She wrote songs about the people who lived there before. The audience would enjoy a three-course dinner while being taken on a musical journey through time. The show told the building's story from 1795, when it was built, all the way to today.
Jane Bom-Bane's House
In 2012, Jane Bom-Bane used the entire building for her fringe show. A small group of four audience members would be led through the house. They would go upstairs to the bathroom, then the living room, and even the attic! Each room had a beautiful scene or a surprise performance. They would see Jane's famous mechanical hats, which were all animated. Finally, they would end up in the master bedroom for a last song. After exploring the house, everyone would go back downstairs for an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was a truly magical evening!
5 Down 20 Across
In May 2013, to celebrate 100 years of crossword puzzles, Jane Bom-Bane created 5 Down 20 Across. This show turned the whole building into a giant puzzle! Audience members had to collect clues from all the doors in the building to solve it. Each door had a black-and-white painting by a different artist.
Merrily on High
In 2013, Jane Bom-Bane wrote a Christmas musical called Merrily on High. It was performed throughout December. The show featured puppets by Daisy Jordan and singing by a folk trio called The Silver Swans. This group included Jane Bom-Bane, Emma Kilbey, and Eliza Skelton, who is also the café's chef. The show was so popular that it was brought back in December 2020.
The Long Lost River Song
Bom-Bane's 2014 show was inspired by Brighton's secret lost river, the Wellesbourne. Five audience members were invited to follow this "river" as it flowed from the attic to the cellar. Along the way, they gathered cast members as the story gained momentum. The show ended with a delicious meal made from locally sourced foods.
Saippuakivikauppias
Bom-Bane's 2015 show was called Saippuakivikauppias. This Finnish word means 'The Soapstone Seller' and is also one of the longest palindromic words (words that read the same forwards and backward). This show was a collaboration with puppeteer Daisy Jordan. It told the story of a craftsman who felt he had to be perfectly symmetrical. The audience followed a "Midgard Serpent" into the lower part of the café. The tale was told through songs, puppets, and animation. After the show, guests enjoyed a Finnish meal, including meatballs and blueberry pie!
Bom-Banimals
Bom-Banimals, in May 2016, was a musical fantasy about animals. An audience of six people moved from room to room throughout the building. In each room, they met a different musical animal. The show explored the idea that giving a piece of yourself to someone you love can lead to great rewards. It was a very intimate and special experience.
Snow White and the Seven Sisters
For Christmas 2018, Jane Bom-Bane and Eliza Skelton wrote a folk musical called Snow White and the Seven Sisters. This show mixed the classic fairy tale of Snow White with stories of seven sisters. These included the star constellation, a waterfall in Norway, and the chalk cliffs in Sussex. The songs in the musical were all in a special "seven time" rhythm. Eliza Skelton played Snow White, and Jane Bom-Bane was the witch.
