Welcome to my website. It’s a place to explore the different strands of my work — from theatre and street circus performance as Jitterbug Jackson, to music, songwriting, and my work in writing, development, and teaching. Each page offers a snapshot of what I’m working on and where my focus is at the moment. Thanks for taking the time to have a look. I hope you find something that catches your interest and enjoy the journey. Scroll down for regular updates on what I’m doing right here, right now!
Please contact me for any more information you might require.
Hugh x
First up, a promo film by Victoria Vettese ( A Cinematic Life ) for my solo show, I Used to Dream of Rocket Ships. For more information and bookings please click on Contact Me and get in touch. A big thank you for the support of Brassneck Youth, Conway Mill and Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
A couple of quick links:
For information on all of Hugh's work as Jitterbug Jackson. From the street to theatre to the television screen!
For information on all of Hugh's work as a lyricist, librettist and songwriter and with links to various projects.
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
I write this in January 2026 as I eventually get a few moments after a very busy couple of years in which I have completely neglected to update this website. I am in Galway at the moment – details coming soon. Meanwhile here’s some recent projects.
CREATIVE PLACES BAGENALSTOWN
COMMISSIONS 2024 AND 2025
The Children of Wolves was a youth-led performance that reimagined post-apocalyptic Ireland through the eyes of young people. Set in a world where technology had collapsed and fear had taken hold, the story followed a group of survivors struggling to hold onto trust, hope and each other—while the threat of wolves, or something darker, loomed just beyond the treeline. The project was developed and directed by artist Hugh W. Brown in close collaboration with young people from Carlow Regional Youth Services in Bagenalstown and the Tullow Road Area, who co-created and performed the piece. Through months of workshops and creative development, the young people shaped the world, themes and characters at the heart of the story.
In 2024, the heart of Bagenalstown came alive with The Lock Keeper’s Memories, an enchanting promenade performance that brought the community together through storytelling, music, and magic. Directed and written by artist Hugh W. Brown, this unique theatrical experience was a celebration of local voices, history, and the shared memories that bind a town together.
MADE IN DARNDALE TRILOGY
Made in Darndale is a three-part film created to accompany Amber Kidd’s commissioned triptych poem of the same name. The work is directed and soundtracked by Hugh W. Brown, with cinematography by Cathy Dunne and narration by John Cummins and Neili Conroy.
The film was specially created for the Dare to be Darndale cabaret in May 2023 and presented alongside a powerful spoken-word performance by Kilbarrack’s own Neili Conroy.
Amber Kidd is a writer from Dublin 17 who has established herself within London’s literary scene. A graduate of Dublin City University with a BA in English, her work explores themes of class, place, and social division in North Dublin. Through her writing, she examines lived experience and community with clarity and depth, encouraging reflection, dialogue, and understanding.
INSIDE THE BELLY OF A DRAGON
Inside the Belly of a Dragon follows the remarkable voyage of discovery and recovery for Northern Irish Actor and Clown, Hugh W Brown.
Arriving in Cambodia broken hearted and disenchanted with life as a performer, the Clown embarks on a journey through this beautiful Kingdom of Wonder and is slowly lifted from his gloom by the breathtaking landscapes and his various encounters with the local communities and the remarkable artists and individuals who live within them.
Filmed entirely on location in the Kingdom of Cambodia by Ian Wiggins and with a sumptuous soundtrack to complement the wonder of the landscape and its people, this delightful film is a celebration of a country that is on its own journey of discovery and recovery.
“Inside the Belly of a Dragon is mystical, moving and gentle” IRA HAL SEIDENSTEIN, PHD