NEWS: Sound City Ipswich announces Apply To Play 2021 winners

Sound City Ipswich 2021 announces Apply to Play winners

One of the crucial aspects of Sound City Ipswich, the event that transforms the town centre into a two-day multi-venue music festival and conference on 1 and 2 October, is the discovery of new up and coming bands.

To that end, earlier this year the call went out to bands right across the country to submit music and information to ‘apply to play’ across the festivals 5 stages. Over 90 bands applied and now Sound City Ipswich organisers have announced the eight successful artists.

‘We were staggered at the response and the quality of the artists who applied’ said Co-Director and programmer Marcus Neal. ‘It was an incredibly difficult job to whittle them down to just the eight we have chosen and I wish we could accommodate more but our selection reflects the breath and depth of the applications.’

Ipswich raised Ayo is a rapper who released his debut single in 2019 and whose music sums up the diversity of the festival itself, pushing his musical boundaries to take in hip-hop, rap, Afro Swing and acoustic music. Bug Teeth is the stage name for Norwich singer-songwriter Poppy Johnson who is excited to bring her emotional ambient dream-pop to Ipswich. Also from Norwich are Huw Stevens endorsed psychedelic pop five-piece Floral Image whose mind-melting live shows are becoming the stuff of legend. Garage rock duo Fräulein originally hail from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands respectively, they formed in Bristol and are now based in London. Featuring the smoky vocals of Joni Samuels their sound has been likened to 'Dry' or 'Rid of Me' era PJ Harvey.

Despite only creating her own music for a couple of years, Ipswich singer Georgie has already lent her distinctive, warm vocals to tracks by DJ Fresh, Brookes Brothers and Polar Youth and is now recording her own alternative Rn’B/soul music and creating a stir. KYANOS hail from Bury St Edmunds and create experimental, psychedelic jazzy soundscapes that brought them to the attention of BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson.

Completing the Norwich contingent are Our Quiet Friends, a three-piece performing hypnotic, driving rhythms with kaleidoscopic melodies behind layered vocals. The line-up is completed by Colchester indie quintet She’s In Parties whose idiosyncratic amalgamation of shoegaze and dream -pop belies their relative youth.

Georgie said ‘I’m really excited to have been chosen for Sound City Ipswich. There’s a great music scene in Ipswich at the moment, but I don’t think people necessarily get to hear about it too much. The festival will hopefully shed some light on the talent we have here and help Ipswich artists to really expand their audience’.

‘Giving new up and coming bands the opportunity to play alongside established touring acts is an essential part of Sound City Ipswich’ added Marcus Neal. ‘We want to give them the experience of playing to new audiences – and to give those audiences the chance to discover new music they may not otherwise hear’.

Sound City Ipswich takes place in various venues around Ipswich town centre on Friday and Saturday October 1 and 2. It presents a hand-picked multicultural mix of upcoming and established bands and includes an industry conference on the Friday. Amongst the headline acts are US songwriter BC Camplight and his band; the Mercury Award nominated Porridge Radio; London rapper TrueMendous; Australian avant-popsters The Goon Squad, Ghanaian singer and percussionist Falle Nioke the stylistic restlessness of 6Music darlings Working Men’s Club; black feminist punks Big Joanie and Ipswich’s own rap star Parris Robbo.

NEWS: The Global Rainbow will shine like a beacon of hope from Poole's Lighthouse.

 The Global Rainbow will shine as a beacon of hope from Lighthouse 

A beacon for creativity and entertainment for more than 40 years Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, is to beam a unique light artwork into the night sky in November to signal its resilience and re-emergence from the dark days of the pandemic. 

Thanks to funding from BCP Council and supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Poole BID, Lighthouse will host the projection of American artist Yvette Mattern’s stunning The Global Rainbow over Poole and eastwards towards Hengistbury Head. After dark on Thursday 18, Friday 19 and Saturday 20 November the artwork will illuminate the community and signal not only the restart of a major arts organisation, but also become a visual beacon of hope across Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch. 

The Global Rainbow is a large-scale public art light installation that beams seven rays of laser light to represent the colour spectrum of a natural rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet – and create a natural perspective horizon arc, like that of a rainbow. 

“Lighthouse is absolutely delighted to receive this grant funding for a work that will stand as a shining example of Poole’s spirit and pride as our community looks forward to a brighter future,” says Lighthouse Chief Executive Elspeth McBain. 

“The rainbow has long been considered a symbol of hope, thanks and promise so there is no better way to demonstrate our confidence in what lies ahead than to host this amazing, innovative artwork that will be seen for miles around. It literally puts Poole on the map.” 

Depending on the weather conditions its trajectory, or viewing spectrum, is up to 60km meaning it should be visible from as far afield as Winchester and Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. 

“The presentation is poetic, magical and powerful,” says Yvette Mattern. “It encompasses the skyline and its viewing perspective is as ephemeral as viewing a natural rainbow. Theoretically and symbolically its presentation encompasses geographical and social diversity in its reach throughout distinct points across the globe.” 

The Global Rainbow, which has been presented in major cities including New York, Berlin, Tokyo and Toronto, is part of the reopening programme that has already seen the successful return of Lighthouse: OUTSIDE, the outdoors performance season, and will keep a spotlight on Poole by filling the gap between summer events and the lead up to Christmas when Lighthouse will be producing a family pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, in-house for the first time in a generation. 

Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economy at BCP Council, said: “Following a competitive application process, we are pleased to award this grant to Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts. This project is just one of many initiatives that our latest package of discretionary support will now bring to life. It will contribute towards Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s reputation as a place where businesses can continue to flourish and grow.” 

NEWS: The Barn Theatre, Cirencester, to give free tickets to NHS workers.

 BARN THEATRE TO GIVE FREE TICKETS FOR STONES IN HIS POCKETS TO NHS WORKERS

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester have announced today that they will be giving NHS workers and St John Ambulance volunteers free tickets to their 25^th Anniversary production of Marie Jones’ Olivier Award-winning comedy Stones in His Pockets, which officially opens this evening.

 

NHS workers and St John Ambulance volunteers will be able to claim two free tickets for any Sunday matinee performance throughout the run, subject to availability, using the code THANKYOUNHS when booking and showing a valid ID on arrival to the performance.

 

On today’s announcement Barn Theatre producer Beth George said, “We would not have survived the past year without the tireless work of the NHS and St John Ambulance, who have been protecting our country on the frontline of this devastating pandemic. This is just a small token of our appreciation for their heroic work and we hope that this feel-good comedy can provide an evening of much needed escapism and joy.”

 

Barn Theatre Ambassador and TV medic Dr Dawn Harper said of the announcement, "As an ambassador of the Barn Theatre, I have been so proud of the way they have coped and innovated through the pandemic, always putting the safety of the actors and the public at the forefront. And as we open up, I am thrilled to hear they are giving back to the healthcare community by offering two free tickets to NHS and St John Ambulance to the Sunday matinee shows of “Stones in his Pockets”. I know the lucky recipients will be in for a real treat. Every performance at the Barn Theatre is top drawer."

 

The comedy, which received the 2001 Olivier Awards for Best New Comedy, follows a small village in rural Ireland as it is turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood studio to film the latest historical blockbuster. Told through the eyes of local lads Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, who are employed as extras, it soon becomes clear that Tinseltown’s romanticised dream of Ireland is a long way from reality.

On the upcoming 25^th Anniversary production, that is helmed by her son Matthew, Marie Jones said, “he’s grown up with it, he’s lived with it, with us and his father as an actor and director… and then he went into theatre himself and started to direct and because he has a very analytical mind I knew that he would never let anything get in the way of the narrative even though this particular production has different production values that will be very important to him. When Iwan [Lewis, Barn Theatre CEO & Artistic Director] asked to do it again I asked Matthew if he would direct it… as I trust him totally.”

 

Director Matthew McElhinney said of the production, “‘Stones in his Pockets,’ began life in small community halls and regional venues in Ireland before going on to run for four years on the West End and then Broadway, winning two Olivier Awards and several Tony nominations and has now been translated into over 30 languages. A dream come true; but as a consequence of its success, throughout its many iterations it slowly began to drift away from its original essence and into the more farcical, the pantomime and the Irish with a capital O. This production, on the year of its 25^th anniversary, is an opportunity, for us, to reclaim the story.”  

 

The 25^th Anniversary production stars Shaun Blaney as Jake Quinn and Gerard McCabe as Charlie Conlon with direction by Matthew McElhinney, design by Gregor Donnelly, choreography by Fleur Mellor, lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, sound design and original composition by Harry Smith, AV design by Benjamin Collins and Alex Tabrizi and Denise Cleal as costume supervisor.

 

The Barn Theatre, which last year installed a state-of-the-art ventilation system, is currently running at reduced capacity with booking groups being separated by Perspex screens and staff wearing face coverings. Audience members are encouraged to wear face coverings when at the venue and check in with the NHS Test & Trace app.

 

Stones in His Pockets runs in Cirencester until 22 August with tickets now on sale from £11.50 at barntheatre.org.uk.

NEWS: Laughterhouse Comedy gear up for return to Liverpool Theatre Festival.

 LAUGHTERHOUSE COMEDY

GEARS UP FOR RETURN TO

LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL 

 

Saturday night double bill on 11 September 

 

Line-up features Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Mick Miller, 

Andy Askins, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Liverpool’s Laughterhouse Comedy Club has signed up for a return to the city’s outdoor live entertainment festival in September. 

 

A line-up boasting some of Laughterhouse Comedy’s most popular acts is sure to wow audiences at Liverpool Theatre Festival. 

 

The second annual Liverpool Theatre Festival takes place at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, in Liverpool city centre, between Wednesday 1 September and Sunday 12 September 2021.

 

Two Laughterhouse Comedy shows will be staged back-to-back as a Saturday night double bill on 11 September, with performances at 6pm and 8.30pm. Tickets are £22 per show and are on sale now. 

 

Laughterhouse are Liverpool’s longest running comedy club. They have been bringing the very best in live comedy to audiences across the UK for 15 years. They know exactly what makes a perfect evening of stand-up and have built their business as comedy fans, knowing that live stand-up is the most powerful and exciting evening to experience. 

 

The 6pm show features MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Mick Miller, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue. 

 

The line-up for the 8.30pm show is MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Andy Askins, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue. 

 

Paula Harrington, owner of Laughterhouse Comedy Club, commented: “We are delighted to be part of the second Liverpool Theatre Festival at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church following its huge success last year. Laughterhouse brings audiences an evening of hilarity featuring Scouse favourites and the very best acts on the international comedy circuit.” 

 

MC Chris Cairns is an award-winning comedian. He has bags of charm and enthusiasm which easily wins audiences over. His spontaneity and improvisational skills have created huge demand for him not only as a compere but also as a strong headline act. Chris returns to Liverpool Theatre Festival as Laughterhouse MC after performing as part of the main line-up last year. 

 

Gary Delaney is a regular on Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo. He has written for many hit television shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats and A League Of Their Own. He is widely regarded as one of the most quotable comics on the circuit thanks to his razor sharp one-liners. 

 

Mick Miller is a Scouse comedy legend. Playing football for Port Vale, working on a Kibbutz in Israel, comedy host at Pontin’s, bingo caller – there is not much this comedian hasn’t tried, which gives him an enviable wealth of experience to draw upon. His big break came in 1976 when he won his New Faces heat, and since has continued to work with the UK’s top comics. 

 

Andy Askins appears with a guitar and a cheeky grin – and has a fan in John Bishop. His expertly crafted routine features an eclectic mix of original comic songs and parodies. Since becoming a full-time comedian in 2005, he has worked with Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Jason Manford, Alan Carr, Jimmy Carr, Micky Flanagan, Harry Hill, Rhod Gilbert, Bill Bailey, and Jack Dee. 

 

The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue have been having fun on the comedy circuit for more than 20 years. The comedy duo have performed everywhere from the Edinburgh Festival to New Zealand with plenty of stops between. In 2019, they won the coveted Comedian Of The Year Award at the UK Comedy Awards – as voted for by their contemporaries on the circuit, a huge accolade. 

 

Liverpool Theatre Festival was first staged in September 2020. Created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms, Bill stepped in to bring entertainment back to audiences after theatres across the country were ordered to close their doors as part of the first Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020 – giving live performance and creatives a platform during the most challenging of times. The outdoor festival went on to be a huge success, scooping an award and shortlisted for further accolades, winning praise across the industry for once again giving live performance a platform during the most challenging of times. 

 

The festival has already been expanded for 2021 with the addition of Little LTF, a new strand and sister event to showcase new works and champion talent. Little LTF took place between 12 and 18 July, and attracted more than 1,200 festivalgoers. 

 

Liverpool Theatre Festival 2021 is a 10-day festival featuring mainstream and established acts, artists, and productions. The festival will adhere to any Covid-19 and Government guidelines required at the time. 

 

Shows already announced are 2Gorgeous4U (Wednesday 1 September); The Last Five Years (Friday 3 September); Everybody’s Talking About Musicals (Saturday 4 September); Electric Dreams (Sunday 5 September); Opera Beneath The Stars (Thursday 9 September); Broken Biscuits (Friday 10 September); Laughterhouse Comedy (Saturday 11 September); with Something About George – The George Harrison Story closing the festival (Sunday 12 September). More shows will be announced this week. 

 

Liverpool Theatre Festival is funded by Liverpool City Council and Culture Liverpool, sponsored by Falconer Chester Hall, and supported by Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres and dBS Solutions.  

 

Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates. 

 

Website:         www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com  

Facebook:       /liverpooltheatrefestival 

Twitter:           @lpoolTFestival 

Instagram:      liverpooltheatrefestival 

Hashtag:         #TheatreIsBack 

 

LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL 2021 LISTINGS 

 

2GORGEOUS4U  

DATE: Wednesday 1 September 2021 

TIMES: 5pm / 8pm 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: 70 mins no interval 

 

THE LAST FIVE YEARS 

DATE: Friday 3 September 2021 

TIMES: 5pm / 8pm 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: 75 mins no interval 

 

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT MUSICALS 

DATE: Saturday 4 September 2021 

TIMES: 6pm / 8.30pm 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: 75 mins no interval 

 

ELECTRIC DREAMS 

DATE: Sunday 5 September 2021 

TIMES: 4pm / 8pm 

PRICE: £20 (4pm) £22 (8pm)  

RUNNING TIME: 2 hours 10mins including interval 

 

OPERA BENEATH THE STARS 

DATE: Thursday 9 September 2021 

TIME: 7.30pm 

PRICE: £28 

RUNNING TIME: 2 hours including interval 

 

BROKEN BISCUITS 

DATE: Friday 10 September 2021 

TIMES: 6pm / 8.30pm 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: 60 mins no interval 

 

LAUGHTERHOUSE COMEDY 

DATE: Saturday 11 September 2021 

TIMES: 6pm / 8.30pm (line-up varies slightly between shows) 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: N/A 

 

SOMETHING ABOUT GEORGE – THE GEORGE HARRISON STORY 

DATE: Sunday 12 September 2021 

TIMES: 5pm / 8pm 

PRICE: £22 

RUNNING TIME: 75 mins no interval 

NEWS: The Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, announces their Autumn Season.

The Lawrence Batley Theatre has today announced its autumn season featuring world premieres from Gary Clarke and its annual Community Production

 

The Huddersfield theatre will open its autumn season with a brand-new commission by award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke titled Chronicles. This world premiere work will combine live dance, projection, music and spoken word - using the building’s facade as the backdrop for the multi-art form experience which will take audiences through the decades unearthing the rich histories and untold stories of the theatre’s iconic 200-year-old building. Chronicles will premiere on Wed 1 September for a limited five performance run.

 

British musical comedy duo Frisky & Mannish will kick off the theatre’s first indoor production of its season with two live performances in September and later return with Lawrence Batley Theatre digital commission PopCorn, which sees the duo draw on pop-culture film references combined with their distinctive comedic music style in a world premiere digital extravaganza available to stream 1 – 14 November.

 

The 24 Hour Plays is back in the UK after a 10-year hiatus, with six writers, six directors, six producers and 24 actors from all corners of the UK coming together in Huddersfield to write, rehearse, stage and perform six brand new short plays to a live audience on Sat 2 October. The participants have received mentoring from leading industry voices including Olivier award-winning actress Sheila Atim MBE; In The Heights producer Paul Taylor-Mills; critically acclaimed playwright Amanda Whittington; Fleabag producer Francesca Moody; and Artistic Director of Northern Broadsides, Laurie Sansom.

 

The theatre’s annual community production hits the Main House with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth written and directed by Olivia Race (Front Room Productions). The show will bring together over 90 members of the community from across the Kirklees district for three performances from Thu 7 – Sat 9 October.

 

A host of touring productions will visit the theatre including: Fascinating Aida (Tue 28 September), LUNG Theatre’s Who Cares (Tue 12 October), Proper Job Theatre’s The Trial (Tue 26-Wed 27 October) and Nobody by Motionhouse (Tue 25 January).

 

Families with young children can enjoy, Spontaneous Potter Kidz (Sun 26 September), The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Tue 19 – Wed 20 October) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Mon 1 November).

 

Those looking for some light-hearted fun can enjoy a wealth of comedy performances kicking off with Sindhu Vee’s Alphabet (Sat 11 September), monthly instalments of Comedy Cellar bosting line-ups including; Daliso Chaponda, Lost Voice Guy and Karen Bayley, and, voice of Love Island Iain Stirling brings Failing Upwards to the theatre (Thu 28 October).

 

For its festive offering the Lawrence Batley Theatre will not only produce its annual pantomime which this year is Robin Hood, but also premiere its one-elf show Alfie the Elf’s Christmas Rescue created for children aged four to 11.

 

Henry Filloux-Bennett, CEO & Artistic Director of the Lawrence Batley Theatre comments; “We are utterly thrilled to be welcoming audiences back for live indoor performances for the first time in almost a year. Our autumn season is bigger and better than ever, with our refreshed auditorium playing host to a series of world premieres and touring productions – as well as our digital channels offering original online shows for those to enjoy from home.”

 

The autumn season will see the Lawrence Batley Theatre programme its first full season of work in almost 18 months and its first live indoor performances since October 2020. Tickets are now on sale at thelbt.org.

NEWS: Pitlochry Festival Theatre announce that Smoking Is Bad For You this August!

Pitlochry Festival Theatre present

SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU

Adapted by Elizabeth Newman from Anton Chekov’s short story On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco

Directed by Ben Occhipinti      

Performed by Ali Watt                                                       

 

For just four performances between 19 August and 10 September, Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s open-air amphitheatre will host the première of Smoking is Bad for You, Elizabeth Newman’s new adaptation of Anton Chekov’s amusing and moving monologue, On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco.

 

Directed by Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Associate Director, Ben Occhipinti and performed by Ali Watt (Blithe Spirit, The Monarch of the Glen and A Christmas Carol, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Chekhov’s 1886 short play tells the story of Ivan as we meet him at a local Town Hall. Instructed by his wife to give a lecture on the harmful effects of tobacco it comes apparent that she has an ulterior motive and Ivan’s lecture quickly becomes a very funny, yet painful, revelation about his life and relationships, laying out his lost dreams.

 

Elizabeth Newman, who wrote the  new adaptation said:

“As audiences return to the Theatre it feels like a real opportunity to enjoy great drama and wonderful, funny stories. I have always found Chekhov delivers on both fronts. So, when I was thinking about what we could make for our audiences for our 70th Anniversary outdoors, my mind kept wandering to Chekhov and some of his brilliant short plays. Smoking is Bad for You promises to be a right good night out for people in our new amphitheatre, as Chekhov takes them on a ’lecture’. But it will not be like any lecture they have ever experienced before! Smoking is Bad for You is extraordinarily witty and laugh-out-loud in places. It feels like a great way to   

 

investigate one man’s life struggles with an audience. Pitlochry Festival Theatre's Summer Seasons are known for offering lots of different theatrical styles and genres to audiences and it feels exciting to have a Chekhov in our mix this year.”

 

Edinburgh actor, singer and musician, Ali Watt’s theatre credits include Blithe Spirit, The Crucible, The Monarch of the Glen, A Christmas Carol, and Summer Holiday (all at Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Country Music (Trafalgar Studios); Far from the Madding Crowd (New Vic Theatre); Brigadoon (Òran Mór); and Much Ado About Nothing (Dundee Rep).

 

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is keeping things flexible so audiences can too. They will honour no-hassle refunds and exchanges for any reason (including the weather!) if it is requested at least 24 hours before the performance time. So, audiences can book for summer with the confidence that if plans change, their tickets and money can too!  

 

Smoking is Bad for You will have just four performances in the capacity limited open-air Amphitheatre at Pitlochry Festival Theatre between 19 August and 10 September at 7pm.

 

For tickets and further information visit www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com