Cutting edge drama, world-class musicians, plus a vibrant line-up of satire from the Fringe, student jazz and late night comedy are set to establish The North Wall Arts Festival – now in its second year – as one of Oxford’s major arts festivals, in an award winning venue converted from a former Victorian swimming pool. Programme highlights, announced today, include: Chamber music, Cantamus - and Britain's best brass band
Brilliant violinist Daniel Hope heads a programme of music which also includes Wingates Band, one of Britain’s oldest and finest brass bands, girls’ choir Cantamus (celebrating its 40th anniversary this year), the Sacconi Quartet, National Youth Jazz Orchestra and rock musician and composer Nick Lloyd-Webber. Jane Carter, programme director (music) said: “I’m thrilled the musicians in this year’s festival are coming to perform at the North Wall. It is a diverse programme from outstanding performers bringing together a mixture of great music traditions and exciting repertoire from all over the world.”
Groundbreaking plays from the UK’s top new writing theatres head the bill in a programme produced by Holly Kendrick, on behalf of the National Student Drama Festival (www.nsdf.org.uk). They include:
Mark Ravenhill’s Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat from Paines Plough (premiered this spring at the National Theatre and in venues across London) and 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover from The Bush Theatre.
Hotfoot from its sell-out smash at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe is the award winning Tony! The Blair Musical, a fresh and funny satirical musical comedy chronicling ten years of New Labour rule, with Ed Duncan Smith (son of former Conservative leader Iain) taking on the role of Alastair Campbell.
Late-night comedy lights up the North Wall’s studio space and includes Markus Birdman, James Sherwood, Chris Cox and Paul Tonkinson. The studios also host play readings with professional actors, workshops and masterclasses throughout the two-week Festival. Throughout the Festival there will be readings of new plays with professional actors and leading young actors from this year’s National Student Drama Festival will also be taking part in four day workshops. Local school and other music groups will have the opportunity to take part in workshops and master classes.
Tickets go on sale in early May. Call the Box Office 01865 319450 or visit www.thenorthwall.com
Press: For more information contact Cath Nightingale 07798 665629 or Emily Man 07980-901980 or email cat@studionightingale.com Picture captions: Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat: director Roxana Silbert and playwright Mark Ravenhill (writer) at Village Underground (picture credit: Stephen Cummiskey). Daniel Hope (picture credit Felix Broede/DG)
The North Wall Arts Centre aims to be a venue for world-class arts and also to showcase the creative talent of young people. Housed on the site of a former Victorian swimming pool in Summertown, Oxford, the striking new conversion won a prestigious national Civic Trust award in March for its “skilful and imaginative scheme .. and high standard of design.” The 2008 Awards also include the Young Vic and the Roundhouse.
Paines Plough is an awardwinning, nationally and internationally renowned theatre company specialising exclusively in the commissioning and development of contemporary playwrights and the production of their work for the stage. It aims to challenge notions of theatre and the society we live in.
Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat, by Mark Ravenhill, is an epic cycle of short plays exploring the personal and political effect of war on modern life. These premiered at last year’s Edinburgh Festival and are being presented in various venues across London this spring, including the National Theatre, The Gate, The Royal Court and a Victorian warehouse in East London.
Tony! The Blair Musical: This sell-out show from last year’s Edinburgh Fringe stars Blair, Bush, Brown and the now infamous Barbershop Quartet of defeated Tory leaders (‘an absolutely five star moment’ The Times) making government rock. Join Tony for an intimate revue of his greatest hits, as he proves once and for all that there ain’t no party like a Labour party. From the same team also comes Tony of Arabia, an ongoing saga of one man’s battle with destiny: watch as Tony conquers Europe, brings peace to the Middle East and focuses on his solo career.
Infinite Lives: A candid, funny and provocative play written by Chris Goode for actor Jon Spooner, artistic director of Unlimited Theatre, which tells the story of a 30-something man who quits his job to take some time out and write a gay sci-fi novel. Presented by Theatre in the Mill, Bradford, in association with The North Wall.
Jackajack: The destiny of the new world rests in the paws of one little puppy. With strange creatures, flying umbrellas and the truth about double yellow lines, Jackajack is a piece of dark storytelling suitable for children yet universal in its appeal, told through jagged physical theatre and junkyard puppetry and presented by TuckedIn Productions.
MUSIC PROGRAMME
Daniel Hope
One of Britain’s most successful violinists, Daniel Hope is renowned the world over for his musical creativity and versatility. He has now been signed exclusively to Deutsche Grammophon with whom he recently recorded Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and which he will be performing at The North Wall. He has won a string of prizes, including the Classical Brit Awards, Classical Performer 2001 by the Evening Standard and the ECHO prize, and has made a series of award-winning recordings for Warner Classics.
Sacconi Quartet
Formed in 2001 at the Royal College of Music, the Sacconi Quartet is rapidly gaining an enviable reputation as one of the outstanding quartets of its generation. The four musicians’ tangible chemistry, coupled with musical depth and breadth, lifts their performance out of the ordinary. Sacconi has broadcast for Radio 3 and won numerous international awards.
Wingates Brass Band
Wingates is the ‘finest band in the land” and one of Britain’s oldest. It was the first-ever traditional brass band to play in St Paul’s Cathedral before the Queen and Prince Philip and is one of only two bands ever to have won a Double Double: the British Open and the National Championships, twice. Conductor Andrew Berryman, who will also be running a masterclass during the Festival, is also lead trombonist with the world-famous Hallé Orchestra.
Cantamus
Cantamus Girls’ Choir celebrates its 40th birthday this year and its 45 singers, aged 13-19, continue to captivate audiences with their unfailing technique and range of contemporary music and folk song. The choir has won 21 first prizes in international choral festivals including Choir of the World (Llangollen Eisteddfod), Grand Priz (Riva del Garda) and BBC Choir of the Year (twice). Cantamus follow their performance at The North Wall with a concert at this year’s Proms.
National Youth Jazz Orchestra
NYJO is well-known throughout the world as a glittering showcase for the country's best young musicians, covering a wide variety of styles, and can be enjoyed by non-jazz audiences as well as jazz aficionados. NYJO is recognised as a world-class jazz orchestra, and regularly tops the bill at festivals.
O Duo (schools event)
This dynamic percussion duo play an impressive range of instruments with a combination of nifty footwork, visual athleticism and technical accomplishment. A toast of recent Edinburgh festivals, they won ‘Best Music Act of the Fringe’ twice, in 2003 and 2004. Their first commercial CD was launched last year to critical acclaim and was nominated CD of the week by The Daily Telegraph.
FESTIVAL DIRECTORS
Emily Man, festival director. Emily has been developing film and theatre writers and directors for ten years. She made her first film Tears of a Clown in 1996, and has gone on to develop, with Catherine Bailey Ltd, the award winning David Cronenberg film Spider. Her own short film Mercy won Best Film at Soho Film Festival and Best European Short Film at Creteil Film Festival in 1995. She now has her own company Manmade Films.
Jane Carter, artistic director (music). Jane’s extensive music experience is deeply rooted in the record, publishing, performer and broadcasting industries. She has worked for companies such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Universal Music, BBC Radio 3, Chester Music Publishing and Warner Classics. In 2000 she moved to BBC Worldwide where she became their first creative director, music. Jane is now co-founder and director of The Music Label Agency, a bespoke service for record labels spanning all areas of traditional and digital music exploitation and content development.
Holly Kendrick, artistic director (drama) on behalf of NSDF. Holly is director (CEO) of the National Student Drama Festival and has consistently produced new work both nationally and internationally. She founded and produced for both Sound Theatre and Caird Company, and produced for National Theatre and Cameron Mackintosh Board for Oxford University Drama. Holly has also produced at The Tricycle Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Gate Theatre, National Theatre and The Oxford Playhouse. She has worked as an Associate Producer in the West End for both Stanhope Productions and Centreline Productions.
Catherine Nightingale
Studio Nightingale
12 Thorncliffe Road
Oxford OX2 7BB
T: 01865 513969
M: 07798 665629
cat@studionightingale.com
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Created on ... February 14, 2007