Artsreach, Dorset’s rural touring scheme, is celebrating its 20th anniversary year with a special summer programme. The programme, covering April to August, features a wide variety of high quality performances to entertain all ages this summer.
Regional rural media charity Trilith kicks off the programme (24th April, Burton Bradstock) with the second of its special premieres of ‘Dope Under Thorncombe’, following a sell-out a Bridport Arts Centre earlier this spring. A wild melodrama filmed and acted in the 1938 by local people, and shot around West Bay, it portrays a gallant mission to defeat drug smugglers on the Dorset coast! Made as a silent film, it has now been given its own music, especially composed by Rachel Leach, which will be played live at this performance. The 1930s filmmaker’s daughter will be present to give a short talk about how the film came to be made and the memories that her family and other local people have of their roles.
Theatre comes in many guises this summer, with a few familiar faces:
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School makes its annual summer appearance in rural Dorset with their ensemble production of ‘David Copperfield’. When Dickens first picked up his pen to scrawl the opening lines, he was writing with a painful recollection of his own personal experiences. In Alastair Cording's vibrant dramatisation, the unforgettable characters spring from the page with a vitality that brings the saga of young David Copperfield movingly to life. Look out for stars of the future from the famous theatre school where some of Britain’s best loved actors cut their teeth, including Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite and Greta Scacchi to name a few.
The ever-popular Cornish theatre company Miracle Theatre returns to rural Dorset, this time to perform their alfresco adaptation of ‘Romeo & Juliet’. Miracle Theatre takes on Shakespeare’s timeless play for the first time – adapting it for the open air with relish, passion and a sense of humour. By adding their characteristic ingredients of physical performance, music and comedy they sharpen the drama and ensure the production will charm audiences of all ages! At four picturesque locations around Dorset, Miracle are best enjoyed with a picnic and friends, and no doubt with a glorious August sunset as the backdrop…
Quirky physical theatre company Dancing Brick enjoyed an Artsreach tour in the autumn and have since been developing new work. The must-see company will return for one night only in May at Gillingham School where they will perform a special double bill exploring a climate change theme. ‘Hanna and Ike’ is a short piece inspired by the question: How will the rising sea levels affect our everyday lives? Commissioned for the Napoli Teatro Festival Italia and the Genova Science Festival, Dancing Brick was one of six European companies twinned with a scientist to help them understand and research their chosen question. Their second piece, ‘6.0’, is a beautiful and hilarious new play about loss, sport and what happens when our environment can no longer provide us with what we need. The last of the world’s ice disappeared five years ago and the sport of ice dancing went with it. Heap Krusiak and Pebble Adverati, the greatest ice dance pair the world has ever known, will attempt to bring back what the world took away, by performing their free dance on a stage with no ice.
This season’s music comes in various forms too:
Baltic Roots South West – the rural tours which brought Stela over from Poland and Ro:toro from Estonia, both in the Spring – concludes in May, with two performances from highly acclaimed Danish violinist Harald Haugaard and his quartet. Harald is one of Denmark's most sensational folk musicians and a highly influential international composer who has performed across the globe. His characteristic style offers contemporary Danish folk music deeply rooted in tradition. For this special tour Harald will be joined by guitarist Rasmus Zeeberg and percussionist Sune Rahbek, as well as the brilliant singer Helene Blum, winner of the Danish Music Award for Folk Debut of the Year 2004. Together they perform with great presence, a delicate blend of old Danish dance tunes and songs, Haugaard’s beautiful compositions and thrilling improvisations (“One of the three best fiddlers in the world” fRoots). Harald Haugaard will be leading a folk fiddle masterclass session preceding this concert; please phone 01305 269512 for further details.
Five-piece Zimbabwean band Chimanimani will be bringing village halls to life when they descend on Dorset in July. Playing perfect summer music, Chimanimani embodies everything expected from a vibrant African dance band. Expect up-beat and infectious rhythms, jangling guitar melodies and haunting vocals, a place where funky bass riffs fly, in the traditions of the wonderful Four Brothers and The Bhundu Boys. Blending traditional and modern styles, the five band members hail from Harare and combine percussion, guitars, bass guitar, vocals and dance. Chimanimani plays joyful positive music, sunshine music no less – bring your dancing shoes!
Responding to huge acclaim after last year’s sell-out shows, Artsreach is delighted to welcome back the fabulous Destroyers, winding up the summer programme in a special 20th birthday celebration! These dazzling fifteen piece festival favourites take Balkan and Klezmer music as their starting point for a searing live musical journey that has captured audiences around the country. With massed ranks of fiddles, brass, vocals and much more besides, their blazing passion onstage creates a swirling spectacle of sensation and sound, not to be missed!
Another special element of Artsreach’s summer programme is a seaside visit from Squashbox Theatre, a one-man company featuring Craig Johnson of Kneehigh. Craig recently performed a leading role in Kneehigh’s national touring production ‘Hansel & Gretel’, and will be entertaining afternoon audiences with his rousing music- and puppet show ‘The Sea Show’ at Kimmeridge Bay, in a double bill with Miracle Theatre’s evening show. There will also be other opportunities to see Craig in action at venues along the coast, including Durlston Country Park.
Other family theatre comes from the much-loved Tutti Frutti, in co-production with York Theatre Royal, who will be performing a theatrical adaptation of the popular children’s story ‘Whatever Next!’, in which Baby Bear flies to the moon in a rocket. Using puppetry, movement, object animation, a bit of juggling and a lot of imagination, 'Whatever Next!' explores the joy of imaginative play and the wonders of space.
See www.artsreach.co.uk for full listings and box office details of the summer programme.
