Whistle stop whizz around Brighton Festival
The Festival Season is in full swing here in sunny Brighton and we are enjoying the opportunity to get out and about to a few of the plethora of venues that are scattered all over the city. Brighton always has an extra special atmosphere at this time of year – a perfect time to visit!
Brighton Festival (courtesy of VisitBrighton.com)
We were actually away for the first week of May (back in Burma to open our schools – see previous blog) but since we got back we’ve been whizzing around making the most of the entertainment, the sheer variety of what’s on offer is mind blowing.
Yesterday lunchtime, I was passing by the Studio Theatre at the Dome (pictured above too – top right) when I decided to call in on the off chance and managed to bag a last minute ticket for the Concert for the Nations of Europe – a delightful way to spend an hour listening to the beautifully rendered classical ensemble playing exquisite pieces by Beethoven and his contemporaries.
On the way back I could have chosen to drop into any number of shows, cabaret or exhibitions including the 50th Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. For the first time at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery visitors can enjoy the best wildlife photography in the world without needing to travel to London or fight through crowds to see the pictures.
Brighton Museum (courtesy of Adam Bronkhorst)
Alternatively I could have dropped into the Speigeltent, erected on the roundabout by the pier and the ‘go to’ venue for edgy cabaret and avant garde acts featuring 155 shows from over 40 companies.
There are a number of other exciting ‘pop-up venues’ to visit. I highly recommend ‘Lungs’, an exciting, intense two person play in a specially constructed round theatre on Regency Square with an intimate feel, housing an audience of just 168 in the tiered seating surrounding the performance space.
Last Friday we were at the Theatre Royal watching the surreal production ‘The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler’ and with a packed audience we enjoyed the offbeat journey through the mind of one of music’s most improbable icons:
You are the centre of your little world and I am of mine
Now and again we meet for tea, we’re two of a kind.
This is our universe, cups of tea.
We have a beautiful cosmos, you and me.
– Ivor Cutler.
Brighton’s Theatre Royal (courtesy of Adam Bronkhurst)
As I write there’s still a few more days of the festival left and we’re hoping to finish with a flurry. We are looking forward to visiting Dawn Chorus in the converted chapel – now performance space – that is Fabrica, right in the centre of the city, before heading back to the Dome to catch Laurie Anderson performing ‘All the Animals’ described by Wired thus; ‘Laurie Anderson…has broken through and made some of the most interesting art of the late 20th century…earning as she goes a reputation as one of the world’s premiere performance artists.’ I might just grab a few more last minute deals too.
So if you have the weekend free why not come down for the finale? If not, don’t worry, all the venues listed above have a jam packed schedule of events throughout the year. There’s always something happening and the team at Strawberry Fields would be happy to give you some insider info.
Until next time culture vultures,