FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT THE KIRKGATE CENTRE THEATRE, COCKERMOUTH
DURING JUNE & JULY 2012
FRIDAY 1 JUNE 7pm
Contact Theatre
COUNTRY BOY’S STRUGGLE
Written and performed by Maxwell Golden
Countryboy's Struggle is a unique show which uses an exciting Hip Hop aesthetic to tell a very delicate, tender and honest story of one man’s search for a sense of belonging in a foreign environment.
It is inspired by Maxwell Golden’s own time spent growing up in the coastal community of Bude. It’s about what it’s like living in a rural area and wanting to make urban music, then moving to the city and finding it’s not what you expect – especially when your heart and soul is on the beaches and with the community you grew up in.
CountryBoy’s Struggle integrates music, poetry, MCing, as well as physical comedy to reflect both rural and urban environments.
This one-man show perfectly captures how it feels to grow up with a sense of isolation – a ‘fish out of water’ story – which is full of humanity, pathos and warm wit.
“Maxwell Golden delivers a searing beat monologue to music … An excellent piece that does a lot with a little.” **** British Theatre Guide, on Everything Must Go monologue.
£2 all seats
FRIDAY 8 JUNE 8pm
Big Gig
THE MANDOLINQUENTS
With mandolins of all shapes and sizes, and superb vocals, their infectious fun and off-beat humour influence everything they play. From classical showstoppers to beautifully sung Irish ballads, Scottish reels, traditional tunes for China, Brazilian tangos and hot swing and ragtime. In the 1930's mandolin orchestras were all the rage - every self-respecting town had one. Today the mandolin is back in favour with folk and world musicians. The Mandolinquents are:
Simon Mayor “Britain’s leading hot-fingered mandolin virtuoso”
Hilary James “One of the most stirring voices in British folk music
Richard Collins. Three time UK banjo champion.
Gerald Garcia .From Glastonbury to China (duetting with John Williams !) .
Simon and Hilary are well-established favourites with Arts Out West audiences.
£16.50 (£5 u.18, family £35) D online booking
COCKERMOUTH MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL 15-23 JUNE
FRIDAY 15 JUNE 8PM
Spike Theatre
In association with Unity Theatre & The Met
THE GAMES
An ‘undiscovered’ Greek comedy incorporating sporting equipment with a thousand uses, an original musical score, clown, shadow puppetry and scenes of simulated nudity!
The Games is the story of three Greek nobodies caught up in a celestial bet between Zeus, Hera and Hercules. Our unwitting heroes: Stanzas (a terrible poet), Darius (the runt of the litter) and Hermaphrodite (born a girl) travel to compete in the ancient Olympics and take on the heroes of the sporting world with epic results for mankind…
‘A refreshing and masterful piece of original storytelling... Definitely worthy of a gold medal.’ – Three Weeks
‘Hilarious from beginning to end…’ – What’s On Stage
‘Packed full of energy and fit to burst with wit.’ – The Public Reviews
All seats £10
Recommended age 14+
Duration 70 mins (no interval)
£10 online booking
SATURDAY 16 JUNE 7.30pm
SONIC RE-CONNECTIONS
At Christchurch, South Street,
Cockermouth Festivals Group proudly presents TWO WORLD PREMIERES of new works celebrating the lives and landscape of Cockermouth.
THE LAUGHING WATER DASHES THROUGH
Lee Patterson
Since autumn 2011, Lee Patterson has recorded in the rills, becks, tarns, and meres that make up the catchment area of the Derwent and Cocker, the rivers that have their confluence in Cockermouth.
Composed entirely from hydrophone recordings, The Laughing Water Dashes Through attempts to understand the life and energy of these waters through the sound they produce and contain.
AS TIME PASSES BY
By Mark Newport
Mark is a West Cumbrian composer, sound artist and traditional musician. His piece explores the history and culture of Cockermouth through the words and music of local people. This piece combines 3 dimensional recordings with adaptations of traditional tunes and songs played live, to create a delightful new sonic picture of the town from the perspective of the long-vanished Neddy the Clock.
£5 all tickets
A Festivals Group commission, funded by the Arts Council of England.
SUNDAY 17 JUNE 8pm
FUSIONHEAD
Tight arrangements and creative improvisations over groove-based jazz in a variety of styles, think “Crusaders” and you’ve got the vibe of the funk/soul basis of this band. Roz Sluman on sax and vocals; Alex Green on bass and vocals; Nick Rimmer on keys and Kenny Reed on Drums. Roz will also be leading a JAZZ IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP in the afternoon, cost £15. Limited places, must be booked in advance. For more information and booking contact the Box Office 01900 826448.
£10 (£5 u.18 , FREE for anyone taking part in the afternoon workshop).
TUESDAY 19 JUNE 4.15pm
Tutti frutti Theatre Company & York Theatre Royal
THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE
Meet two competing friends in this new fantastic adaptation of Aesop’s fable; a story about racing, opposites, time and friendship. From sun-shining spring to snow-falling winter, tutti frutti brings you this much loved story brimming with ideas, characters, live music and wonderful physicality.
The Hare and Tortoise in the greatest race on earth with a nail biting, seconds ticking, medal winning end...
For children aged 3+and their families
£6 (child £4, family £16) D
TUESDAY 19 JUNE 7.30pm
Kirkgate Centre
COCKERMOUTH NOW AND THEN
Eric Cass, of the Cockermouth Museum Group, presents a selection of views of Cockermouth showing how the town has changed over the last century and a half. £4
WEDNESDAY20 JUNE 7.30pm
AN EVENING OF CUMBRIA SHORT FILMS
Celebrating the talents of local film makers, this evening includes a screening of “One Last Walk” and the winners of the Osprey Awards from Keswick Film Festival. £4
FRIDAY 22 JUNE 8pm
Mark Thomas
EXTREME RAMBLING
(Walking The Wall)
During 2010, comedian and activist Mark Thomas decided to go rambling in the Middle East and walked the entire length of the Israeli Separation Barrier, crossing between the Israeli and the Palestinian side.
Extreme Rambling is the story of 300,000 settlers, a 750km wall, six arrests, one stoning, too much hummus and one simple question... can you ever get away from it all with a good walk?
Mark Thomas has been a performer since 1985; he has toured the UK and abroad, has made seven series of his own show for Channel 4, as well as the popular “Manifesto” programmes on Radio 4.
£10 (Duration 70 mins – no interval) online booking
Adult themes and language – recommended age 16+
SATURDAY 23 JUNE
The Kirkgate will be one of the venues for “Cockermouth Live!” (FREE) featuring the best of local performing talent (see festival brochure for times and details). Including, at 3pm in the Kirkgate, a FREE Ceilidh with the Monster Ceilidh Band
SATURDAY 23 JUNE 8pm
Festival Finale
MONSTER CEILIDH BAND
With support from Kirkgate’s own youth folk band Yan Tann
“Outrageously foot-stomping tunes from this Newcastle based four-piece who mix quirky tunes with beats and attitude. Elegant traditional playing versus raucous rave-like rhythms reveals arrangements to ignite the dance floor.”Womex
Amy Thatcher’s Accordion, Carly Bain’s fiddle, David La Haye’s bass and Kieran Szifris’ mandocello provide the tradition and Joseph Truswell’s Drum and Bass adds the beats. Monster Ceilidh band have played festivals from Russia, from Towersey to The Sage, and are ready to give our 2012 Midsummer Festival a great send-off! Online booking
£10 (£5 u.18) family £25.
FRIDAY 29 JUNE 8pm
WOODY MANN
Among guitarists and critics, Woody Mann is considered a modern master. While the blues are his touchstone, he seems to draw inspiration from every direction, blending a myriad influences with ease and grace. Having studied, literally, at the feet of the Rev. Gary Davis and other blues ‘greats’, Woody has taken the traditional blues feeling and evolved it into his own highly personal, energized approach while practicing his teachers gift for telling powerful stories in the song form”
£10 (£5.u.18) D online booking
Music explorer
SUNDAY 1 JULY
ANDREW LAWRENCE
THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN COMEDY TOUR
As seen on BBC1’s ‘Live At The Apollo’ and ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’
Double Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee
Double Chortle Award Nominee: Best UK Headline Act
Maybe you’ve caught one of his rare TV appearances. Maybe you’ve heard his Radio 4 series ‘What To Do If You’re Not Like Everybody Else’. Probably you’ve never heard of Andrew Lawrence at all. How remiss of you. Join him as he embarks on his latest UK stand-up tour.
‘Lawrence, should he so wish, could be the defining stand-up comic of his generation’ The Guardian
www.andrewlawrencecomedy.co.uk
£10 online booking
Contains adult material and language which may offend.
FRIDAY 13 JULY
MARTIN STEPHENSON
Martin is an outstanding singer and songwriter, whose career in music now stretches back over thirty years of critical acclaim and relentless touring.
Born in County Durham in 1961, Martin was initially fired up to play in a band when the punk rock phenomenon went over ground in the late 1970's. Then as now, Martins free spirit incorporated a love for an eclectic range of musical styles, from Zappa & Beefheart, through Rockabilly, old time string music to straight-ahead rock and full tilt punk. He formed the Daintees, which broke up in 1992 but has recently re-formed. This will be his third visit to the Kirkgate as a solo performer.
£11 (£5 u.18) D online booking
SATURDAY 14 JULY 8pm
Angus and Ross Theatre Co
HOLMES AND WATSON : THE FAREWELL TOUR
By Stuart Fortey
At last Sherlock Holmes and his trusty companions can reveal one of their most baffling unrecorded cases – The Case of the Prime Minister, the Floozie and the Lummock Rock Lighthouse - an affair upon whose outcome the security of Europe once hung by a thread. With retirement in sight, they embark on a nationwide theatrical tour, safe in the knowledge that arch-enemy Professor Moriarty has fallen to his death at the Reichenbach Falls. What can possibly go wrong ?
This hilarious, fast-moving comedy has already reduced Arts Out West audiences to helpless laughter . Your last chance to see... Don’t miss it !
£7.50 (£5 u.18) £20 family. Online booking
