Festival Theatre 2019
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FestivalThe Theatre at HEVER CASTLE 4 May to 30 August 2019 Speakers Family Shows Plays Comedy Films Musical Entertainment Jazz Blues Opera Classical BOX OFFICE: 01732 866114 www.heverfestival.co.uk Just 1 mile from the Theatre and Castle & Gardens entrance 01732 700 700 heverhotel.co.uk [email protected] Welcome to Hever Festival Theatre 2019 ‘Excellent theatre in beautiful surroundings’. Audience Member 2018 Superb speakers, great comedians, stars from the West End and the worlds of classical and jazz music, family shows, films and musical entertainment. Hever Festival Theatre promises a truly exciting 2019. We are very proud that the home of our Festival is Hever Castle, one of the country’s best-loved historic tourist attractions. The Tudor castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn stands in magnificent gardens and boasts a beautiful lake. What better surroundings in which to enjoy a pre-event picnic. Following the success of last year, our 35th, we have extended our programme and are able to offer an even more exciting range of events. We are delighted to be working in partnership with our great friends, Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival and with Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival who are hosting three spectacular concerts in May. Charles Court Opera, the champions of the current reinvigoration of Gilbert and Sullivan, are also joining us for the first time. It feels good to be part of a bigger team. Very excitingly this year, we are offering reduced ticket price entry to Hever Castle Gardens alongside our theatre tickets so do make a day of it and before the Festival event starts, take the opportunity of exploring even more of this stunning estate. It’s going to be an electrifying year and we very much look forward to welcoming you to the theatre in 2019. Some feedback from our lovely 2018 audience ‘Why go to London in the summer, when you can come to the Festival Theatre at beautiful Hever Castle?’ ‘Each year we look forward to the HFT – Have Fun Theatre!’ ‘Absolute Heaven @ Hever.’ ‘Summer means Hever – picnic, theatre, entertainment, fun.’ SPEAKERS Jeremy Vine What the Hell is Going On? Jeremy Vine is one of the UK's most successful broadcasters. In more than thirty years at the BBC, he's presented Newsnight, Panorama, Crimewatch, Eggheads and Points of View — as well as his daily Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2, the UK's most listened-to radio news programme. He's been shot at in Croatia and had chewing gum placed on his chair in Zimbabwe (by one of Robert Mugabe's supporters). But increasingly he finds himself asking "What the hell is going on?" as information and misinformation get mixed together and the sheer volume of news that gets thrown at us all is mind-blowing. Get ready to laugh and cry as Jeremy tries to make sense of a world that increasingly Sat 24 Aug 8pm makes no sense at all - where, as he puts it, ‘My listeners have better stories than I do.’ Reserved covered seating £25 90mins with Q&A Anna of Kleve - Alison Weir Anna of Kleve, the 4th of Henry VIII’s queens. She is a German princess. A king has fallen in love with her portrait. She has none of the accomplishments he admires in women – and she lives with a guilty secret. Alison Weir reveals a charming, spirited woman loved by all who knew her – and even, ultimately, by the King who rejected her. Mon 19 Aug 8pm Reserved covered seating £18 90mins with Q&A The Gravetye Manor Garden Tom Coward In the early 20th century William Robinson was a household name and one of the leading voices in horticulture. With his numerous books, the charismatic Irishman changed the way we think about gardening and laid the foundations for much of modern horticulture. Sadly he is little known today, but his garden at Gravetye Manor remains a testimony to his genius. In this talk, head gardener Tom Coward will discuss the legacy of this fascinating man and the challenges involved in developing his historic garden. Wed 28 Aug 8pm Reserved covered seating £18 90mins with Q&A FAMILY Pre-book your theatre and discounted Hever Castle gardens package tickets to make a full day of your visit. Full details at www.heverfestival.co.uk or call the box office 01732 866114. Otherwise gates open 30 minutes before the performance. Castle gardens close at 6pm. Horrible Histories: Brand New Barmy Britain We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is dead! So it’s time to prepare yourselves for Horrible Histories live on stage with a brand-new West End show that has never toured before - featuring all new scenes! Would you be shaken or stirred by Richard III? Mount a mutiny against King Henry VIII! See Mary Tudor knock the spots off Mary Queen of Scots! Will Queen Elizabeth I endure her terrible teeth? Would you be hanged by King James I for being a witch? Peep into the world of Samuel Pepys and help Georgian detectives find the headless man! Take a trip into the night with the night soil men and discover how to survive the first ever train ride! It's the history of Britain with the nasty bits left in! This show appeared at the Apollo Theatre in the West End as 'Barmy Britain - Part Four' summer 2018 Sat 4 May 8pm Reserved covered seating £16.50 70 mins Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves! Young Ali Baba stumbles across an enchanted cave when he overhears the magic words that open it, ‘Open Sesame!’. Inside the cave he finds untold amounts of gold and jewels and takes some of it home to show his wife. But what will he do when she chides him for stealing? Can he keep the secret from his jealous brother? And when the Robber King comes looking for the missing treasure supported by an army of 40 angry thieves – will he and his family survive? Adapted from the Arabian Nights, this show is packed with cliff-hangers, larger-than-life characters, and laughs galore. There’s lots to join in with – and the most magical cave you’ve ever seen. Tues 28 May 2:30pm Reserved covered seating £15.50 100 mins with interval FAMILY Elmer the Elephant Show Based on the classic David McKee children’s books, Elmer is a celebration of individuality and the power of laughter. Featuring a menagerie of 21 loveable puppets, Alice in Wonderland Elmer tells the tale of an elephant that stands out, both with his patchwork-coloured skin and his sense of humour but ultimately realizing that his friends have always valued his unique characteristics. Thurs 25 July 2.30pm Reserved covered seating £15.50 45 mins Presented in association with Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival Alice in Wonderland Imagination runs wild and logic is abandoned in Immersion Theatre’s fantastical, larger-than-life musical brimming with nonsensical fun and excitement for the entire family. Follow Alice and the White Rabbit as they set off on a colourful, topsy-turvy adventure and meet a host of outlandish characters. Thurs 1 Aug 2.30pm £15.50 110 mins with interval Wimpy Kid Show A must for all Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans and great family entertainment. Host Alastair Watson brings the books to life with fun activities including The Wimpy Kid Draw-Along and The Wimp Wars! Quiz. The event also includes exclusive clips of author Jeff Kinney talking about the books and showing how he draws the characters. Wed 7 Aug 2.30pm £12.50 (incl drawing materials) 60 mins BOX OFFICE: 01732 866114 www.heverfestival.co.uk Tales from Adriamus with Anthony Browne Join the Adriamus Ensemble for some musical games and storytelling. See how their music adds to Anthony Browne’s ‘Willy the Wimp’ stories. Meet Anthony himself and play some drawing games with him. Come ready to join in with this hour of musical fun. Wed 21 Aug 2.30pm £12.50 60mins Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy That Ran Away From The Circus (and joined the library) Join Beautiful Creatures Theatre for a high-flying, tightrope-walking, slightly hypnotising adventure. A brand new, hilarious adaptation of AF Harrold’s much-loved book for children featuring puppetry, magic and a lion with false teeth! Presented with the kind permission of A.F. Harrold & Bloomsbury Publishing and supported by South Street Arts Centre and Arts Council England. Wed 28 Aug 2.30pm £12.50 60mins Literary Events New for 2019 Look out for our inspiring programme and join us indoors, at Hever this Autumn. FestivalThe Theatre at HEVER CASTLE PLAYS Jeeves and Wooster: Perfect Nonsense David and Robert Goodall Dir. Jessica-Ann Jenner The nonsensical Bertie Wooster is starring in his one-man show but has overlooked how to present so many characters on stage at once. Luckily Jeeves is on hand to save the day, aided by an enthusiastic maid with a penchant for impersonation. Fast-paced, slightly anarchic and seriously funny - a spiffing start to Summer at Hever. Fri 31 May 2pm & 8pm Sat 1 June 8pm Reserved covered seating £18 Round and Round the Garden Alan Ayckbourn Dir. Pauline Armour Ayckbourn’s hilarious comedy takes place over a weekend when the lecherous Norman is simultaneously attempting to seduce his sister-in-law Annie, charm his brother’s wife Sarah and still keep his own wife Ruth, happy. He leaves a trail of havoc culminating in an orgiastic frenzy on the lawn. Wildly comic and deeply poignant – Ayckbourn at his brilliant best.