This week I have enjoyed Les Enfants Perdu, Tiger Lillies, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Sundog (Arthur Jeffes & Olly from Penguin Cafe) if you want to know more about them, check out my blog on http://www.theshiftnorwich.org.uk/blog-shift.html.
But if you can't get tickets for Circa in the Spiegeltent, there is the circus show Risque Zero at Great Yarmouth Hippodrome with French Compagnie Galapiat. If you haven't been to the Hippodrome before then it is worth the visit just for that, but of course the circus show will also be great - the French seem to have mastered the art of contemporary circus which has changed so much in the last few years. Performances are tonight (Friday 24th) and tomorrow (Saturday 25th) at 7.30pm and you can book by the Hippodrome site http://www.hippodromecircus.co.uk/ or Theatre Royal Box Office via www.nnfestival.org.uk but please note that each venue is only selling half the seats so there is currently more choice on the Hippodrome site which is where I have just booked for tonight.
Also for the adventurous there is the omnibus edition of Nature Theatre of Oklahoma at Norwich Playhouse tomorrow (Saturday). Staring at 1.30pm and running for 12 hours, this marathon has been very positively reviewed by Lyn Gardner. It's a play based on a real-life conversation with a young resident of Oklahoma and is an almost verbatim acting out of what she experienced during a day of her life. It's 12 hours at the moment but eventually it will be a full 24 hours. I am going because I think it is such a bizarre idea and I am curious about how they will handle it...I can't help thinking it's a once-in-a-lifetime show!
But if that doesn't appeal, there is a lot of other stuff happening - I would also like to go to Electric Voice Phenomena at Norwich Arts Centre, plus there is still the visual art to catch up on - Brian Griffiths at Norwich Castle goes on till 2nd June but Dear Lynda finishes tomorrow .
There is also an artists' talk by BRIAN GRIFFITHS Travels with a panda, a clown and an invisible thing on Saturday 25 May, 2pm, Lecture Theatre, Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. Free with museum admission to coincide with his installation 'THESE FOOLISH TRAVELS' in the Castle Keep 11 May - 2 June 2013. Cheapest is to buy a special exhibition ticket at £3.10 to attend the talk and view the exhibition rather than a full-on museum entry
Anyway, for lots of other Festival events over the weekend, best check the Festival website - I find the best way to access it is to click on the calendar and see what's on each day. And well done to the Festival team for keeping up the pace over two weeks.
For a non-Festival option, innovative theatre company Real Circumstance are performing their new show at The Garage in Chapelfield on Saturday 25 7.30pm. Called 'Our Share of Tomorrow' by Dan Sherer, it has had some great reviews already as it sets out on a tour of the East before hitting London later in the month.
‘Colchester’s cutting edge theatre company’ (Gazette) brings its new play to The Garage, following critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe and York Theatre Royal.
'Tom asked Grace out when they were sitting on the Quay. She was fifteen, he a year older, and they were very happy together. But then she had to go away – something to do with her parents. So he sat on the Quay waiting for her. And one day she came back. Our Share of Tomorrow is a love story'.
Get behind the scenes and check out Real Circumstances' rehearsal blog here and read the feedback on the show here. And access a two-for-one ticket offer by calling the Box Office on 01603 660352, quoting 'TomorrowPlay'
But it doesn't all end with the Festival. Next week is another opportunity to see Curious Directive at The Garage. Their show in the Festival this year sold out immediately so if you missed that, come and see After the Rainfall on 28/29 May. I saw the development show of this production last year and it was impressive - deep and exciting. Since then it has been to Edinburgh and toured so I am 'curious' to see how it has developed and very keen to see it again - it was sooo good - and Curious Directive (Norwich-grown) are tipped as one of the up-and-coming companies to watch. The Garage are running a promo 2 for 1 ticket offer - you have to call the Box Office and quote the code.
Tickets are £10 (£7.50 students).
SPECIAL OFFER!!!! 2 FOR 1 ON ALL TICKETS - USE PROMO CODE 'ANTS 2013' WHEN YOU CALL TO BOOK TICKETS! PLEASE CALL THE BOX OFFICE ON 01603 630000 TO CLAIM THIS OFFER. Box Office: 01603 630000 or book online here
And on Thursday 30/Friday 1 June is The Canada Boys, also at The Garage, a play by fEAST Theatre
Set in Norwich in 1912, this new play by Rob John is based on the true story of a group of workers at the world famous Colman’s mustard factory. Concerned by rising unemployment in Norwich, the company offered some of its employees the opportunity of a new life on the other side of the Atlantic.
The Canada Boys is the story of Jack and Eddie Craske two brothers who’d never travelled west of Wymondham but whose lives are about to change for ever. This funny, sad and thought-provoking play which resonates with Norfolk voices and Norwich locations asks searching questions about love, labour, duty and family.
fEast Theatre is a company specifically formed to develop and showcase new work by professional writers, actors and directors from Norfolk. More: feasttheatre.com
And for artists and book-makers a chance to win £250 in an art competition run by Writers' Centre Norwich and Turn the Page artists' book festival
http://www.writerscentrenorwich.org.uk/summerreadsbookartcompetition.aspx
As usual there is tons more I could tell you about in this busy city of ours, but I will save it for next week when I will tell you about more literary things - a new career for arts journalist and writer Kieron Pim, a young people's literary festival, FLY and more for young people in the Young Norfolk Arts Festival so stand by.
Toodlepip for now and have a great weekend!
Marion