Audiences of all ages are invited to an evening of music, song, dance and storytelling, exploring ‘when life feels like a beach’, when the Hat Fair Community Celebration comes to Theatre Royal Winchester on Friday 4 July.
This special one-night event will dive into sanctuary and safe spaces, the power of connection, belonging and joy at every stage of life. It will ask what makes you feel truly alive and where can you be your most authentic self and feel free and at ease.
The show has been created with local community groups, including Playmakers’ South Wonston, Wickham and Oliver’s Battery Primary School drama clubs, The Amazing Fusion Choir, University of Winchester Music Production students (Alfie Hickson, Carmen Torres Gomez, Ieuan Davies), Blue Apple Theatre, which works with performers with learning disabilities, and the residents of St John’s Almshouses. Plus, local talent artists – singer Lala Smaglova (part of the Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association) and collective, 432 Nomads, which creates work reflecting lived experiences, identity and cultural heritage (Rishky Patel, Majid Dhana aka Jidos Reality, Omar Mahmood, Conor Wood aka Templar, Dockem and others). Collectively, they have created an original composition including spoken word and song, and original dance pieces.
The Hat Fair Community Celebration is the culmination of months of workshops, during which participants have worked with professional artists, including composer, Chloe Kirson-Jones, to create original music, songs and spoken word; and videographer, David Kenny, who has been recording the workshops collecting stories around sanctuary and days on the beach to create a visual backdrop for the show.
There will also be animation inspired by the performance work, created by this year’s Hat Fair Artist Intern, University of Southampton BA (Arts) Graphic Arts (Illustration) student, Ilyssa Marasigan.
The community groups will share the stage with dance circus act, JoliVyann, who have worked with them to record their voices, creating a soundscape backdrop for the Hat Fair Community Celebration as well as being incorporated into their show, Life’s A Beach, which they will perform at Hat Fair the following day, Saturday 5 July.
Pre-show, from 5pm, there will also be a Young Makers Market in the theatre’s foyer spaces, where young people will sell beach-themed jewellery, prints, postcards and more; plus, live music from local band, North Drive, and a specially-designed beach-themed cocktail, available at the bar.
Audiences are also welcome to come to the event in their favourite beachwear (sundresses, straw hats, Hawaiian shirts) to suit the joyous and carefree mood of the evening!
This is a Pick Your Price event meaning audiences can choose the ticket price that works best for them, regardless of the position of their seat – and enjoy the show for as little as £6!
Hat Fair Community Celebration will be at Theatre Royal Winchester on Friday 4 July at 7pm. Tickets are available from the theatre’s Box Office, by calling 01962 840440 or visiting: theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk.
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