Face to Face Festival Launches July 1 at LOST Theatre

The Face to Face Festival of Solo Theatre is entering its second year at the LOST Theatre London, once again funded by Arts Council England. There will be six evenings of performances by our most talented solo theatre artists from July 1st - 6th supported by exciting work from outstanding new and emerging performers. And on the seventh day - Sunday July 7th - the festival will be devoted to solo performances for audiences of one, unique encounters one to one with our featured headline performers and special guests.

The programme features:

Stephen Oxley as Tristram Shandy on July 1st;

PR guru Mark Borkowski & Nineties Woman Rosie Wilby on July 2nd;

Verbatim Theatre artist Louise Wallinger on July 3rd;

Jewish comedian Ivor Dembina on July 4th;

Seminal soloist Claire Dowie & Theatre Poet Kay Adshead on July 5th;

Physical performer Peta Lily & Verbal virtuoso Jack Klaff on July 6th

This is the second year that the Face to Face Festival will be run in partnership with the Offie Award Winning LOST Theatre who already run two annual festivals: The One Act Festival and Five Minute Festival. This is also the second year that the Face to Face Festival has been supported financially by Arts Council England

After just one year The Face to Face Festival of Solo Theatre represented by one of its Co- Directors, Colin Watkeys, has been invited to join the International Monodrama Forum and InterNational Theatre Institute (ITI). Colin Watkeys has been invited to International Festivals, both as a participant, with solo performer Claire Dowie and as a jury member; including: Thespis in Germany; MonoAkt in Kosova; InterCity in Italy; Varna in Bulgaria; Saint Muse in Mongolia and Vidlunnja in Ukraine.

Over the last 30 years Colin Watkeys has specialised in producing and directing solo theatre and writers who perform their own work. He is now part of a world movement that recognises that solo performance possesses a unique quality of vision in theatre. The Face to Face Festival celebrates the best in solo theatre and nurtures future solo performers. New and emerging artists perform alongside experienced professionals. Exciting new work plays opposite classic solo pieces. There are also training opportunities for new performers to take part in workshops and both create and present their first solos.

Colin Watkeys first created Solo Theatre on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Nica Burns in Dulcima in 1982 (originally there was another non-speaking role later cut) Since then he has worked with Yong Writers at The Royal Court Theatre and solo performers at the Finborough Cabaret from 1982 - 1988. He directed all of the solo theatre created by award winning performers Claire Dowie and the legendary Ken Campbell as well as work by Stephen Oxley (Tristram Shandy); Guy Dartnell; Jeremy Stockwell; Peta Lily and Jack Klaff (the award-winning Jack the Knife).

Colin Watkeys: 28 Thurlow Park Road, London, SE21 8JA