Norfolk & Norwich Festival Unveils Full Programme for 2011

With 10 world premieres and 8 UK premieres, Norfolk and Norwich Festival unveils an exciting full programme for 2011. 

Artists from around the globe will gather in Norfolk from 6-21 May

New Artistic Director William Galinsky takes helm from outgoing Jonathan Holloway

Highlights include Artichoke's bizarre and quirky Dining with Alice, a show which kick-started the trend for immersive theatre more than a decade ago; America's acclaimed Kronos Quartet; Portuguese fado sensation Mariza; The Past is a Grotesque Animal from Argentinean director Mariano Pensotti, Chouf Ouchouf, an astonishing Moroccan circus and Russia's renowned Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra.

For the first time, the Festival has performers from every corner of the globe. Staff Benda Billili are world-celebrated street musicians from the Congo, Australia's finest circus performers headline the Spiegeltent this year with Cantina, there's evocative and beautiful Thai dance from Pichet Klunchun Dance Company, the wonderfully eccentric Dining with Alice from the UK, challenging political theatre from Iran's Mehr Theatre Group, a superb double bill from Ballet Nacional de España, the majestic Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra from Russia and cool jazz from some of America's finest - Charlie Haden and Kyle Eastwood.

With more UK and world premieres than ever before, audeinces will see it first in Norfolk at NNF11 this May. Two spectacular free night-time shows are both world premieres. The Wolves from Basque company Deabru Baltzak is a fantastical re-working of the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, where Spanish Fiesta-style, the audience will be led through the streets of Norwich at night. As the World Tipped is a not-to-be-missed aerial show from Wired Aerial Theatre in collaboration with Nigel Jamieson (designer of the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics).

Norwich's EPIC Studios play host to a triple-bill of outstanding and provocative pieces of theatre from Iran, Argentina and France. Marianno Pensotti returns to the Festival with a production that is performed on a constantly revolving stage. Mehr Theatre brings challenging, political theatre based on the Green revolution in Iran in 2009 and French theatre maker Philippe Quesne and his Vivarium Studios promises to be one of the most charming and funny shows of this year's Festival.

For music lovers there's an exciting new Festival commission from the Voice Project Choir, Norwich's renowned open-access choir. The Proportions of The Temple is a composition inspired by the architecture, the human history and the stories that have woven themselves into the fabric of Norwich's iconic, 900-year old Cathedral; a building so synonymous with the City.

This year's free outdoor programme sponsored by May Gurney, is bigger and better than ever. The Festival launches on 6 May with Andy Sheppard's Saxophone Massive, a fanfare for 200 local saxophone players, followed by a weekend which will see Norwich City-centre taken over and packed with entertainment for families and children. Free events are also taking place in Cromer this year, including alternative Punch & Judy and contemporary dance.

Festivals are all about new experiences, helping transform the way we see things: Tea Dances in the Spiegeltent, to a Knowledge Emporium in a 1950's airstream caravan where you can swap knowledge for sweets, to a bicycle-powered cinema in Bowthorpe. If you like a challenge then look out for Joshua Sofaer's intriguing Norfolk-wide Street Hunt with its prize fund of up to £10,000 - a puzzle that will test participant's detective powers to the limit.

As part of NNF's pioneering work with young people, Children's Choice Awards will see a jury of 10 year-olds decide which the best Festival shows are. Imagine the Oscar's run by 10 year-olds.

Credited with transforming Cork Midsummer Festival into one of Ireland's most ambitious and respected arts festivals, new Artistic Director William Galinsky has a background in theatre and a reputation for international collaboration and for supporting local artists and performers.

Galinsky said: "Festivals can turn the world upside down and NNF11 is a sixteen day adventure which will see our city and region transformed by great artists and world-class events with the power to move, delight, enrich and amaze".

"This is my first year as artistic director and I'm thrilled to be taking the helm of one of the UK's most diverse and dynamic arts festivals. We are quickly becoming an international destination Festival attracting some of the world's best artists to our region and increasing numbers of visitors keen to experience what we have to offer".

NNF is now recognised as one of the UK's most significant arts festivals with a reputation for courageous and outstanding programming. The Festival will run from 6 - 21 May 2011 and the full programme will be announced in early March 2011.

Norfolk & Norwich Festival has seen audiences increase 1500% since 2004 under the directorship of outgoing leader Jonathan Holloway with over 300,000 people attending events in May 2010. Its world class programme has attracted a significant increase in the number of Under 25s and attendees from outside Norwich.

Booking opens on Wednesday 2nd March 2011. To book in person call in at Norwich Theatre Royal Box Office. To book by phone, call 01603 766400 or online at www.nnfestival.org.uk/nnf11

Theatre, Dance and Circus programme at a glance:

· Ontroerend Goed with Battersea Arts Centre and Richard Jordan Productions: A Game Of You
· Graeae Theatre Company: The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
· Mehr Theatre Group: Where were you on January 8th?
· Philippe Quesne/Vivarium Studio: L'Effet de Serge
· Mariano Pensotti: The Past is a Grotesque Animal
· Artichoke: Dining with Alice
· Groupe Acrobatique de Tangier: Chouf Ouchouf
· Daniel Kitson: The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church
· Mammalian Diving Reflex: The Children's Choice Awards Ceremony
· Jerome Bel and Pichet Klunchun: Pichet Klunchun and myself
· Pichet Klunchun Dance Company: Nijinsky Siam
· Ballet Nacional de España: Dualia and La Leyenda

NNF Beside-the-sea:
· 2 rien merci: Gramoulinophone
· Tilted Productions: Seasaw
· Red Herring: That's The Way To Do It

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 11 is funded by Arts Council England, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council with its principal sponsor for the 20th year, National Express East Anglia. Its outdoor performance programme is supported by May Gurney.

For full programme, visit: www.nnfestival.org/nnf11  

 

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