Out & About April 2017

April dates for your diary

Arts editor Trish Lee picks four of the best events on the arts scene in April. Reviews of all of these – and for more arts news – see N2 in the Newbury Weekly News each week Hot off the arts press I’m a huge fan of the Modern Artists Gallery– you’ll always find inspiring and innovative work on show – director Peggy Gibson Brodie has an eye for the extraordinary. April sees the arrival of some exciting new 3D work by East Hendred artist Kate Kessling. So new they are ‘hot off the press’ and she is still experimenting back to Egyptian tomb paintings and reliefs from the 23rd century BC. This gives her coastal landscapes a magical shimmer as the changing light of the gallery hits them.

under tension and then painted with watercolour. I’ve been looking at edge-gilding and the qualities of different painting surfaces – these pieces are like reconstructed books. There are also new paintings from Alice Cescatti, who works in silver leaf. Catch a day when Alice is in the gallery and she will explain her water- gilding process – building up layers of sanded gesso and clay on wooden panels, followed by floating individual silver or gold leaves onto the surface using a specialist method dating fate of one little fishing town exposed to the mercy of sea monsters, mer-creatures and spectacularly bad town planning. It was presented as a scratch performance last year following a period of research and development with young people in coastal communities, exploring our relationship with the ocean; its traditions, its music and its myths. In the wake of the humanitarian crisis on Europe’s shores, this enchanting play uses traditional sea shanties and original new music fused with means to survive. This production is reimagined in the 1920s, where prohibition is rife and Europe is still reeling in the wake of war. Viola is washed ashore. Compelled to survive in a mysterious ethereal land, she disguises herself as Cesario to serve the solitary Duke Orsino. What follows is a tale of mistaken identities, seduction and transformation, leading to a complex love triangle and the potential

Modern Artists Gallery, Whitchurch on Thames www.modernartistsgallery.com Inspiring children’s theatre The Boy and The Mermaid at Arlington Arts www.arlingtonarts.co.uk

with discarded paper offcuts from the book industry. “I like the idea of working with recycled materials – so the pieces are made from just over a thousand pieces of paper held Paper Balloon believe in the power of story to inspire and that great theatre starts with great stories. On Monday, April 10, at 2pm, they bring their beautiful new show, The Boy and The Mermaid , to Arlington Arts, Snelsmore. Perfect for families with children aged six-plus, it is a mix of innovative puppetry, exciting storytelling, live music and song. Based on an original story by Alex Kanefsky and featuring original songs and music from Darren Clark, the play explores one island’s relationship with the outside world. It chronicles the The intimacy of The Watermill auditorium is made for the words of Shakespeare and the theatre has become known around the world for its bold, ensemble work. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary year with a new production of Twelfth Night, a play that embraces comedy, romance and tragedy. Bohemian, outlandish, isolated: Illyria is a land where everyone has lost something and they will use any

puppetry, storytelling and movement to explore how the mythical town responds when faced with newcomers from the ocean.

If music be the food of love...

destruction of all propriety. As always with Watermill

productions, expect the unexpected: a scintillating selection of energetic jazz music, where the radical spirit of Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt and Ella Fitzgerald is fused with an innovative approach to staging and actor musicianship. And the front seating will be set out cabaret-style. Twelfth Night runs from Thursday, April 6 to Saturday, May 6.

at The Watermill www.watermill.org.uk

3... 2...1... BLAST OFF! The First Hippo on the Moon at the Corn Exchange

Two big hippos. One enormous dream. Who can make it to the moon first? David Walliams has taken the literary world by storm – he’s currently the number one best-selling children’s author and his brilliantly funny stories are adored by children the world over. Now award-winning theatre company Les Petits have adapted his space adventure The First Hippo on the Moon for the stage. Sheila is a hippo with BIG ideas. Specifically, she is determined to be the first hippo on the moon.

But Hercules Waldorf-Franklin III is also determined to be the first hippo on the moon. And he is very rich indeed. Who will win the great space-race? Follow their fantastical antics in two morning shows and two matinees, on Sunday, April 23 and Monday, April 24, featuring puppetry, music

and mayhem. Age guide 3+. www.cornexchangenew.com

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