Writer Trevor Locke

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  • Curve new season

    New at Curve

    Page last edited:  25th June 2014.

    25th June 2014

    This summer, New York City comes to Leicester when a company of over 70 talented local performers join Curve’s professional team to present the Tony award-winning Broadway musicals: Annie and Rent.

    As part of its on-going commitment to developing local talent, Curve provides an annual platform for aspiring performers from across the East Midlands with its Community Production. In the past five years, over 300 local people (and 3 dogs) have appeared on stage or worked backstage in a Curve Community Production performing to audiences of over 25,000.

    Paul Kerryson commented:

    “From the grimy Victorian streets of London in Sweeney Todd and Oliver!, we’re heading stateside this summer and converting both the Studio and main stage into one huge set to recreate Manhattan for Annie and Rent. It’s the first time we’ve staged two community productions back to back which is not only testament to the huge amount of creative talent in the region but also the popularity of our community productions with audiences. The Annie and Rent cast are now in rehearsals and we’re looking forward to recreating New York of the 1930s and 1990s for audiences this July.”

    Annie, 26 July – 11 August 2014

    This classic rags-to-riches tale follows plucky orphan-girl Annie as she leaves behind her friends and attempts to escape the Hard Knock Life, finding shelter with reluctant billionaire Mr Warbucks. The relationship of the unlikely pair soon begins to grow, but how long can Annie evade the evil clutches of the delightfully wicked Miss Hannigan?

    Set against the backdrop of the American Great Depression, this uplifting tale features the well-known classics Tomorrow, Little Girls and Easy Street. Join Annie and her faithful companion, dog Sandy, on their heart-warming adventure to find the family they are longing for.

    Rent, 31 July – 1 August and 4 – 7 August 2014

    Set in the struggling Lower East Side of New York City, Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical follows the highs and lows of filmmaker Mark and his artist friends over the space of one year as they fight to keep the bohemian spirit alive.

    As Mark and roommate Roger face the threat of losing their apartment, new girl Mimi arrives and falls straight into Roger’s arms, giving him a new lease of life. Together with Mark’s sassy ex Maureen, colourful street performer Angel and friends, the anarchic trio stand together in celebration of their lifestyle. But when the façade begins to slip and the friends are forced to confront their problems, everything begins to fall apart…

    This vibrant and daring show features a soundtrack of much-loved songs, including La Vie Boheme, Rent, Take Me or Leave Me and Seasons of Love.

    To book tickets visit www.curveonline.co.uk

    CURVE ANNOUNCES FULL AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON

    ON GENERAL SALE – MON 19 MAY

    Paul Kerryson to reunite Chicago creative team in The Sound of  Music

    New Curve Production of Abigail’s Party directed by Associate Director, Suba Das

    Two new dance pieces by Curve Associate Artist Aakash Odedra: Inked and Murmur

    Frantic Assembly and The Theatre Royal Plymouth in association with Curve return to Leicester to present Shakespeare’s Othello
    NEW Family Days featuring show child-friendly performances, workshops and activities

    Leicester’s Curve theatre has today announced the full programme for its upcoming Autumn/Winter season – on general sale from Monday 19 May.

    Paul Kerryson, Curve’s Artistic Director commented:

    “This autumn Curve presents a dynamic programme of drama, musicals, comedy and dance with visits from some of the UKs most prominent theatre companies and artists. Following the success of Chicago last year, Curve’s Christmas musical is the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music with choreography by Drew McOnie, who scored a hit last season with his scintillating choreography for Chicago and the premiere of Drunk. The Autumn season begins with another popular musical, Barnum which is presented at Curve by the world renowned producer, Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre prior to a National Tour.

    “Curve Associate Director, Suba Das, will direct a new ‘in the round’ version of the Mike Leigh cult comedy, Abigail’s Party and following our recent successful collaboration with Frantic Assembly, this thrilling company return with an electrifying version of Shakespeare’s Othello. The National Theatre also return to Leicester present their global hit, One Man Two Guvnors and Regents Park theatre will perform their hugely successful To Kill A Mocking Bird.

    “Curve Associate artist Aakash Odedra presents two brilliant new dance pieces with Inked and Murmur and the studio season finishes at Christmas with Pinocchio, the perfect festive show for our younger audiences”.

    For full listings information and to book tickets visit Curve website.

    CAMERON MACKINTOSH AND CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE’S RECORD-BREAKING PRODUCTION

    BARNUM

    5 – 13 SEP
    ‘Barnum’s the name, P T Barnum, and I want to tell you that tonight, on this stage, you are going to see – bar none – every sight, wonder and miracle that name stands for!’

    This exhilarating musical follows the irrepressible imagination and dreams of Phineas T Barnum, America’s Greatest Showman. The story of his life and his marriage to Chairy reveals a couple who looked at the world from opposite sides of the spectrum, and also reveals that she was the practical one who made his dreams come true. We follow the legendary showman’s life as he lit up the world with colour, warmth and the excitement of his imagination and finally teamed up with J A Bailey to create Barnum and Bailey’s Circus – the Greatest Show on Earth.

    Barnum is a ‘BIG, SHARP, WITTY, BREATHTAKING, AND EMOTIONAL’ (The Observer) show starring Brian Conley (Oliver!, Hairspray, Jolson) in the title role and featuring Linzi Hateley as ‘Chairy’ (Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Les Misérables). Cy Coleman’s wonderfully exuberant score includes the hits Come Follow The Band, The Colours Of My Life and There Is A Sucker Born Ev’ry Minute.

    A CAMERON MACKINTOSH / MICHAEL HARRISON PRESENTATION OF THE MARK BRAMBLE / MICHAEL STEWART / CY COLEMAN MUSICAL

    EMILY BROWN AND THE THING

    TUE 2 – WED 3 SEP, 1PM & 3PM STUDIO
    Something is keeping Emily Brown awake… Tall Stories, creators of the much-loved Gruffalo stage show, present their brand new production, based on the hugely popular book by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton. One evening, Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit Stanley hear a Thing crying outside their window. He just can’t get to sleep. Emily Brown and Stanley set off on incredible adventures to find the Thing’s cuddly, his bedtime milk and his medicine but nothing seems to help him settle. What’s really troubling the Thing – and will anyone ever get any sleep?

    FARNHAM MALTINGS PRESENT

    MAJOR TOM

    FRI 5 SEP, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Major Tom is the story of how an average 34 year old became a beauty queen and how her unruly pet basset hound, Major Tom, became a championship show dog. Major Tom and Victoria increasingly immerse themselves in the obsessive and confusing realm of personal scrutiny as they participate as genuine contestants, determined to win. Accompanied on stage by documentary film footage and her dog, Victoria tells this true story exploring the British fascination with celebrity, beauty and winning.

    WENDY HOUSTOUN’S 50 ACTS

    SAT 6 SEP, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Written and Performed by Wendy Houstoun
    Combining film and writing with her playful physicality, Wendy Houstoun brings her warm, intimate and affecting show to Curve. 50 Acts is a spirited retaliation against ageism and other modern rubbish involving manifestos, apologies and errors, random acts, small dances and big ideas, ghostly appearances, serious stupidity and much, much more.

    BLIND HAMLET

    TUE 9 – WED 10 SEP, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Blind Hamlet transforms Shakespeare’s tragedy into an interactive theatrical battle and reimagines the bloody struggle for Hamlet’s Elsinore. Volunteers take to the stage to outwit each other as a different power-struggle unfolds at each performance, with Hamlet turned on its head and every spectator now a Player. Written by Iran’s leading playwright, Nassim Soleimanpour, Blind Hamlet reveals how nations and individuals trap each other, and themselves, in their frenzy to tell friend from foe.

    THE EVENTS

    THU 11 – SAT 13 SEP, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Voted the Best Play of 2013 by critics in The Guardian
    David Greig’s daring new play asks how far forgiveness will stretch in the face of atrocity. Featuring a different local choir at each performance and a soaring soundtrack, The Events tells of tragedy, obsession and our destructive desire to fathom the unfathomable.

    THE MAGIC OF QUEEN

    THU 18 SEP, 7.30PM THEATRE
    Performed by Rhapsody
    The Magic of Queen has toured the world performing sell-out shows in theatres, concert halls and outdoor festivals. Although the world will never again see Queen perform with the great Freddie Mercury, The Magic of Queen will, with breath-taking accuracy, reproduce the same high energy show that became the trade-mark of the world’s greatest rock band.

    SING-A-LONG-A DIRTY DANCING

    FRI 19 SEP, 7.30PM THEATRE
    This fully interactive screening of the classic film means you too can have the time of your life. The host will lead you through a vocal warm up, judge a fancy dress competition and show you how to use your magic moments fun packs. Then just sing-a-long and dance dirty with Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey and the gang. Fancy dress recommended

    CERI DUPREE – FIT FOR A QUEEN

    THU 18 – SAT 20 SEP STUDIO
    Celebrating thirty years on stage, female impersonator and Hot Stuff star Ceri Dupree brings us his sensational new show, Fit For A Queen. Over two hours of musical parodies, dazzling quick changes and rapid-fire stand up, Ceri will pay homage to some of his favourite ladies. Expect side-splitting comedy and a visual feast of spectacular, eye popping and jaw dropping costumes. The first half celebrates stars from around the world and the second half pays tribute to the best of British.

    STONES IN HIS POCKETS

    The multi award-winning comedy by Marie Jones
    MON 22 – TUE 23 SEP  THEATRE
    Following a sell-out run on Broadway, four and a half years in the West End and on tour, the worldwide sensation Stones in His Pockets comes to Curve with Ian McElhinney, the original director at the helm. Don’t miss this hilarious and moving tale of a quiet Irish community turned upside down by the arrival of a Hollywood movie shoot. Universally loved by all who see it, Stones in His Pockets is brought to life by two highly talented actors who play 15 characters between them – from the two cheeky lads intent on stardom to a Hollywood Goddess!

    PROPELLER PRESENTS

    POCKET DREAM

    Directed by Edward Hall
    THU 25 – FRI 26 SEP, 11AM & 2PM  STUDIO
    A Midsummer Night’s Dream for young audiences
    All-male Shakespeare company Propeller present a sixty minute version of its award-winning production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, especially devised for young audiences and known as Pocket Dream. Combining a rigorous approach to the text with a modern physical aesthetic to create a production full of clarity, speed, poetry and imagination, Pocket Dream is a fresh and inspiring introduction to Shakespeare.

    MAGIC OF THE BEATLES

    GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY TOUR
    FRI 26 SEP, 7.30PM THEATRE
    Join the authoritative Beatles live concert show, celebrating the Golden Anniversary of A Hard Day’s Night. The film, album and hit single propelled John, Paul, George and Ringo to worldwide stardom. Their legendary live performances are recreated, and more… taking you from their mop top roots to the psychedelia of Sgt Pepper and beyond, from Love Me Do to Let It Be. Fantastic costumes, brilliant vocals and incredible musicianship Come Together in a lavish Magical Musical trip back to Yesterday. Magic of the Beatles is one of the most comprehensive and authentic Beatles tribute shows that you will see, and has been enjoyed by a host of worldwide stars.

    KERRY ELLIS

    SAT 27 SEP, 8PM  THEATRE
    Award-winning star of the West End and Broadway, Kerry Ellis will come to Curve as part of her first solo concert tour. As well as establishing herself as a rising star with lead roles in London and on Broadway, Kerry Ellis has achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist and has toured her debut album, Anthems with Queen legend Brian May. Previous theatre roles include originating the role of Meat in Queen’s We Will Rock You and she was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash hit, Wicked, for which she won a 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award and then immediately transferred to Broadway, where she won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance.

    MY NAME IS…

    By Sudha Bhuchar
    Directed by Philip Osment
    MON 29 – TUE 30 SEP, 7.45PM STUDIO
    A new play about love, family and ever-shifting identities
    My Name is… tells the moving tale behind the story that hit headlines in 2006. When Gaby disappeared from her home in Scotland, it seemed that her Pakistani father, Farhan, had kidnapped her. The press were only momentarily silenced when it emerged that she had fled of her own accord. To her mother Suzy’s distress, she turned her back on ‘Gaby’, declaring “my name is Ghazala…”

    PAUL CHOWDHRY

    TUE 30 SEP, 7.30PM  THEATRE
    Following a sell-out show earlier this year, host of channel 4’s Stand Up for the Week and star of BBC1’s Live at the Apollo, Paul Chowdhry returns to Curve with his biggest tour to date, PC’s World. PC may be his initials, but the relentless world he lives in definitely isn’t. Why is one person’s offensive behaviour considered humorous by others? Paul will address this issue along with more diverse subjects as the art of attracting women, jokes cut from his TV appearances, non-existent customer service and the now infamous 1980’s in his own inimitable uncompromising style.

    SIMON CALLOW IN

    THE MAN JESUS

    By Matthew Hurt
    Directed by Joseph Alford
    WED 1 OCT, 7.30PM THEATRE
    This extraordinary play looks back two thousand years to witness key moments in the life of The Man Jesus, through the eyes of the people who knew him. Simon Callow, one of Britain’s best-loved actors, performs this fresh and moving account of biblical stories including the raising of Lazarus, the wedding at Cana and the journey to Jerusalem. His powerful portrayal of the tyrants, traitors and madmen in Jesus’ life asks people of all faiths and none: what sort of a man was able to inspire the history of the world? Thought-provoking, thrilling and full of wit, this production premiered to great acclaim at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, and now embarks on a strictly limited UK tour.

    PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES

    The Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire’s concert to commemorate the centenary of the First World War
    THU 2 OCT, 7.30PM THEATRE
    This is the story of 1914 – 18, told through the music, songs, poetry, comedy and art of the time. From Gustav Holst to Irving Berlin; Jerusalem to Tipperary; Edward Elgar to Marie Lloyd. Bands, choirs, performers and dancers will join presenters from BBC Radio Leicester and Curve Young Company for a night of nostalgia and emotion. Telling the extraordinary tales of five people from Leicester during WW1; performers will include The Enderby Brass Band, Jazz saxophonist Ed Barker, Tenor David Morris, Soprano Jenny Saunders and Leicester performer Elaine Pantling plus many more. Presented by Applause in conjunction with Curve and BBC Radio Leicester for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

    ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

    MON 6 – SAT 11 OCT  THEATRE
    Following their last sell-out visit, the National Theatre’s award-winning comedy One Man, Two Guvnors returns to Curve. With a cast including Gavin Spokes (One Man Two Guvnors, London) in the lead role as Francis, Norman Pace (of comedy duo Hale and Pace) and Emma Barton (EastEnders), this acclaimed smash hit is a glorious celebration of British comedy – a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, songs, slapstick and glittering one-liners. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe. But Roscoe is really Rachel, posing as her own dead brother – who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a job with one Stanley Stubbers – but to prevent discovery, he must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple.

    AN EVENING WITH PAM AYRES

    FRI 3 OCT, 7.30PM THEATRE
    Pam Ayres brings her latest show to Curve following the recent publication of her new book of poetry, You Made Me Late Again! Pam Ayres’ work is funny, and approachable. It sounds simple, as though dashed off, but this is deceptive. Her hair-trigger timing, her eye for the detail of everyday life, and for the absurdity therein, makes for an art that hides art.

    TANGOMOTION

    FRI 3 OCT, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Tangomotion is a breath-taking journey into the heart of Tango Argentino.
    From dazzling displays of traditional tango dance in stunning costume to the exquisite songs of 1930’s Buenos Aires and the powerful nuevo tango music of Astor Piazzolla, Tangomotion features world class dancers and the musicians of the acclaimed tango ensemble Siempre.
    The cast have previously appeared in hit West End show Midnight Tango and the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

    MIDLANDS BEST DANCE CREW

    SAT 4 OCT, 7PM  THEATRE
    Join us in our search for the Midlands Best Dance Crew 2014! The sensational urban dance competition will see the crews with the fiercest moves battle it out to win this year’s trophy, as well as the massive £1000 prize.
    Judged by a panel of special guests, we’ll see these dancers go head-to-head in an evening of amazing routines. The event will also feature a ‘Best Dancer in the Audience’ section. Look out for hip-hop, street and break dance, performed by the most talented non-professional artists from across the region, with energetic, breathtaking routines!

    2FUNKY ARTS PRESENTS

    BOTOWN: THE SOUL OF BOLLYWOOD

    ‘ALL IZ WELL’ TOUR 2014
    SAT 4 OCT, 7.45PM STUDIO
    One of the most exciting and engaging music acts of the last few years, Botown are an 8-piece band that have given lovers of Bollywood & Soul music a brand new groove. This concert will feature all your favourite Bollywood classics from legends like RD Burman, Kishore Kumar, AR Rahman, Asha Bhosle and Amitabh Bachchan fused into the Soul greats like Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Enjoy an evening of classic Bollywood, Soul and funky grooves guaranteed to have you up dancing and singing along.

    ONE MAN LORD OF THE RINGS™

    MON 6 OCT, 7.45PM  STUDIO
    One Man to do it all. One Man to rule them all!
    Be prepared to journey through the trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King in 3600 seconds of unbelievable kinetic entertainment. Talented actor, Charles Ross will recreate the enchanting world of Middle-earth with nothing more than elbow pads and his outrageous imagination. With booming special effects, riveting stage fights and harrowing rescues, Ross does it all in this engaging, epic one man show.

    SHHH!

    THU 9 OCT, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Books flying overhead, free-running on moving shelves and falling in love – all this in a library?
    C-12 Dance Theatre’s exciting and explosive new show Shhh! is an entertaining contemporary dance story of a library that is closed down, but if the community come together, can they save it? With a set mostly recycled from the New Barnfield Library, five theatrical performers manipulate their surroundings to create an innovative and powerful piece of dance theatre.

    DIRECT FROM LONDON’S WEST END

    TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

    Adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel Based on the novel by Harper Lee
    MON 13 – SAT 18 OCT THEATRE
    Set in the Deep South, Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel sees racial injustice envelop a small-town community. Through courage and compassion, lawyer Atticus Finch seeks the truth, and his feisty daughter, Scout – a young girl on the cusp of adulthood – brings new hope to a neighbourhood in turmoil. This utterly enchanting and enthralling production from London’s award-winning Regent’s Park Theatre captures the warmth and poignancy of this best-loved classic with genuine heart and emotional depth. A story as moving and magical as you could ever hope to find.

    A CURVE PRODUCTION

    ABIGAIL’S PARTY

    BY MIKE LEIGH
    FRI 17 OCT – SAT 8 NOV  STUDIO
    Directed by Suba Das
    It’s 1977. Beverly, former beautician and devout Tom Jones fan, is throwing a little party for her neighbours: newlyweds Tony and Angela, and divorcee Sue. Down the road, Sue’s teenage daughter Abigail is throwing a party of her own, but could it be the grown-ups’ night which really spirals out of control? With little help from long-suffering husband Laurence, Beverly desperately attempts to hold the evening together, but as her guise as the perfect hostess starts to slip and tempers begin to flare, the evening descends into chaos with hilarious and tragic consequences. Curve’s first show to be staged in the round, this new production of Mike Leigh’s comedy will bring audiences intimately close to the action live on stage. Abigail’s Party is directed by Curve Associate Director Suba Das, who recently curated Curve’s Inside Out Festival and has previously directed for the National Theatre Studio, Theatre Royal Stratford East and The Young Vic.

    LES PETITS THEATRE COMPANY PRESENT

    CAPTAIN FLINN AND THE PIRATE DINOSAURS

    THU 23 OCT  THEATRE
    Based on the award-winning book by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto
    Winner of The Primary Times Children’s Choice Award
    All aboard for a non-stop action packed theatrical experience with live music, puppetry, physical performance and dastardly dinosaurs! Join Captain Flinn as he discovers a Pirate hiding in a cupboard then hold on tight as the cupboard falls away and together we tumble into a real life adventure! Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs will ignite your child’s imagination through the magic of theatre and story-telling.

    HENNING WEHN – EINS, ZWEI, DIY

    THU 23 OCT, 7.30PM THEATRE
    After more than a decade in Britain, the German Comedy Ambassador has ‘groan’ to like puns…. though he still couldn’t eat a whole one. As Henning’s assimilation is not yet complete he hasn’t lost his sense of Westphalian wonderment at the foibles of British society. Expect a crash course in personal accountability and have a right old laugh at the same time! Wunderbar!

    MARK BRUCE COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES, PAVILION DANCE SOUTH WEST AND WILTON’S MUSIC HALL PRESENT

    DRACULA

    TUE 21 – WED 22 OCT, 7.30PM  THEATRE
    “ Welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring.”
    Jonathan Goddard plays the infamous Vampire Count, whose sinister and ruthless ambitions challenge the very fabric of Victorian society. As his victims and opponents rally against him they must face the darkness and savagery within themselves. Mark Bruce’s company of ten exceptional dancers bring Bram Stoker’s haunting, erotic tale to life in a heart wrenching and magical dance theatre production. With an eclectic mix of music from Bach and Mozart to Ligetti and Fred Frith, Bruce explores choreographic styles ranging from the subtlety of classical etiquette to contemporary dance. Winner of the prestigious South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance, this critically acclaimed production is not to be missed.

    DIWALI HANGAMA

    SAT 25 OCT 7.30PM THEATRE
    Following the resounding success of previous events, Curve will team up with Sabras Radio for the third annual Diwali Hangama. This star studded night will include a blend of Bollywoood entertainment, culture and exclusive performances.
    This year’s Diwali Hangama is set to be the biggest yet with a range of stars from India and local artists to kick off your Diwali celebrations. The event will be hosted by Sabras Radio presenters Raj Baddhan, Kash Kumar and a few of your other favourites.

    FAMILY DAYS

    25 Oct; 15 Nov; 13 Dec
    Brand new for autumn, Curve has introduced special Family Days featuring a range of activities for all to enjoy from child-friendly backstage tours, dance classes, puppetry and storytelling, and show-themed workshops. Highlights include: The Snowman Dance Workshop on Sat 17 Nov and The Sound of Music Family Workshop and Pinocchio Family Workshop on Sat 13 Dec.

    A FRANTIC ASSEMBLY AND THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CURVE THEATRE

    SHAKESPEARE’S OTHELLO

    Directed by Scott Graham
    TUE 28 OCT – SAT 1 NOV THEATRE
    This is a mating ground. There’s tension around the pool table, cues in hand. A world of broken glass and beatings in the car park. It’s dog eat dog. And it’s about to kick off… Othello’s passionate affair with Desdemona leaves him open to jealousy and attack – with devastating consequences. Here, violence is a way of life and reputation is everything. Frantic Assembly return to Curve with this electrifying take on Shakespeare’s thriller-tragedy of paranoia, jealousy, sex and murder. Fusing a taut adaptation of the classic text with its trademark hard-hitting choreography, Frantic Assembly takes a scalpel to 21st century Britain, exposing prejudice, danger and fear. Winner of the TMA Award for Best Direction, this unforgettable production from Frantic Assembly comes to Curve following the success of The Believers earlier this year.

    CIRCA: WUNDERKAMMER

    WED 5 – SAT 8 NOV, 7.30PM THEATRE
    In this exquisite cabaret of the senses, a diva melts into a rope, balloons and bubble wrap. Discover their artistic souls while bodies twist and fly. Seven performers of unbelievable ability bend the very fabric of reality. Sexy, funny and explosive, Circa’s Wunderkammer is a breathless cocktail of new circus, cabaret and vaudeville. Control and abandon, skill and humour, lyricism and anarchy all meld into a sinuous fugue of profound beauty. Circa is world-renowned for creating startling new ways to experience circus. Combining seemingly impossible physical feats with a poetic sensibility, its creations move, amaze and astonish.

    CURVE THEATRE, AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY AND SKY ACADEMY ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENT

    MURMUR & INKED

    MON 10 – TUE 11 NOV, 7.45PM STUDIO

    Murmur and Inked is a new double bill from the Aakash Odedra Company. Curve Associate Artist, Aakash Odedra is one of Britain’s most sought after dancers. He has developed a distinctive movement style following intensive training with some of the most prestigious choreographers in the world. In Murmur, Aakash and Australian choreographer Lewis Major delve into the idea of warped and exaggerated realities. In a major collaboration with Arts Electronica Futurelab, the piece explores how the misconceptions of dyslexia can be revealed through visual design, light, sound, movement. Inked, choreographed by Olivier Award-winner, Damien Jalet, explores how the body becomes a place of transformation. The figures and drawings made on his own body reveal the inner duality of the dancer, who enters through a series of transformative stages in a self-seeking quest; an exploration of the body’s limits and powers.

    CARDINAL BURNS

    SAT 15 NOV, 7.45PM STUDIO
    Following their second series on Channel 4, British Comedy award-winning and BAFTA nominated duo Cardinal Burns, are ready to unleash a torrent of never-before-seen characters and familiar faces from the series.
    Previous live shows have sold out in London, Edinburgh and Melbourne, and now the boys are ready to sell out all over again with their absurd, anarchic and unpredictable tapas of character comedy.

    SCAMP THEATRE AND FIERY ANGEL PRESENTS

    PRIVATE PEACEFUL

    By Michael Morpurgo
    Adapted & Directed by Simon Reade
    FR1 21 NOV, 7.45PM  STUDIO
    Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year, Private Peaceful is by third Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, award-winning author of War Horse. Private Peaceful relives the life of Private Tommo Peaceful, a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn. During the night he looks back at his short but joyful past growing up in rural Devon: his exciting first days at school; the accident in the forest that killed his father; his adventures with Molly, the love of his life; and the battles and injustices of war that brought him to the front line. Private Peaceful is a moving experience that tells the story of a young soldier’s final day in World War One and conveys the strength of human spirit.

    THE BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

    THE SNOWMAN™

    WED 12 – SUN 16 NOV •THEATRE
    The stage show based upon the book by Raymond Briggs and the film directed by Dianne Jackson and produced by John Coates
    MUSIC AND LYRICS BY HOWARD BLAKE
    Directed by Bill Alexander
    When a young boy’s snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve, the two set off on a night-time quest for adventure. They meet Father Christmas, dancing penguins, reindeer and crowds of The Snowman’s friends, but will they escape evil Jack Frost and get back home for Christmas morning? Based on Raymond Brigg’s much-loved book and featuring Howard Blake’s classic song Walking InThe Air, this enchanting live show has thrilled audiences throughout the world.

    SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS FESTIVAL

    MON 17 – THU 20 NOV, 7PM  STUDIO
    Curve is delighted to mark Shakespeare’s 450th birthday by throwing him the biggest party he has ever seen with the largest Shakespeare Schools Festival to date. The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the UK’s largest youth drama festival and enables over 1,000 primary, secondary, and special schools to stage abridged Shakespeare productions in their local professional theatre. Each night local schools will perform a variety of different Shakespeare plays.

    FESTIVAL OF CHOIRS IV

    WED 12 NOV, 6PM & SAT 22 NOV, 7PM  STUDIO
    Festival of Choirs returns to Curve for the fourth year and brings two great evenings for all to enjoy.
    On Wed 12 Nov, The Children Sing Gospel – will bring gospel choirs from local primary schools together to share their repertoires of gospel and inspirational music. Funded by Youth Music the event will form part of the Oh Happy Days Singing Programme which will also see the development of Curve Children’s Gospel Choir. On Sat 22 Nov, Festival of Choirs will feature local gospel and community choirs presenting uplifting and inspiring performances.

    SEABRIGHT PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

    ERIC AND LITTLE ERN

    THU 27 – FRI 28 NOV, 7.45PM STUDIO
    This affectionate, moving and fantastically funny homage to the greatest comedy double act that Britain has ever seen vividly brings back warm memories of a bygone era. Recreating some of the finest moments of Eric and Ernie’s television and stage performances, cherished moments from the archives sit alongside new material created by the performers. Together they make a brilliant comedy that recreates the all-ages appeal of Morecambe and Wise in their heyday.

    2FUNKY ARTS PRESENTS

    2FUNY COMEDY SHOW

    SAT 29 NOV, 7.45PM STUDIO
    2Funy Comedy presents a night of laughs with some of the UK’s comedy circuit favourites! First on the menu is Will-E, who has appeared live at The Apollo, and as part of P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy. Then there’s Kane Brown. Fearless, bold and energetic, Kane has graced the stage of Hackney Empire and The Comedy Store, to name a few. Previously voted ‘Best Female Comedienne,’ UK circuit favourite Glenda Jaxson is an extraordinary talent. Last but not least, Dane Baptiste has an unmistakable stage persona that has seen him perform at venues such as Just the Tonic and Glee Club.

    A CURVE PRODUCTION

    THE SOUND OF MUSIC

    FRI 28 NOV – SAT 17 JAN THEATRE
    Over the past five years Curve’s Christmas musicals have become increasingly popular, receiving widespread critical acclaim and attracting audiences from all over the UK. This Christmas, Artistic Director Paul Kerryson reunites the talented team behind its 5-star production of Chicago, with Choreographer Drew McOnie and Musical Director Ben Atkinson returning for brand new version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The Sound of Music from 28 November – 17 January.

    Originally a hit Broadway and West End musical, then followed by the beloved 1965 movie version, The Sound of Music remains one of the most popular musicals of all time. Set against the idyllic landscape of the Austrian Alps, this heart-warming tale based on a true story follows spirited young nun Maria and her relationship with the Von Trapp family. With a timeless score including Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things and Climb Ev’ry Mountain, this global phenomenon continues to enchant audiences across the world.

    WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT

    Direct from a smash-hit West End season and international tour
    TUE 2 – SAT 6 DEC  STUDIO
    Michael Rosen’s award-winning book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt is brought vividly and noisily to the stage in director Sally Cookson’s fun-filled adaptation set to Benji Bower’s versatile lively score. Join our intrepid adventurers on their quest to find a bear; as they wade through the gigantic swishy swashy grass, the splishy splashy river and the thick oozy, squelchy mud! Expect catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands-on adventure – plus a few special surprises!

    HICCUP THEATRE PRESENT

    PINOCCHIO

    A new version by Michael Rosen
    WED 10 DEC – SAT 3 JAN STUDIO
    A magical festive adventure for families
    Follow Pinocchio and his grasshopper friend as they set out on an adventure – to find some fun! Now…if only his nose would just stay still! Hiccup Theatre join forces with acclaimed writer for children Michael Rosen (We’re Going on a Bear Hunt) to bring Carlo Collodi’s classic tale to life in a sparkling new version, using puppetry, guaranteed to fill you with festive joy!

     

  • RichardIII centre to open

    5th June 2014

    Opening date set for King Richard lll Visitor Centre

    LEICESTER’S new King Richard lll Visitor Centre: Dynasty, Death and Discovery, will open its doors to the public on Saturday 26th July.

    Tickets for the unique visitor attraction – which will offer access to the King’s original burial site – will go on sale from today (Thursday June 5th).

    King Richard III Visitor Centre
    King Richard III Visitor Centre

    The centre is located just 100 steps away from Leicester Cathedral where King Richard lll will be reburied in spring 2015.

    More than 100,000 people are expected through its doors in its first year of operation, bringing an estimated £4.5 million to the local economy.

    Iain Gordon, Director of the visitor centre said: “I’m delighted to announce that the King Richard lll Visitor Centre will be open to visitors from July 26th.

    “We are looking forward to welcoming people from Leicester, and from all over the world, to learn more about the dramatic story of the king’s life, his brutal death at Bosworth Battlefield and the compelling story of his rediscovery.

    “There are many different accounts of King Richard’s life,” he said. “In creating the exhibition we have tried to distil and interpret that information in a way that will inform and enthral everyone who walks through our door, and will hopefully inspire them to find out more about King Richard lll and the medieval city and county he knew.”

    The centre, will tell the king’s story in three parts, through displays, interactive audio-visual elements, and colourful exhibits.
    ‘Dynasty’ tells the much debated story of the king’s life and times in a medieval England racked by decades of fighting in the Wars Of The Roses, detailing Richard’s rise to power as the last king from the great house of Plantagenet.

    ‘Death’ gives visitors the chance to learn about the key players in the Battle of Bosworth and how betrayal led to the king being cut down in the thick of battle while defending his crown.

    This remarkable turn of events saw Henry VII seize the crown and ushered in a new chapter in the English monarchy: the Tudor dynasty.

    Finally, ‘Discovery’ unearths the astonishing story of the archaeology, science and analysis carried out by the University of Leicester’s Archaeological Service, which rediscovered and identified the long-lost remains of the king after excavating a grave beneath a car park, on the former site of the medieval friary of the Grey Friars.

    Completing the visitor experience will be a chance to visit the site of King Richard’s burial site, preserved in a quiet, respectful setting and with a contemplative atmosphere fitting for the last resting place of a slain warrior and anointed monarch.

    Visitors will also be able to see a full-size, 3D replica skeleton created by Loughborough University. Scientists used CT scan data provided by Leicester University as part of their analysis of the King’s bones to create the 3D replica, which shows the king’s spinal curvature and the battle wounds he suffered at Bosworth.

    Leicester’s City Mayor Peter Soulsby commissioned the creation of the visitor centre in the former Alderman Newton’s School, which is located just yards from the car park where the king’s remains were unearthed in August 2012.

    “It seems hard to believe that we are just a few weeks away from opening the centre, less than two years since King Richard’s remains were discovered,” he said.

    “And I am delighted that we are able to announce the opening date very soon after the High Court confirmed that Leicester Cathedral can proceed with its plans to reinter King Richard in the cathedral next spring.

    “A huge amount of work has gone into transforming this historic building into what will be a world-class visitor attraction, and Leicester is ready to welcome visitors from home and abroad to enjoy it.”

    Located on Peacock Lane, Leicester, the Victorian gothic building has been completely renovated inside and out to provide two floors of exhibition space, a courtyard café, shop and meeting rooms.

    Prices will start at just £4.75 for a child’s ticket (three to 15 years), with adult tickets costing £7.95. Family tickets will give entry to two adults and two children for the discounted price of just £21.50. A special rate of £7.00 per person will be available to groups of 15 or more. A concessionary rate of £7.00 will also be available.

    The Dig for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council and in association with the Richard III Society. The originator of the Search project was Philippa Langley of the Richard III Society.

    Keep in touch with the latest news and developments on the centre on twitter and facebook.

    Visit the King Richard III visitor centre website.

    [Source:  Leicester City Council]

  • Summer of festivals

    5th June 2014

    Music at Riverside Festival

    THE CREAM of local music will be taking centre stage at this weekend’s annual Riverside Festival.

    The two-day free festival of fun and activities for all ages takes place on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, along the River Soar’s Mile Straight and on neighbouring Bede Park, and is one of the city’s biggest free events attracting thousands of visitors.

    Musicians from across the city will be performing on the festival’s main stage throughout the weekend, including the winners and runners-up from this year’s Leicester Original Bands Showcase.

    Winners electro-pop trio Tapestry and runners-up Beneath the Lights will perform in front of the festival crowds.

    Saturday also features soul and Motown headliners Johnny and the Goodtime Boys, who will play from 6pm on the, highly-rated duo Mia and the Moon playing songs from their forthcoming album, and classic blues from Stu Crown and the Bobcats. Students from Gateway College will also perform a rock and pop showcase.

    Sunday’s entertainment includes gentle lunchtime jazz from the Speakeasy Jazz Band, samba group Sambando and a World Cup-themed finale including latin grooves from the Tony Webster Band.

    The ever-popular Sing for Water charity choir will also perform at 2pm alongside a steel pans performance from pupils of Shaftsbury Junior School.

    The Riverside Festival features boat trips on the River Soar, activities for children including fantastic street performers and storytelling, and an eco village which is home to a giant tipi, drumming workshops, environmental-themed activities and carpentry workshops.

    There will also be an arts street market, Ride Leicester’s BMX demonstrations, bike fixing sessions and a bike park.

    A range of environmental-themed activities will return to nearby Castle Gardens, including a variety art and crafts workshops, woodland skills and a pets corner.

    The event is run by Leicester City Council, with festival sponsors housing association Riverside, which is based on Western Boulevard.

    Events run from 12noon to 7pm on the Saturday, and from 12noon to 5pm on the Sunday.

    For full details visit: www.visitleicester.info/riversidefestival

    [source: Leicester City Council]

    More about local festivals

    For latest news and information about music festivals, see Music in Leicester website.

    Find out more about music at the Riverside festival from Music in Leicester.

    For general information see Go Leicestershire website.

  • Leicester Cathedral Gardens

    5th June 2014

    Cathedral Gardens set to bloom

    LEICESTER’S new Cathedral Gardens is set to bloom over the next few weeks as work on the ambitious £2million project enters its final stages.

    Landscaping work in progress at Leicester Cathedral May 2014
    Landscaping work in progress at Leicester Cathedral
    May 2014

    With much of the hard landscaping and paving nearing completion, and work to lay the new lawns now well underway, the new public gardens by Leicester Cathedral are now taking shape.

    Work is underway to radically revamp the frontage to Leicester Cathedral May 2014
    Work is underway to radically revamp the frontage to Leicester Cathedral
    May 2014

    The project is now about to enter a busy few weeks of planting.

    The first of Cathedral Gardens’ 20 new trees will be planted today (5 June). These will include semi-mature juneberry trees, great white cherry trees and double geans.

    The gardens will be planted with shrubs and colourful bedding plants over the coming weeks.

    A single great white cherry tree will also be planted on Guildhall Lane, as part of work to create a new area of seating in the cathedral’s former private car park.

    Work on the gardens in front of Leicester Cathedral May 2014
    Work on the gardens in front of Leicester Cathedral
    May 2014

    Work to reinstate 50 decorative headstones is also underway. The headstones, which were carefully removed during the first phase of work at Cathedral Gardens, have been professionally restored and will stand in what is to be known as the ‘Churchyard Garden’. Others have been given a new home at Leicester’s Welford Road Cemetery.

    Richard’s statue with white roses placed by the public

    Leicester’s statue of King Richard III is also due to be reinstated at Cathedral Gardens later this month. The statue, which was given to the city by the Richard III Society in 1980, is currently undergoing restoration work at the studios of Lincolnshire-based Hirst Conservation.

    Installation of a new artwork commemorating the life, death and discovery of Richard III will also begin in June. The artwork, entitled ‘Towards Stillness’, has been commissioned by Leicestershire County Council and created by Dallas Pierce Quintero . It will provide a centrepiece to a new ‘Master’s Garden’ being created on the original site of Wyggeston Hospital on the St Martins House’s former car park.

    The statue of King Richard III in its new position in Cathedral Gardens, 2014
    The statue of King Richard III
    in its new position in Cathedral Gardens, 2014

    City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Cathedral Gardens is now entering a really exciting phase of work. The site is transforming on a daily basis. The new lawns and these first trees provide a glimpse of what people can look forward to when this wonderful green oasis, right in the heart of the city centre, opens in the summer.”

    Rev Peter Hobson, Canon Missioner at Leicester Cathedral, said: “From Eden to Gethsemane, gardens have aways held a special place in Christian imagery. As Cathedral Gardens starts to ‘go green’, we can begin to imagine just how special a place it might become in the heart of this special city.”

    Cathedral Gardens August 2014
    Cathedral Gardens
    August 2014

    People will get a first chance to see Cathedral Gardens for themselves when it officially opens to the public on Saturday, 5 July. A full programme of free events to mark the opening celebrations will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

    Work on Cathedral Gardens is being carried out by specialist contractors P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd. The same company is also constructing the nearby Jubilee Square.

    The £2.5million Cathedral Gardens project, which also includes resurfacing and other improvements along Peacock Lane, is being funded by the Diocese of Leicester, Leicester City Council and private donations, with support from Leicestershire County Council.

    The project was awarded up to £1milllion for the European Regional Development Fund.

    [Source: Leicester City Council]

    See also:

    News #2014

    What’s on in #Leicester

    Leicester to Bury #King

    #RichardIII news

    Plans for old #Phoenix arts centre

  • Birdsong

    17th to 21st June

    Curve

    The Original Theatre Company & Birdsong productions present

    BIRDSONG

    ADAPTED BY RACHEL WAGSTAFF

    FROM THE SEBASTIAN FAULKS NOVEL

    BIRDSONG - 2014 UK TOUR - Peter Duncan as Jack Firebrace and George Banks as Stephen (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)
    BIRDSONG – 2014 UK TOUR – Peter Duncan as Jack Firebrace and George Banks as Stephen
    (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)

    Peter Duncan, George Banks and Carolin Stoltz will be heading the cast of the 2014 national tour of Rachel Wagstaff’s stage play Birdsong, adapted from the novel by Sebastian Faulks, which comes to Leicester’s Curve theatre from 17 – 21 June.

    Peter Duncan, will be playing the role of Jack Firebrace in Birdsong. Perhaps best known as a Blue Peter presenter, Peter began his acting career in the 1970s when he joined the National Theatre. Recent theatre credits include Denry Machin in The Card (for which he received an Olivier nomination for Best Actor in a Musical), Alan Ayckbourn‘s Things We Do For Love, the twins in Corpse, Stan Laurel in Laurel and Hardy, Macduff in Macbeth and Fantastic Mr Fox, both at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, and the title role in Charlie Peace – His Amazing Life And Outstanding Legend at Nottingham Playhouse and Coventry Belgrade’s B2.

    BIRDSONG - 2014 UK TOUR - George Banks as Stephen, Carolin Stoltz as Isabelle (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)
    BIRDSONG – 2014 UK TOUR – George Banks as Stephen, Carolin Stoltz as Isabelle
    (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)

    George Banks, whose previous theatre credits include the tour of The History Boys and Hobson’s Choice at the Sheffield Crucible, and Carolin Stoltz, known for her roles in Sky 1’s The Café, Emmerdale and The Inbetweeners Movie, will play the romantic leads of Stephen Wraysford and Isabelle Azaire.

    Also in the cast will be Jonny Clarke (Bart McQueen in Hollyoaks), Selma Brook (Brigitte Rousselot in The Tudors), Malcolm James, James Staddon, Simon Lloyd, Lucy Grattan, Elizabeth Croft and Samuel Martin.

    In pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their worlds upside down. As the war breaks out, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle and the idyll of his former life as his world explodes around him.

    The 2013 tour was hugely successful and critically acclaimed, seen by over 75,000 people and receiving 4- and 5-star reviews, with audiences calling the show ‘simply stunning’. Sebastian Faulks is thrilled the show is being re-mounted for 2014, the year that will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.

    Sebastian, who joined the 2013 company on stage in a cameo role during its 200th performance in Brighton, has stated, “Both Rachel and I want this to be the definitive version of Birdsong on stage. The audience watch it and think, thank God I have never undergone all of this. These experiences are far outside the lives of most people but there is something about the way the production works which makes people identify and think, it could be me…”

    Rachel Wagstaff previously adapted Sebastian Faulks’s The Girl at the Lion d’Or for BBC Radio 4 and she and Faulks are currently writing two screenplays together. She is a participant of Old Vic New Voices and her work has been performed at the annual 24 Hour Plays. Rachel added said, “Birdsong, while first and foremost a simply brilliant work of fiction, gives extraordinary insight into what it must have been like to witness such suffering on an unprecedented scale. I’m delighted that, in the year which marks one hundred years since war was declared, The Original Theatre Company and Birdsong Productions are launching a second regional tour of their beautiful and powerful production.”

    The tour of Birdsong will continue to support Help for Heroes, after raising over £50,000 through collections and events on the 2013 tour.

    Birdsong will again be directed by Alastair Whatley, with set design by Victoria Spearing, lighting by Alex Wardle for Charcoalblue and sound by Dom Bilkey.

    Birdsong will be produced on tour by Alastair Whatley for The Original Theatre Company and Anne-Marie Woodley and Jon Woodley for Birdsong Productions Ltd.

    BIRDSONG - 2014 UK TOUR (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)
    BIRDSONG – 2014 UK TOUR (Photo credit Jack Ladenburg)

    To book tickets visit www.curveonline.uk

     See also:

    The new autumn/Winter season at #Curve

    Our page about #what’s on in Leicester.

  • History of AinL

    12th August 2023

    The old website – artsinleicester – which held an archive of postings from the magazine I once edited – is now being redirected to this website. Many of the articles that were on the archive site have now been posted on this site.

    5th September 2016

    Closing down announcement

    Editor and publisher of Arts in Leicester magazine announced today the the magazine will close down for good in December of this year.

    More details are available on the editorial published today.

    The content will be gradually migrated away to other outlets or will be achived off for historical reference. Meanwhile, here the history of the magazine:

    29th May 2014

    The history of Arts in Leicester Magazine

    This page documents the history and development of this magazine website .

    2005: origins

    ArtsIn Magazine began life when the domain name – artsinleicestershire.co.uk – was registered on 22nd February 2005, together with artsInleicestershire.com (although still active, this is being decommissioned.) In July 2012, artsinleicester.co.uk was registered and for a long time pointed to our Music in Leicester website, until being re-pointed to this site in May 2014.

    The original website was constructed to be a sister site to traveltoleicester.co.uk, which had been created by the designers, B2B Web Consultants. The first edition of the site looked like the original travel to Leicester site, its layout being templated from it.

    Hence, the ArtsInleicestershire.co.uk site was a spin-off from the Travel to Leicester site, which we operated at that time (it being sold to another design company, an IT firm.)

    The Arts in Leicestershire website was launched on Sunday 4th September 2005. It stated that it was ‘Designed and developed by B2B Web Consultants’, and that ‘the site will grow into a comprehensive portal for anything to do with the arts and entertainment in the city and county. ‘

    The styling and layout remained unchanged for most of 2007.  The original layout had a three column layout and blue and yellow navigation boxes that matched those on the original travel website.

    The masthead block was very different from which was used in the old website, being made form a variety of photo images that reflected the arts appearing in it, at that time. The font now used for the name (Monotype Corsiva) had not then been adopted.

    At that time, the site was branded to Pink Angel Promotions, an entertainment agency that had been created, with its own website (now defunct.) The content and links of the home page indicates that rock music was a primary content of the site. The links also indicated that things like theatre, visual arts and other genres of music were also included.

    At the time, B2B Web Consultants (which hosted and developed the ArtsIn site) was trading under the branding of Pink Angel Promotions in order to differentiate its arts-related work from that of its general commercial work. [B2B Web ceased in 2016]

    By December 2006, the site’s banner simply read ‘Arts in Leicestershire’ and was branded to Pink Angel Promotions. It still bore the travel to Leicester styling and layout.

    2007

    In May 2007, an extensive listing of gigs was well under way. This page shows some of the promoters that were active at the time, such as 101 Promotions which was run by Paul Matts (who previously managed the Attik live music venue.)

    The list also shows a date for the OBS (Original Bands Showcase). You can see entries for the ‘Indie Rock Night’, run at the Sun Bar in Churchgate by Arts in Leicestershire or Pink Angel Promotions, a weekly show where live bands played.

    The list shows some of the bands that were active at the time; some of these no longer exist. There was a page of gig reviews featuring a number of Leicester bands that were active at that time. The earliest of these reviews on that page was dated 20th October 2007.

    There was also a separate page (called the ‘events list’) for other types of shows. This splitting of rock gigs and general shows into separate lists is still a feature of the current magazine (at that time, that is.)

    The page listing venues in Leicester is also of interest. Some of those that are listed here have now closed down (e.g. The Charlotte, The Half Time Orange) and some have changed their name (e.g. The current Firebug was then called the Firefly and Original Four is now called SuperFly) and The Alchemist is now called Squares Bar, although it no longer puts on live music.

    In May 2007 the site had the original layout that followed the template of its Travel to Leicester sister site. The About Us page referred to it as a ‘website’ rather than as a ‘magazine or webzine’.

    The site was later called ‘Arts in Leicestershire Webzine’ and that then became ‘magazine’ as the editors became confident that the content justified that description.There was also a separate page (called the events list) for other types of shows.

    2008

    By August 2008, the page banner included the words ‘Online Magazine’. The house-style font for the masthead was set to Monotype Corsiva.

    A copy of the front page dated 22nd December 2008 shows that the site was now being referred to as a ‘webzine’, at least in the title tag. The banner had been redesigned and included the subtitle ‘Online Magazine.’

    Some sections were already on the menu bar including Features, Written Word, Visual Arts and Theatre. There was also a news section. A statement on the front page read ‘Welcome to our new format.’

    Links existed to a news page, editorial comment, reviews and a features page. The content was very oriented to music; the front page announced the Band of the Month – Formal Warning.

    2009: The growth of the magazine format

    The home page (on 16/8/2009) bore the red-top logo using the Monotype Corsiva font which we see today.

    The horizontal navigation bar had been introduced with the links to the major sections.

    The about us page stated (on 14th August 2009): ‘When we started our gigs list , we planned to cover all gigs at all venues. Several months later, we find we are unable to do this because the task is far too overwhelming. We spend several hours per week updating the gigs list and it changes pretty much on a daily basis. The gigs list alone is equivalent to over 28 pages of A4.’

    Also in August 2009, the vacancies page was offering a variety of positions for unpaid volunteers.

    The main sections were: comedy, literature, music, theatre and visual arts.

    2010: Growth and development

    With ArtsIn now established as an on-line magazine, a new section about dance was introduced. By now, we also had accounts on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Fatsoma as well as a separate blog site. Some of these accounts had been created long before the current magazine got going, as facilities created by the music agency Get Your Band On. Our account on YouTube, for example, is still called ‘UK Bands Promoter’. Our MySpace address is still /getyourbandon.

    Early in 2011, the front page had developed it familiar styling and layout. ‘Artsin’ was adopted as the band word for the magazine [it was significant that the ‘home page’ was called the front page, following the magazine model of publication.]

    In order to foster the growth of Arts in Leicestershire, the decision was taken to close down other web sites we operated and to put all our resources into making it more successful. The Get Your Band On website was terminated, along with a variety of other web sites that were distracting attention away from the magazine but which were not delivering any useful results.

    2011: The company takes over the magazine

    ArtsIn Productions Limited was launched on 1st October 2011. This new social enterprise took over the publication of the magazine. Being a social enterprise, the company was better able to recruit a team of volunteers to write for the magazine. {The company closed in 2014]

    2012

    The site achieved a record number of unique visitors in April – 24,201. By this time the whole site had well over 500 live pages.

    The above is based on the page published in the old magazine, and last updated on 21/05/12.

    2013 to 2014

    The launch of our website Music in Leicester saw a very big chunk of the content taken away to form a new on-line product. Between January and May of 2013, the site has grown to over 600 pages, of which more than half were about music (in its popular and rock genres.)

    Both websites continued to enjoy a large number of hits, contrary to the fear that the arts site would wither as the music site developed.  Editors talked about doing a major revamp of the arts site, once the new music product had bedded in. The old site has written in ‘hand-crafted html’ and had almost no interactive features. All the content had to be published through the editorial office, no matter who wrote it.

    Music in Leicester was created using the WordPress® content management system – the version that creates website, as opposed to the one that services the needs of bloggers. The new format proved to be both useful, as a medium for the publication of content, and enabled contributors to be given access to the back-end of the system, so that they could publish their own articles, without everything having to go through one editor.

    The use of WordPress® gave editors’ the confidence to use it for the present version of Arts in Leicester, which you are now reading. This version was published (and the old website pages taken down) on 27th May 2014.

    The name

    Whether as a website, a webzine or a magazine, it has always been called Arts in Leicestershire.  We have now decided to shorten the title to Arts in Leicester, though this does not imply any less of a commitment to covering what is happening in the county.

    Postscript

    Arts in Productions Ltd was wound up in the  autumn of 2014.

  • Leicester to Bury King

    Friday 23rd May 2014

    Page last edited: 27th May 2014.

    LEICESTER Cathedral will be the final resting place for King Richard lll, it was confirmed today.

    The Royal Courts of Justice announced this morning that there are no public law grounds for the court to interfere with the reburial of the king, and for that reason the application for judicial review put forward by the Plantagenet Alliance has been dismissed.

    The decision was reached by three High Court judges who had reviewed whether the exhumation licence obtained by the University of Leicester was lawful.

    The Plantagenet Alliance had called for the judicial review, arguing that consultation should have taken place on the king’s reburial place, once it was confirmed that the bones exhumed by the University of Leicester were those of Richard lll.

    Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “I am delighted that Leicester Cathedral can now proceed with its plans to give King Richard lll a dignified reburial here in the city.

    “With the support of the city council and the University of Leicester, the cathedral is now planning for the king’s reinterment to take place in the spring of next year.

    “This will be a momentous event for the city and county, and an opportunity to show the rest of the world that Leicester is the rightful resting place for the last Plantagenet King of England.

    “I have always said that Leicester needs to be more self-confident if it is to thrive, and this news gives us yet another reason to celebrate all that is good about our city, and to look forward with confidence and pride.”
    King Richard’s remains were discovered in August 2012 during a project involving the University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and The Richard III Society. In February 2013, the University of Leicester announced overwhelming scientific evidence that the remains were those of the last Plantagenet king, who died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

    [Source Leicester City Council]

    See also

    Our report on the announcement of the #HighCourt

  • Richard III

    News about King Richard III and Leicester

    Page last edited:  25th June 2014

    25th June 2014

    Richard III statue coming home

    LEICESTER’S statue of King Richard III will be delivered to its new home in Cathedral Gardens tomorrow (Thursday, June 26).

    The bronze statue – which was removed from its former location at Castle Gardens in May – has been meticulously cleaned, restored and polished by specialists Hirst Conservation at the company’s Lincolnshire studios.

    It will be delivered to Cathedral Gardens as work on the £2million project nears completion.

    The reinstated statue will be armed with a new, full-length sword cast in bronze by Lockbund Sculpture from the original designs by sculptor James Butler MBE RA.

    It will stand on a low slab of polished granite chosen to match materials used in Cathedral Gardens.

    City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The arrival of the statue in Cathedral Gardens is a very poignant moment.

    “In the few weeks since the statue was taken away for restoration, we have learned that Leicester will rightly be the final resting place for the remains of Richard III.

    “The statue will now stand between the new King Richard III Visitor Centre on the site where his remains were discovered, and the king’s final resting place at Leicester Cathedral.

    “We could not wish for a more fitting memorial to this extraordinary chapter in the city’s history.”

    Pete Hobson, acting Canon Missioner at Leicester Cathedral, said: “James Butler’s iconic statue, relocated in one corner of the gardens, will be linked to the other new installation, Towards Stillness, in the opposite corner, by a new sweeping pathway, St Martins Walk.

    “The two works of modern art taken together will frame this new space – itself a gift to the city – which will provide a fitting setting for our Cathedral for many years to come.”

    The relocation of the statue has been managed by P Casey (Land Reclamation) Ltd, lead contractors on the Cathedral Gardens project.

    The statue was donated to the city by the Richard III Society in 1980.

    Artist James Butler will be giving a public talk about the King Richard III statue on Saturday, 5 July, at St Martins House. He will be joined by Juliet Quintero, the lead artist on Towards Stillness, the new artwork commissioned by Leicestershire County Council.

    The event is taking place as part of a weekend celebration to mark the public opening of Cathedral Gardens.

    The £2.5million Cathedral Quarter regeneration project, which also includes resurfacing and other improvements along Peacock Lane, is being funded by the Diocese of Leicester, Leicester City Council and private donations, with support from Leicestershire County Council.

    Leicester City Council successfully bid for up to £1milllion from the European Regional Development Fund towards the project.

    The new King Richard III Visitor Centre, on Peacock Lane, will open on 26 July. For more information, or to book tickets in advance, visit www.kriii.com

    The statue of King Richard III in its new position in Cathedral Gardens, 2014
    The statue of King Richard III
    in its new position in Cathedral Gardens, 2014

    [Source: Leicester City Council]

    28th May 2014

    Richard III display extended

    A HUGELY popular temporary exhibition telling the story of King Richard III will remain open for an extra week because of a surge in interest in it.

    The temporary exhibition at Leicester’s Guildhall Museum – Richard III: Leicester’s Search for a King – was due to close its doors for the final time on Sunday, June 1.

    However, following the announcement last week that the king’s remains will be reburied in Leicester Cathedral, there has been renewed interest in the exhibition about the king’s death and remarkable rediscovery.

    It will now remain open until Sunday, June 8.

    The exhibition opened in February 2013 just days after researchers and archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed that human remains discovered beneath the city’s Greyfriars car park were those of the Last Plantagenet, who was brought to the city after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

    Nearly 190,000 visitors flocked through the doors of the exhibition in less than 18 months, and it was shortlisted for a prestigious national Museums and Heritage Award, losing out to the Victoria and Albert’s stunning David Bowie exhibition, “Bowie Is”.

    Richard III: Leicester’s Search for a King, tells the story of the painstaking work involved in discovering, analysing and identifying the battle-scarred bones of the king, as well as giving visitors an insight into medieval Leicester.

    Centrepieces of the exhibition include an interactive image of the king’s skeleton and a detailed 3-D recreation of his skull.

    A new, much larger exhibition, entitled King Richard III – Dynasty, Death and Discovery, is due to open later this summer a stone’s throw away at the former Alderman Newton’s School in St Martins Place, near the site of King Richard’s grave.

    Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Following last week’s fantastic news that Leicester can indeed proceed with re-burying King Richard III with dignity, it seemed right to keep the exhibition open to allow as many visitors as possible to experience it.

    “It has proved an enormous success, and now with the king’s story once again making national headlines, we want to enable people to continue visiting this wonderful exhibition.”

    Once the Richard III exhibition closes, the Guildhall will become the home of a new installation focusing on medieval Leicester, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and charity the Wolfson Foundation.

    [Source:  Leicester City Council]

    Friday 23rd May 2014

    King Richard III to be buried in Leicester

    The remains of King Richard III are to be interred in Leicester cathedral, it was announced today, following a judgement by The High Court.

    The panel of experts at the announcement of the court ruling
    The panel of experts at the announcement of the court ruling

    Having discovered the remains of the last of the Plantagenet Kings under a Council Car Park in Leicester, plans were made to re-bury the bones inside Leicester Cathedral.

    Present day Yorkists took their case to the High Court claiming that the rightful place for the King’s remains should be York Minster, in their view.

    Judges ruled today in favour of the case for Leicester Cathedral to be the final resting place of English monarch, who died over 500 years ago. Announcing the publication of the Court’s ruling, a panel of experts and representatives of the City and the Church gathered with members of the media in the Nave of Leicester Cathedral. Chairing the event, the Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, led the distinguished panel into the Nave to tell the waiting press of the result, moments after it had been published on the Judiciary website.

    The panel included Nick Rushton (Leader of Leicestershire County Council), Professor Mark Thompson (University of Leicester), Sir Peter Soulsby (Mayor of Leicester), the Bishop of Leicester, The Right Reverend Tim Stevens, The Very Reverend David Monteith (Dean of Leicester) and Richard Buckley OBE (University of Leicester).

    The media at the announcement
    The media at the announcement

    The event was filmed by over a dozen TV film crews with many reporters and journalists in the audience; not quite as many as had been present when the results were announced confirming that the bones were in fact those of Richard III, when the world’s media gathered in vast numbers to hear the results of the archaeological find of the century.

    Wearing a white rose, the emblem of the dead king, The Bishop’s announcement was greeted with sustained applause from those present in the Church. He said that the King’s remains would be given a dignified funeral when they are finally laid to rest. Professor Mark Thompson said that the team from the University of Leicester, who had discovered and unearthed the remains, had done something that had been a stunning success both for the City and for the University of Leicester. The City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said that the remains had been found in the shadow of the Cathedral, where they had lain for over five hundred years and so it was fitting that they should be re-buried there.

    A tomb has already been designed to mark the spot where the King will lie in the Cathedral. The Dean of Leicester, The Very Revd David Monteith, said that the discovery of the bones and their scientific identification as being those of the King had been an extraordinary story. The re-burial is likely to take place in the spring of 2015. Coverage of the funeral is to be covered by Channel 4, the TV station that broadcast several documentaries about the discovery of the remains and their examination by archaeologists and scientists from the University.

    Asked if the Plantagenet Alliance would appeal against today’s finding, members of the panel commented that they would have three weeks to think about it but that any appeal would have to be on a point of law, not a move to re-open the whole question.

    Sir Peter Soulsby said that he could understanding where the Yorkists were coming from but their case was tenuous. Richard was the Duke of Gloucester and was born at Fotheringhay Castle, in Northamptonshire. Whilst he was from the House of York – a family name and dynasty – he never actually spent much time there. He was killed at the Battle of Bosworth and his body was brought to Leicester, where it was buried in the monastery of the Greyfriars. Sir Peter commented that the Plantagenet Alliance were “not clear what they wanted at the hearing and were pressed several times by the judges to make clear what they wanted.”

    In a statement issued by the Plantagenet Alliance, they claim that Richard III would have wanted to have been buried at York, although they did admit that this wish was “inferred”.

    A statement from The Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of Leicester:

    The delays are over. The law is clear and unequivocally set forth in today’s judgement. Richard III fought here, fell here, died here, has lain here and was rediscovered here. He will now be finally led to rest with the prayers of God’s people in a manner fitting to his story and with dignity as befits a child of God and an anointed King of England.

    In a postscript to their decision, the Judges wrote

    Since Richard III’s exhumation on 5th September 2012, passions have been roused and much ink has been spilt. Issues relating to his life and death and place of re-interment have been exhaustively examined and debated. The Very Reverend David Monteith, the Dean of Leicester Cathedral, has explained the considerable efforts and expenditure invested by the Cathedral in order to create a lasting burial-place “as befits an anointed King”. We agree that it is time for Richard III to be given a dignified reburial, and finally laid to rest.

    Links

    Judiciary website

    Leicester Cathedral

    Looking for Richard Project

    Richard III on Wikipedia

    The case of the Plantagenet Alliance

    See also:

    Our #news page

    #Leicester to bury king

  • Leicester City Council – Victorian Art Gallery reopens

    Victorian Art Gallery reopens

    22nd May 2014

    Page last edited: 27th May 2014.

    A VICTORIAN art gallery at Leicester’s New Walk Museum is reopening after a major refurbishment programme.

    The revamped gallery, which has undergone extensive building work since closing in 2012, will reopen to visitors on Saturday, May 24.

    It will now be used to showcase 50 of the city’s best pre-1900 art collection, including works by artists such as Turner, Frith and Degas, old masters by Michael Sweerts and George De La Tours, and sculptures by Rodin and Leighton.

    The Grade-II listed gallery closed in October 2012 for repairs which led to the discovery of asbestos within its structure. The removal of the asbestos meant the resulting refurbishment work took longer than planned.

    Work has included rebuilding parts of the ceiling and walls, removing and restoring decorative plaster and metalwork, and repairing glass in the roof. New lighting has also been installed, along with acoustic panels, a new audio-visual system, blinds and a new stage.

    The gallery has been lovingly redecorated in keeping with its original Victorian style. In addition to creating a new space for weddings and talks, the gallery will also feature new family-friendly activities for visitors of all ages.

    Leicester assistant city mayor for culture, heritage, leisure and sport, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “It is wonderful to see the Victorian Art Gallery restored to its former glory, after this lengthy refurbishment project.

    “The discovery of very fine asbestos in the coving and ceiling meant delays in completing the work as it had to be removed, but now the fully-refurbished gallery is once again looking its best.

    “In addition, improvements such as the new audio-visual equipment, better lighting and space for family activities mean it will be even more user-friendly for visitors of all ages.”

    [Source: Leicester City Council]

  • Young people launch anti-bullying DVD

    Anti-bullying DVD

    22nd May 2014

    Page last edited: 27th May 2014.

    A group of young people from New Parks have written, created and edited their own anti-bullying DVD, with the help of the city council’s youth service and Soft Touch Arts.
    They’ll be launching the DVD at Curve on Wednesday, May 28 at 2pm, with a viewing at 2.30pm.
    The group of about 20 young people are chaired by 17-year-old Aysha Wood. They form a youth version of the New Parks joint area group (JAG), which is set up by the police and other organisations to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in neighbourhoods.
    The New Parks group is the only ‘youth JAG’ in the city.