THE programme for the 2014 Llangollen Fringe Festival had
its official launch at the town’s International Pavilion on Monday evening.
 |
| * Victoria Coren Mitchell. |
Announcing the varied line-up for the 17
th annual
festival, Sara Roberts, a member of the organisation team, described it as a “big
hitter” which would offer events to cater for a wide range of tastes ranging
over 11 days from July 17-27.
Among those she singled out to illustrate this was Dylan Thomas
in Llangollen, a drama by actor Peter Read specially commissioned to mark the
centenary of the legendary Welsh poet on Wednesday July 23,
and the Blues Steam Train trip along the
Llangollen Railway on Sunday, July 20.
Sara added: “Sometimes we take a risk to do more interesting
things and present things you wouldn’t see anywhere else.
“One of those things we are doing this year is a screening
of the film The Extremist, on Sunday July 20.
“It stars Llangollen actor Dyfed Thomas, who is a good
friend of the Fringe, and tells the story of the Welsh nationalist terrorists
who mounted a bombing campaign in the late 1960s in the run-up to the
Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.”
 |
| *Glenn Tilbrook. |
Headliners at the festival include stand-up comedian Paul
Sinha on Thursday July 17,
an evening
with TV presenter and writer Victoria Coren Mitchell on Tuesday July 22 and a
performance by former Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook on Thursday July 24.
Llangollen Mayor Bob Lube, who was among guests at the
launch evening, said: “The council is always very happy to be associated with
the Fringe, which has become one of the main cultural events of the town whose
reputation has spread far and wide.
“Although it is organised by a dedicated band of amateurs it
is by no means amateurish.”
Festival Programme 2014 highlights:
Thursday 17th
July - Stand-up Comedy
The Fringe Comedy Night Double Bill presents two well-known
names from the comedy circuit, Paul Sinha and Gary Delaney.
Friday 18th
July - Shakespeare’s As You Like It
Indulge yourself and let Taking Flight entangle you in this
tale of sibling rivalry, love, lust and mistaken identity.
Through nine albums with Super Furry Animals, two with Neon
Neon and handful of solo LPs, Gruff Rhys has distinctively documented the lives
of others.
Fringe Acoustica is back for another orgy of unplugged aural
delights.
Saturday 19th
July - The Neville Staple Band
Former singer with The Specials and Fun Boy Three Neville
Staple will get you skanking to ska and Two Tone hits plus some reworked
Jamaican ska classics and brand new original material.
Sunday 20th
July - Band For A Day
Band for a Day will give you the opportunity to develop your
musical ensemble skills.
Sunday 20th
July - Blues Steam Train
5.45pm departure from Llangollen Steam Railway Station. Get into the right frame of mind listening to
a live blues band on the platform before boarding your steam train.
The much-acclaimed, highly controversial film deals with the
symbolic bombing campaign which took place in Wales during the 1960’s leading
up to the investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales.
Jon Ronson presents a one-man show - Frank - telling the
true story behind a new, soon to be released movie co-written by him and
starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Domhnall Gleeson and
directed by Lenny Abrahamson. Part funny memoir, part movie diary, this is a
tribute to outsider artists too wonderfully strange to ever make it in the
mainstream.
Band For A Day participants show off their new skills in a
concert on the main Llangollen Fringe stage in front of a live audience.
Victoria reads from a selection her acclaimed works and talks
about her life and career. Followed by an opportunity for audience members to
ask their own questions.
To celebrate the Dylan Thomas centenary a new drama featuring
renowned actor Peter Read.
East India Youth - who is responsible for the love-lorn
synth pop of 'Looking For Someone' and the chemically-dazed rapture of 'Heaven,
How Long' from the stunning 'Hostel EP' - is actually one young man. William
Doyle, a 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Bournemouth, cut his teeth in
an indie group called The Fourfathers while still a teenager.
Former Squeeze frontman, Glenn Tilbrook, reputed for his
considerable song writing talent and irrepressible sense of humour, brings his
totally stripped down solo acoustic show to the Fringe.
WOMEX headliner Transglobal Underground make a welcome
return visit to the Llangollen Fringe this year. Their sell-out
performance in Llangollen in 2004 was one of the great all-time nights of
Fringe history. They specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African
music styles (sometimes labelled world fusion and ethno techno) and their
infectious music and huge stage presence will make this a great night to
remember for another decade.
A rare opportunity to enjoy a journey on the Llangollen
Canal cruising along our own World Heritage Site with musical accompaniment
from a clarinet quartet (clarinet, violin, viola and cello) playing as you
travel through the beautiful Dee Valley.
Survivors of torture helped write, create and are performing
in a groundbreaking new verbatim theatre play about their experiences of
torture.
Known as ‘The Godfathers of World Music', Osibisa exploded
onto the music world in 1971 with a pulsating and vibrant sound that was to
engulf the tired post 60’s rock scene. Translated from Ghanaian Osibisa
means ‘criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness’.
An intimate afternoon of Spanish music, wine and tapas in
the wood panelled surroundings of Gales Wine Bar
Harmonic Chant and Diphonic Singing, is a vocal technique in
which each singer emits two notes at once.
Festival Tickets are now on sale, in limited numbers.
For £80 you can get into all the evening concerts.
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