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Drastic Plastic, a topical tale of sea creatures' battle for survival in an ocean full of rubbish, from Circo Rum Ba Ba.

Drastic Plastic, a topical tale of sea creatures’ battle for survival in an ocean full of rubbish, from Circo Rum Ba Ba.

Carnival opens Battle Festival this Sunday

The fifth Battle Festival launches this weekend with a FREE carnival for the whole community. Festival Fiesta on Sunday (30 September, 12-4pm) welcomes an array of colourful live events and family activities to the Abbey Green, as well as inside Battle Abbey itself (from 2pm). Hannah Collisson details the entertainment in store.

Circo Rum Ba Ba are bringing a life-size inflatable whale to Abbey Green and inviting audiences inside for their new show Drastic Plastic, a tale of sea creatures and their battle to survive in an ocean full of rubbish, featuring exquisite puppets, comedy and music. The audience help to save the Turtle and the Whale from a deluge of plastic! Performances at 12pm, 12.30pm, 1pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, and 3.30pm.

Taking place in front of Battle Abbey, Bootworks Theatre’s We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat is an interactive show about small-town communities and the movie Jaws, exploring notions of belonging. Performances at 12.15pm, 12.45pm, 1.45pm, 2.15pm, and 3.30pm.

Johnny Fluffypunk in the search for himself.

Johnny Fluffypunk in the search for himself.

There will also be live music and plenty of surprises in store, including high energy dance from Tomboogie and a special surprise from local Rock Choirs.

The weather forecast is for sunny intervals, but in case it turns bad, all the activities on Abbey Green will be moved to Battle Memorial Hall so the fun can continue.

October events

The Giufa Project, co-produced by Battle Festival, Glyndebourne, Opera Circus and Crisis Classroom, will see young people present new artwork and performances on the theme of migration as part of an exciting international collaboration spanning music, theatre, dance, parkour (free running), visual art and film (20 October).

Mozrt's Magic Flute, set in post-war London.

Mozrt’s Magic Flute, set in post-war London.

Other highlights in theatre, dance, and spoken word include Jonny Fluffypunk’s autobiographical show about finding yourself, fusing elements of theatre, storytelling, comedy and stand-up (6 October); Leviathan, in which multi-award winning choreographer James Wilton re-imagines Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick in a show featuring a cast of six and a blend of athletic dance, martial arts, capoeira and partner-work (19 October); Macbeth, Shakespeare’s famous tragedy of greed and political ambition from Bowler Crab Productions (21 October); Opera Anywhere perform an inspired, accessible adaptation of one of Mozart’s most famous operas, The Magic Flute, set in 1950s London and celebrating the birth of teen culture (7 October); while Unkindest Cut by Sadhana Dance interweaves dance, performance, text and film around an intricate light installation exploring some of the complex issues around young people and mental health (26-31 October).

The Ceilidh Liberation Front - a chance to let your hair down.

The Ceilidh Liberation Front – a chance to let your hair down.

Other musical highlights include the Ceilidh Liberation Front, who will be liberating the dance-floor with their energetic and immersive performance, suitable for the whole family (12 October); and Becky Mills (who has worked with the likes of Pentangle and Fairport Convention), joined by Ruth Angell on violin (23 October).

World-class concerts

Battle Festival 2018 also features world-class classical concerts, with a whole weekend dedicated to classical music for all, including a recital from mesmerising Russian pianist Roman Kosyakov, winner of the 2018 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition (26 October); Battle

Battle Festival's resident ensemble, the Primrose Piano Quartet.

Battle Festival’s resident ensemble, the Primrose Piano Quartet.

Festival’s resident ensemble, the internationally renowned Primrose Piano Quartet, joined by violinist Jonathan Stone and cellist Richard Lester (27 October); and Around the World in 80 Minutes! a special family concert on the theme of travel with the Primrose Piano Quartet and guests from Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra (28 October).

The family fun continues with Fizzlebert Stump, a new adaptation of AF Harrold’s much-loved book for children aged 6-10, featuring puppetry, magic and a lion with false teeth (21 October); Blast Science return to Battle Festival with The Extravaganza Show, a whistlestop tour through the world of science, with plenty of audience participation and live experiments (23 October); and Oskar’s Amazing Adventure is the heart-warming play for children aged 2-8 using a rich mix of storytelling, physical theatre, puppetry, music and song to tell the tale of a puppy’s search for friendship in the wilderness of the Alps (6 October).

For details of all events, including the  extensive fringe programme, pick up a brochure available locally or visit the website, where tickets may also be booked.

Oskar's Amazing Adventure, a children's tale of a puppy's search for friendship.

Oskar’s Amazing Adventure, heart-warming tale of a puppy’s search for friendship in the Alps.

 

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Posted 18:23 Saturday, Sep 29, 2018 In: Music & Sound

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