Charleston Festival 17-26 May

We'll be heading to the renowned and fabulous Charleston Festival once again this year. 

Charleston

Set in the beautiful surroundings of Charleston (East Sussex), which was the home and country meeting point of the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group,the festival takes place from 17-26 May and is an annual fundraising event in aid of the Charleston Trust. With plenty of space to relax on the green grass, it's an ideal opportunity to bring your own picnic, or head to the tea tent or bar for refreshments. 


With writers taking centre stage, the programme of thought-provoking talks and discussions provides the perfect way to relax and reflect. Here are our picks of the many events taking place:


Friday 17th: 'Rooms of their Own' discovers three groundbreaking female writers: Jane Austen, Rebecca West and Sylvia Plath. With readings by actress Juliet Stevenson.

Sunday 19th: ‘Hello World’ offers the opportunity to reflect on the role of art and design in contemporary society. Alice Rawsworth and Charles Saumarez Smith lead the discussion.

The Jazz Age

Wednesday 22nd: 'The Jazz Age' explores the artists, authors, painters, scientists and politicians who made this remarkable new age. Includes discussion by Sarah Churchwell on the chaotic world inhabited by Scott Fitzgerald.

Thursday 23rd: 'Trauma and Creativity' puts booze, creativity and chaos centrestage in the overlapping worlds of writers and their work.


Friday 24th: 'Not for Turning': in conversation with Charles Moore, whose authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher has been hailed as one of the great political biographies of our time.

Messiahs of Modernism

Sunday 26th May: 'Messiahs of Modernism': Alex Danchev's new biography provides a deeper insight into C20th  painter Paul Cezanne, whose tiny painting of apples was bought by Keynes and taken to Charleston.



Podcasts, photos and tweets will be uploaded regularly on the Charleston Festival Live page throughout the festival. For further information follow the link: 
www.charleston.org.uk/whats-on/festivals/the-charleston-festival/



All images courtesy of The Charleston Trust via the Charleston website.

National Theatre Live at your local cinema...

We can't wait to see the sell-out West End production of The Audience live at our local cinema in Sheffield on 13 June.

The highly acclaimed play, in which Helen Mirren reprises her Academy Award winning role as Queen Elizabeth II, is being screened live across the UK as part of the National Theatre Live programme. 

The Audience:
John Major (Paul Ritter) and
Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren).
Photo by Johan Persson.

National Theatre Live is a fabulous experience, taking you to the heart of live London theatre from your local cinema. Launched in June 2009, this groundbreaking scheme brings London stage productions live to cinemas via satellite transmission, which means that it's truly live, with no time lags.

The Audience:
Margaret Thatcher (Haydn Gwynne).
Photo by Johan Persson

The Audience sees the Queen holding her weekly private audience with each of the 12 Prime Ministers who have come and gone during her 60 year reign. From Churchill to Major, Thatcher to Brown, the play imagines the conversations which happened in these very private meetings.

Check out the National Theatre Live,web site for an enticing programme of productions throughout the spring and summer:
http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/about-us


All images courtesy of National Theatre Live