2:48pm Friday 20th June 2008
IT'S festival fortnight in St Albans again when the city celebrates its culture and heritage with two weeks of entertainment from Saturday, June 21 to Sunday, July 6.
Boy George is back - and The Alban Arena is one of only two UK venues he plays this summer. Fans can expect a night of legendary Culture Club hits, plus numbers from George's solo career.
Boy George in Concert with full band St Alban Arena Friday, July 4, 8pm Standing: £25, Seated: £28.50 01727 844488 www.alban-arena.co.uk
Two lunchtime recitals by organists Linden Innes-Hopkins (Tuesday, June 24) and James Banville (Tuesday, July 1) will take place at Marlborough Road Methodist Church.
12.30pm start. Free. Light lunches before/after. 01727 865979 www.nsos.org.uk
Don't miss the rare opportunity to experience nationally-renowned poets in the flesh during the festival.
On Saturday, June 21, writer, poet and translator David Constantine will read from his Collected Poems (Bloodaxe) 2004, while on Saturday, July 5, Maggie Butt, reads from her first poetry collection, Lipstick.
The same evening, poet Martin Newell takes the stage.
David Constantine, Saturday, June 21, 7.30pm St Michaels Parish Centre, £5 Maggie Butt, Saturday, July 5, 2.30pm Maltings Arts Theatre. Free Martin Newell, Saturday, July 5, 8.30pm Maltings Arts Theatre £8/£6
If you prefer to read your own poems, sign up for Open Mic night at the White Hart Hotel, Holywell Hill on Thursday, June 26, where you can read a poem of your choice and listen to other participants doing the same. The initial reading is limited to a maximum of five minutes.
White Hart Hotel, Holywell Hill on Thursday 26 June, 8pm. Free
For something different, festival goers can jig the day away at The Big Dance around the Alban Arena on Sunday, July 6.
As part of the national project developed two years ago by the GLA and Arts Council England, Big Dance encourages everybody to enjoy dance by watching performances or taking part themselves. Performances in The Arena will include Uprising, a highly charged piece by Skins choreographer Hofesh Schecter with seven male dancers moving to a percussive score. Or if you prefer to get involved, there's a style to suit - choose a workshop on hip hop, belly dancing, African dance or ballroom.
Sunday, July 6, noon-6pm. Free 01727 844488 www.alban-arena.co.uk
If you enjoy taking part in quality music, sign up and sing-along to Bach with The Hertfordshire Chorus at St Albans Town Hall. The chosen work for the afternoon is the Magnificat under the direction of David Temple.
Workshop: Saturday 28 June, 2pm-5pm, Regency Room, St Albans Town Hall (registration from 1.45pm).
Free tickets from The Alban Arena Box Office 01727 844488, or from 0870 458 0445 or email tickets@hertfordshirechorus.org.uk
The Festival kicks off at The Maltings Arts Theatre with British Nigerian soul funkateer Ola Onabule, renowned for his vocal range, melodic style and infectious rhythms. He has performed all over the world from Ronnie Scott's to The Royal Festival Hall with names like Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight and the horn based soul band Tower of Power.
Saturday, June 21 8.30pm £12.50/£10.50
If you can grab an hour at lunch, The Maltings Arts Theatre is holding two Festival Classical recitals. The first, on Wednesday, June 25, features Clare Deniz on cello and Hisayo Shimizu on piano, performing Beethoven's Sonata No 2 in G, Schumann's Fantasie Stucke and Chopin's Pollonaise Brillante.
On Wednesday, July 2, audiences can hear Music from the Baroque with works by Bach, Corbett, Telemann, Loeillet, Purcell, Quantz and William Williams played by chamber Music ensemble Serafini, featuring Janet Marsh on flute, Elizabeth Dockrell-Tyler on violin and Christopher Rowland playing continuo.
Wednesday, June 25 and Wednesday, July 2 1pm-2pm £3.50
Another festival feature at the Maltings venue is two pieces of contemporary theatre by Guy Masterson on two consecutive days.
The first is a production of Dylan Thomas' work Under Milk Wood in which Guy Masterson takes on the whole play as a solo performance. This involves tackling all 69 characters - including animals - using just a wooden chair as a prop and helped by evocative lighting and music and soundscape added by composer Matt Clifford.
The following day, Masterson presents American Poodle, a satirical comedy in two parts. The first section, Snowball, is described as an entertaining monologue on Anglo American relations, zipping through early US history.
The second part of the performance, Splayfoot, written by Brian Parks, sees Britain through the eyes of the modern American with some "amusing observations" on the UK's culture and language.
Under Milk Wood, Thursday, July 3, 8pm American Poodle, Friday, July 4, 8pm £12/£10 01727 844222 www.stalbans.gov.uk/mat
For detailed information on all events, see www.stalbansfestival.co.uk
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