LINE-UP: Morecambe Fringe Festival this week

A swearing poet, screenings of classic films, magical workshops, live music and a reenactment of the gladiator film 300 are just some of the free events taking place in Morecambe.
Corin Rhys Jones will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.Corin Rhys Jones will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.
Corin Rhys Jones will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.

A special weekend of entertainment in the West End will showcase the talent in area as Morecambe gets its very own fringe festival.

Morecambe Fringe Festival runs from Friday to Sunday, September 8-10, taking inspiration from Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Beginning in 1947 the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the single biggest celebration of arts and culture on the planet and now Morecambe is following in its footsteps.

Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.
Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.

The Carleton, the former Alhambra Theatre, on Marine Road West, and St Barnabas’ community centre, on Regent Road, will be the main venues during the festival, which will include 12 shows over three days.

The festival’s opening night kicks off at The Carleton on Friday at 7.30pm with a performance of The Entertainer, the original film was shot at the Alhambra.

“My big hope is that in ten years we have a ballet version of The Entertainer and people will know the story well enough,” said Matt Panesh, one of the organisers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is it is going to be a first of many, what is nice is that there is half local and national acts.”

Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.
Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.

All events are free.

Here is the full list of events taking place at Morecambe Fringe Festival, from Friday to Sunday (September 8-10).

Friday:

*Art exhibitions: artefacts and art celebrating the theatrical heritage of Morecambe and the West End at the Carleton, 6.30pm. And also visit The Restore at 71 Yorkshire Street, West End Impact, 4-10 Heysham Road.

Dommy B will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival. Picture byI an Wallis Photography.Dommy B will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival. Picture byI an Wallis Photography.
Dommy B will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival. Picture byI an Wallis Photography.

*The Entertainer, presented by FredBear Theatre Company: 57 years after the screen version was filmed here, this ground-breaking classic drama by John Osborne about the fading world of musical hall returns to its roots at the Alhambra Theatre, Carleton, at 7.30pm. Kids theatre for ages 14 plus.

Saturday:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

*Saccarins, presented by Wise Up Workshops: the construction of the Bay Gateway has affected more than just the residents. Life for the Saccarins will never be the same again. We follow their journey to a new life behind the skirtings. Will Nedmar ever see his best friend Togwin again? Performance at St Barnabas, 1pm. Kids theatre for ages five plus.

*Spark, presented by Dommy B. Spark, the Goblin Wizard’s magic rhymes can turn anything into anything. However, something terrible stirs in the enchanted forest and maybe not even Spark’s spells can stop the threat, with lyrics, laughs and lots of joining in. Performance at St Barnabas, 2pm. Kids theatre for ages five plus.

Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.
Thick Richard will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.

*Van Gogh Find Yourself, presented by Walter DeForest. Walter DeForest blends storytelling, theatre and creating live art in this engaging portrait of Vincent. DeForest is a New York performer and artist, holding the record for Most Portraits in 12 hours whilst raining money for Support In Mind. Performance at the Carleton, 3pm. Theatre, for ages 12 plus.

*Chronotopia, presented by Kate Fox. Funny, thoughtful stand-up and poems from the Northern stand-up Kate Fox. Material from her two Radio 4 comedy series. Performance at Carleton, 4pm. Spoken word, for ages 12 plus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

*And the Rope Still Tugging Her Feet, presented by Caroline Burns Cooke. A one-woman show inspired by the 1984 Kerry Babies Scandal, when an Irish mother was accused of killing her two children. Performance at the Carleton, 7pm. Theatre for ages 16 plus.

*300 to 1, presented by Corin Rhys Jones. A schoolboy re-enacts the movie 300 to the spirit of Wilifred Owen. Award-winning Corin Rhys Jones in a new production of award-winning Matt Panesh’s one-man show. Performance at St Barnabas, 8.10pm. Theatre for ages 12 plus.

*Swear School, presented by Thick Richard. A fast-paced crash course in everything you wanted to know about bad language. Punk poet Thick Richard looks at the history, definition and use of swearing in his show. Strong language throughout. Performance at the Carleton, 9.30pm. Comedy/theatre for ages 16 plus.

Sunday:

Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.
Jackie Hagan will appear at Morecambe Fringe Festival.

*Aaaaaaa-argh! Dinosaurs! presented by Dommy B. Multi-award-winning poet Dommy B tells the tale of a young troll girl who finds herself defending her town from deadly dinosaurs. Performance at St Barnabas, 1pm. Rhymes/ Kids theatre, for ages five plus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

*Comarella, presented by Wise Up Workshops. Ella lies in a coma after a car crash, her mum was driving the car but has completely vanished. In her coma she enters an intense dream world where everybody is against her. Will she wake up? And who is that boy with the tattoo? Performance at St Barnabas, 2pm. Kids theatre, for ages 12 plus.

*The West End Players, presented by Monkey Poet. Join award-winning Monkey Poet as he introduces you to a smorgasbord of splendid. A revue show for West End voices. Performance at Carelton, 3.10pm. Spoken word for ages 12 plus.

*‘Please Call Me Dad’, presented by Big Charlie Poet. Big Charlie Poet is the host of the monthly Working Title in Lancaster, and his poem ‘It’s the Grit’ was featured as the first spoken word video of the month on The Guardian website. He has performed across the north west and beyond. Performance at the Carleton, 4pm. Spoken word for ages 12 plus.

*Circled in the Radio Times, presented by John Osbourne. The new storytelling show from John Osbourne (creator of John Peel’s Shed) about how finding an old collection of copies of the Radio Times leads to him piercing together the life of previous owner. Performance at the Carleton, 5pm. Storytelling for ages 12 plus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

*Jumble Soul, presented by Jackie Hagan. A new show featuring the real voices of ‘proper skint disabled people’ about the complicated weirdness of being human. Except audience interaction, poetic comedy, comedic poetry and one under class amputee stirring everything. Performance at the Carleton, 7pm. Theatre for ages 14 plus.

*The Morecambe and Lunesdale Poetry Society Presents. A plethora of poets take to the stage in a great hour of spoken word hosted by LaGrif, founder of the Morecambe & Lunesdale Poetry Society. Performance at the Carleton, 8pm. Theatre for ages 14 plus.

*The 39 Steps, presented by Ad-Hoc Theatre. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a spy novel, a dash of Monty Python and you have this comedy. A cast of five actors play over 150 characters in this tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinary adventure. Performance at the Carleton, 9pm. Theatre for ages 12 plus.

Fringe closing celebration will be at the Carleton on Sunday at 9.30pm.

Morecambe Fringe Festival is supported by charity West End Million, Arts Council England and Local Trust.

If you would like to volunteer then please email [email protected].

Related topics: