Out & About July 2017

60 / 68

Arts Editor TRISH LEE’s pick of events in June.
For reviews and arts news see N2 in the Newbury Weekly News each week
June dates for your diary
Ear and eye-popping spectacle
Worldbeaters and Dundu:
Sense of Unity – a new outdoor performance
Northbrook St, Newbury, Friday, June 30 (9.45pm)
Be the first to see this new ear and eye-popping spectacle, before
the whole world catches on. As dusk falls, follow the exuberant world
percussion rhythms of Worldbeaters, samba style, as they parade through
Newbury, and discover large-scale illuminated puppets – the gentle giants
Dundu and baby Dundu.
This collaboration between Germany’s outdoor arts specialists Dundu and
the UK’s LED-lit, high-energy percussion band Worldbeaters, has been
developed at the Corn Exchange’s 101 Creation Space in Greenham. Both
companies have strong international
reputations and have enthralled
spectators all over the world.
Enjoy the different musical worlds of
the two companies – West African Kora
and Latin American riffs and rhythms
rolled into one premiere night-time
performance, before the giants go on to
tour the UK, then who knows where…
If you’ve never been to any of these
fantastic free shows before, make a note
in your diary – they are real crowd-
pleasers.
Big on bluegrass
NewGrass Cutters
Arlington Arts, Snelsmore,
Friday, June 30 (8pm)
They cause a stir whenever they come
to Newbury – and the progressive
bluegrass band NewGrass Cutters are
heading back this way.
Formed by Pete Brown, the talented Bluegrass band features the same
musicians who tour with his father rock ’n’ roll veteran Joe at his sell-out
gigs. The line-up includes banjo/mandolin virtuoso Richard Collins, Mike
Nichols on bass, drummer and singer Phil Capaldi plus Pete Brown on
guitar, lap steel and mandolin.
Collectively, they’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the
business. All share a love of bluegrass music and you can expect stunning
new arrangements of rock and pop classics, Phil’s brilliant ‘Elvis Presley’
interpretations plus the finest vocal and instrumental performances
anywhere.
Guitar legend Albert
Lee, Amen Corner’s
Andy Fairweather
Low and Chas n Dave
and are already big
NewGrass Cutters fans,
you could join them.
Piper Gallery now open
River and Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames
It’s a lovely time of year to take a trip to Henley on Thames and visit the
River & Rowing Museum to see its new John Piper Gallery.
Piper was one of the most popular, prolific and versatile British artists of the 20th
century who spent most of his working life living in Fawley, just outside Henley.
John Piper – A Very British Artist examines the diversity of Piper’s career
from Modernism to Romanticism. His extraordinary diversity of work
covered painting, collage, drawing, stained glass, ceramics, tapestry, set
design and textiles.
This exhibition features unseen work from private collections from around
the country, as well as a continually evolving display of loans from galleries
such as the Tate, V&A and the Arts Council.
The museum has received a donation of a brightly coloured tapestry,
Long Sutton, Lincolnshire (1984), depicting an image of the town’s church
surrounded by trees and foliage. Piper originally produced a painting of the
church in 1981 followed by a screen print in 1985.
Long Sutton, Lincolnshire is a striking example of Piper’s eye for converting
his artwork into textile designs.
An £11 adult ticket to the
museum also buys access to
the Rowing, Henley, River and
Wind in the Willows galleries.
Miss Matchmaker
Emma
Oxford Playhouse Tuesday,
June 20 to Saturday, June 24
Jane Austen fans are spoilt for choice with the
number of events marking the bi-centenary of the
author’s death.
Oxford Playhouse’s contribution is a new
production of Emma, adapted by Tim Luscombe.
Keeping faithfully to the original story, this warm
and witty retelling of Austen’s masterpiece
transports her famous characters vividly to the
stage, including the dashing Mr Knightley, the
comic hypochondriac Mr Woodhouse and the
sublimely dull Miss Bates.
Young, bright and beautiful, Emma Woodhouse
has the world at her feet. When Mr Elton comes to
town she decides to take it on herself to perform
the role of matchmaker to her new friend Harriet
Smith. But to Emma’s great surprise, the more she
tries to manipulate the destinies of others, the less
success she has.
Presented by Production Exchange, who support
young theatre professionals.
61